Sugar Rush

Sugar #1

by Burchill Julie

Saucy, shimmering, loud and larger than life - come get your sugar fix! It's survival of the fittest at Ravendene Comprehensive - the terrifying teenage jungle for which Kim Lewis must trade her safe, posh private school. But help is at hand - in the unlikely form of the rude, raucous, toxic and tantalising Maria (aka Sugar) Sweet, queen of the 'Ravers'. As Kim falls quickly under her spell, and gambles her good-girl past for an exciting life of late-night parties and daring emotion, she must ask herself a disturbing question: has she fallen in love with her best friend?

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Fiction, Romance, Lesbian, Queer, Contemporary

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2004

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved this show when it first aired on Channel 4 in 2005 and the book has been sitting on my TBR ever since, and it should have stayed there, I don't say this often but the show is way better.

It's been forever since I watched the show so I can't say with any real certainty that the show wasn't problematic but the book definitely is. There's a lot of uncomfortable conversations here regarding race, sexuality and class which aren't handled or addressed well.

I did enjoy Kim and Stella's relationship and the whole family dynamic and while this book is very readable, it hasn't stood the test of time.

Two stars.

[Fiona MacDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having adored the tv series I was keen to see how the book measured up. I must say after finishing this I much preferred the tv show. The book in my opinion didn't delve quite into Kim's head as much as the series. And Maria wasn't portrayed in the same way either, and nor was Saint! I will try and read the next book anyway because it was an easy read, but I was still a bit disappointed overall.

[Reese · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find myself rarely saying this, but the television adaptation was far more engaging and charming. Otherwise as source material goes, it's a passable read.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Gay. I hate the way we use that word nowadays. Just means anything we don’t like, anything that’s not cool, and as we’re fifteen that’s about ninety per cent of everything. So socks are gay, spots are gay, science is gay – I mean, i’m not arguing here, they ARE all gay. But things being the way they are, with my heart and stuff, I don’t need my possible future sexual identity bandied about as a byword for everything that’s rubbish. Then, when Maria uses it like that, which ‘gay’ does she mean? Does she mean she’s got gay feelings about me? Or does she mean it’s rubbish to have old and new best friends meeting up? Well, I’ll vouch for that one. But as if the whole gay thing wasn’t confusing enough already – did it really need this? Gay is the new sad – it’s official!" - Sugar Rush.
That is so true of the way people use "gay" nowadays, and with that paragraph, Julie Burchill (celebrated controversial author of Brighton - the British enfant terrible of journalism!), manages to convey something much more poignant and real and teenage than Katy Perry could ever.
Fifteen year old Kim is one of the good girls at her posh school - sidekick to the snotty master of deception who is her best friend, the sarkily-named "Saint" - until her mother leaves and she's transferred to the terrifying teenage jungle that is Ravendene Comprehensive, with a reputation for housing the bad kids. This is where she meets Maria "Sugar" Sweet - mad, amazing, scary and sexy - and her good-girl past is discarded for a rollercoaster ride of late nights and daring emotion. No longer a private-school sweetheart, Kim is now a "Raver" and she's living her life to the full (although she spends most of it watching Maria sleep around), on the Brighton pier.
Of course, there are plenty of hard times - Kim's family troubles, her social class divide, her mixed-up feelings for Sugar - her best friend, lover and rival simultaenously - her ex-best friend Zoe "Saint" Clements, and how she feels about political and modern topics in general. It's not what most people think of when they hear "lesbian fiction" - the only thing that really makes it a lesbian book is the two girls. Most of it is Kim's unrequited love for Sugar, who chucks her aside "like a used condom" whenever the mood takes her. It is sometimes referenced though - like with boys finding it attractive when they kiss, and Sugar being worried about "growing up to be a "dyke." Sugar herself is a bloody amazing character. She's rude, raucous, politically incorrect (although say anything about her class and you're dead!), tough, gorgeous, flirtatious, and hard to pin down. And just when you think you know every aspect of Sugar and her hard ways, she does or says something soft or naive and the rollercoaster of emotions whirls around again.
The sheeny-shiny "Explicit Content!" sticker, slapped on there for good measure, is definitely just on there to attract teenagers. There is virtually no explicit content in the book, the Channel 4 series generates far more controversy on that topic.
I find the class divide fascinating too. Saint is pretty damn snotty, "Polly" tries to be ghetto, even Kim is quite posh, and Maria Sweet is proud of her lower-class upbringing, although she moans about it at every available opportunity. There's a heirachy between the popular kids vs. the hangers-on too, and Kim is unsure of where she belongs. I also like how often Kim's home life is mentioned - despite her newfound infatuation with Sugar, her family do mean a lot to her and she constantly worries about them now her selfish, "liberal" mother Stella (I feel like I should boo whenever she comes in), has left Kim, her mad brother Matt and their vulnerable father Nathan to fend for themselves. Sometimes I want to tell Kim to shut up and other times I empathize with her perfectly. I also love how she stood up to Stella near the end.
It is a girl-on-girl (heh) first love story and it's pretty damn amazing. The book has a refreshing sexiness to it and, it has to be mentioned, Burchill's writing is very clever. She throws in puns and uses a variety of different structures and techniques to write her book. There's emotions, there's (tasteless) humour, there's bad lyrics, there are characters we all know in real life, and she writes them with truth and conviction.
If you're a fan of the Channel 4 series you may be expecting something different - I know I was. But give it a chance - I'm thorougly in love with the book as much as the programme now - and there'll always be a soft spot in my heart for modern-day Brighton teenage romance.

