Paige McKenzie

Based on the popular YouTube channel, The Haunting of Sunshine Girl has been described as “Buffy meets Veronica Mars."

Book One

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl

Manda

When I read the short synopsis of this one, I was intrigued by the fact that it was based off a YouTube channel. Since I am very involved in the YouTube community, I was very quick interested in checking this one out. A quick internet search did in fact bring up a YouTube channel, but I didn’t look into it to much since I wanted to read this book without too much prior knowledge.

I don’t usually read books with spooky plot lines since I am a pretty big wuss and get freaked out really easily. However, I am glad I picked this one up because I LOVED it. I was immediately pulled in by Sunshine’s voice and I was able to relate to her right away. The book was basically about a girl who moved into a new house in a new town and started being “haunted” be weird sounds and creepy feelings. This novel gave me way more than just a ghost story though. It went deeper into a complicated plot then I was expecting and I am so glad that I gave it a chance. I don’t want to give anything away and since the synopsis is so vague I’ll go ahead and hold out too. Sorry to anyone who is looking for some spoilers. I just can’t do it. I feel like this is a book you have to read for yourself to really get the most out of it.

The main characters, Sunshine and Nolan, were really well written and I loved them from the start. The author really made them relatable and realistic even in a not so relatable and believable plot line. Even though the plot of this story is somewhat unrealistic never once did I feel that way while reading and I even found myself creeped out and scared while reading. Paige McKenzie gave us just enough creep factor while making it still a readable Young Adult novel. I would recommend this book to everyone and I can’t wait to read more from this author and with these characters. I feel like she could take this series really far and do great things with it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Netgalley.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Julia Lotz

Inhalt: Kurz nach ihrem sechzehnten Geburtstag zieht Sunshine mit ihrer Mutter Kat vom sonnigen Texas ins verregnete Washington. Obwohl Sunshine adoptiert ist verbindet sie mit ihrer Mutter ein besonders enges Band – sie ist ihre beste Freundin und engste Vertraute. Doch von dem Moment an, in dem die beiden in ihr neues Haus gezogen sind, weiß Sunshine, dass etwas ganz und gar nicht in Ordnung ist. Die Welt ist dunkler und kälter geworden und auch wenn ihre Mutter Kat, die voll und ganz von ihrem neuen Job im Krankenhaus in Beschlag genommen ist, es nicht wahrhaben will: Etwas an ihrem neuen Zuhause fühlt sich einfach nur gruselig an. Und die Dinge werden immer merkwürdiger: Türen schließen sich von selbst, kalter Wind zieht durch geschlossene Fenster, nachts hört Sunshine Lachen und Seufzen – doch niemand glaubt ihr. Ihre Mutter und selbst ihre beste Freundin in Texas vermuten einfach nur einen schlimmen Fall von Heimweh. Als die Geister immer bedrohlicher werden und Sunshine erkennt, dass Kat in großer Gefahr schwebt, muss sie sich ihrer Vergangenheit stellen – und ihre Mutter vor einem Schicksal bewahren, dass schlimmer ist als der Tod. (Quelle: Verlag)
Meine Meinung: Sunshine Girl kann man ganz klar in das Genre Horror einstufen. Auch, wenn es für einen Jugendroman angemessen ist und längst nicht mit den Horror Romanen aus der Erwachsenenliteratur verglichen werden kann. Es ist ein wenig sanfter und viele andere Faktoren spielen in das Geschehen hinein und doch würde ich sagen, dass Sunshine Girl ein sehr gelungener Roman ist. Viele Horrorromane aus dem Jugendbereich sind lange Reihen und eher für jüngeres Publikum gedacht und andere wirken immer schnell leicht überzogen. Ich finde, dass Sunshine Girl jedoch die perfekte Balance schafft und weder überzogen noch zu kindisch wirkt.
Der Klappentext ist meiner Meinung nach schon sehr vielsagend und mehr möchte ich dazu auch gar nicht mehr loswerden, denn das würde zu viel vorweg nehmen. Mit Sunshine selbst kam ich sehr gut klar und denke auch, dass sie sich sehr glaubwürdig an dieses Problem begibt. Ich konnte ihre Enttäuschung und Ohnmacht regelrecht mitfühlen, als ihr niemand glauben wollte und es für einen kurzen Augenblick so schien, als ginge es nicht weiter. Doch dann taucht Nolan auf, der sich auf der einen Seite zu einem Love Interest für Sunshine entwickelt, obwohl sich dies sehr im Hintergrund hält. Auf der anderen Seite tut er jedoch etwas, was sonst keiner tut. Er glaubt Sunshine und so werden die beiden zudem „Partner in Crime“ und kommen dadurch mit etwas übernatürlicher Hilfe auf das Geheimnis. 
Natürlich ist Sunshine Girl ein Buch, welches hauptsächlich auf Spannung und Unterhaltung baut und weniger den Anspruch hat, dem Leser etwas Entscheidendes mitzugeben. Dennoch muss ich betonen, dass die Welt, die Paige McKenzie mit Sunshine Girl geschaffen hat mehr zu bieten hat, als nur Schwarz und Weiß. Nicht nur sind die Menschen die Guten und das Übernatürliche das Böse. Es gibt viele Facetten und Möglichkeiten dazwischen, die seitens der Autorin auch immer wieder betont werden. Nebenher gibt es auch viele übernatürliche Helfer, die Sunshine alle mehr oder weniger zur Seite stehen und ihren Fortschritt begleiten und beobachten. Für mich war es sehr positiv, dass sich der Roman so von anderen stereotypischen Horrorgeschichten abhebt. Ich hoffe, dass es die Fortsetzung auch auf den deutschen Buchmarkt schafft. 
Fazit: Sunshine Girl ist ein gelungener Jugend-Horrorroman, der sich von anderen nicht nur deshalb abhebt, da er wenig kitschig ist. Sunshine Girl überzeugt auch mit einer spannenden Geschichte und der Botschaft, dass es nicht nur Schwarz und Weiß gibt und sich das vermeintlich Böse auch zu etwas Gutem entwickeln kann. 
Vielen Dank an den bloomoon Verlag für das tolle *Rezensionsexemplar.

