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Pure Sunshine

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A spellbinding trip of a novel about three friends breaking apart in their quest to stave off boredom and sameness.

It's not about the drugs. It's not about the girls or the fights or the fading streetlights. It's about two nights that weren't going to be different from the rest but then took a turn. It's about trying to find out who you are and who your real friends are. It's about everything being the same, the same, the same. It's about nothing being the same again. It's about Brendon, Will, and Kevin -- three friends on different paths -- and the weekend that put them to the test.

159 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2002

16 people are currently reading
1211 people want to read

About the author

Brian James

110 books226 followers
I've written numerous children's books, including the Pirate School series and the Catkid series. I'm also the author of several novels: Pure Sunshine; Tomorrow, Maybe; Perfect World; Dirty Liar; Thief; Zombie Blondes; The Heights.

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5 stars
264 (24%)
4 stars
304 (28%)
3 stars
328 (30%)
2 stars
138 (12%)
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51 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
Profile Image for Eva-Marie Nevarez.
1,701 reviews135 followers
March 5, 2009
Have you ever found yourself praying that part of a page would be blank? I mean, you're reading the book and you're hoping the last page of the chapter you're on will end at say, the top of the page instead of the bottom? Because that's just a little less you'll have to read that way? That was what happened to me with this book. The only, and I do mean only, reason I finished this was because it was for a spring challenge task. I never would have finished it any other way.
I feel a little guilty rating it one star and saying all this but I'm being honest. It's really worthless. Someone else mentioned in a review that the author was a teen when he wrote it and I agree with them that that in itself is an accomplishment.....BUT...it still sucks.
I suppose if I had read this at 12 or so maybe I would have thought that it had some value. But that's a guess as I'm really not sure I would have thought that, even at that young and impressionable age.
The book is basically about a boy, Brendan, who is a druggie from Philly. His friends are almost all druggies and the book details a few acid trips.
Most of the time he's tripping he's just fine, loving the high of course, and then (of course) he spirals into a bad one.
He obviously has done acid before, anyone who knows anything about drugs can tell while reading this that the boy knows what he's talking about. But still, the book has no point. None whatsoever. Every person in the world who has at one point dropped a hit of acid could write about their trip. And most likely, it'd be pretty damn interesting.
I don't know- I think this sucked almost as bad as a book can suck. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.




Profile Image for Annie.
4 reviews
September 4, 2008
This book was Brian James' first book for young adults, and I think he has captured a good portion of the essence of being a teenager in this generation pretty well. The story follows the footsteps and the eyes of Brendon, the main character, into how he changes significantly within about a 3-day journey. It includes aspects such as, character development-how Brendon grows mentally and spiritually; self-realization, teenage angst, coping with low self-esteem and teenage insecurities, teenage crushes, identity, and the most importantly, realizing who your true friends are and what friendship really means.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Debbie.
2,164 reviews48 followers
September 14, 2007
Brendan narrates as he and his friends take tabs of pure sunshine (acid/LSD) and wander around. At first, the boys are having a good time, but Brendan's trip takes a depressing turn and he ends up alone, questioning the world and his place in it.

I was disappointed in the story. Though some readers will enjoy a peek into an acid trip (at several points you really feel like you are riding along on the trip) the ending is abrupt and inconclusive. What could have been a powerful read ends with a fizzle as Brendan sobers up. He doesn't change or grow as a result of his experiences--he's simply another kid who thinks he understands everything.
Profile Image for Melissa.
2 reviews
September 5, 2013
I used to believe that it was impossible to REALLY dislike a novel. I do not feel that way after reading this one. The characters were so stereotypical that it irritated the living hell out of me. It's teenagers like them that give the rest of us a bad name. Loud, arrogant, belligerent, nuisances, the list could go on...
The story really had no plot and didn't really go anywhere. The book can be broken down into three parts; They drop acid once, a day of school, they drop acid a second time and it goes bad. That's it. The only positive thing I can really say about it, is that I enjoyed the way it was written.
Two hours of my life I am never getting back.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Christian.
3 reviews4 followers
September 12, 2008
I had really high expectations for this book, no pun intended. My friend said it was one of the best books he'd ever read. I read it in the course of an all-day shift at a failing ice cream stand and I was thoroughly pissed off that I'd devoted any time whatsoever to that book. I was actually pretty worked up about it. "I could have read 100 pages out of a book I'd actually end up liking," was what ran through my head, I think. Anyway, I paged through it or looked it up online or something and found out that a high-school student wrote the book and I sort of felt bad for hating the book so much. I mean, it doesn't take away from the fact that I really hated how it was written and kind of wanted to strangle pretty much every character in the thing with shoestring, but it's pretty impressive for someone that young to get an entire book published. I think what pissed me off the most about this book was I know exactly the types of kids who were the main characters, the kind of kids that smoked pot in high school and thought that alone gave them an edge to anyone who didn't. I guess it just boils down to the fact that if I want to read about people doing drugs, I want to read about people who know what the fuck they're talking about and know how to write it well.
Profile Image for Rhiannon.
74 reviews42 followers
February 7, 2013
Brendon, a teen who likes to be wild, have fun and take drugs is cought in a world of pain and confusion. Although he might be having fun partying with his friends drugs, its just hurting him inside.
Brendon and his best friends, Kevin and Will just want to live life as fun as it is. I think they just want to live young wild and free. If you think about it, they kinda act like Snoop dog and Wiz Khalifa's lyrics they sing:
"So what if we get drunk, so what if we smoke weed. Were're just having fun we don't who see's. Were living young, wild and free!"
Thats how i think of it. While Brendon suffers through the acid of ciggarets 'think i spelled that wrong?' and trying to tell the girl he loves, Melissa, he wants to be with her.

