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The Sun in Your Eyes
A witty and winning new voice comes alive in this infectious road trip adventure with a rock-and-roll twist. Shapiro’s debut blends the emotional nuance of Elena Ferrante with the potent nostalgia of High Fidelity, in a story of two women—one rich and alluring, the other just another planet in her dazzling orbit—and their fervid and troubled friendship.
From the distance of a few yards, there might be nothing distinctive about Lee Parrish, nothing you could put your finger on, and yet, if she were to walk into a room, you would notice her. And if you were with her, I’d always thought, you could walk into any room.
For quiet, cautious and restless college freshman Vivian Feld real life begins the day she moves in with the enigmatic Lee Parrish—daughter of died-too-young troubadour Jesse Parrish and model-turned-fashion designer Linda West—and her audiophile roommate Andy Elliott.
When a one-night stand fractures Lee and Andy’s intimate rapport, Lee turns to Viv, inviting her into her glamorous fly-by-night world: an intoxicating mix of Hollywood directors, ambitious artists, and first-class everything. It is the beginning of a friendship that will inexorably shape both women as they embark on the rocky road to adulthood.
More than a decade later, Viv is married to Andy and hasn’t heard from Lee in three years. Suddenly, Lee reappears, begging for a favor: she wants Viv to help her find the lost album Jesse was recording before his death. Holding on to a life-altering secret and ambivalent about her path, Viv allows herself to be pulled into Lee’s world once again. But the chance to rekindle the magic and mystery of their youth might come with a painful lesson: While the sun dazzles us with is warmth and brilliance, it may also blind us from seeing what we really need.
What begins as a familiar story of two girls falling under each other’s spell evolves into an evocative, and at times irrepressibly funny, study of female friendship in all its glorious intensity and heartbreaking complexity.
From the distance of a few yards, there might be nothing distinctive about Lee Parrish, nothing you could put your finger on, and yet, if she were to walk into a room, you would notice her. And if you were with her, I’d always thought, you could walk into any room.
For quiet, cautious and restless college freshman Vivian Feld real life begins the day she moves in with the enigmatic Lee Parrish—daughter of died-too-young troubadour Jesse Parrish and model-turned-fashion designer Linda West—and her audiophile roommate Andy Elliott.
When a one-night stand fractures Lee and Andy’s intimate rapport, Lee turns to Viv, inviting her into her glamorous fly-by-night world: an intoxicating mix of Hollywood directors, ambitious artists, and first-class everything. It is the beginning of a friendship that will inexorably shape both women as they embark on the rocky road to adulthood.
More than a decade later, Viv is married to Andy and hasn’t heard from Lee in three years. Suddenly, Lee reappears, begging for a favor: she wants Viv to help her find the lost album Jesse was recording before his death. Holding on to a life-altering secret and ambivalent about her path, Viv allows herself to be pulled into Lee’s world once again. But the chance to rekindle the magic and mystery of their youth might come with a painful lesson: While the sun dazzles us with is warmth and brilliance, it may also blind us from seeing what we really need.
What begins as a familiar story of two girls falling under each other’s spell evolves into an evocative, and at times irrepressibly funny, study of female friendship in all its glorious intensity and heartbreaking complexity.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2016
78 people are currently reading
1844 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Shapiro
3 books89 followersDeborah Shapiro was born and raised outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, Sight Unseen, Tin House, Literary Hub, and elsewhere. Her first novel, The Sun In Your Eyes, was selected as an Editors' Choice by The New York Times Book Review, as well as one of the season's best reads by Harper's Bazaar, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, Chicago Tribune, and Vulture, among others. She lives in Chicago with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
May 10, 2016
Vivian and Lee had not seen each other for three years....yet, it's not as though they just drifted apart since having been best friends during college. That 'falling out's
name is Andy. Vivian is married to him. Lee had history with him.
A very interesting part of the story happens early on....worthy of discussion.
Lee contacts Vivian. After three years of no contact they meet at an old familiar coffee shop. Lee asks Vivian to take a road trip with her.