[Katie (Kitkatscanread)]

DNF at page 100

It was just a boring story.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated this book!! I struggled to get into it and finish it even though it's not a big book. The story was unbelievable and not realistic throughout. I love the tv show and even though I knew this was fairly different before I started it i would have thought some things would be similar but I think the only things that were the same were the names. I have the second one to read but I'll be taking a long pause between them I think.

[Stephanie Davies · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only about two thirds through but I already know this is the most casually racist, ableist and transphobic piece of trash I've ever read. I don't know how I expected anything different of Burchill.

UPDATE: It got worse.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The show is so MUCH better. I've forgone the sequel because the writing in this one was so bad.

[Rae · Rating 1 out of 5]

tres retardataire. author claims it took only ten afternoons to write; it's a shame she didn't spend another afternoon editing

[Redfox5 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was like when I first read the 'Sex & the City' book, disappointing. Although nowhere near as bad as SATC was! I watched 'Sugar Rush' when I was a teenager and loved it. Back then, anything with lesbians was uncommon and edgy. Perfect teen viewing.

But the book, not so much. Big changes were made for the TV show, Stella featured a lot more & Sugar seemed much cooler than she is in the book.

It also just wasn't as gripping, Kim sometimes seems puffed up by how intelligent she is and the scene with her presentation was totally cringe. And why does she put up with Sugar? Who treats her like shit!

I didn't like the ending to this one, she's now with her old best friend, who also treated her like shit! I see Kim always being in shitty relationships.

I won't bother reading the second one, unless it's given to me but this book does make me really want to rewatch the show!

[Ashleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't help but feel a little disappointed with this. There was so much potential there for an amazing book - but I felt it was very 2D.

Kim, a 15 year old girl having to move from a posh all girls school to a co-ed hell hole, meets Sugar AKA Maria Sweet and just 'falls in love' with her. I use the phrase lightly, as it came over as more obsessive infatuation. It just made me feel a bit, I don't know, awkward I think is the best word.

I found the plot itself boring. Repetitive. Tedious. And any other word with similar meaning. Then it seemed to jump a lot - there was no indication as to why. There was also the fact that it may as well have been the same 2 chapters over and over - the story didn't change any.

And as for the 'explicit content' I think Harry Potter contains more explicit content. Really, maybe I missed it but I couldn't see much explicit content [maybe I'm just a corrupted teenager:] but anyway - I think the warning was pretty pointless! Okay, so there was mentions of this and that but problem pages in magazines are more explicit.

Overall, I think it's a book I could read again and maybe enjoy more. It wasn't awful but it just didn't seem to have enough 'filling' - there needed to be a bit more substance to it. It was dreadfully average; not great, not awful - just average. Good. Mediocre.

If you want a juicy lesbian love story - not the right book.

[Phil Hodgkiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't see the channel 4 series but have enjoyed the book in a strange kind of way. Should be finished with it by tonight.

