Sunshine by Robin McKinley

"They took her.

 It was a dumb thing to do but it wasn't that dumb. There hadn't been any trouble out at the lake in years. And it was so exquisitely far from the rest of Sunshine's life; she just needed to be alone with her thoughts for a little while. But then the vampires found her. Now, chained and imprisoned in a tumbledown mansion, alone but for the vampire shackled next to her, Sunshine must call on skills she didn't know she had if she is to survive. But her fellow prisoner is not what she expected of a vampire, and soon Sunshine discovers that not only does she need his help, he needs hers..."

--Summary taken form back cover of Sunshine

     I thought Sunshine was a great take on vampires and other creatures of the dark (though mainly vampires). McKinley created an interesting plot, if not a bit slow at some points. It did pick up though!

     The different twists in the plot were really quite creative. I kept expecting Sunshine (Rae Seddon) to just give in and give up. She didn't though, much as she wanted to. After all, who wouldn't want to?

     For some reason I wanted more from Sunshine though. I wanted her to have more of a life instead of almost everything revolving around Charlie's bakery. Don't get me wrong, Sunshine was a deep, complex character, but I couldn't connect to her as much as I needed to. I do wish I could try some of her bakery creations! Cinnamon rolls as big as your head, chocolate death... yum!

     I loved the cast at Charlie's. They were a family, literally and figuratively. Charlie himself was one of my favorites. He always seemed to know just what everyone was in need of. I couldn't make heads or tails of Sunshine's mom. I know she cared about her daughter, but they always seemed to be so standoffish. I have such a close relationship with my own mother and I guess I wanted the same for Sunshine.

     When Sunshine is kidnapped by vampires we learn more about the history of her hometown New Arcadia and the role that other-worldly creatures play in it. It is relatively intricate at times and even a bit difficult to understand, but McKinley weaves her story well and everything falls into place for the most part.

     I recommend this book for ages 14 and up (because of some pretty gory fight scenes and some promiscuity, though nothing graphic or in detail at all). All in all, I liked this book and I recommend it to those who enjoy vampire or supernatural type books!

     Rating: 6

     If you'd like to read Sunshine, try Amazon.