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Sunset
One summer can change everything . . .
Ruth and Hannah are sisters. Bonded by love and friendship, they are perplexingly different characters.
Hannah is radiant, organised and hard working. Ruth is forever single and totally aimless. Together they are invincible.
Every summer they go on a budget holiday together where they bicker, laugh, fight and make up.
But this time is different. Something bad happens.
And now everything is changed forever.
This bittersweet love story is about needing someone else as much as they need you. It is an ode to our most powerful bonds, how they build us and break us, and how, when all seems lost, we can find joy in the most unexpected places.
Ruth and Hannah are sisters. Bonded by love and friendship, they are perplexingly different characters.
Hannah is radiant, organised and hard working. Ruth is forever single and totally aimless. Together they are invincible.
Every summer they go on a budget holiday together where they bicker, laugh, fight and make up.
But this time is different. Something bad happens.
And now everything is changed forever.
This bittersweet love story is about needing someone else as much as they need you. It is an ode to our most powerful bonds, how they build us and break us, and how, when all seems lost, we can find joy in the most unexpected places.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 24, 2021
294 people are currently reading
21417 people want to read
About the author
Jessie Cave
8 books236 followersJessie Cave is an English actress, comedian, writer and artist, best known for her role as Lavender Brown in the Harry Potter series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,251 reviews
July 16, 2021
jesus christ jessie cave i worship you
August 27, 2021
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4 ½ stars (rounded up to 5 as this is a debut)
Funny, raw, heartbreaking, Sunset is an exceptional debut novel. Jessie Cave’s unsparing portrayal of grief in all of its complexities is striking for its realism and depth. Cave’s blend of humor and tragedy did bring to mind Fleabag and I would definitely recommend fans of that show, or I May Destroy You for that matter, to pick this up. The novel is narrated by Ruth who is in her mid-20s and leading a rather directionless lifestyle. Her older sister, Hannah, is very much her anchor and the two share an intense bond. Rather than resorting to the classic good/bad sister type of characterisation Cave makes both Ruth and Hannah into multidimensional and entirely authentic people, who have flaws and idiosyncrasies as well as many other qualities. The two love each other to bits, even if they bicker a lot. They are best friends, each other’s worlds, really. The two go on a summer holiday together and a horrific accident happens to leave Ruth bereft. She attempts to shut other people out and begins working at a Costa in Heathrow airport. As time goes by Ruth is forced to confront what happened on that holiday.
There is so much that I loved about this novel. Ruth is a wonderful narrator. Her anger, loneliness, grief, numbness, frustration, and sadness are depicted with such heart and realism as to bring her character to life. Her sense of humor, occasionally dark, always weird, made me laugh out loud and like her almost instantly. Some of her thoughts may very well make you uncomfortable but I appreciated how honest Ruth’s voice was. Her relationship with her sister is the central aspect of her story and their dynamic was wonderful and heart-rending. From their small habits to the way they speak to others or each other, Cave captures everything about them, making Ruth and Hannah feel less like fictional characters than real-life individuals.
I also loved the way Cave portrays and discusses things like depression, death, sex, menstruations, and other things that are usually sensationalised or romanticised or completely glossed over. In addition, Ruth’s narrative is full of piercing observations about other people or her own life. I also found that those references to ‘real’ places (such as Costa, Tesco, WHSmith) made Ruth’s London all the more vivid.
It's impressive that this is Cave’s debut as it is such an accomplished novel. Her prose is self-assured, her tone is consistent, and her characterisation is phenomenal. Cave’s depiction of grief and sisterhood is moving and believably messy.
At first, I wasn’t sure about the way the dialogue is laid out (it appears in a script-like way) but I soon grew accustomed to it and I commend Cave for her choice (rather than jumping on the no quotation marks bandwagon). Speaking of dialogues, these too are marvellously realistic. The exchanges Ruth has with others could be funny, awkward, and/or tense. Regardless of the nature of the discussion or conversation, Cave’s dialogues rang true-to-life.
Sunset is a bittersweet love story between two sisters that is bound to make you tear up and laugh out loud (often in quick succession). If you happen to like stories that focus on sibling bonds or that follow the experiences of directionless millennials, well, consider giving Sunset a shot.
To sum it up: I loved this review so much one day after reading my netgalley copy I popped into waterstones during my lunch break and bought a hardback edition of it.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4 ½ stars (rounded up to 5 as this is a debut)
“When I next love someone, they will die suddenly, unfairly, quickly, oddly, suspiciously, horrifyingly, traumatically; they’ll die in the worst way that someone could, and I will have to stand by and watch, take a photo.”
Funny, raw, heartbreaking, Sunset is an exceptional debut novel. Jessie Cave’s unsparing portrayal of grief in all of its complexities is striking for its realism and depth. Cave’s blend of humor and tragedy did bring to mind Fleabag and I would definitely recommend fans of that show, or I May Destroy You for that matter, to pick this up. The novel is narrated by Ruth who is in her mid-20s and leading a rather directionless lifestyle. Her older sister, Hannah, is very much her anchor and the two share an intense bond. Rather than resorting to the classic good/bad sister type of characterisation Cave makes both Ruth and Hannah into multidimensional and entirely authentic people, who have flaws and idiosyncrasies as well as many other qualities. The two love each other to bits, even if they bicker a lot. They are best friends, each other’s worlds, really. The two go on a summer holiday together and a horrific accident happens to leave Ruth bereft. She attempts to shut other people out and begins working at a Costa in Heathrow airport. As time goes by Ruth is forced to confront what happened on that holiday.
There is so much that I loved about this novel. Ruth is a wonderful narrator. Her anger, loneliness, grief, numbness, frustration, and sadness are depicted with such heart and realism as to bring her character to life. Her sense of humor, occasionally dark, always weird, made me laugh out loud and like her almost instantly. Some of her thoughts may very well make you uncomfortable but I appreciated how honest Ruth’s voice was. Her relationship with her sister is the central aspect of her story and their dynamic was wonderful and heart-rending. From their small habits to the way they speak to others or each other, Cave captures everything about them, making Ruth and Hannah feel less like fictional characters than real-life individuals.
