Shine

by Lauren Myracle

[clementine]

I think I was expecting more out of this book because the premise seemed incredibly promising. This is a subject that isn't often tackled in YA, and I feel like Myracle could have done so much more with it.

I enjoyed parts of Shine a lot. I thought that Myracle's world building was fantastic. I'm from a big city in Canada, yet I felt transported to this tiny Southern town torn apart by meth and poverty. It was incredibly atmospheric and the writing was very descriptive. I also liked the characters, and how they all had different sides to them. Nobody is entirely one way.

I almost wish the hate crime angle had been explored more. The eventual conclusion seemed like a cop out. If you're going to write about a hate crime, commit to it, dammit. Everything with Jason also felt forced and artificial. I wish Beef had been explored a bit more, and I wish there had been more about Patrick and Cat's friendship. We were told they were best friends, but I didn't feel like I explicitly knew that.

Also, big issue: I figured it out pretty early on.

I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars but I'm feeling generous today.