The Haunting of Sunshine Girl (Haunting of Sunshine Girl, #1) (Sunshine Girl)

by Alyssa Sheinmel and Paige McKenzie

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl is the first in a frighteningly good new series based on the popular YouTube sensation The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network, created by Paige McKenzie.

In that place where you're more asleep than awake any more, I hear something else. A phrase uttered in a child's voice, no more than a whisper: Night Night.

Something freaky's going on with Sunshine's new house . . . there's the chill that wraps itself around her bones, the giggling she can hear in the dead of night, and then the strange shadows that lurk in her photographs. But the more weird stuff that happens, the less her mum believes her. Sunshine's always had a quirky affiliation with the past, but this time, history is getting much too close for comfort . . .

If there is something, or someone, haunting her house, what do they want? And what will they do if Sunshine can't help them?

As things become more frightening and dangerous, and the giggles she hears turn to sobs and screams, Sunshine has no choice but to accept what she is, face the test before her and save her mother from a fate worse than death.

• ISBN10: 1447286790
• ISBN13: 9781447286790
• Publish Date: 26 March 2015 (first published 24 March 2015)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 3 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Macmillan Children's Books
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 stars

This book tells the story of Sunshine, who upon moving to her new home in Washington state, starts having eerie experiences, seeing odd things, and hearing horrifying things.

I pretty much burned through this book. There is enough suspense to keep me wanting more, but towards the end -- that is where this book really hooked me, and made me want to start the next one right away. This story slowly unravels, until we get to the really cool story of what Sunshine is and what her destiny is. The ending, is all action, and the very ending!! O_o

Overall: cool story with plenty of thrills and chills, but also lots of humor too.

[Silvara]

Check out my other reviews, discussions and link ups at Fantasy of the Silver Dragon.

I loved the ghostly elements in the book. The way Sunshine interacted with the child ghost. And how the story unfolded. I didn't expect most of the twists around why it was happening to her after their move.

And while there is a minor romance thread, it is super minor. The strongest theme was the focus on family between Sunshine and her mother. They are best friends for most of the book, and do things you don't always see in YA. Things like have movie nights, cook dinner together, poke fun at each other, and Sunshine raids her mom's closet for clothes. It's super obvious that they're close, and don't keep secrets from each other.

It's listed as horror, but it wasn't all that scary. At least, I didn't find it so. There were a few slightly creepy moments, but nothing that I wouldn't be okay reading alone in the house at night. At the same time, the ghost moments were well-written. I could tell that it seriously was creeping Sunshine out to have things moved around in her room, and to hear giggling and whispers.

The bathroom scene was the creepiest bit honestly. And had this been a movie instead of a book, it would have scared the crap out of me. So I'm not sure why it didn't feel as scary reading it.

I liked all the characters in the book. There are 3 main ones and a few minor ones. The only one I didn't like at all was the one we never actually meet. He has no name that we're ever told, and comes off as a jerk. At least that's how I view him based solely on the things he tells the Reader and what we learn of him from the characters. Most of the book is told from Sunshine's point of view. But there are places where we suddenly get this other guy narrating things. And I just couldn't like him.

This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon

[limabean74]

I really liked this book kinda creepy and different. Full review to come

[Kelly]

http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/04/the-haunting-of-sunshine-girl-by-paige.html
I love when a book surprises you, as The Haunting of Sunshine Girl did. I expected a mild paranormal, but what I ended up with was a quite creepy storyline that freaked me out on quite a few occasions. I hadn't heard of the YouTube phenomenon surrounding this book, nor have I seen the online clips but in no way did it hamper my reading experience and I really enjoyed it. Sunshine is adopted, just turned sixteen and moving across the country to what is essentially a haunted house. Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of footsteps skipping across the floor upstairs, a child's eerie laughter while she moves around your possessions. And she isn't the only spirit trapped within the house.

The storyline is wonderfully written and kept me absolutely enthralled. The Haunting of Sunshine Girl won't keep you awake at night, but the hair on your arms will definitely be standing on end. My only complaint is the explanations throughout is presented in big blocks, not allowing the reader to fully absorb the information. But those are few and far between.

I liked Sunshine, even if I couldn't relate to her. She's quirky and unconventionally cool. Nolan is a kindred spirit, he and Sunshine have a beautiful friendship and rapport, but it often leads Sunshine to wonder why Nolan is going out of his way to help when no one else seems to believe her.

It was impossible to put down. Deliciously creepy and enthralling, I'm looking forward to seeing where the series leads. Recommended for fans of Anna Dressed in Blood or those looking for a mild horror while still maintaining their sanity.

[lindsey]

(I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

I recently complained that it's been a while since I've read a really good book that I just couldn't put down. I'm not sure if I was just in a reading slump, or if I just had unfortunate luck in the books I was choosing to read. But The Haunting of Sunshine Girl definitely changed that. I honestly did not want to put it down. I made the mistake of starting it during one of my breaks at work, and it was so hard to stop reading. I continued reading it at lunch, and then could not wait until I got home so I could finish it. I managed to read the entire book in just one day, and it has been such a long time since that has happened.

It wasn't a perfect book, but there was just something about it that made me love it. I was captivated from the very beginning, and I was never left feeling bored.

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl is about a girl, Sunshine, and her mother, Kat. They move from warm and sunny Texas to cold and rainy Washington state, and Sunshine isn't too thrilled with her new surroundings. She stays cold all the time and the house smells like mildew, even though her mother doesn't seem to notice. Not to mention the footsteps she hears upstairs or the ghostly laughter of a child. She thinks the house is haunted, but her mother doesn't believe her. As a matter of fact, her mother seems to be growing distant and aloof, despite the fact that she and Sunshine have always been extremely close.

I am not a fan of scary movies or books at all - I'm a scaredy-cat, I admit it - but this book had just the right amount of creepy without being scary. It was intriguing and spooky, and while I had some things figured out before the end, I was still on the edge of my seat until I finished.

It was well-written, with nice character development and good pacing. Apparently this was based on a YouTube series, but I've never watched the videos, and I don't feel like I missed out on anything by skipping them.

And quite possibly my favorite part of the book - no love triangle! Finally! A story about a girl and a guy that doesn't revolve around them falling in love instantly, and then introducing a second love interest for the heroine. This is one of the most believable relationships I've read recently, because they're actually just friends to start with, and the focus isn't on "will they or won't they fall in love?" It's secondary to the plot, and progresses naturally.

This is definitely a series that I will look forward to finishing. I don't want to wait for the second book! I would highly recommend this, especially to readers who enjoy a bit of paranormal mystery without it going over the top.