[Lee's reason for the road trip]>>> she wants to find an uncovered tape hoping to learn more about her father..."first hand", since all she really knows is what she has
learned from her mother, Linda. Lee was only 4 years old when her father,
Jesse Parrish, a rockstar died in a car accident. She'd like to know what he was thinking at the time he died, and thinks the record he was working on might give her clues.
It was Vivian's response - rather what she was thinking that puzzled, intrigued, and peaked my interest.
"It did seem kid-detective, Lee lighting out on a well-worn trail that had never led anywhere, as far as I knew. But she was also the femme fatale--the one who shows up with a story full of holes and you, the cynic and the sap, still follow her. And old
friend whose powers of persuasion still held sway because those powers had once
persuaded you of so, so much".
So, I thought of all the reasons I might say yes...take the trip...and reasons I wouldn't.
Most of this story is told through Vivian.
She says this about herself ---( then takes the road trip):
"My doubts were never much of a match for my tendency to say yes to her. If I thought that changed, my difficulty in meeting her gaze now proved otherwise".
WOW...I thought..."why the hell not?? You pansy!"
However...then I looked deeper...looked at a few of my past friendships. I asked myself
"do they still hold any - (dormant)- power over me? Might I have justified - in theory that I leave doors open to reconnect and forgiveness to simply fall back into old patterns?" Patterns that are not empowering?
The entire story has thought-provoking dialogue. Women's friendships almost have a life of their own. They are among the most important relationships in life.
They are at times easy...but often complex...as Deborah Shapiro so beautifully
constructed. Besides the jealousies, and disloyalty ... their is intimacy, attachment,
resilience, acceptance, and moments of laughter!
Thank You William Morrow, and Deborah Shapiro
name is Andy. Vivian is married to him. Lee had history with him.
A very interesting part of the story happens early on....worthy of discussion.
Lee contacts Vivian. After three years of no contact they meet at an old familiar coffee shop. Lee asks Vivian to take a road trip with her.
[Lee's reason for the road trip]>>> she wants to find an uncovered tape hoping to learn more about her father..."first hand", since all she really knows is what she has
learned from her mother, Linda. Lee was only 4 years old when her father,
Jesse Parrish, a rockstar died in a car accident. She'd like to know what he was thinking at the time he died, and thinks the record he was working on might give her clues.
It was Vivian's response - rather what she was thinking that puzzled, intrigued, and peaked my interest.
"It did seem kid-detective, Lee lighting out on a well-worn trail that had never led anywhere, as far as I knew. But she was also the femme fatale--the one who shows up with a story full of holes and you, the cynic and the sap, still follow her. And old
friend whose powers of persuasion still held sway because those powers had once
persuaded you of so, so much".
So, I thought of all the reasons I might say yes...take the trip...and reasons I wouldn't.
Most of this story is told through Vivian.
She says this about herself ---( then takes the road trip):
"My doubts were never much of a match for my tendency to say yes to her. If I thought that changed, my difficulty in meeting her gaze now proved otherwise".
WOW...I thought..."why the hell not?? You pansy!"
However...then I looked deeper...looked at a few of my past friendships. I asked myself
"do they still hold any - (dormant)- power over me? Might I have justified - in theory that I leave doors open to reconnect and forgiveness to simply fall back into old patterns?" Patterns that are not empowering?
The entire story has thought-provoking dialogue. Women's friendships almost have a life of their own. They are among the most important relationships in life.
They are at times easy...but often complex...as Deborah Shapiro so beautifully
constructed. Besides the jealousies, and disloyalty ... their is intimacy, attachment,
resilience, acceptance, and moments of laughter!