Robin M Cabana

I really enjoyed this story more than I thought I would. I haven’t read any spooky or horror stuff in ages. I enjoyed the characters and mystery, even if I was a little scared!

Based on the wildly popular YouTube channel, The Haunting of Sunshine Girl has been described as “Gilmore Girls meets Paranormal

The Awakening of Sunshine Girl

Katie

I am a huge fan of Paige's youtube channel, and I bought the first book in her series pretty soon after it came out a couple of years ago. I was, however, disappointed by it, largely because it felt like a rehash of the web series with nothing new or notable, so I didn't pick up this book until recently.

This was, unfortunately, also kind of a disappointment. It isn't a bad book by any means, it's just kind of blah. Let's get into the particulars.

Pros: I LOVED learning about the history of the paranormal aspects of this book. There is such an interesting, unique point of view on what happens to people after they die and how there is a race of people who help them move on, and wrapped up within that there was a lot of mystery and even a little intrigue. I also really enjoyed Paige's narration. I am a big fan of author's narrating their own audiobooks, and hearing Paige tell her own story was really enjoyable.

Cons: Y'all. This plot is all over the place. It doesn't feel like there is a ton of rise and fall, things just happen. Characters conveniently stumble onto revelations, and it's just kind of a mess. For a story that is supposed to be about the potential apocalypse, there isn't a lot of urgency. There is also very little character development. All the characters just feel like cardboard cutouts that serve some half-assed narrative purpose than being people of their own with their own voices and feelings. That was a bit of an issue in the first book for me, but I have also watched the web series and am familiar with the characters that those in the book are based on, so I could kind of fill in the gaps. In this book, Sunshine spends a good 90% of the plot with brand-new characters, neither of whom have any personality to speak of. They have motivations, but none of these characters have any traits that distinguish them from any of the others except for stereotypes. "Brooding new guy with tragic past." "Boy-crazy best friend" who, by the way, is in LITERALLY one chapter of the book. I was excited when I thought we were going to get some Ashley action, but she, as a character, did NOTHING except play chauffeur to Sunshine.

It feels like I am dragging this book, but it just really wasn't that great. It did end on a cliffhanger that has me intrigued enough to pick up the next book, but that is mostly because I already own it. If I hadn't picked up the final (?) book in this trilogy (?) at a Half-Price Books sale for $2, I wouldn't go out of my way to get it. That being said, I am a fan of Paige's youtube channel, and I think that is the medium she is more strong in, so I would recommend checking that out! These books will likely end up in my classroom library for my students, since this is the type of quick, not-too-deep read that reluctant readers will probably enjoy.

Karleigh McCarville

I received an e-book ARC of this book from the publishers via netgalley. I've never seen the youtube channel sadly.

