Sunshine

Sunshine
Robin McKinley, 2003

Premise: Rae is a baker with a career, a boyfriend, and a community. She knows not to go through the bad part of town alone. The lake near where her grandmother had lived should have been safe. There shouldn't have been vampires anywhere near there.

This is one of the best damn vampire books I've ever read.

It takes place in a fascinating world that is revealed only slowly and naturally. It's in first person, and there is almost zero info-dumping. Very little is revealed until it comes up directly, including important facts about the world and the characters' history.

I loved the language in this book. Slang and conversation casually reflects the presence of everyday magic and myth. The world, as alluded to above, is a complex one. Vampires are the most dangerous paranormal critter, but not the only one. It's unclear how long they've been openly coexisting with humanity, only that there was a major conflict within living memory.

The main character is both strong and overwhelmed and had a great sense of humor. I enjoyed her practicality and her struggle.

The magic is intriguing and beautifully described. The writing is fast and gripping; I had a lot of trouble putting it down.

Just overall, fantastic.

5 Stars - An Awesome Book