I really enjoyed the aspect of the unreliable narrator in this. However, I didn't find myself that interested in the plotlines of the book. The writing was beautiful so it was a pleasant read, but not very memorable.

I’m judging the L.A. Times 2020 and 2021 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got me to read on even though it was among 296 other books I’m charged to read.


"Lying had become second nature in my adult life. It was a way to spare strangers difficult conversations. The lies only ever pertained to my own information, and nothing I said was ever that important; the lies only served to keep me smiling, to keep the conversation from going off the cliff of sympathy, and to keep me from breaking down."

3.5 stars!!

I was drawn to the gorgeous cover of Diane Zinna’s debut THE ALL-NIGHT SUN, and loved that she took me to Sweden through her beautiful writing where I was able to experience the long Swedish summers and get a feel for the magical landscape.

Lauren Cress, now in her twenties, is trying to handle the grief that has overwhelmed her since the tragic death of both parents in a car accident since she was eighteen. Alone and without any family connections, Lauren craves purpose and connection, which is the catalyst to the friendship that forms with one of her students named Siri.

I enjoyed this debut, and could feel the heavy grief at every turn, but found that it was much darker than I expected. I’m torn in the end with how I felt overall, but I’ll be excited to read more by this author!

*many thanks to Randomhouse/NetGalley for the gifted copy for review

This was sadly a DNF for me. Not because it was a terrible book, but because I simply wasn't the right reader for the book. I truly think many others will enjoy. I wanted to love it.

I love this!

The All-Night Sun novel
https://amzn.to/3alPwFb

#reading #ad #amreading #books #literaryfiction #fiction

https://mobile.twitter.com/MrsAndiLutz/status/1297536319284039680

This is the perfect back-to-school book (especially if you're a college student!). I would recommend this if you enjoy Sally Rooney's writing -- it's in the same vein of literary fiction! I loved the nods towards Shakespeare's work and the university setting -- the writing is as beautiful as the cover!

This book is not for everyone as it is DARK and often unsettling. I enjoyed it but definitely had to put it down and step away a few times as I felt my anxiety mounting. It was still a beautiful portrayal of grief, which is often uncomfortable to experience or see.

I knew I'd like this book, but it proceeded to blow me away--Stunning! Dark, first person character studies are my favorite and even though grief isn't my favorite subject, I found this story incredibly moving and captivating.

To say that Diane Zinna moved me with her story would not be fair, because it was more than that. She stood above every other book I read this year!!
She writes about grief with an original way to approach it.
The “All-Night Sun” is a lyrical journey that promises to open your heart! Even open your eyes to new ways of seeing the English language!
Diane gave words new meanings.
You will see things differently; they’ll be brighter! Whisper louder! Call to you!! Because you’ll notice even the small things...Diane has taught us how to look through life with a new lense of appreciation.
The world opens up without edges because her story feels so smooth and utterly beautiful!
Let me be blunt -
This book excited me! I tell everyone about it!! Diane is breathtakingly talented!
This may be her debut novel, but the essence screams she has been writing successful Literary Fiction novels for years!
I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Diane Zinna for my copy of The All-Night Sun, for an honest review. This is my first book by Zinna and it was very good. It is beautifully written and tell the tale of grief and loss like no other. Lauren Cress a teacher of English at a small college, has had a very hard life. She is an orphan, who had to grow up on her own. At the college she has no friends and no real life. During the Spring semester though, she meets a student larger than life, Siri. The two are drawn together for different reasons but a friendship is made. Which puts Lauren’s teaching career at risk. As the semester proceeds Siri asks Lauren to come home to Sweden, during the summer. Lauren should say no but can’t resist the idea of a trip, with a friend to a place she has never been. The trip and the summer in Sweden isn’t all that Lauren thinks it will be. As with most people Siri has her own ghosts. Will this trip be the end of the friendship or the beginning. Will it bring Lauren peace or unhappiness? This was a 4 star read for me. I did feel s as times it was slow going. Although it was supposed to be sad at points, there could have been more happiness. Just my humble opinion. All in all it is a very well written book, character development was solid and it ended the way it needed to. I have recommended this to friends and family. I have also recommended this on my Instagram account. She my review on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I am glad I got a copy of this one, it definitely made me think.

