Sun Don't Shine

I could not put down this radiant, engrossing story of a girl who was abducted by her father from her supposedly dead mother a decade before. Over those long, confused years, the two of them have lived in dilapidated motel rooms, existing on scraps of food, often hungry, finding clothes in dumpsters, running from some unnamed persecution. Because Reece’ s father cannot keep even the lowest job, the clever girl has leaned to steal. But at 16, sporadically enrolled in schools, Reece begins cautiously to reveal and question her peculiar life to friends and teachers, suspecting that her mother might not be dead and may indeed be looking for her. Yet searching library computers for information seems a betrayal of her father who is the only family she has known. Written with perception and lyrical observation, Reece’s story is that of a young girl fighting for her life and the truth while risking all she has known for someone, who if she is alive, may not want her. SUN DON’T SHINE is a gorgeous novel of a girl calling on strengths and moral truths she did not know she had and finding them.

From the first page of SUN DON'T SHINE, you can't help but get hooked by Reece, a sixteen-year-old tough girl who has been living in budget motels, scrounging in dumpsters for anything remotely of value, and trying to cobble together a teenager's life under the strict "rules" her dad has created. Soon, we learn that these rules are meant to protect a secret he's kept for the last ten years and that all that Reece has been told about their life on the run together might not be what it seems. A story of trust, betrayal, regret, and that tension-filled fine line between youth and adulthood, this fast-paced YA novel is laced with some beautiful literary moments. My favorite: "I couldn't picture Dad swimming in the ocean. Couldn't imagine the sting of the jellyfish, their tentacles hooking into his skin. Still, he never turned his gaze away from the shore. It was the first time he saw a beach in real life. He didn't know it would be so dangerous."

Thank you NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for the copy of Sun Don’t Shine by Crissa-Jean Chappell. This is a short, engrossing story of Reece, a 16 year old living in a motel with her father. We see her struggle for survival and also learn how she ended up in this situation. I was rooting for Reece for the whole book, hoping for a happy ending to her story, because she was so compelling. I loved how she found refuge in libraries. We never get to really know her father well enough to understand his motivations because Reece was the only character that was really well defined. I was sorry to not learn more about Shawn because he was probably the most likable character and is a good example of not judging people by their outsides.

SUN DON'T SHINE is addictingly wonderful in the most heartbreaking and poignant way. I devoured this book in one sitting, unable to tear myself away. Reece's tale, though fictional, serves as a reflection of the harsh realities many face in America. She emerges as a resilient heroine, navigating through a landscape of profound sorrow with an unwavering spirit of hope. Despite the darkness surrounding her, her resilience shines through, guiding the reader through to the end.

This read is absolutely amazing!! Loved it from page one and literally couldn’t put it down! Thank you Crissa-Jean Chappell for taking me to a place full of suspense with a positive ending! It made me feel like I may have met Reece at some point!!

I felt that this was just an ok read for me. I felt that it just didn't go anywhere and when it finally moved, it made no sense. It was just too cut and dried. I think this book needed to come full circle, especially with what Reece went through with her father. I think there needed to be some resolution as to what happens to him. I, also, struggled with the premise that the school wouldn't have already been involved in her situation since she has no reliability in her life. Just her physical appearance and smell alone would have drawn questions through the years. I did not understand how the rich boy was drawn to that either. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Sixteen-year-old Reece is street savvy, lives by her wits—and remains unknown to herself. She’s been on the run with her father since she was six, moving from place to place, motel to motel, only dimly aware of the circumstances that led her here and the secrets her father has been keeping. Crissa-Jean Chappell brings us into Reese’s world as she encounters Shawn, her first friend outside her isolated sphere, finds refuge in libraries, enjoys the freedom of the wild terrain of South Florida, beginning to question her allegiance to her father and the story he has spun for them. The book is a masterfully plotted page turner; Reece is an absolutely indelible and unforgettable heroine—I was utterly engrossed in this account of a girl’s fearless search to understand the truth about herself.