I also loved the way Cave portrays and discusses things like depression, death, sex, menstruations, and other things that are usually sensationalised or romanticised or completely glossed over. In addition, Ruth’s narrative is full of piercing observations about other people or her own life. I also found that those references to ‘real’ places (such as Costa, Tesco, WHSmith) made Ruth’s London all the more vivid.
It's impressive that this is Cave’s debut as it is such an accomplished novel. Her prose is self-assured, her tone is consistent, and her characterisation is phenomenal. Cave’s depiction of grief and sisterhood is moving and believably messy.
At first, I wasn’t sure about the way the dialogue is laid out (it appears in a script-like way) but I soon grew accustomed to it and I commend Cave for her choice (rather than jumping on the no quotation marks bandwagon). Speaking of dialogues, these too are marvellously realistic. The exchanges Ruth has with others could be funny, awkward, and/or tense. Regardless of the nature of the discussion or conversation, Cave’s dialogues rang true-to-life.
Sunset is a bittersweet love story between two sisters that is bound to make you tear up and laugh out loud (often in quick succession). If you happen to like stories that focus on sibling bonds or that follow the experiences of directionless millennials, well, consider giving Sunset a shot.
To sum it up: I loved this review so much one day after reading my netgalley copy I popped into waterstones during my lunch break and bought a hardback edition of it.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2021
Jessie Cave is a pretty big deal and well known for her acting, her podcast, and her art. But i’m here to talk to you about her writing. Which is just stunning, but oh so effortless. What you need to know about the book is that it explores both grief and sisterly love. It’s about Hannah and Ruth, two sisters who are polar opposites of each other. While Ruth is aimless, perpetually single and a bit of a cynic, Hannah is a romantic, organised and career-driven. They go on summer holidays every year, but this time, something tragic happens that turns everything upside down.
I’ve read my fair share of novels depicting grief but Sunset may just be the most impactful one. I think the beauty here lies within the details. They’re so exact and particular that it feels so real, which makes it feel like you’re reading a memoir at times. If these details are looked at in isolation, they’d probably seem nonsensical, but together they really capture the essence and messiness of grief. On the cover, Dolly Alderton had blurbed it as ‘bittersweet’ - and i can’t think of a better way to describe it. The whole book is so tender and poignant, but we also get beautiful glimpses of Ruth & Hannah’s relationship, and complete with a dash of humour, too. In fact, the style of writing and atmosphere reminded me of Sorrow and Bliss, which i know has been widely loved.
Content aside, the format of the book is very engaging with lots of authentic dialogues and listicles which just worked so well with the rest of the book. While Jessie Cave’s sister is alive and well (and is the narrator of the audiobook), i found out towards the end that Jessie had written this novel following the tragic death of their brother, which got me sobbing even more.
I’ve read my fair share of novels depicting grief but Sunset may just be the most impactful one. I think the beauty here lies within the details. They’re so exact and particular that it feels so real, which makes it feel like you’re reading a memoir at times. If these details are looked at in isolation, they’d probably seem nonsensical, but together they really capture the essence and messiness of grief. On the cover, Dolly Alderton had blurbed it as ‘bittersweet’ - and i can’t think of a better way to describe it. The whole book is so tender and poignant, but we also get beautiful glimpses of Ruth & Hannah’s relationship, and complete with a dash of humour, too. In fact, the style of writing and atmosphere reminded me of Sorrow and Bliss, which i know has been widely loved.
Content aside, the format of the book is very engaging with lots of authentic dialogues and listicles which just worked so well with the rest of the book. While Jessie Cave’s sister is alive and well (and is the narrator of the audiobook), i found out towards the end that Jessie had written this novel following the tragic death of their brother, which got me sobbing even more.
November 27, 2022
3,5 von 5 Sterne
Ich habe lange nach Beenden des Buches überlegt, wie ich das Buch einordnen soll.
Die Schwestern Ruth und Hannah sind zwar grundverschieden, aber unzertrennlich. Bis zu jenem Sommer, wo Hannah vor den Augen ihrer Schwester ums Leben kommt (die Szene war für mich persönlich sehr berührend und bewegend). Das Leben von Ruth ist nicht mehr das, wie es war. Übersetzt wurde der Roman aus dem Englischen von Eva Kemper.
Als Leser begleiten wir die Schwestern vor, während und nach dem Unglück (hier geht es logischerweise um Ruth und ihre Familie). In einzelnen Szenen und Zeitsprüngen geht es vor allem um die Erlebnisse aus der Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und der Zukunft. Die Figuren wurden gut ausgearbeitet, aber irgendwie fehlte mir die Tiefe. Ich hatte den Eindruck eher einen Roman für jüngere Leser zu lesen. Auch mit der Thematik, den Umgang mit dem Tod eines sehr nahen Angehörigen hatte ich persönlich Schwierigkeiten mit den Ansichten von Ruth. Letzendlich trauert jeder auf seine eigene Weise, was genau die Kernaussage des Buches sein soll und auch vollkommen richtig ist. Für mich persönlich hätten gut 200 Seiten weniger dem Roman nicht geschadet.
Ein Buch, das seine Leserschaft finden wird.
Ich habe lange nach Beenden des Buches überlegt, wie ich das Buch einordnen soll.
Die Schwestern Ruth und Hannah sind zwar grundverschieden, aber unzertrennlich. Bis zu jenem Sommer, wo Hannah vor den Augen ihrer Schwester ums Leben kommt (die Szene war für mich persönlich sehr berührend und bewegend). Das Leben von Ruth ist nicht mehr das, wie es war. Übersetzt wurde der Roman aus dem Englischen von Eva Kemper.
