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A review by ck_merlyn
The Sun Sister by Lucinda Riley
5.0
Totally unsurprisingly, this sweeping tale, part 6 of the Seven Sisters series, blew me away.
Content warnings:
-drug use
-drug addiction
-rehabilitation
-gun violence
-war
-racism (so much racism on so many levels, shown clearly & carefully)
-colonialism
-death
-suicide
-Islam
-Christianity
-alcoholics (& narcotics) anonymous
-mugging
Your mileage may vary, this book goes a LOT of places, please take care of yourself while reading
Characters of Colour?
So many, all beautifully written without backing away from the challenges BIPOC face, from a POV other than African American. Something not often seen, but highly valuable as someone not African American.
QUILTTBAG/Queer Characters?
There’s reference to one of the other sisters, who is not straight, but no explicitly Queer main characters in this one.
Disabled Characters?
YES. Multiple kinds!
We have “shell shocked” war veterans, traumatised socialites, alcoholics, other addicts (including workaholics, might I add), but there are no characters with physical disabilities beyond ageing. I get that we cannot have all the things, all the time, & just the disabled characters we have is progress, but is it too much to ask for a chronic illness, intellectual disability, or physical disability? Probably. I shall live in hope, though.
Worth my time?
This beast of a book took me three weeks or so, on & off.
Why did it take so long?
It’s traumatic. There are so many levels of loss, suffering, & trauma that I had to read in stages.
And it was absolutely worth it.
Riley writes stories outside her white, privileged position with such compassion & respect. Each layer of story, each painful fragment, was wrapped in such careful consideration that it doesn’t matter if you have any connection to anything in this story. You can access it, understand it, & feel the effects.
Would I re-read?
Guess what I have planned for when the last book comes out?
SERIES RE-READ H*CK YEAH
Recommend?
To people who have read any of the previous books, to people who are interested in how to write characters of Colour well, to those who enjoy sweeping, emotional journeys & framing stories (for double the story!)
Content warnings:
-drug use
-drug addiction
-rehabilitation
-gun violence
-war
-racism (so much racism on so many levels, shown clearly & carefully)
-colonialism
-death
-suicide
-Islam
-Christianity
-alcoholics (& narcotics) anonymous
-mugging
Your mileage may vary, this book goes a LOT of places, please take care of yourself while reading
Characters of Colour?
So many, all beautifully written without backing away from the challenges BIPOC face, from a POV other than African American. Something not often seen, but highly valuable as someone not African American.
QUILTTBAG/Queer Characters?
There’s reference to one of the other sisters, who is not straight, but no explicitly Queer main characters in this one.
Disabled Characters?
YES. Multiple kinds!
We have “shell shocked” war veterans, traumatised socialites, alcoholics, other addicts (including workaholics, might I add), but there are no characters with physical disabilities beyond ageing. I get that we cannot have all the things, all the time, & just the disabled characters we have is progress, but is it too much to ask for a chronic illness, intellectual disability, or physical disability? Probably. I shall live in hope, though.
Worth my time?
This beast of a book took me three weeks or so, on & off.
Why did it take so long?
It’s traumatic. There are so many levels of loss, suffering, & trauma that I had to read in stages.
And it was absolutely worth it.
Riley writes stories outside her white, privileged position with such compassion & respect. Each layer of story, each painful fragment, was wrapped in such careful consideration that it doesn’t matter if you have any connection to anything in this story. You can access it, understand it, & feel the effects.
Would I re-read?
Guess what I have planned for when the last book comes out?
SERIES RE-READ H*CK YEAH
Recommend?
To people who have read any of the previous books, to people who are interested in how to write characters of Colour well, to those who enjoy sweeping, emotional journeys & framing stories (for double the story!)