A great read!, I mean i am very against drugs, smoking and alcohol but i still loved reading it and wondering what drugs really do to your body. The way Brian James described it was brilliant. I love how he describes how the characters feel when they are in certain situations. His writings amazing, i love the way he writes...In a way.. its ike a dream....
Love u Brian James!
Profile Image for Sara.
179 reviews203 followers
July 15, 2011
Blech.
At the risk of sounding little-old-ladyish, I am SOOO tired of books that read like a laundry list of abuse of self and others through drugs and violence.
If in real life you want to sit in a corner and quietly drink yourself to death or smoke pot until your lungs rot out, you go right ahead. STORIES, however, have an arc, and for me, they need to show something redeeming about humanity, if even only that one person who was trying to drink or smoke himself to death did something that bettered the human race just a teeny tiny bit.
"Pure Sunshine" doesn't manage that. It's interested in showing someone who is fiendishly, possessively ignorant, flushing his life down the cosmic crapper.
Not my cup of tea.
Profile Image for Jessica.
24 reviews
February 16, 2010
So....this book is about 3 boys that i guess are sensation seekers. That live in philly they are looking for a job time this weekend and this one drug dealr at school tells them about this one drug called pure sunshine. it was a small yellow tablet decorated with small sunshines on it and will said it had a small sent of lemons and if u havent caught on the drug was lsd or acid you can say and in these 2 nights things just go wrong this kid finds out the frighting part of drug's and how drugs ruin alot. this was a good book but it got kinda old this book was basicly one BIg acid trip and dont get me wrong it was good but ive read better
Profile Image for dp.
60 reviews12 followers
July 8, 2007
dude, remember that night we, like, totally took that acid at my parents house when they were away? it was such a good trip. the next morning, white worms were raining from the sky.

read this book if you've never had your own trip. read it if you have, and want to point out the inaccuracies or say, "That is soooo true!"
Profile Image for Claren Morrow.
8 reviews
May 21, 2009
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I didn't really think of it all as an acid trip, but i did learn some things from it [such as the value of friendship, and my own sanity as well:]...I read it over and over along with all my other Brian James books.
Profile Image for Jade.
3 reviews
November 11, 2015
"A lovely novel with no MARKABLE, PLOTABLE, DEFINITIVE plot. More like A PEAK THROUGH THE BLINDS into the lives of the characters. The POINT lies WITHIN the shapelessness. Much like abstract art."

R E V I E W / D I S C U S S I O N
** Several reviews have viewed the book as having no plot, and an inconclusive ending. I'd greatly appreciate your time and a look into this little review of mine. Perhaps I can offer a different perspective. ^.^

>> Pure Sunshine follows a primary character, that we know very little about, and some secondary characters that, truthfully, also hold very little development, and their acid trips spanning over three days. The majority of the novel exists in the primary character's thoughts.

>> The novel is not written like most. The exposition isn't the most important thing in the world. The exact, romantic, young-adultesque colour of everybody's eyes, where they grew up, who each of them were in love with, what their parents were exactly like, what their pasts entailed, etc. We get very little concrete detail on any of the concepts and characters because that's not what it's about. Man, on the back of the cover it says,
it's not about pure sunshine, it's all about pure sunshine.


>> I believe the lack of these sort of details are what give some the impression of inconclusiveness. But it is this blatant disregard for general novel structure, and mores on the personal growth of not even an entire person, but just a few select ideas we're introduced to that makes it a really interesting read. It's an acid trip, people. It doesn't exist in the real world. It exists in Psychedelia, where those physical and material type things don't matter much. It really feels like riding the primary character, Brendon's, trip. His Psyche. And may i just say, there are some really lovely things that flow from his psyche. There's so many beautiful ideas on growth, friendship, ego, identity, love, unity, perspective, mental matters, and inner exploration.