Als Leser begleiten wir die Schwestern vor, während und nach dem Unglück (hier geht es logischerweise um Ruth und ihre Familie). In einzelnen Szenen und Zeitsprüngen geht es vor allem um die Erlebnisse aus der Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und der Zukunft. Die Figuren wurden gut ausgearbeitet, aber irgendwie fehlte mir die Tiefe. Ich hatte den Eindruck eher einen Roman für jüngere Leser zu lesen. Auch mit der Thematik, den Umgang mit dem Tod eines sehr nahen Angehörigen hatte ich persönlich Schwierigkeiten mit den Ansichten von Ruth. Letzendlich trauert jeder auf seine eigene Weise, was genau die Kernaussage des Buches sein soll und auch vollkommen richtig ist. Für mich persönlich hätten gut 200 Seiten weniger dem Roman nicht geschadet.
Ein Buch, das seine Leserschaft finden wird.
April 30, 2023
This is the first time I'm leaving a review on Goodreads, and I'd love for it to be positive, but I felt the need to chime in with my 2 cents on this book.
I truly don't understand the 5, 4 stars reviews left.
The book is written like a fan fiction: short, void periods, many pages spent describing useless actions, lots, lots of lists that could've been put in an actual period.
I've looked past that: if the writing is fit for a story, I really don't mind it not being my cup of tea.
But. The story... and there's spoilers ahead.
A grieving sister who tragically loses her older sister: a touchy subject that easily strikes a chord in my heart.
However, there are many points where their bond is TRULY forced, even morbid at times: who the hell would use their sister's v*brator, their DEAD sister's v*brator, to m*sturbate?
How can one of the two sisters be the tidiest, the most beautiful, the most ambitious, the happiest, the most attractive amongst the two? This is an innocent vision of brotherhood and sisterhood that is set aside once you mature. But Ruth has the emotional depth of an 8 year old, it seems. So much so that she has a s*xual relationship with her dead sister's boyfriend, which just seems like the final nail in the coffin of bad taste. Sure, it may happen once in a lifetime... but it doesn't serve anything to this story except some SPICEYYYY moments, which I didn't really look for in a book about a dead sister.
But really, each character lacks emotional realism: Fred is a hopeless f*ckboy but even then he's so crude it doesn't make sense; Ruth's dad is the stereotypical absent father with no reedeming qualities; her mother is an actress at her dawn which really has no reason to exist as she gives nothing to the plot- but again, no one really does. Each character has ONE flaw, and that's their only defining detail.
Sometimes the writer focuses on certain topics for a split second only to leave them be right after: Ruth would look at a woman and wonder how many times she had s*x. Ruth would look at a couple and wonder if she's ever gonna be content in a relationship. All legit thoughts, but they're never explored. Just thrown out there to get some air. Again, there's no aim to them. More so, the writer is OBSESSED with people's s*x life to the point it becomes voyeurism.
The grieving process itself is not credible: Ruth is aimless for the WHOLE 400 hundred pages. No emotional development, no progress nor regression, nothing. There's no point to this story.
Then eventually Ruth skims through the grieving process and finds peace through the last 30 pages of the book which I'm not even gonna comment on further.
I truly don't understand the 5, 4 stars reviews left.
The book is written like a fan fiction: short, void periods, many pages spent describing useless actions, lots, lots of lists that could've been put in an actual period.
I've looked past that: if the writing is fit for a story, I really don't mind it not being my cup of tea.
But. The story... and there's spoilers ahead.
A grieving sister who tragically loses her older sister: a touchy subject that easily strikes a chord in my heart.
However, there are many points where their bond is TRULY forced, even morbid at times: who the hell would use their sister's v*brator, their DEAD sister's v*brator, to m*sturbate?
How can one of the two sisters be the tidiest, the most beautiful, the most ambitious, the happiest, the most attractive amongst the two? This is an innocent vision of brotherhood and sisterhood that is set aside once you mature. But Ruth has the emotional depth of an 8 year old, it seems. So much so that she has a s*xual relationship with her dead sister's boyfriend, which just seems like the final nail in the coffin of bad taste. Sure, it may happen once in a lifetime... but it doesn't serve anything to this story except some SPICEYYYY moments, which I didn't really look for in a book about a dead sister.
But really, each character lacks emotional realism: Fred is a hopeless f*ckboy but even then he's so crude it doesn't make sense; Ruth's dad is the stereotypical absent father with no reedeming qualities; her mother is an actress at her dawn which really has no reason to exist as she gives nothing to the plot- but again, no one really does. Each character has ONE flaw, and that's their only defining detail.
Sometimes the writer focuses on certain topics for a split second only to leave them be right after: Ruth would look at a woman and wonder how many times she had s*x. Ruth would look at a couple and wonder if she's ever gonna be content in a relationship. All legit thoughts, but they're never explored. Just thrown out there to get some air. Again, there's no aim to them. More so, the writer is OBSESSED with people's s*x life to the point it becomes voyeurism.
The grieving process itself is not credible: Ruth is aimless for the WHOLE 400 hundred pages. No emotional development, no progress nor regression, nothing. There's no point to this story.
Then eventually Ruth skims through the grieving process and finds peace through the last 30 pages of the book which I'm not even gonna comment on further.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2022
0/5
i only got about 100 pages into this but i skipped ahead and read the end pages, and i may as well have read the whole thing. quite literally nothing happens.
if i didn’t hate character based books before, i DESPISE them now. this really reminded me of Conversation With Friends and My Year of Rest and Relaxation, both of which i disliked. dreary and pointless internal monologue that just depresses me. no plot. no substance.
i felt like i was just listening to the MC people watch the whole time - so boring. more editing would have been good and it would have been nice to have a storyline to follow, with a more likeable narrator.
such a pretty cover but i can’t bring myself to give it any more energy 😭 take this review with a pinch of salt because i didn’t read the entire thing but let me save you the time because NOTHING HAPPENS
i only got about 100 pages into this but i skipped ahead and read the end pages, and i may as well have read the whole thing. quite literally nothing happens.
if i didn’t hate character based books before, i DESPISE them now. this really reminded me of Conversation With Friends and My Year of Rest and Relaxation, both of which i disliked. dreary and pointless internal monologue that just depresses me. no plot. no substance.
i felt like i was just listening to the MC people watch the whole time - so boring. more editing would have been good and it would have been nice to have a storyline to follow, with a more likeable narrator.
such a pretty cover but i can’t bring myself to give it any more energy 😭 take this review with a pinch of salt because i didn’t read the entire thing but let me save you the time because NOTHING HAPPENS
May 11, 2022
this was so heartbreaking and also gorgeously funny. I did not realise until after reading that lavender brown wrote this, what an icon.