I did not enjoy this one sadly. It did not hold my attention. I may just not have been in the right place at the time to properly read and enjoy this book.

This book is full of unresolved grief and the slippery slope of tragedy/emotions not acknowledged. While most will relate to some aspect (jealousy between friends, family estrangement, loneliness), this is not a smooth or straight ride. The twists encountered as the truth is revealed will keep the reader feverishly turning pages.

I can certainly appreciate this book and why it has been met with so many wonderful reviews. Unfortunately it just wasn't for me. It was a little too slow, and left me feeling as though it could have been 100 or so pages shorter. The writing is very lyrical, and that can often be hit or miss for me, and unfortunately I just couldn't click with this one at all.

Lauren Cress is a charismatic professor that is liked well enough by her students. But she also harbors a lot of grief and depression as both of her parents were killed in a car accident, leaving her alone in the world. She quickly becomes close to one of her students, Siri, and they have an all-consuming (perhaps inappropriate) relationship. When she travels to Siri’s home in Sweden, Lauren quickly becomes entangled with Siri’s and her friends’ lives.

With themes of female friendship, grief, and loneliness, I was instantly sucked into this debut novel by Diane Zinna. She is a powerful storyteller that nailed the angst and mystery that keeps a reader interested. Admittedly, this book will be too slow-paced for some readers, but I personally found the writing and experience to be captivating and mesmerizing. Reminiscent of Marlena, Zinna flawlessly nails the unsettling and mysterious undertone and I was compelled to find out what happened as fast as possible.

I am on the fence about this one. At times I really enjoyed it and the style of writing and at other times I found the descriptiveness and use of metaphors to be a bit too much. I was also confused at times wondering what was real with Lauren and what was not. I did enjoy the aspects relating to Sweden, a country I have never been to but the author did provide a vivid picture of it. I also love the cover, that's what initially drew me in!

Overall, if you love a descriptive and atmospheric type of book then you may enjoy this one :)

Let’s talk gorgeous covers... What covers come to mind for you?? {#partner @randomhouse}⁣
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I think 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙡𝙡-𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙎𝙪𝙣 is one of the most beautiful book covers I’ve seen in a LONG time. It’s up there with 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘱! 😍😍⁣
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“𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭-𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘴, 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥.”⁣
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Unfortunately, the inside of this one didn’t quite live up to the outside for me. It just wasn’t the right book for my mood this month. It is quieter, slower, and extremely character driven. None of those are bad things, but require the right reading frame of mind, which I was not in. It took me two weeks to finish, since I never felt pulled towards it. I was glad I saw it through because the story as a whole was worth it, but for me this was 3/5 stars. ⁣
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“𝘐𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘹𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴? 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥.”⁣
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This is a debut novel for Diane Zinna, and I think she did an excellent job tackling what it’s like to swim through the depths of grief. It just didn’t fit my mood this month.

THE ALL-NIGHT SUN is a lyrical, pretty book about loss, inappropriate friendships, and Sweden. I enjoyed it, but it dragged a lot and could have probably been about 30% shorter. Also, after seeing the film MIDSOMMER last year (and being absolutely haunted by it since) it was hard not to compare the two and unfortunately, while this book has its climax take place at a midsommer festival, it just didn’t have the fireworks I think I was expecting (and perhaps, a super dark twist).

Instead, the book is about an English professor, Lauren, who becomes enamored with one of her students Siri, who is an international student from Sweden. Lauren is lonely and alone in life after a tragic accident that took both parents 10 years earlier, and she gloms onto Siri in a strange and, while not romantic, somewhat obsessive way. Siri eventually takes her to Sweden where things seems mysterious, and Lauren falls for her brother Magnus, but not too much happens (though we learn a lot about Sweden!) I liked the writing a lot, but given the fact that it felt like a slog and the action was lacking, I have to give it two stars.

