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olivialandryxo 's review for:
Rise to the Sun
by Leah Johnson
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such a brilliant book!!! I loved Olivia and Toni as soon as I met them, and found certain parts of Olivia deeply relatable. (Name not included, haha.) I loved the vibe of Farmland, and the whirlwind romance, and the emphasis on how music is such a major part of so many people. How it can bring even total strangers together. The only reason I didn’t give this a full five stars was because of Imani. I went back and forth on whether or not I liked her, and there was one scene involving her and Olivia that kinda rubbed me the wrong way. But, that aside, I loved this book, and will certainly be reading more from Leah Johnson in the future. ❤️
Representation
Representation
- Black bisexual protagonist
- Black sapphic protagonist
- Black side characters
- sapphic romance (f/f)
- queer side characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent
Toni’s dad was killed prior to the story in a gas station store robbery, and Toni was in the car when it happened. It’s implied that she has PTSD, and loud sounds reminiscent of gunshots cause her to have panic attacks. This happens twice in the story, and one of those times is because of an actual gunshot, though it was a security misfire, not a shooting.