From the Bookshelf of Read the World With Me…

Facing the Sun

Janice Lynn Mather

Start date: January 2, 2024

Finish date: January 31, 2024

Why we're reading this: A second book for our Bahama reads.
[close] A second book for our Bahama reads.

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Feb 12, 2024 Elise rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult

I read this for my Read the World series, Bahamas, and I really enjoyed this. It is kind of like Sisterhood of the traveling pants except instead of a pair of jeans they share it is the beach that is being taken over by a hotel that binds them together, well that and the character Toons. There are 4 POVs that we see in this YA fiction; Eve, Keekee, Nia, and Faith. This story takes place over the end of the school year and beginning of their summer (the girls are all around the age of 15) where t I read this for my Read the World series, Bahamas, and I really enjoyed this. It is kind of like Sisterhood of the traveling pants except instead of a pair of jeans they share it is the beach that is being taken over by a hotel that binds them together, well that and the character Toons. There are 4 POVs that we see in this YA fiction; Eve, Keekee, Nia, and Faith. This story takes place over the end of the school year and beginning of their summer (the girls are all around the age of 15) where their lives will change forever.

Each of the four girls has their own issues within their homelife and struggles and I was really invested into how they dealt with their struggles and home and with each other. Did I love all of the characters? No, however, even the ones that I was not that into were integral to the plot of other characters. I was not a fan of Faith but seeing a parent change as much as her mom did would change anyone. These girls felt real, which is hard to do in young adult fiction.

There is a lot that happens and i was really disappointed in Eve's mom, which I feel like wasn't really resolved and I was heartbroken for Eve. I'm being very vague here trying not to spoil anything but there is so much that happens with each girl and they are all very different. I was also not really impressed with Toons and it felt like he wasn't developed as much as the girls characters were, that he was just to move the plot and create conflict.

The true hero of this book was Mr. Rahming who runs the local corner store and knows everyone's business and looks out for those in the neighborhood. He was the only fully positive male character, Eve's dad wasn't the worst and had some really great moments but was in and out of the story. There were some Bahamian cultural aspects but it wasn't a story that could only be set in the Bahamas. I am excited to try some of the guava duff mentioned in the story.

They are young women and there is some "adult" (sex) content but it is very much a young adult book that I would recommend to teenagers especially if you liked the Traveling Pants books. ...more

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