[junebear · Rating 2 out of 5]

ok i have no idea where to begin but im going to attempt to make this cohesive because i just have many thoughts about this book

someone who is coming from watching the tv adaptation and looking for it in book format is Not going to enjoy this (as was my situation) the two stories are completely different with saint from s2 being completely different in every sense of the word

the story here is just not good it is not cohesive for the most part and there are quite a lot of odd moments i frowned at

on the nice side it is charming and enjoyable at times and i could appreciate the humour and i thought it was very interesting to see the relationship between kim and sugar develop in such a different way to the show

i think this is the only book to tv show adaptation with a much more entertaining show. the show does not hold up after 20 years as well but it holds up Far better when you compare it to the book

i am fascinated and would love to learn how they adapted it because as mentioned the two stories between book and show are completely different in every sense of the word. i believe the tv show has a much more cohesive story but i do find it fascinating what they changed and cut out of kim and sugar’s story

overall is it rereadable Maybe if you’re craving some questionably ok bordering on chicklit material but in all honesty just watch the show

[Carrie-Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so it may have been 15 years ago when I saw the tv show (...fuck I'm old) but from what I remember, it was one of those rare occasions that the tv show was better than the book.

Most characters in here are unlikable, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for me as a reader but the whole book was just very surface level and bleh.

Kim fancies Sugar, Sugar acts like a dick but gives Kim a lil..ehem..sugar so Kim accepts the dick behaviour. Rinse and repeat.

The tv show changes characters around, changes personalities and just generally was (I think...) really interesting and engaging.

The book was not.

But hey, at least it's made me want to binge the boxset, so that's one good thing I guess?

[abi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t remember Kim being so bloody annoying and awful.

Kim and Sugar have absolutely no chemistry and I didn’t believe that Sugar would sleep with her for even a second. No one has a personality, both Kim and Sugar are racist, Sugar is homophobic. There are just way too many problems with this to count and it thoroughly pissed me off.

Save yourself the time and just stick to the TV show (which frankly only takes the names of the characters and nothing else from this book).

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this...back in.... 2005 and I remember thinking it was a bit boring. Re-reading it now in 2024 I get that IT WASN'T boring, just well written with beautiful prose and excellent social commentary.

[EvilSwiss · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5✨

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Kim’s father makes her move from her posh girls school to the school fool of trouble makers. Sure she’s not going to fit in for being thought a snob, she’s surprised when Sugar, the most popular girl at school, befriends her. As Sugar leads Kim down the road of alcohol and drugs, Kim experiences things she never has before, including feelings for Sugar. Is she falling for her new best friend?

I’m so glad I never really saw the TV programme before I read this. From what I know of the programme, some of it is different from the book, like Sugar’s race for instance, which is a small but important part of the book. I’m not too sure if I liked this book. It was good, but I got annoyed Kim some of the time when she wasn’t treated too well. I suppose heterosexual or homosexual, though, we all get a little blinded when we really like some, and make mistakes, so I can’t really fault her too much.

It was sad seeing that Kim’s home life wasn’t too great, with her mum leaving home, but I got annoyed with how a lot of the book was of Kim and Sugar doing practically the same things over and over, and Kim agonizing over whether or not her and Sugar were an item. It was just all a little bit samey.

I don’t really know what I expected, but the only thing that makes this lesbian fiction is the two girls, but it’s a story all girls know too well, the only difference was that Sugar wasn’t male. There isn’t really anything on the hardships of being homosexual; there’s no coming out to parents, no having to deal with homophobia, no being worried about what people will think. There is however a few occasions when guys like that the girls are kissing, which Sugar uses to her advantage.

The front cover warns that the book contains explicit content, but I don’t know what was explicit about it. The sex was mentioned, some sexual acts were hinted at, but we never actually got to “see” anything, and there wasn’t any detail. Compared to some other books, this novel is quite tame.