During the summer in southern Sweden, the sky never goes fully black at night; it only dims to a twilight glow for a few hours. The sun does dip below the horizon, unlike in the north and above the Arctic Circle, where it shines in the sky for 24 hours a day. The light contributes to a general sense of otherworldliness, creating a place without night, where nothing can remain fully hidden in the dark—if only for a few months. Ari Aster’s hit film Midsommar capitalized on this otherworldliness, incorporating Swedish folk customs, language, and geography into its psychological horror. Diane Zinna’s new novel The All-Night Sun, dreamed up nearly a decade before Aster’s film and released July 14, tells a similar story: A lost young woman goes on a trip to a friend’s hometown in Sweden to find herself in the wake of her parents’ tragic deaths; she takes hallucinogenic drugs on the night of the summer solstice and chaos ensues. But here, the surrealism—and the horror—comes from the way grief warps the passage of time and one’s sense of self.

Before she goes to Sweden, Lauren Cress is a 28-year-old adjunct professor at a fictional Catholic college outside D.C., teaching international students English composition. In that class, she meets 18-year-old Siri Bergström, who quickly becomes more than her student. Like Lauren, Siri lost both her parents, and she senses “in Siri’s gaze that she knew the parts I’d left unsaid.” There’s much inside Lauren that is unsaid. Since her parents died in an accident when she was 18, she’s been more of a shell than a fully realized person, floating through life without purpose or real connection beyond the men she sometimes brings home to feel something. Siri ignites a passion inside Lauren that looks, and acts, much like romance. Soon they spend all their time together, on campus and in Lauren’s apartment. When the semester’s nearly over and Siri invites Lauren to come to her home over the summer, she jumps at the chance, her career an afterthought.

So far, Lauren has only seen Siri in love-bomb mode, all sweetness and light, but in her hometown she shows a more petulant, cruel, and capricious side to friends and family who are already under her spell. At times, Siri is downright childish, which seems to shock Lauren, but she is, after all, a child. Soon, Lauren experiences that cruelty for herself, and what happens on that brief trip changes her forever. Although only about half the novel is set there, Sweden is a far more vividly imagined setting than any American place, including the book’s hazy and imprecise Long Island and D.C. locales. Its geography is specific and accurate, perhaps reflecting how Lauren is more alive there than she ever was at home.

Like many works of fiction that deal with—in a phrase—complicated female friendships, The All-Night Sun depends heavily on tropes of sexual and romantic obsession, but the novel and its narrator coyly refuse to plumb those depths. If Zinna is aware of the resonance, Lauren seems not to be. She at least knows that her attraction to Siri crosses teacher-student boundaries; she encourages Siri and her family not to tell anyone at the college about her trip and she fully unravels when, after tragedy, her colleagues find out she went. When one mentions “inappropriate behavior,” Lauren wonders if Siri’s friend said she’d “harassed” her student, although no one else has used the word harassment. Later, while staring at a painting by Siri’s older brother Magnus where Lauren and Siri are naked, she’s all too aware of “the incrimination of their nudity.” When Lauren has sex with Magnus, both she and Siri understand that it is a betrayal of their relationship. But Siri is always “a friend,” until she becomes another ghost haunting Lauren.

Lauren is hard for a reader to hold on to, even with all her rough edges, but that’s because there’s very little keeping her together. It can be frustrating at times, but the wandering narration and her increasingly foggy mental state feel true to the mind-numbing, almost supernatural effects of grief—it sends her time traveling into the past, conjures up ghosts, and creates alternate universes. Only by confronting it can she break its spell and consider the kind of person she can be going forward, or consider that she has a future at all. Ultimately, what’s illuminated by the summer sun and Santa Lucia’s candles in The All-Night Sun is the thorny, surreal nature of grief, both new and old, and the twisting path forward after loss.

I'm quite sure I won't be the only reader to have been interested in this due to its apparent resemblance to the film "Midsommar." Unfortunately "The All-Night Sun" has a problem in the shape of its protagonist Lauren, who is intolerably annoying and behaves more like a teenager than her students, who actually *are* teens. I don't believe that characters need to be "likeable" at all, but it doesn't really seem we are supposed to see her that way nor is there any explanation of it. my impatience with Lauren made this book a frustrating read.

When I first saw The All-Night Sun, I didn't care what the book was about because I was in love with the cover. Wow! Truly gorgeous. The story is an amazing book that had me captivated. It is beautifully written and a haunting look at life overwhelmed by loneliness and grief. It was a very moving story. I'm excited to see what Diane Zinna comes up with next.