Write your own review!
Diane W. (Lake Villa, IL)
(08/08/12)
Well, it does shine!
As others have previously stated, it did take me quite a while---and several stops and starts--- to really grasp the scope and focus of this story and it's rather quirky characters. But, in the end, it really spoke to my heart and made me think well beyond it's finish about the uniqueness of each of us individually, as members of our (sometimes) quirky families, and what holds us together as human beings. Would recommend it....but make sure to give it a chance!
Lydia M. (Lakeview, Oregon)
(06/30/12)
Worth the extra effort...
I stumbled and stalled initially...asking myself..:What is going on here?" I am not "getting" this..put the book down, pick it back up..then out of the blue..it became clear..a story with explosive clarity. A first novel by this author takes on a subject written about many times...love. This is a book worth the effort, it explores and reveals love as experienced by a mother and wife in a way I have never read before. I was left with no question of the lengths one will go to find their way to what they call home. In a book that at first seems confusing...clarity is the end result. A must read...I look forward to this authors continued writings...
Bob S. (Lawrenceburg, IN)
(06/29/12)
We all arrive oddly
Lydia Nester's first book is striking and endearing. I found her celebration of the oddities of her protagonists a reminder that we are each of us unique, never repeatable, and ineffably singular. Sunny and Maxon are notably ill-suited for the cultural expectations around them. But is it not true that in our attempts to meet our society's norms, we lose touch with the authentic integrity which which each of us arrives. Brava, Lydia.
Carm D. (Omaha, NE)
(06/27/12)
Shine Shine Shine
I highly recommend this book. It takes a few chapters to settle into this unusual love story, but believe me, you will be rewarded. It is a tale where being different is the norm. I love brave bald Sunny, her autistic son Bubber, her astronaut husband Maxim who also shows signs of autism. Sounds odd doesn't it? Well it works! You will be so glad that you were allowed into the lives of these extraordinary people. I for one cannot wait for more from Ms Netzer.
Patty S. (Towson, MD)
(06/24/12)
It's Complicated...
I was half of the way through with this book before I got to the point where I was able to appreciate its beauty. Until that point, I really didn't get it. Unfortunately, if I was just reading it for pleasure and hadn't agreed to review it, I probably wouldn't have finished it and that would have been too bad because the ending was worth the effort. Netzer's characters are interesting and I enjoyed being able to get into the mind and hearts of Maxon and Sunny. Their strangenesses were celebrated and this gave the book a lot of depth.
Marta M. (Santa Ana, CA)
(06/21/12)
Shining on what is normal
I enjoyed this book very much. It took me a few chapters to understand the characters. It is about a family full of very unusual people. Maxon is autistic and speaks in the language of numbers. Sunny was born bald without a hair on her body. They find each other and what develops is a wonderful love story. As the couple try to find their way through life, Sunny craves normalacy and what she finds when she finally opens her eyes is that nothing is normal. To be yourself is the best the best you can be. I highly recommend this book.
Laura G. (Buffalo, NY)
(06/18/12)
A Book filled with Quirky Characters
Shine, Shine, Shine is a fascinating book filled with the unusual. The author uses description to help endear the reader to each of the quirky characters. It was intriguing the way the chapters went from present day to past, giving the reader explanation as to how things came to be as they are. I found it hard to put down because I wanted to see how it all played out.
Karen M. (Park Falls, WI)
(06/14/12)
Shine, Shine, Shine by Lydia Netzer
It took me quite a few pages to 'connect' with the characters in this book....the astronaut husband, the bald pregnant wife and their autistic son and also the dying mother BUT after I became involved it became an interesting and unique read.
I do think the author tried to include too many life-changing events. I also do not know who to recommend this book to as I think it will be one of those books that you either love or hate.
