#CJSReads REVIEW: Sunshine is Forever by Kyle T. Cowan @inkshares @kyletcowan
Sunshine is Foreverby Kyle T. Cowan
Inkshare
Happy Publishing Day!! 8/29/17
An emotional roller coaster of a ride. See what #CJSReads had to say about this book addressing teen depression and suicide.
Synopsis from Goodreads:
After a life-changing decision, Hunter decides that he can’t go on…
…which lands him in Camp Sunshine, a rehab center for depressed teens. Hunter is determined to keep everyone there out of his head, especially his therapist. But when he meets Corin, a beautiful, mysterious, and confident fellow camper, all Hunter wants to do is open up to her, despite the fact that he’s been warned Corin is bad news.
When Corin devises a plan for them to break out of the camp, Hunter is faced with the ultimate choice — will he run from the traumatic incident he’s tried so hard to escape, or will he learn that his mistakes have landed him right where he’s meant to be?
Sunshine is Forever captures the heartbreaking spirit of The Fault in Our Stars, the humor of Orange is the New Black, and the angst of Catcher in the Rye.
…which lands him in Camp Sunshine, a rehab center for depressed teens. Hunter is determined to keep everyone there out of his head, especially his therapist. But when he meets Corin, a beautiful, mysterious, and confident fellow camper, all Hunter wants to do is open up to her, despite the fact that he’s been warned Corin is bad news.
When Corin devises a plan for them to break out of the camp, Hunter is faced with the ultimate choice — will he run from the traumatic incident he’s tried so hard to escape, or will he learn that his mistakes have landed him right where he’s meant to be?
Sunshine is Forever captures the heartbreaking spirit of The Fault in Our Stars, the humor of Orange is the New Black, and the angst of Catcher in the Rye.
My Review:
Hunter S. Thompson (not the famous one) has tried to kill himself a few times since "the Incident" and his only friend turning her back on him. He is then sent to Camp Sunshine, a rehab center for depressed teens. He soon meets Corin, the only girl to show any interest in him, and she wants him to help her escape. He's been warned repeatedly not to get involved with her but how can he not when she's the only one who makes him feel better about himself? Will he continue to run from his inner demons, or will another miscalculation send him straight into facing all the consequences?
This book reminded me so much of Girl, Interrupted as I was reading it. I realize it's different in certain aspects, but put a group of teens in a setting where they are confined to an area and must confront their issues and boom, that's where my mind goes. Hunter struggles to accept responsibility for "the Incident" and blames everyone else around him instead. As he feels isolated and unwanted by his parents and his only friend, he just wants to get rid of this feeling of being hated. Depression and suicide are hard subjects to write about and I feel the author did a fantastic job of putting you in the mind of Hunter. Completely raw in certain moments and utterly realistic, I think anyone who may struggle with these issues may have a hard time reading this.
I think all of us at some point has felt alienated or struggled to deal with our own demons. This book resonates in this universal feel. I did get a little annoyed with all the descriptive names that were repeated over and over again throughout the book: Optimistic Quint, Flinching Finley, Controlling Corin, Surgeon Dick, etc. etc. but I needed to know what "the Incident" was and even Corin's past - this is what kept me turning the pages. What really got to me was the last few pages when everything comes to a head and I felt my heart break and then mend back slowly towards the final pages. I'll certainly be thinking about this book for some time.
As the author says in his acknowledgements, "Continue to be yourself. Allow the world to be inspired by you."
This book reminded me so much of Girl, Interrupted as I was reading it. I realize it's different in certain aspects, but put a group of teens in a setting where they are confined to an area and must confront their issues and boom, that's where my mind goes. Hunter struggles to accept responsibility for "the Incident" and blames everyone else around him instead. As he feels isolated and unwanted by his parents and his only friend, he just wants to get rid of this feeling of being hated. Depression and suicide are hard subjects to write about and I feel the author did a fantastic job of putting you in the mind of Hunter. Completely raw in certain moments and utterly realistic, I think anyone who may struggle with these issues may have a hard time reading this.
I think all of us at some point has felt alienated or struggled to deal with our own demons. This book resonates in this universal feel. I did get a little annoyed with all the descriptive names that were repeated over and over again throughout the book: Optimistic Quint, Flinching Finley, Controlling Corin, Surgeon Dick, etc. etc. but I needed to know what "the Incident" was and even Corin's past - this is what kept me turning the pages. What really got to me was the last few pages when everything comes to a head and I felt my heart break and then mend back slowly towards the final pages. I'll certainly be thinking about this book for some time.
As the author says in his acknowledgements, "Continue to be yourself. Allow the world to be inspired by you."
Jessica's Thoughts:
Sam's Thoughts:
After an “incident” and a suicide attempt, Hunter finds himself heading to Camp Sunshine, the happiest place on earth and haven for depressed teens. Once he arrives, he meets fellow camper, Corin, who hatches a plan to break out of camp. In helping with the plan, Hunter ends up going deep within himself to figure out if he plans to run from the incident that got him to the camp in the first place or if he wants to say and face it head on.
After an “incident” and a suicide attempt, Hunter finds himself heading to Camp Sunshine, the happiest place on earth and haven for depressed teens. Once he arrives, he meets fellow camper, Corin, who hatches a plan to break out of camp. In helping with the plan, Hunter ends up going deep within himself to figure out if he plans to run from the incident that got him to the camp in the first place or if he wants to say and face it head on.
When I first read the synopsis, I was hesitant. I had some serious issues with Thirteen Reasons Why and that whole craze earlier this year, so I wasn’t sure what to expect as I delved into a book about teen suicide. However, the tagline for this book stated it was The Bell Jar meets Chuck Palahniuk. I was intrigued but a little bit confused. “What a combination that would be”, I thought to myself. So, my curiosity got the best of me and I dived in. Now that I have finished Sunshine is Forever by Kyle T. Cowan, I totally get it.
Given the subject matter, it is no surprise that this narrative is raw and honest but it is also, ironically, pretty funny. Using dark humour, Cowan’s narrative prose completely stood out using Hunter’s narrative voice. As he discussed his insecurities, his feelings and his everyday life, I found myself accepting the information as if he was an old friend. I don’t usually read YA, simply because I don’t usually enjoy it nor can I relate. However, I found something different about this one. Perhaps the subject matter made it seem more mature? I’m not sure but I had no issues flying through the pages.
In my line of work, I often come across teens with suicidal ideations and I found the perspective of this book incredibly eye opening. You can read textbooks for days on the subject but this account felt so honest and real, it actually felt like it gave me a better understanding.
4/5 stars from me!
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