January 19, 2022
Sunset is a beautiful story of how Ruth copes when she loses the love of her life, her sister Hannah. We follow Ruth as she goes through the mundanity and normality of every day life, whilst she is dealing with the grief of losing her sister, the difficult relationship she has with her family as well as the difficult relationship she has with herself.
This novel is stunning, the writing impeccable. Very much a character driven novel, Jessie Cave writes Ruth and her thoughts, feelings and actions in such a raw and honest way. As the reader, you get to know Ruth inside out and your heart breaks for her whilst you also feel so frustrated towards her and what she chooses to do each day. I would also say Sunset has some dark humour in it and whilst it read incredibly sad - some parts did have me laughing.
Having dealt with a sibling's death herself, Jessie Cave has poured so much heart and emotion into this book and it is very clear throughout. Sunset is a book I was unable to put down or stop thinking about which resulted in me finishing it within two days.
I don't think I have enough words to give this book justice, but if you enjoy an emotional character driven story with great writing, I would suggest checking this out.
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Trigger Warnings (some of which may be considered spoilers): Sibling death/binge eating/depression/suicidal thoughts
This novel is stunning, the writing impeccable. Very much a character driven novel, Jessie Cave writes Ruth and her thoughts, feelings and actions in such a raw and honest way. As the reader, you get to know Ruth inside out and your heart breaks for her whilst you also feel so frustrated towards her and what she chooses to do each day. I would also say Sunset has some dark humour in it and whilst it read incredibly sad - some parts did have me laughing.
Having dealt with a sibling's death herself, Jessie Cave has poured so much heart and emotion into this book and it is very clear throughout. Sunset is a book I was unable to put down or stop thinking about which resulted in me finishing it within two days.
I don't think I have enough words to give this book justice, but if you enjoy an emotional character driven story with great writing, I would suggest checking this out.
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Trigger Warnings (some of which may be considered spoilers): Sibling death/binge eating/depression/suicidal thoughts
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2024
This was beautifully written in its portrayal of sisterhood and grief, however Ruth’s personality grated on me a bit too much.
December 10, 2021
This is such a shame because it had the potential to be a brilliant book. I did enjoy parts of it and I like Jessie Cave's writing style, however I just hated Ruth as a character so couldn't look past that.
June 24, 2022
Piękna i złożona powieść o relacji siostrzeńskiej, stracie i żałobie. Mnóstwo niejednoznacznych, pięknie napisanych emocji. Jednocześnie okładka i tytuł tak wspaniale oddają jej treść. Poczułam ją na poziomie emocjonalnym i literackim, ale też tak zwyczajnie czytelniczo się wciągnęłam. Bardzo polubiłam narratorkę, jej język, jej ścieżki myślowe. Piękna mieszanka miłości, smutku, tęsknoty, potrzeb, skomplikowanych emocji. Niesamowicie słuchało mi się audiobooka (a na koniec okazało się, że lektorką jest siostra autorki 🥺).
Piękna książka (tak, wiem - powtórzyłam 'piękna' kilka razy, ale słuchanie audiobooka i napisaniej tej notki to jedyne, co udało mi się dziś zrobić z gorączka 🤒🙃).
Piękna książka (tak, wiem - powtórzyłam 'piękna' kilka razy, ale słuchanie audiobooka i napisaniej tej notki to jedyne, co udało mi się dziś zrobić z gorączka 🤒🙃).
July 14, 2021
Wow, I just absolutely ADORED this novel. Massive thank you to NetGally & Wellbeck Publishers for approving my request to I listen to this on audio, all I can say is BeBe Cave did a phenomenal job of narrating this beautiful story.
I went into Sunset not having much knowledge of what the novel was about and for me that was the best surprise. Following sisters Ruth & Hannah, complete opposites but so extremely close and totally reliant on each other. Observing this sisterly bond was really something special and I haven't read a sibling relationship quite like this one. When a tragic even occurs, their lives are never the same and the story unfolds as we dip in and out of two timelines, past and present.
A narrative full of emotive prose, exploring grief and how it creeps into every inch of your life - from your thoughts, emotions, daily tasks etc - life is never quite the same. A truly visceral reflection on grief that genuinely was like nothing I have ever read, I could not get enough of this one and cannot recommend this one enough (TW's to be mindful of).
I do not want to go into too much detail with this one as I truly feel the element of surprise is what makes this story so unique, so beautiful and utterly moving! The fact that this is a debut still blows my mind and bravo to Jessie, I cannot wait to see what she does next - I loved this one so much that I will 100% be purchasing a physical copy when released in paperback.
I went into Sunset not having much knowledge of what the novel was about and for me that was the best surprise. Following sisters Ruth & Hannah, complete opposites but so extremely close and totally reliant on each other. Observing this sisterly bond was really something special and I haven't read a sibling relationship quite like this one. When a tragic even occurs, their lives are never the same and the story unfolds as we dip in and out of two timelines, past and present.
A narrative full of emotive prose, exploring grief and how it creeps into every inch of your life - from your thoughts, emotions, daily tasks etc - life is never quite the same. A truly visceral reflection on grief that genuinely was like nothing I have ever read, I could not get enough of this one and cannot recommend this one enough (TW's to be mindful of).
I do not want to go into too much detail with this one as I truly feel the element of surprise is what makes this story so unique, so beautiful and utterly moving! The fact that this is a debut still blows my mind and bravo to Jessie, I cannot wait to see what she does next - I loved this one so much that I will 100% be purchasing a physical copy when released in paperback.
