Scan barcode
A review by mkw1lson
The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Oh man, Jean Moreau needs a hug. Several hugs. He probably doesn't want one, but, wow, does he ever need one.
First and foremost, I liked this book a lot. In many ways, I think it is the strongest of the series so far. It certainly helps that it is a later book, so most of the characters, the world, and the stakes at play are already established going into the book. I think one thing that stood out for me, and made this book a little more enjoyable than the others, were the two very different POVs in this book. So, while Jean's perspective was exactly as dark and dramatic (and soap-y) as we've come to expect from the original series (possibly more depressing than Neil's POV), we were also treated to Jeremy's POV which is a little more grounded and relatable, and he often says things that the reader might be thinking about this crazy gangster/Exy world.
Similarly, being in the USC/Trojan world means that when Jean said or did something deeply messed up, a lot of people actually said, "Hang on, what?". Cat and Laila were an absolute treat for this, but also the coaches and, of course, Jeremy. And as sad as it was what Jean was going through, that levity of characters thinking this is as messed up as the reader was SO nice. It was something I think that I would miss going back to the original series.
I loved the story, the journey that Jean is going on and the support he is getting fromhis friends(!!). I also love the hints we get at the relationship between Jean and Jeremy and I am intrigued to see where that goes in the next book .
I have one critique, and that is just how long it took to actually get to new material. The book is from two new POVs, but there is quite a lot of overlap with the last book in the original trilogy, which is from the new POVs, but it is still a bit slow/difficult to get through. Perhaps if I hadn't read the original trilogy so recently it wouldn't have bothered me, but who knows. I know some of it was necessary, but to me it felt like it went on a bit long. Still, other than that, this was a great book.
I loved the quick cameos of the Foxes we got, I loved the characters, I loved the storyline, and I loved where the book ended. I'm excited to learn there will be a second book for Jean and Jeremy and I can't wait to read it! Excited to be reading it along with the other fans of the series now!
The book deals with similar dark themes to the first three and warnings should be heeded.
First and foremost, I liked this book a lot. In many ways, I think it is the strongest of the series so far. It certainly helps that it is a later book, so most of the characters, the world, and the stakes at play are already established going into the book. I think one thing that stood out for me, and made this book a little more enjoyable than the others, were the two very different POVs in this book. So, while Jean's perspective was exactly as dark and dramatic (and soap-y) as we've come to expect from the original series (possibly more depressing than Neil's POV), we were also treated to Jeremy's POV which is a little more grounded and relatable, and he often says things that the reader might be thinking about this crazy gangster/Exy world.
Similarly, being in the USC/Trojan world means that when Jean said or did something deeply messed up, a lot of people actually said, "Hang on, what?". Cat and Laila were an absolute treat for this, but also the coaches and, of course, Jeremy. And as sad as it was what Jean was going through, that levity of characters thinking this is as messed up as the reader was SO nice. It was something I think that I would miss going back to the original series.
I loved the story, the journey that Jean is going on and the support he is getting from
I have one critique, and that is just how long it took to actually get to new material. The book is from two new POVs, but there is quite a lot of overlap with the last book in the original trilogy, which is from the new POVs, but it is still a bit slow/difficult to get through. Perhaps if I hadn't read the original trilogy so recently it wouldn't have bothered me, but who knows. I know some of it was necessary, but to me it felt like it went on a bit long. Still, other than that, this was a great book.
I loved the quick cameos of the Foxes we got, I loved the characters, I loved the storyline, and I loved where the book ended. I'm excited to learn there will be a second book for Jean and Jeremy and I can't wait to read it! Excited to be reading it along with the other fans of the series now!
The book deals with similar dark themes to the first three and warnings should be heeded.