What a strange book?

I've finished The Sun Series by Rae Lyse and will write a complete review of the series and "Bunny."

I'm not quite sure what to make of "Bunny."

After reading Book 1 in this series, I thought Mo was nothing more than a nickel and diming loser, I felt no attachment to his character and found him quite unlikable because I thought he was nothing more than a clueless hanger-on. Then again, I hated the MMC in the book, Dominic, who's also Mo's best friend.

We meet Dominic's little cousin Josiah in Book 1 and then get a story about him in Book 2. Josiah's not only much more likable, but more well developed than Dominic, so he's a better MMC. I really liked that book.

There's a little mention of Mo in Book 3, he gets involved in a serious situation alongside Dominic and Claudette, the FMC from Book 1, but there's nothing about his character that makes you think he'll get his own book.

Then boom - Book 3 is all about him. He's the most complex of the characters in The Sun series. And he's got the most ridiculous relationship with one of the most awkward FMC's I've ever read about.

The story is well-written and touches on pretty serious issues, like men's mental health, redefining manhood, addiction, and parental abandonment. But there's this underlying story that does the book no justice - it just makes it long.

You don't need to read the series in order to get a gist of the story, but it makes sense that way. I'd rank the books in the following order from best to worst: "Endgame (Book 2)", "Bunny (Book 3)," and "Saving Sunflower (Book 1)."

However, I read Lyse's books out of order, starting with her most recent release "At the End of It All" and I kinda ruined that literary journey for myself. There are character connections between Saving "Sunflower" and "At the End of It All," but thematically, there are more similarities between "Endgame" and "Bunny."

While I appreciate Rae Lyse's bravery in handling such serious topics in her book and I value that she does it so well, I am over the problematic, mysterious, impoverished Black boy meets insecure, troubled little Black girl who is empowered by the Black boy with a propensity for crime/violence storyline. After 4 books, I hope she has gotten it out of her system, too.