>> RE: "an abrupt, inconclusive ending." I think it's important, the way that it ended. I don't believe it was done by mistake. I don't believe any of it was done by mistake. I'm not sure how many of the reviews come from people that have never experienced an acid fry before, and I'm not implying that it's entirely pertinent to do so to enjoy the read, but it does help to understand that the book ends much like that of an acid fry. There was clarity, and all that was jumbled and floating about tied together. It wasn't so abrupt and inconclusive, i believe, as it was all ties being made and a sense of calm, and peace, and growth. I could feel it. all these emotions.... then just peace.

>> There's a lot of ideas that the story was pointless. I'm not sure if anybody here has seen the movie, "Palo Alto." but this book reminds me much of that film. No MARKABLE, PLOTABLE, DEFINITIVE plot. More like A PEAK THROUGH THE BLINDS into the lives of the characters. The POINT lies WITHIN the shapelessness. Much like abstract art.


Q U O T E S

"It's hard to find interest in anything after a time. Christ, we couldn't even enjoy the harmless hangout. Everything had to be an adventure... an assault on the senses. It makes it hard to communicate with people. I mean, they're all about the weather, the nice new sweater and all that small talk. I can't deal with trivialities. Every conversation needs to be substantial. Every word! Every f**king gesture! Or forget about it. What's the point? You're not on my level. You're not cool enough for me. Man, it really gets me down. When everything's exhausted and there's nothing left. The rate I was running, it wouldn't be long. Then what? What's next? What's the score? I can't handle the rest of my life suspended in boredom. Such a chore! Gonna burn out because i can't stand to fade away. Get it all in fast and get out. No turning back now. It's just the way it is, the way I need to be."

"When did life start being something you had to work at and not something that just is?"
2 reviews
September 9, 2015
As a teenage girl, reading this book convinced me to value friendship and my mental purity. “Pure Sunshine” introduces a new type of self realization that I never would have thought of. From the small crushes on the “girl next door” that you never thought you had, to the late night drug trips in the local park, Brendan, Kevin, and Will seek to do anything but what they always do. Brendan, the narrator, gets a hold of a new type of drug that is called “Pure Sunshine”(LSD/acid). As the boys wander through their weekend, everything seems fine and a trip until the drug makes Brendan realize that maybe life isn’t always okay. Brian James does a wonderful job on shedding some light on a teenager’s deep thoughts. I highly recommend this book for anyone is looking for something to think about. Warning: Suicide Trigger
Profile Image for Charlotte.
1 review2 followers
July 14, 2014
Pure sunshine is poetic, it doesn't necessarily have a plot but it is abstract and is full of imagery. It is a roller coaster of emotion. A teenage boy more insightful than most perhaps that through his drug induced delusions finds that he himself hasn't been living in reality and bottoms out trying to sort out life in one evening. I wouldn't say that he figured it all out and the ending almost leaves you wondering if he got anything right at all but still you see that even though he is still not content with his reality that he is beginning to live and accept versus escape.
2 reviews
August 3, 2015
Another phenomenal book by Brian James, he never fails to astound me. His work is often rather short but i think that is only because his writing is full of hidden meanings. This book is mesmerizing because of the detail of the experiences that the characters go through but mostly the feelings that the characters experience are very vivid.
Profile Image for Paola.
39 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2014
Cool, short read. I liked the ending, and if you want to read about kids who take an acid trip this is the book. I love it, it's brutally honest and set in a big city, so it was appealing to me as I have never lived in a big city at all.
Profile Image for Amanda.
411 reviews35 followers
August 20, 2011
There is just something about this book that makes me keep re-reading it.
Profile Image for Jane.
130 reviews1 follower
April 12, 2014
I very much enjoyed reading this book while in high school. It wasn't a long read, but I did find it rather profound, and relatable to people of my demographic.
Profile Image for dm.
1 review1 follower
September 28, 2015
This book is one of my favorite books of all time, by my favorite author.
Profile Image for Milkshake Oreo.
21 reviews
April 10, 2024
Ending feel a little incomplete.
So basically Brendan left his gang of friends temporarily since he is so wounded up and tired of the stimulation the drugs(LSD) had caused him.
They had a dispute insults flying back to back and left them at the club.
Fews days later, we get to understand the aftermath of the drugs caused him and his points of view to the world around him, he feel sickly tired and wish that the world is just a fantasy where he can escape and not just a dull boring stimulation to him.

He eventually met his crush and after some prolong self help talk with her(Melissa), she assured him by giving positive advices and stuffs that make him think differently but his mindset about the drugs still fixated him.

In the prologue, What we get was Brendan wanting to be alone and meditate for a while while being away doing his future hobbies or Luxuries to calm down or relax while still sticking to the drugs despite everything that happening to him.

