Book Review: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl was EXACTLY what I hoped it would be! Creepy, cute, and really interesting!

When sixteen year-old Sunshine and her mother move to Washington from Texas, Sunshine is wrapped in a chill she can’t shake. Their new house is creepy, old and her new room is blindingly pink. But that’s not what makes the place so eerie, it’s the moving board games in her room, the giggling of a little girl, who is nowhere to be found, the shadows in her photos and the smell of mildew that gets under Sunshine’s skin. And the fact that her mom doesn’t believe her is stranger than the invisible little girl who is trying to play checkers with her. As the giggles turn into screams and Sunshine has the deep urge to help the little girl, she has to come to terms with the fact that she is different, she is something else entirely and it’s up to her to save those she loves from a darker force that’s at play in her home.

Okay, so I LOVED this book. It was the right amount of creepiness and real enough to be believable, even! Sunshine is totally relatable and sounds adorable with her vintage style and artsy personality. Oh and NOLAN! YES! He is Sunshine’s new friend who she is drawn to, and for good reason! (wink wink.)

Recommended age:

13+

On to the ratings!

Stars..

0 = None 10 = Tons

THE FEELS:

I haven’t found a book I have connected with this well since I read The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. I found myself of the verge of tears twice and really felt for, of all characters, the ghost girl! The relationship Sunshine and her mom Kat have is really sweet and very Gilmore Girls-like. Totally loved that. Also, there are the feels stemmed from Nolan and Sunshine’s connection.

7/10

Violence:

There is just a little violence as Sunshine has to face the dark force in her home.

3/10

Sexual content:

None.

0/10

Crude language:

Very little, one or two minor profanities.

1/10

Other elements/comments:

Demons and Ghosts are mentioned, so if you or your child want to read this book and are easily scared then I’d advise you to pick another more cheerful book. But if you or your child is, like me, cool with the creep-factor then go for it! No sexual content and hardly any crude language at all!!

Overall:

I loved this book. I love supernatural things, I'm very drawn to ghost stories and stories involving demons or angels and this book was right up my ally! Really fun and quick read!

9/10

Xoxo

- Sarah