Thank you to NetGalley and Fitzroy Books for allowing me to read an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Reece is tired of the secrets, the lying, and her dad's excessive rules. Her father took her from their house one night, claiming that they had to run and hide from "the bad guys." but she has known for some time that her dad is the bad guy. He forces her to change her appearance every time they move. He has taught her how to steal and makes her dig through dumpsters for food and items that they can sell on ebay. She is tired of their life on the run. She longs for the truth and some freedom to just be a normal teenager. But does she have the courage to find the truth for herself?

Content Warnings: domestic abuse, child abuse, kidnapping, homelessness, some bad language

Sun Don't Shine
by Crissa-Jean Chappell
Thank you NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for the copy of Sun Don’t Shine.
I wish I could liked the book more. Even a small book, it was slow and predictable. I would give it a 2 for hard effort though.

I sincerely enjoyed this book! It really gave me insight on what a dire situation homelessness in America looks like, especially to a teenager. This story follows Reece, a teenage girl who is homeless with her father, who is a drunk and mean. Reece often feels like there is no way out of her circumstances, and often feels like “what’s the point” of trying to make a better life for herself and her father. Her father also has many secrets, of which he will do everything he can to keep hidden as it shows in the flashbacks of the book. Reece then meets a boy, who starts to make her want better for herself, much to her father’s dismay. At the end it’s revealed that she actually does have a mother, who unlike what she thought, is not dead. She was a victim of kidnapping by her own parent and lived a life of dumpster diving for food, sleeping in the woods or other dangerous places, and just overall a lack of a humane life. I was so happy to see Reece get her happy ending, while she still didn’t betray her father. I will definitely read another novel by this author. I loved her insight about a subject I was unfamiliar with, and the book flowed very well.

“Sun Don’t Shine” by Crissa-Jean Chappell is about Reece, a sixteen-year-old girl, who was kidnapped as a child by her father. Her life is about going from place to place, dumpster diving, stealing and never getting close to anyone. When she meets Shawn, her life spirals when the secrets everyone is keeping are starting to come out.

The book was super slow, but it was interesting in concept. It is very Stockholm syndrome with her father. It is a very short book and quick read. I liked the social issues in the book like homelessness, neglect, poverty, etc. I gave the book a 2 out of 5 stars, not bad but way too slow and mundane for my taste.

Sun Don't Shine is an effective YA / psychological thriller following a young girl that's been kidnapped by her own father. Living day to day, stealing, moving towns, until she makes a friend who shows her that maybe her life isn't what it seems. This was a really good book that will resonate well with younger audiences - it reminded me a little of Emma Donoghue's "Room" for a slightly different age / dynamic.

This was a good quick read. I was thoroughly invested enough to finish it in one sitting.

I feel like it came close to being an emotional read, but the plot just shied away from it. I feel like it could have been darker or deeper emotionally. But I think that’s a personal preference and I can’t really fault the author for that.

I also felt like the end wrapped up a little too neatly with a bow. Overall though, this was a good read to get me out of my slump!

i feel very lucky to have been able to read an ARC of this. i thoroughly enjoyed it. i read it in one sitting and although its a quick read, i really loved reece and her story and i'm very happy with the with the way it all played out for her!! i always worry there won’t be any background/detail to characters in shorter novels but i could completely empathise with reece and enjoyed exploring her relationships and her truth.

This is marketed as a thriller, but I felt it to be more realistic fiction. It did have some suspenseful moments and the pace was quick (as was the novel) which is more true to that genre. This story is about a girl who was abducted, but the focus is less on that and more on her living situation. Reece and her father have done whatever they need to do to survive, and the author does a nice job painting a picture of their struggles. I felt it provided an intimate look into homelessness and financial difficulties. This was one of those books that when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. I liked the character development throughout, especially Reece. There were a few times were I questioned why the characters did or did not do certain things that seemed to be pretty obvious, but that didn’t detract from the story at all. Overall it was a quick read and if you want to get to know some interesting characters, you should give it a try.

This book was so good! It was really interesting to watch the main character discover who she was and I loved seeing how she took matters into her own hands to get away from her father.

This was gifted to me by Netgalley & the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Sun Don't Shine is following Reece, she has been on the run ever since her father abducted her when she was only 6 years old. She's been living pretty rough, eating out of not so sanitary places, sleeping in the secluded woods, not typical for a 16 year old.....and to make matters worse, each time that they move she must change her appearance.

This life on the run does not allow many relationships to blossom, only one day she does meet someone and she begins to understand that everyone has ghosts that they carry around with them.

This was a very fun and fast paced YA thriller, and I would highly recommend to any fans of the genre! It is easy to read and give satisfactory endings to everything!

The plot of this book was very suspenseful, it kept me hooked even though it was predictable at points.

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.

This is a quick and easy read about a girl who is kidnapped by her own father. The story is compelling and keeps you on edge as you watch it all unfold.