I don’t think Sugar Rush was especially amazing; there wasn’t anything all that special about it. However, it has spiked my interest enough for me to want to pick up the sequel, Sweet, to find out what happens later on to the main characters. Overall, and ok book.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a girl named Kim. She's 15 and going to a nice high school in Brighton England. She has one good friend and father and younger brother at home. Her mother, we soon discover, left with a young man. Kim is very confused her family is newly seperated so the household has changed. Her mother used to like to listen to lots of music and watch the television all the time. Her house was always noisy when her mother was home. Once her mother left her home became very quite and more orderly. Her father was a bit of a neat freak.
In the middle of all this change she is told by her father that she must change schools. She goes into school the next day and tells her friend what is happening and her friend gets upset that Kim is leaving her! Kim finds this a crazy reaction. She starts her new school and makes a new friend Maria Sugar. This is where the interesting part of the story starts. The relationship that these two girls have during the course of Kim's year and one half at this school is very interesting. Kim realizes during this time that she is a lesbian. A rather big realization for a girl of 15 with so many other life changing events happening to her. She also believes that she is in love with Maria Sugar!
Is it love or lust? Does she just need someone to replace her mother who up and left her for a young man and a sunny island? You need to read the book to figure out what is up with Kim. It was a great book that made me think about relationships from a different perspective.

[Kenya Liggons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sugar Rush........... What can I say about this book? Well, a couple of days ago, I just got this book, and I really thought it was going to be good. My view from the time I got the book, to the time I ended the book, I was just like how come my view changed? The cover is very deceiving.... I don't typically read these types of books, but I did, because I am open to all kinds of genres.... Umm this book starts off with this character, named Kim. Kim is a fifteen year old high schooler, she has to move. When she moves, she automatically off the back confines in Sugar. Sugar's real name is Maria Sweet. Go Figure! As their friendship blossoms, Kim starts to feel some kind of feeling about Sugar. She like wants to date her. Sugar is the type of person who is popular, and has all of the good looks. This book disappointed me more than any other book had. That is why I rated this a three. Don't get me wrong there were some aspects of the story where it was really good and juicy, but as an overall book, I feel like it had so much to be greater. This is one of those books where I felt like I had a relationship with the character Kim.................... It was weird because I'm not like that, but I love how the author made the characters controversial. At some points, I felt like it was entirely to predictable......... I just wish could have been better.. It was an okay book though.

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essentially, I loved this story and its message. My only complaint is the almost unbearable stamp of militant feminism -of the man-hating variety- that undercuts seemingly every turn of event throughout the whole book, to the point where it's obvious the writer is speaking, not the protagonist. This veered towards a loosely-veiled essay at times and it's only because of the 90s-early-2000s nostalgia and authenticity of every character that this didn't bother me so much.
In all, Sugar Rush isn't what I'd call a "right of passage", as it's mentioned at the beginning, but I *do* wish I'd read this years ago. I found the ending quite flaccid and a bit loose, but the journey was a delightful blur; like a real sugar rush, I suppose.

[Maria Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rated this book imaging my teenage semi in the closet self rating it, it was an important part of my youth as a gay female teenager struggling with why my attraction was any different to anyone else’s.

For any young woman testing the boundary’s of sexuality or simply a young person who has just started to experience the first feelings of love in any form, I feel this book approaches from a fair perspective and as I read before the TV series it looks like I am one of the few that prefer the book/s and was slightly shocked at how the series adapted parts of the story that I personally feel were very important. Although come on now, I’m 26 and 15/16 year old me would defiantly have tasted abit of ‘kizza’.

[Liralen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Deeply, distinctly 'meh'. What was the point here? To throw together a bunch of unlikeable, stereotype-heavy characters and let them run rampant across 278 pages? It's not even remotely a difficult read, but by the second half I'd (more than) had enough.

The one thing I do appreciate is the way Kim doesn't make a big deal of her attraction to another girl—she acknowledges that it's unexpected, but then she goes with it. There isn't any big coming-out plotline. But...I need a lot more than that to keep me invested in a book, and this just didn't offer more.

[Katastrofekat · Rating 2 out of 5]

It might have been becase I was reading a norwegian translation of this book, but something about the pacing of the book felt off for me and because of this the story didn't quite capture my interest.

[Tobi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Apalling. The writing, especially coming from a known journalist was poor and entirely uninviting. Why this book is so popular I cannot fathom. I was truly looking forward to reading it and it was an immense let down.
Live and learn.

[Abbey Gray · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was pretty average. There were no exciting events happen and I didn't like any of the characters. Especially the main character who I found really annoying. It also felt like the ending was very rushed.

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

not for me so giving up DNF

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Explicit content my ass.

[Layla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was one of my childhood books. It deals with some issues around sexuality and adolescence. I remember enjoying, but I've definitely outgrown it.

[Cecilie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lame. Hopeless.