Review: Sunshine

SUNSHINE by Robin McKinley

First Sentence: "It was a dumb thing to do but it wasn't that dumb."

Year: 2003

Genre: Suburban Fantasy, or Anne Rice Lite

Best first line ever, right? I love this book.

I first read Sunshine in high school and loved the story for its casual eroticism and the way McKinley tosses around words like "cunt" and "dick" and "Cinnamon Rolls as Big as Your Head." Now that I am more experienced in the ways of the world, I still like the way McKinley tosses around those words. Dirty.

Rae Seddon is a youngish twentysomething baker with an overbearing mom, great friends, and a punk biker boyfriend with a mysterious past. She's just fine with her normal routine of getting up at the crack of dawn to bake bread and hanging out with her crew at the bakery... until she's kidnapped by vampires.

Rae (aka Sunshine) live in an alternate human reality wherein vampires, weres, demons, charms, and magic coexist with humans in a very present and yet very subtle way. These things are legislated by the human government -- the fantasy is not melodramatic (nobody running around with rings or robes) and it's quite realistic. Too bad it takes forever to build the world. FOREVER. McKinley throws every available bit of back story at you until you are so exhausted, you can't help but suspend your disbelief so she will get on with the story. But the flaws end there; ignore the rambling exposition and you are left with clever dialogue, believable, fleshed-out characters, and a beautifully described setting and mood.

The plot revolves around Rae's relationship with a vampire, Constantine, and their united struggles against their enemies and the occasional awkward moment. Chick-lit this is not; Rae does not spend her time whining about her boyfriend or shoe-shopping. She spends it going to work and reading books and sleeping and only occasionally freaking out about her magical coming-of-age and scary blood-sucking friend.

Con, as her vampire is called, is a fantastic character who is given the best lines of the book. Although as human readers we can never fully understand the inner workings of his mind (or his digestive system), his actions speak louder than words. Rae is a reliable and persuasive narrator, who pulls us along with her as she explores her new world and new relationships. It's clear that Con is one sexy beast, but that's just it: he's a creature, not a human. His alliance with Rae is fragile and strange, which makes them both all the more compelling.

Well, if Rae's not getting much vampire sex, than it's a good thing she's got a biker boyfriend. Mel is a quiet and charismatic cook who belongs to a biker gang, and thankfully neither he nor Rae display one bit of angst about their relationship. Their support of each other and their mutual respect is so refreshing it's almost puzzling.

McKinley dedicated the book to her husband, writer Peter Dickinson, whom she describes as "...my Mel and my Con wrapped up in one (slightly untidy) package. Hey, am I lucky or what?"

Seductive, and yet sturdy. Trustworthy. Mysterious and yet accessible; a partner-in-crime even as opposites attract.

Hey, is she lucky or what?