June 5, 2021
i got a chunk of the way through this before i had to stop because it upset me too much. before that though, it was like the illustrated mum 20 years on (highest praise in my book)
April 17, 2023
Budem úprimná, do tejto knihy som šla naslepo s tým, že som opäť vo svojej Harry Potter fáze a túto napísala herečka, ktorá hrala Lavender Brown, tak jej dám šancu.
Vôbec som nečakala, že to bude úplný masterpiece a toto je, prosím pekne, debut!
Toto je knižka o dvoch sestrách Ruth a Hannah, ktoré sú si extrémne blízke, ale potom Hannah nešťastnou náhodou umrie pred očami Ruth a tej sa rozbije svet. Lebo ako ďalej žiť, keď ste práve prišli o najdôležitejšiu osobu na svete? Ako prestať myslieť nato, že keby ste spravili niečo inak, nestalo by sa to? Ako ďalej pokračovať bez zmyslu života a v nekonečnej prázdnote? Ako pokračovať v živote, mať normálne ľudské skúsenosti, keď ona ich už nikdy nebude mať?
Na konci audioknihy je rozhovor s Jessie a jej sestrou Bebe, kde sa dozvedáme, že napísala túto knihu, keď sa vyrovnávala so stratou svojho brata, ktorý nečakane tragicky umrel a to zážiťok z knihy ešte umocnilo, lebo to bolo tak skutočné, bolesť a žiaľ spracované tak komplexne, že úplne dáva zmysel, že dala na papier svoje pocity a svoj žiaľ.
Prvá vec, čo som si však na knihe všimla, je neobvyklý štýl písania, v ktorom sa autorka neobvyklo sústreďuje na úplne obyčajné veci. Ešte aj to, že vždy vieme, v ktorej kaviarni akurát pijú kávu, alebo čo akurát jedia, je napísané tak "matter-of-factly", že hoci obvykle takéto zbytočné detaily v knihe nemám rada, tu to akosi sedelo. Jej štýl písania je obyčajný, jednoduchý a predsa strašne zaujímavý a neopozeraný.
Postavy sú ľudské, nie nutne sympatické a príjemné, ale sú realistické a dá sa im porozumieť. Vlastne, v mnohých nepríjemných častiach som sa s Ruth vedela stotožniť, čo vytvorilo ku knihe ešte silnejšie puto.
Táto kniha ukazuje ťažký život 27 ročnej ženy, ktorá prekonala obrovskú tragédiu a robí množstvo zlých životných rozhodnutí, ale práve tá nepeknosť a brutalita, ktorá je tu opisovaná celkom vecne je to, čím si ma autorka získala. Neviem sa dočkať, s čím príde v budúcnosti, lebo toto je skrytý poklad.
Vôbec som nečakala, že to bude úplný masterpiece a toto je, prosím pekne, debut!
Toto je knižka o dvoch sestrách Ruth a Hannah, ktoré sú si extrémne blízke, ale potom Hannah nešťastnou náhodou umrie pred očami Ruth a tej sa rozbije svet. Lebo ako ďalej žiť, keď ste práve prišli o najdôležitejšiu osobu na svete? Ako prestať myslieť nato, že keby ste spravili niečo inak, nestalo by sa to? Ako ďalej pokračovať bez zmyslu života a v nekonečnej prázdnote? Ako pokračovať v živote, mať normálne ľudské skúsenosti, keď ona ich už nikdy nebude mať?
Na konci audioknihy je rozhovor s Jessie a jej sestrou Bebe, kde sa dozvedáme, že napísala túto knihu, keď sa vyrovnávala so stratou svojho brata, ktorý nečakane tragicky umrel a to zážiťok z knihy ešte umocnilo, lebo to bolo tak skutočné, bolesť a žiaľ spracované tak komplexne, že úplne dáva zmysel, že dala na papier svoje pocity a svoj žiaľ.
Prvá vec, čo som si však na knihe všimla, je neobvyklý štýl písania, v ktorom sa autorka neobvyklo sústreďuje na úplne obyčajné veci. Ešte aj to, že vždy vieme, v ktorej kaviarni akurát pijú kávu, alebo čo akurát jedia, je napísané tak "matter-of-factly", že hoci obvykle takéto zbytočné detaily v knihe nemám rada, tu to akosi sedelo. Jej štýl písania je obyčajný, jednoduchý a predsa strašne zaujímavý a neopozeraný.
Postavy sú ľudské, nie nutne sympatické a príjemné, ale sú realistické a dá sa im porozumieť. Vlastne, v mnohých nepríjemných častiach som sa s Ruth vedela stotožniť, čo vytvorilo ku knihe ešte silnejšie puto.
Táto kniha ukazuje ťažký život 27 ročnej ženy, ktorá prekonala obrovskú tragédiu a robí množstvo zlých životných rozhodnutí, ale práve tá nepeknosť a brutalita, ktorá je tu opisovaná celkom vecne je to, čím si ma autorka získala. Neviem sa dočkať, s čím príde v budúcnosti, lebo toto je skrytý poklad.
July 24, 2021
Gosh how I wanted to love this book.
Sunset is an ambitious debut fiction novel by Jessie cave (yes, otherwise known as Lavender Brown for all you potter heads out there!)
A comedic tragedy of sorts, all about love, grief and the process of reconciliation. Sunset follows a heavily codependent relationship between two sisters, Ruth and Hannah, in the aftermath of a rather sudden and unexpected, accident abroad.
Ok so let’s start with the positives shall we…
Firstly, I fully respect Cave's bravery to write such a deeply personal account of grief and the fact she wrote it during a pandemic whilst caring for her two young children -I mean, kudos to you girl!
Cave clearly has a very authentic and distinctive voice. Her writing is both devastating and wryly humorous, especially when it comes to reflections on grief, loneliness and the impact of sudden trauma. Which clearly comes from a place of personal, lived experience.
However there were times when her writing did feel slightly too chaotic and hard to follow. With the narrative following an almost stream of conscious narration against a rather hard to gage alternating timeline.
Though I guess this chaotic projection on the page, perfectly illustrate the unrelenting chaos that is grief -how it abides by no rules. Seeping its way into ever aspect of your daily life; thoughts, feelings, actions etc.