It's not a mystery, and in many ways you know how it will end, but nonetheless it was an interesting read.

Just finished "Sun Don't Shine." Reece's secret-filled world had me hooked from the start. Characters like her mysterious dad and quirky motel neighbors added depth, but pacing felt off, especially in Reece's connection with Shawn.

The plot got a bit predictable, and Reece's "not like other girls" vibe seemed clichéd. Despite its flaws, the novella explores family, identity, and resilience. Reece's journey, though a tad rushed, lingers, prompting contemplation on the mysteries we harbor in the ordinary.

In a nutshell, worth a read if you're into quick, thought-provoking mysteries. Shoutout to Netgalley for the chance to dive into this one. 📖✨ #BookReview #SunDontShine #QuickTake #BookThoughts #MysteryNovel #NetgalleyReads

I immediately wanted to read this because of the cover first but then by the description of what the book is about. This was a quick and easy read, the writing was compelling, and the plot was so good that I couldn't put it down and had finished it within 2 days!

I love YA and I love a good mystery and it did not disappoint. The main character, Reece, felt familiar and I found myself empathizing and rooting for her through every obstacle that she faced.

Great book and will look for more from this author.

Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

I recently just finished reading "Sun Don't Shine." I found it to be an okay read.

The story follows a young girl who has secrets and rules to follow. She thinks she is on the run from the "bad guys" as her father puts it. She struggles with who she is and everything around her. She has so many questions and no answers from all the lies she is being given. She goes on a journey to find out the truth.

Overall, it was an okay read. I felt the pacing was a bit uneven. There were moments where the narrative felt rushed, and I wished for more development in certain plot points and characters like Shawn.

Despite this, "Sun Don't Shine" is a good novella that explores themes of family, identity, and resilience. While it had its flaws, it is an engaging read that will leave you thinking long after you turn the final page.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read "Sun Don't Shine."

A glimpse into what she never knew was possible could change it all. Reese is constantly moving from place to place with her dad. She's lonely and doesn't have any friends. She has been in survival mode since she was a little girl. Not knowing when your next meal will be or if you will have a place to lay your head is exhausting. It makes her question everything her father has ever said. Will the bad guys get her? The story is engaging and had me not wanting to put it down. The author displayed uncanny realism. I was able to buy into Reese's life which made me stick around looking for the rainbow. Great writing. I recommend this book.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Sun Don’t Shine releases January 16, 2024

This is a succinct story about a girl who was kidnapped by her own father and grew up thinking that her mother was dead. For 10 years, they’ve been living a homeless life, bouncing between motels and the woods, and dumpster diving, until Reece makes a friend and starts to deviate from her father’s set of rules.

I wouldn’t really call this a mystery, but there is a nice little happy ending to look forward to.
I enjoyed the writing and would be interested in seeing what this new-to-me author writes next!

cw: some physical abuse involving a child

pros:
*strong start and voice
*the characters were fun to get to know, namely the dad, and the other motel dwellers.
as for the cons:
-plot was not even predictable, but just...obvious?
-kinda seemed like a dusted-off manuscript from the 2000s?
-main character is very notlikeothergirls in that she randomly states not liking pink, sewing, skirts, etc.
-instalove plotline that would have been a lot more interesting as a friendship

Sun Don’t Shine is Chappell’s sixth novel and is a young adult mystery/thriller. It is the story of Reece, a sixteen-year-old girl, on the run with her father after he abducted her. She’s grown up believing that the ‘bad guys’ are out to get them, although as she gets older she realises that these bad guys may be closer to home than she thought. Up until now, life has been an unenviable mix of motels, dumpster diving, camping in the woods, cutting her hair and changing her name. That is until Reece makes her first friend, Shawn, who gives her the courage to find out the truth.

I really loved this book. It’s pretty short (even for YA) at 172 pages, with a quickly advancing plot that means if you’re anything like me you’ll be hooked and race through it in an evening. Although (I hope) most of Reece’s hardships are not particularly relatable, there is something about her character that really resonated with me. There is something so real about Reece that you can’t help but love her even though she’s continually making choices that make me despair (pretty on brand for a teenage girl, honestly). She’s incredibly likeable and I truly believe that she wants nothing more than to feel normal and accepted in her surroundings, she’s just had a hard time fitting in. It is through her friendship with Shawn that she gets a taste of what that life might be like.

My biggest critique of this book is that I wish there were more of it. The last few chapters were, for me, a slightly disappointing end. I know that a lot of the plot centres around Reece’s confusing relationship with her father, but I would have liked to see an end where he faced the consequences for his actions. Furthermore, the final chapter jumps in time to show Reece happy and rebuilding her life - I’m never usually a big fan of this in books and would have loved to see more of Reece navigating her way through these new relationships. This book was excellent until the end, where the conclusion was a little unsatisfying.

Finally, there are a few themes to be wary of for a younger audience, including abduction, smoking, alcohol, theft and violence - although none of these were particularly gratuitous.