And Shine is what Ms. Netzer's novel does. Whenever you pick up a new author who has invented some of the most wonderful and original characters in recent fiction history, you get excited knowing that certainly this author will bring more wonderfulness to us in future years.
My daughter just asked me, "what was this book about?" And I told her, a bald woman and an autistic man! Because Sunny is bald, and beautiful, and smart and endearing in her hopes and fears. And Maxon is a very sexy(!), smart, oddball, who loves to ride his bike and work his formulas and who is loved by Sunny. But the story is so much more than that.
Netzer has done a lovely job of telling both Sunny and Maxon's story, and Emma's story as well. As Sunny's mother, Emma plays a large role not only as Sunny's mother, but as someone who has known Maxon and helped him for much of his life. When we meet the characters, en media res, Emma is dying, Sunny is getting bad news about her husband and the space flight he's on, AND she is pregnant and expecting their second child, and Maxon is trying to fix what is broken. These characters are so complex, and all of their stories are interwoven.
I think the best way to go into this beautiful novel is without knowing too much about the actual story. It is a pleasure to read Netzer's wonderful writing and have these characters grow and unfold for you within the pages. Very human, very moving, and highly unexpected and delightful. This is one of those novels that makes you miss the characters when it is all finished.
This was an advanced reader copy provided via Amazon Vine.
5 stars
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