Having passed her test in Book One, Sunshine’s Luiseach powers are now fully awakened: for months now, Sunshine has felt spirits everywhere: heard voices, felt emotions – intense and sometimes overwhelming. She tries to ignore them, but it is impossible. Hoping to get her powers under control – and hoping for answers to her never-ending questions – she agrees to undergo training with her Luiseach mentor, even though she still hopes to give up her powers someday.
She and her mentor clash left and right; he doesn’t understand or approve of her attachment to the humans in her life; and she can’t understand how he could give her up so many years ago, only to endanger her mother’s life as part of a test.
Sunshine’s training is every bit as terrifying and creepy as her test was, and along the way she meets and befriends another young Luiseach, forcing her to confront her feelings for Nolan. Though her mentor is reluctant to answer her many questions, she finally learns more about her lineage, as well as the rift that threatens the future of Luiseach and the human race… and the crucial part she has to play in repairing it.
I had been looking for the audio book of The Awakening of Sunshine Girl since the book came out. I had listened to the first one and I wanted to experience the second book in the same way. Unfortunately, my library didn’t have it (CURSE YOU), but I happened to have an Audible credit to blow and I thought this was the perfect way to do it.
I was right.
Before I get into the bulk of the review, I need to shake a fist at the author, Paige McKenzie. GAH! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO END IT RIGHT THEN???!!!
Okay, now that’s out of my system. I’m sure you can figure out there’s a cliffhanger. There is and it’s a doozy.
We begin The Awakening of Sunshine Girl after the events of the first book. Sunshine has been avoiding her mentor/father and has been trying to help the dead any way she can. After an event that leaves her scared, Sunshine is forced to admit that she needs to be trained by her mentor/father.
The book is separated by two voices. One is the book’s main antagonist, who you learn through the book. The other is Sunshine.
The antagonist is easy to figure out. I had it pegged pretty fast as to who she was. It didn’t make her a less interesting character though. In fact, I found her to be more interesting than Sunshine’s father/mentor. However, I didn’t quite figure out what the father/mentor (forgot his name for some reason) was doing until he sort of answered Sunshine’s questions. He’s a guy you want to smack.
There is another teen love interest of sorts. Lucio is his name and he seems like a pretty awesome dude. He’s loyal and he has a knowledge of the world Sunshine has just been shoved into. He makes for a great friend and almost teacher. I found him to be more of a mentor than her father.
Nolan is still the sweetie pie he was in the first book with the added bonus of teen angst. Gotta love teen angst (not being sarcastic here, I love teen angst).
In all, I liked it more than the first book, but in different ways. I am forced to wait for a third one… which sucks.
Casia's Corner 