In all honestly I just wanted a definite conclusion to Brendan story toward the drugs and feelings he felt and not just because he sober up and still continued on this destructive path he had.
So it feel inconclusive to me.
Profile Image for Kennedee Card.
30 reviews
May 2, 2021
I’ve never done drugs and I don’t plan to, but this book has imagery that makes you feel as if you are tripping along with the main character.

I got this book in a random book bundle from BookBundler.com (best discovery ever) and that description on the back wasn’t super helpful with wondering what it was about. But the author, who I believe wrote this book when he was fairly young, had a message in between all of the drugs. Things are not always as they seem. Also, don’t be afraid to follow your own path, that’s what I took away from it. Although it lacked a rising action to and other traditional story formats, I still enjoyed this and would probably re-read again. It’s a different change of pace!
1 review
April 8, 2025
i'm sorry i feel bad for disliking a book written by a highschooler so much, but as a highschooler myself, it eases up the guilt a bit. i picked it up because i thought the title was cute (stupid move, i know) and ended up just reading about a few teenagers who spend the entire time harrassing innocent people and being general nuisances on acid who live by the "yolo" mentality, then ending with a really shallow ending trying too hard to be deep and angsty. if i wanted to see that, i'd just stalk some annoying guys from school. maybe its just not for me, but fuck did i really dislike it.
Profile Image for Liz.
108 reviews16 followers
June 1, 2021
A highly unimpressive piece about some obnoxious, full-of-themselves teenagers dropping acid and being nasty towards girls. 🙄🙄🙄

I decided to re-read this since I could not remember the storyline all too well, but sort of remember having liked it. Being a very impressionable teenager who had never done drugs, I can see how I might have found it insightful, but as a more experienced adult, I just found it annoying.
Profile Image for Ty Webb.
1 review
November 10, 2023
The ending portion of the book was a good representation of the introspection and the positive realizations/self improvement that can come from an acid trip, but overall I was underwhelmed and a little annoyed by the self important and cocky way the writer talked the entire book. Despite that it still kept me pretty entertained during ISS and I thank it for that, so it gets a 3/5. :)
Profile Image for Petty Lisbon .
394 reviews4 followers
January 8, 2020
Not exactly a must read in the world of YA drug books. I don't even think anything big enough happened where the characters can't be friends ever again. If you replaced the plot element for drugs with some other conflict, you'd have the same level of substance.
Profile Image for Jazzy.
151 reviews
February 23, 2025
I’m not sure what I expected from this book—maybe to feel the sun’s warmth on my skin? Instead, I got yet another tale of a guy spiraling into an existential crisis because he couldn’t handle his acid trip. Cue the inevitable female savior, pulling him back from the brink of insanity. It’s a story that’s been told a hundred times before, with nothing new to say. What a shame.
Profile Image for Suzanne.
306 reviews36 followers
June 1, 2009
What a roller coaster ride these kids were on! UGH!! How could they do this to themselves? The first night that they did acid in this book was good for them but the next night...it turned out so bad!! So glad I didn't do drugs. Although this was a good peek into what happens to the brain & what it does to & for friendships. I was surprised that they were coherent & speaking to people normally at school the next day.
I was wondering where the kids' parents were in this storyline. Yes, they were talked about & Brendon did tell his parents that he was staying at a friends' overnight but still...Yea, I'm one of those mean ole mom who knows their kids' friends & expects them home by midnight.
There was no point to this story but I'm glad I read it. I got it for a reading challenge last year but didn't read it. But...my 2009 goal is to read books that I bought or bookmooched last year. SO...yay for me.
Profile Image for Ali.
8 reviews2 followers
August 30, 2010
I had read this book back when I was in 8th grade, but decided to read it now that I'm older and can actually relate to it and better understand the experience(cough). It's not a typical teens-experimenting-with-drugs book, it delves deep inside the mind of the individual who is telling the story. The span of time is only two days, so it includes much detail. It's beautifully written, very poetic in style. The narrator/protagonist trips on acid two days in a row, it gives the beautiful observations and slowly morphs into describing his paranoia as the trip takes a turn to the dark side. I absolutely love the way the author was able to describe the boys experiences, it all seems very accurate (perhaps a hands on experience?). I did enjoy this more so the second time around, circumstances were different, I understood the words in a different light, could relate to the experiences, which made it much more intriguing. If you catch my drift (wood).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for C.L. Forrest.
Author 1 book1 follower
January 8, 2014
Although this book is, at times, totally lost on me, I found myself relating with Brendon more than I thought I would. Brian James' style of writing is a bit boring for me at times, for I feel he himself got lost in the feelings of his characters. I became slightly bored a couple of times as he took almost an entire three paragraphs telling the reader how crappy Brendon felt over the course of that long night walk. However, I felt that Brendon and I felt the same about a lot of things. I have never lived in a genuine city, but James captures here how many teenagers feel about life as a whole, and captured this feeling quite well even after all the extra emotional descriptors I feel weren't needed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews

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