In terms of her characterisation, I appreciated how cave highlighted the multifaceted nature of sibling relationships; the closeness, the cattiness and of course at the end of the day, unconditional love -even if they do steal your clothes all the time without asking! Yes Daniel, I’m looking at you...
However, I think my main struggle was more to do with the characters as individuals. Who felt too “moaning, middle-class millennial” for me.
I was also very disappointed that for a book supposedly all about an unconditional love between two sisters, there was far too much focus on the, slightly questionable -and if she was my sister, “not ok”, relationship with a man.
For fans of dolly alderton’s ghost, I think you’ll enjoy this book! It’s not a bad book by any means, just wasn’t quite my cup of tea!
3 stars
Sunset is an ambitious debut fiction novel by Jessie cave (yes, otherwise known as Lavender Brown for all you potter heads out there!)
A comedic tragedy of sorts, all about love, grief and the process of reconciliation. Sunset follows a heavily codependent relationship between two sisters, Ruth and Hannah, in the aftermath of a rather sudden and unexpected, accident abroad.
Ok so let’s start with the positives shall we…
Firstly, I fully respect Cave's bravery to write such a deeply personal account of grief and the fact she wrote it during a pandemic whilst caring for her two young children -I mean, kudos to you girl!
Cave clearly has a very authentic and distinctive voice. Her writing is both devastating and wryly humorous, especially when it comes to reflections on grief, loneliness and the impact of sudden trauma. Which clearly comes from a place of personal, lived experience.
However there were times when her writing did feel slightly too chaotic and hard to follow. With the narrative following an almost stream of conscious narration against a rather hard to gage alternating timeline.
Though I guess this chaotic projection on the page, perfectly illustrate the unrelenting chaos that is grief -how it abides by no rules. Seeping its way into ever aspect of your daily life; thoughts, feelings, actions etc.
In terms of her characterisation, I appreciated how cave highlighted the multifaceted nature of sibling relationships; the closeness, the cattiness and of course at the end of the day, unconditional love -even if they do steal your clothes all the time without asking! Yes Daniel, I’m looking at you...
However, I think my main struggle was more to do with the characters as individuals. Who felt too “moaning, middle-class millennial” for me.
I was also very disappointed that for a book supposedly all about an unconditional love between two sisters, there was far too much focus on the, slightly questionable -and if she was my sister, “not ok”, relationship with a man.
For fans of dolly alderton’s ghost, I think you’ll enjoy this book! It’s not a bad book by any means, just wasn’t quite my cup of tea!
3 stars
March 24, 2021
This is a book about grief, and this is a book about loss, and this is a book about the sometimes intense relationships between siblings. It is desperately sad for so many reasons, not least because the author lost her own brother in an accident recently and the articulation of grief feels so raw and real. Though there’s a lot of humour in there too (about a boy: “I don’t even know what star sign he is, though Hannah diagnosed him as a Gemini early on”).
Idon’t have a sister but I feel like I know exactly what it’s like after reading this. Jessie Cave has managed to capture the sibling relationship perfectly and it is clear from the acknowledgements how much of this is drawn from her own bond with her sister which makes it even more believable. Her writing is almost a stream of consciousness, which might not appeal to everyone, but as someone who has been Extremely Online all of my life this is exactly the type of thing I like to read. A really great debut novel.
Idon’t have a sister but I feel like I know exactly what it’s like after reading this. Jessie Cave has managed to capture the sibling relationship perfectly and it is clear from the acknowledgements how much of this is drawn from her own bond with her sister which makes it even more believable. Her writing is almost a stream of consciousness, which might not appeal to everyone, but as someone who has been Extremely Online all of my life this is exactly the type of thing I like to read. A really great debut novel.
August 19, 2024
This book was just not for me! The entire novel is the internal monologue of Ruth whose sister passed away in a traumatic way on their summer holiday. There is arguably no plot but rather an extended discourse regarding grief.
I think if this book had been 200 pages shorter I could have got more on board with it and potentially found it more profound? But 400 pages of the main character making questionable choices, being angry at the world and rude to everyone she encounters wasn’t for me. I do acknowledge that grief isn’t pretty and there is a lot of misplaced anger but I just did not need to read 400 pages of it with very minimal character development.
I’m sure this is meant to be an uncomfortable read and aims to showcase the ugly side of grief but I couldn’t quite get on board with the execution.
I think if this book had been 200 pages shorter I could have got more on board with it and potentially found it more profound? But 400 pages of the main character making questionable choices, being angry at the world and rude to everyone she encounters wasn’t for me. I do acknowledge that grief isn’t pretty and there is a lot of misplaced anger but I just did not need to read 400 pages of it with very minimal character development.
I’m sure this is meant to be an uncomfortable read and aims to showcase the ugly side of grief but I couldn’t quite get on board with the execution.
March 28, 2022
There was something compelling about this book, but ultimately it left me cold. The relationship between Ruth and Hannah was too close for me to believe, and I say that as someone with beloved sisters. There were some funny moments, some moving moments, but overall too much monotony as Ruth tried to live post-Hannah. Perhaps it is a realistic depiction of someone grieving a massive loss, but for me it doesn't make for a good read.
July 6, 2022
Loved this book so much. Made me tear up on the train.
October 7, 2024
I wish I had written this review right after I finished it, because I had a lot of thoughts about this book, both good and bad. Right now this is all I can remember:
The Good: A good portrayal of messiness of grief. This was so well done. When faced with a sudden tragic loss, we won't be dignified in our suffering. It's not dabbing your eyes, and looking wistfully out the window. Sometimes the grief makes us ugly. Sometimes we do things that are toxic and fucked up to an outsider, but they follow the internal logic of grief. I know something about it.
The Bad:
The narrator was totally insufferable, and just because of her messy grieving. I suspect she was just a bit crappy person and sister, but actually that's ok too. Crappy people exist too, so that's not a problem really.