This book follows a girl named Sunshine who moved with her mother from Austin, Texas to Ridgemount, Washington. They rent a home they found on craigslist in the little town and right from the moment they pull up in the driveway Sunshine knows there is something off. Everything is foggy, cold and wet. From the very first night, Sunshine hears the footsteps on the floors, the giggling of a little girl and soon experiences her items moving around her room and board games set up ready to be played. Sunshine is quite positive that the spirit haunting her home is a little girl but, is it really only one spirit, are there more? Is it even human? With the help of a new boy from school - Nolan, Sunshine learns about her life, the spirit(s) in her house as well as what her future will hold.

I really enjoyed this book, I must admit I was thoroughly creeped out during the first half of the book. I don't like to admit how much of a wuss I am, but I would only read this during the day, just in case it bothered me too much. [haha] I love horror anything but I have an over active imagination that can cause some sleepless nights.

I found this book read more like a middle-grade story rather than young adult but don't like that deter you from picking this one up. It was an easy read with creepy bits, twists and turns as well as a fantastic ending. If you have a chance to read this book, I suggest you do!

A New York Times bestsellerThe Haunting of Sunshine Girl,in active development for television by The Weinstein Company, a hit paranomal YA series based on the wildly popular YouTube channel about an "adorkable" teenager living in a haunted house. Shortly after her sixteenth birthday, Sunshine Griffith and her mother Kat move from sunny Austin, Texas, to the rain-drenched town of Ridgemont, Washington. Though Sunshine is adopted, she and her mother have always been close, sharing a special bond filled with laughter and inside jokes. But from the moment they arrive, Sunshine feels her world darken with an eeriness she cannot place. And even if Kat doesn't recognize it, Sunshine knows that something about their new house is just ... creepy. In the days that follow, things only get stranger. Sunshine is followed around the house by an icy breeze, phantom wind slams her bedroom door shut, and eventually, the laughter Sunshine hears on her first night evolves into sobs. She can hardly believe it, but as the spirits haunting her house become more frightening-and it becomes clear that Kat is in danger-Sunshine must accept what she is, pass the test before her, and save her mother from a fate worse than death.

Lynn Braden

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl is about, appropriately enough, a girl named Sunshine, who has just turned sixteen when her mother is offered a job in Washington State. When they move into their new home, Sunshine immediately senses that things in this house are not as they should be. Unexplainable things begin to occur in the house, as Sunshine's mother, Kat, becomes more and more distant and irritable. At her new school, Sunshine meets Nolan, who believes the stories she tells him are true and begins to help her piece together what is happening in her house. This book is well written. Sunshine's troubles and emotions are easily identifiable even though the events are scary and other-worldly. I believe that young adults are going to love this book based on the original series, which appears on youtube.com.

Cortnie

3.5/5 stars

I wanted to give this book four stars, but I'm not quite sure that I could swing it.

Let me start out by saying that this wasn't a terrible book; I actually really enjoyed reading it. It had enough of suspense that it was gripping, but it wasn't quite as satisfying as I wanted to it to be. And if I'm honest, it was a bit predictable, particularly the ending.

This book isn't scary like I really wanted it to be, but then again, I'm a pretty picky person when it comes to that kind of thing.

Sunshine is mildly annoying, but not enough that it's terribly bothersome. The word creepy was overused (this was intentional, but it was still something that irked me). I can't really think of anything else that I didn't like, so let's go ahead and move on to what I did like.

The fact that this story wasn't based solely on romance, which a lot of YA novels are focused on. I don't think I saw any swearing, which is really rare in books these days (I don't really see the novelty of using foul language through an entire book, but that's an opinion). I thought it moved at a really good pace and I actually felt connected to the characters.

I really enjoyed the fact that Sunshine didn't mind being adopted. So often in books, adoption is depicted as something the MC is ashamed of. They hate it, or they're bent on finding their birth families. Which I understand the appeal in the last one, but it's refreshing to find a character who is wholeheartedly okay with the fact that they are adopted.

I thought the book was rather unique and original with the story line and I appreciated the fact that Sunshine liked old things but wasn't all... hipster about it. You know, the whole holier than thou attitude a lot of people/characters carry? Yeah, it's not there. It's just something she likes and she's incredibly comfortable in her own skin. She likes herself.

Found the story rather enjoyable and I wouldn't mind reading the second one.

Chantale

I admit I have never seen the Youtube channel this is based on.

It is well written and I just might continue reading the series.It isn't one of my favourite books but it was enjoyable and kept me reading.

It was a quick read that is creepy and I just couldn't put down at all. 

I give this 4 out of 5

You can now purchase this book in book stores near you or online.

Sara 

Oh. My. Gosh. This book was completely amazing. Paige McKenzie is a really, really good ghost story author, and I would HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good ghost story!

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Book One

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