Myracle didn’t write this book maliciously – a portion of the proceeds from the novel went to the Matthew Shepherd foundation, named after a boy who was the victim of a gay hate crime. I really hated how many times the word f*g was used. That ended up not being the entire motive, but I was close! With their relationship being a secret, if Patrick wanted to be out in the open, especially with the drug problem in this town, the situation would easily escalate. However, I did not predict that he was the one who hurt Patrick, though I did think it was Patrick’s boyfriend. I predicted Beef was gay because, unfortunately, a lot of closeted characters hide their sexuality by being homophobic to gay characters. I didn’t see any redeeming qualities in his character, which is rare. At the end, Cat came around to him, but I didn’t see how. He was homophobic, sexist, and I was so angry every time he spoke. I don’t care that this kid was only 11 I hated him. I would’ve DNF’d this one, if it wasn’t a recommended book. The character I disliked the most was Robert. There were very few likable characters in this story, and that’s often enough for me to DNF a book. I couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to think that she was really that innocent. They were in a gay bar and Cat looked at the owner and heard about his partner, and she asked “your business partner?” and that wasn’t the first time something like that happened. Until I hit late high school/started college, there were a lot of things I didn’t know.

I understand being shielded from certain things by parents, or even by yourself. I thought the main character was way too innocent. I wish I liked it more than I did, and I’ll explain my reasons for why I didn’t below. This book was recommended to me by a friend several years ago, and I finally picked it up.

So, when I saw that she wrote a book about this serious of a topic, I was surprised. When I was in middle school, I read Myracle’s TTYL trilogy, and it wasn’t exactly an overly deep story line. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.Īgainst a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it.

Warning: There will be spoilers in this review!

Shine by Lauren Myracle