My main issue was how inauthentic "the London experience" was in this book. I've been reading lots of books lately that take places in the contemporary London and I love how relatable they feel. Not this one. I don't know what lalaland this took place in but the disconnect was brutal. The author appeared to have no concept of the semi-broke Millennial experience in London.
One small pet peeve was that the narrator worked in a Heathrow Costa and it was mentioned multiple times how cashiers typed things onto the iPad and turned it toward the customer. Lol. What. This is a zettle or similar set up that a small independent cafe might use, not a chain like Costa. Costas have normal tills and card terminals. I understand this was written during lockdown, so the author couldn't go into a Costa and mix with the plebs, but honestly, write what you know.
Additionally, both sisters, in their 20s, raised by parents with no good, steady income, somehow each owned a mortgage-free flat in London.
The narrator works in a bloody Costa, but somehow owns a flat in London, but hey, it's not as nice as the one owned by her overachieving sister. It is still supposed to be somewhere like Islington, not Dagenham. Hilarious. But it's ex-council, so probably only set her back by half a million.
I could maybe accept that the overachieving sister got herself a mortgage and is climbing the property ladder with a shared ownership flat in London but that one is also apparently owned outright. How are these two sisters in their 20s worth over a million pounds and it's not mentioned anywhere they are very wealthy. I have lived in London for 16 years and the only people of my generation I know who own a place here mortgage free are orphans who inherited their parents ex-council flat purchased by them in the 80s.
But then I looked up the author and it all made sense.
The Good: A good portrayal of messiness of grief. This was so well done. When faced with a sudden tragic loss, we won't be dignified in our suffering. It's not dabbing your eyes, and looking wistfully out the window. Sometimes the grief makes us ugly. Sometimes we do things that are toxic and fucked up to an outsider, but they follow the internal logic of grief. I know something about it.
The Bad:
The narrator was totally insufferable, and just because of her messy grieving. I suspect she was just a bit crappy person and sister, but actually that's ok too. Crappy people exist too, so that's not a problem really.
My main issue was how inauthentic "the London experience" was in this book. I've been reading lots of books lately that take places in the contemporary London and I love how relatable they feel. Not this one. I don't know what lalaland this took place in but the disconnect was brutal. The author appeared to have no concept of the semi-broke Millennial experience in London.
One small pet peeve was that the narrator worked in a Heathrow Costa and it was mentioned multiple times how cashiers typed things onto the iPad and turned it toward the customer. Lol. What. This is a zettle or similar set up that a small independent cafe might use, not a chain like Costa. Costas have normal tills and card terminals. I understand this was written during lockdown, so the author couldn't go into a Costa and mix with the plebs, but honestly, write what you know.
Additionally, both sisters, in their 20s, raised by parents with no good, steady income, somehow each owned a mortgage-free flat in London.
The narrator works in a bloody Costa, but somehow owns a flat in London, but hey, it's not as nice as the one owned by her overachieving sister. It is still supposed to be somewhere like Islington, not Dagenham. Hilarious. But it's ex-council, so probably only set her back by half a million.
I could maybe accept that the overachieving sister got herself a mortgage and is climbing the property ladder with a shared ownership flat in London but that one is also apparently owned outright. How are these two sisters in their 20s worth over a million pounds and it's not mentioned anywhere they are very wealthy. I have lived in London for 16 years and the only people of my generation I know who own a place here mortgage free are orphans who inherited their parents ex-council flat purchased by them in the 80s.
But then I looked up the author and it all made sense.
June 19, 2021
OH MY GOD THIS BOOK
Loved it. Love it. Can’t stop thinking about it. Just amazing, really bloody amazing.
I was lucky enough to read it on NetGalley, as an audiobook which was a really special reading experience as Jessie Cave’s sister narrated the book - which is all about the relationship between sisters. Truly stunning. I actually cannot believe that Sunset is a debut because this story is really something else, one of the easiest 5 stars I have ever given.
I went into Sunset having no idea what it was about, I requested it on a whim as it was an audiobook and I wanted something to listen to. I got accepted on Friday and finished listening on Saturday. I listened non-stop Saturday for 9 hours straight - I literally couldn’t stop listening.
Sunset perfectly describes the sisterly bond, sisterly love and what having a sister is like. A book full of love, loss and grief. Friendship and companionship, and love with the most unexpected people. We follow Ruth and Hannah, who are the closest of sisters but total opposites. They rely on each other so heavily that you couldn’t imagine one without the other.
The most visceral and compassionate story which speaks about grief so strongly and beautifully, with so much humor and empathy that I had to constantly remind myself this was a work of fiction. Truly amazing. I couldn’t get enough of this read and will 100% be purchasing once it is out in paperback - or hardback. I just need a physical copy in my life.
Loved it. Love it. Can’t stop thinking about it. Just amazing, really bloody amazing.
I was lucky enough to read it on NetGalley, as an audiobook which was a really special reading experience as Jessie Cave’s sister narrated the book - which is all about the relationship between sisters. Truly stunning. I actually cannot believe that Sunset is a debut because this story is really something else, one of the easiest 5 stars I have ever given.
I went into Sunset having no idea what it was about, I requested it on a whim as it was an audiobook and I wanted something to listen to. I got accepted on Friday and finished listening on Saturday. I listened non-stop Saturday for 9 hours straight - I literally couldn’t stop listening.
Sunset perfectly describes the sisterly bond, sisterly love and what having a sister is like. A book full of love, loss and grief. Friendship and companionship, and love with the most unexpected people. We follow Ruth and Hannah, who are the closest of sisters but total opposites. They rely on each other so heavily that you couldn’t imagine one without the other.
The most visceral and compassionate story which speaks about grief so strongly and beautifully, with so much humor and empathy that I had to constantly remind myself this was a work of fiction. Truly amazing. I couldn’t get enough of this read and will 100% be purchasing once it is out in paperback - or hardback. I just need a physical copy in my life.
July 6, 2021
I read this for a readalong hosted by Tandem Collective UK - and as much as I loved it, it made me so sad.
