A book as weird and fun as a teenager's life.
It took me a long long time to read this book, not because it was bad but because it had so many points that were so satisfying that It took me a long time to move on ahead. It pulled me in enough to keep me guessing ( In the words of Shawn Mendes:) ). Sometimes I had to reread some things because they were just so awesome. This book had everything I love and more. Reading this book was like a rollercoaster ride with breathtaking views.
It's set in the ’70s in a town called Slater, Kansas, and tells the story of a 17-year-old girl, Stella along with a 16-year-old musician with Tourette’s, Galliard who was born in The Red Sun. Both these characters somehow feel so real that I couldn't help but be completely invested in their lives as if they were my own. Both of them were completely different characters but comes together and built a friendship. The development arch of both of them was extraordinarily good.
“Life does surprise you, and not just sometimes. More often than not. The trick, I'm beginning to see, is welcoming the surprise in all its unexpected, unknowable glory."-Stella
Stella had lost her mother to suicide and worked two jobs, she takes care of her father and little sister as her brother suddenly leaves for the cult called The Red Sun. She and her family had distanced themselves from the town associated with The Red Sun. I enjoyed how she got used to her abilities and broke free from her pre-customed roles.
“A song isn't just a song, and you know that. Songs are dangerous. They make you feel things. New things. They make you brave." - Galliard
Galliard was born at The Red Sun and had very little knowledge of the Outside. When he loses a spot as the resident artist within the cult, he seeks answers beyond the commune's gates.
The Red Sun is a cult, although I really hope it to be more "cultier"!? Like when you hear "Cult" you imagine it to be dark and twisted but the red sun was not that terrible. Although strange things do happen a lot like pink lightning streaks through the sky, blood-red rain soaks the ground, and oddest of all, a clock appears, on the face of the town hall—and on Stella’s closet door. The title not only points to this clock but also the unforeseeable futures of both the characters.
If you do decide to read this book, it will take you through a journey that will remain with you for a long time.
“Friendship is equal footing Galliard. Friendship is honesty" -Stella”
Written by: Kairavi Anjaria