This is a book about grief, love, family, and also the self. How you cope with grief (well mainly try to cope), and how you learn to adapt without a loved one that was a stable fixture within your life.
This book needs to be read in as few a sittings as you can, as I think the topic is very heavy to be able to read it over weeks and weeks, and it does make you question your reactions, and how people act towards you.
I rated Sunset a total of five stars, because it made me feel, it made me question, and it made me want to do something positive.
This is a book about grief, love, family, and also the self. How you cope with grief (well mainly try to cope), and how you learn to adapt without a loved one that was a stable fixture within your life.
This book needs to be read in as few a sittings as you can, as I think the topic is very heavy to be able to read it over weeks and weeks, and it does make you question your reactions, and how people act towards you.
I rated Sunset a total of five stars, because it made me feel, it made me question, and it made me want to do something positive.
February 2, 2023
This was just fine at best, it absolutely didn't need to be 400+ pages lol. Dialogue was unrealistic, static and had no warmth to it, lots of swearing for no reason and it was a bit cringe. Narrator is full of sarcasm and I cannot tell you a single thing about her other than the fact (spoiler) she works at Costa, loves her sister and complains about everything. From cappuccino's being too small to someone taking a glance at a photograph, there is nothing she won't complain / be sarcastic about. The writing was a little juvenile at times. On the plus I also booked a holiday with my sister whilst I was reading this.
September 3, 2023
“She tucks her hair behind her ears and blows me a kiss. Then she jumps. She seems to float in the air for a second. I take the picture. She’s smiling. She’s flying.”
4.5 stars rounded up - what a beautiful book. It had me full on crying throughout the last 30 or so pages because Cave's depiction of grief feels so immediate, powerful and raw. I'm so thankful to her for writing this book - it will help each and every reader who picks it up.
4.5 stars rounded up - what a beautiful book. It had me full on crying throughout the last 30 or so pages because Cave's depiction of grief feels so immediate, powerful and raw. I'm so thankful to her for writing this book - it will help each and every reader who picks it up.
September 15, 2024
Dieses Buch wirkte auf mich, im besten Sinne, wenig wie Literatur sondern mehr wie das echte Leben. Zwischendurch habe ich wirklich vergessen dass ich lese und war einfach dabei.
Ich habe keine Geschwister, was für mich das lesen über geschwisterliche Liebe immer besonders interessant und irgendwie bittersüß macht, auch hier wieder.
In der Danksagung habe ich erfahren, dass Cave auch mit diesem Buch den Tod ihres Bruders verarbeitet und ich bin ihr dankbar, dass sie der Welt ein so rohes und ehrliches Buch unter anderem über Trauer geschenkt hat.
Bitte unbedingt nur lesen, wenn ihr euch dazu emotional in der Lage fühlt.
Ich habe keine Geschwister, was für mich das lesen über geschwisterliche Liebe immer besonders interessant und irgendwie bittersüß macht, auch hier wieder.
In der Danksagung habe ich erfahren, dass Cave auch mit diesem Buch den Tod ihres Bruders verarbeitet und ich bin ihr dankbar, dass sie der Welt ein so rohes und ehrliches Buch unter anderem über Trauer geschenkt hat.
Bitte unbedingt nur lesen, wenn ihr euch dazu emotional in der Lage fühlt.
January 8, 2025
this just ruined my life.
➵ 4 stars
➵ 4 stars
February 27, 2024
The most wonderful book. Beautifully depicts the love and bond of sisters and the grieving process.
November 14, 2022
Sisterhood and grief and totally raw and Jessie Cave I love you
May 3, 2022
Ruth and Hannah have an unbreakable sisterly bond. They grew up in a challenging family environment with parents who partied and chased their creative (yet also failing) dreams instead of parenting. Hannah and Ruth are left to their own devices most of the time leaving Hannah to take on the motherly role.
Ruth is one of those characters who isn’t very likeable in a typical sense but she is brilliant. Although her behaviour isn’t particularly agreeable at times and her social capacity/tolerance for other humans is limited (same 😂) I thought she was a really well thought out character and that she will appeal to every reader.
A large amount of the book is Ruth’s internal monologue which was very amusing thanks to her quick wit, quirkiness and dry humour which kept things lighthearted when the overall topic of Sunset is quite grim.
Sunset is about just trying to keep on going after something truly awful and traumatic has happened even when you don’t want to. Giving it your best shot to carry on a legacy and honour a loved one but also just trying to keep yourself as sane as possible.
The author does a great job of expressing that trauma is unique to everyone and self destructive behaviour can be a very valid coping mechanism.
Sunset was sad, funny, bizarre, lovely, frustrating, heart breaking and heart warming. Within first few pages I knew it was going to be a good one!
A sad girl book that will also warm those frosty corners of a cold dark heart. One for fans of Meg Mason, Eleanor Oliphant and Carless by Kirsty Capes (basically all of my favourite authors & books ever).
Highly recommend!
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ruth is one of those characters who isn’t very likeable in a typical sense but she is brilliant. Although her behaviour isn’t particularly agreeable at times and her social capacity/tolerance for other humans is limited (same 😂) I thought she was a really well thought out character and that she will appeal to every reader.
A large amount of the book is Ruth’s internal monologue which was very amusing thanks to her quick wit, quirkiness and dry humour which kept things lighthearted when the overall topic of Sunset is quite grim.
Sunset is about just trying to keep on going after something truly awful and traumatic has happened even when you don’t want to. Giving it your best shot to carry on a legacy and honour a loved one but also just trying to keep yourself as sane as possible.
The author does a great job of expressing that trauma is unique to everyone and self destructive behaviour can be a very valid coping mechanism.
Sunset was sad, funny, bizarre, lovely, frustrating, heart breaking and heart warming. Within first few pages I knew it was going to be a good one!
A sad girl book that will also warm those frosty corners of a cold dark heart. One for fans of Meg Mason, Eleanor Oliphant and Carless by Kirsty Capes (basically all of my favourite authors & books ever).
Highly recommend!
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 11, 2025
First time I’ve ever cried at a book and it was on a national express coach
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