Thank You William Morrow, and Deborah Shapiro
July 1, 2016
This is the second book I have read recently about a complicated relationship between two women who first became friends in university. The first one was She Poured Out Her Heart, which I didn't love but which certainly engaged me on several levels. In contrast, I felt like I kept losing the thread of The Sun in Your Eyes. Lee is the daughter of a famous musician who died when she was 5 years old. Viv is her somewhat awe struck friend. There is also Andy, who started off as Lee's friend and ends up as Viv's husband. In their early 30s, Viv accompanies Lee on a road trip to find out more about Lee's father and how he died. The story is told from their alternating points of view, and moves back and forth in time. Their friendship has had highs and lows, and as the narrative unfolds it becomes less clear who has the upper hand in the relationship -- but what is clear is that this is friendship is fraught and full of wounds and scars. The concept isn't bad and there are some scenes that are really well done, but to me the book didn't hold together particularly well. I didn't really like Lee or Viv nor did they feel like fully dimensional characters -- it was also hard to understand what had drawn them together in the first place. And it felt like two storylines awkwardly meshed together: the women's friendship and Lee's quest to understand her father. I do find it interesting that both books about female relationships seemed to be driven by a need to de-romanticize female friendship -- explore ways in which women are capable of hurting each other -- interesting but imperfectly executed. Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
October 4, 2016
2.5 stars for Shapiro's schizophrenic debut. Yes, this gal can write. And, yes, she knows the ends and outs of female friendship with its highs and lows. The periods of incredible closeness that often are tainted with jealousy and disappointment.
THE SUN IN YOUR EYES tells the story of Vivian and Lee who meet in college and quickly become besties. Vivian comes from a quiet upper middle class family and suffers from a tendency to overanalyze herself and how other people interact with her. (Too often this detracts from the story.) Lee is the daughter of an uber-famous rock star who was killed when she was very young.
The main part of the novel centers around a round trip that the adult duo take at Lee's insistence. Thirty years after her father's death, she's become obsessed with finding the lost album he was recording just before he died. Throughout this portion of the book, there are flashbacks to earlier events.
And here's where I wanted to scream - yet again - "where was the editor?!" I'm not afraid of toggling back and forth between decades but there needs to be a sense of purpose and rhythm. Plus the addition of Andy, who once worshipped Lee, seems tacked on.
Again, I want to emphasize that Shapiro knows her way around words and the nuances of friendship. "Though she kept things from Viv, she never felt she had to hide from her friend. To pretend she wasn't, on a good day, moody, and on a bad day, sometimes panicky. What Viv was able to do was take Lee out of herself." But passages like this are spoiled by a disjointed plot.
THE SUN IN YOUR EYES tells the story of Vivian and Lee who meet in college and quickly become besties. Vivian comes from a quiet upper middle class family and suffers from a tendency to overanalyze herself and how other people interact with her. (Too often this detracts from the story.) Lee is the daughter of an uber-famous rock star who was killed when she was very young.
The main part of the novel centers around a round trip that the adult duo take at Lee's insistence. Thirty years after her father's death, she's become obsessed with finding the lost album he was recording just before he died. Throughout this portion of the book, there are flashbacks to earlier events.
And here's where I wanted to scream - yet again - "where was the editor?!" I'm not afraid of toggling back and forth between decades but there needs to be a sense of purpose and rhythm. Plus the addition of Andy, who once worshipped Lee, seems tacked on.
Again, I want to emphasize that Shapiro knows her way around words and the nuances of friendship. "Though she kept things from Viv, she never felt she had to hide from her friend. To pretend she wasn't, on a good day, moody, and on a bad day, sometimes panicky. What Viv was able to do was take Lee out of herself." But passages like this are spoiled by a disjointed plot.
June 23, 2016
When I was younger, I was told by a wise woman, that men come and go throughout a woman’s life, but I should hold on to my girlfriends. Your really good girlfriends will always be there for you through the good and bad times, divorces, sickness, no matter what, so protect your friendships with the women you cherish. I never fully understood what she meant until I got older. Now unfortunately, my best girl-friends are scattered all across the country. A phone call isn’t the same as a hug or one-on-one chats over a glass of wine.
the SUN in YOUR EYES (WilliamMorrow) by Deborah Shapiro explores the friendship between Viv and Lee. It’s a nice respite from a summer filled with “bad girl novels” like GIRLS ON FIRE and THE GIRLS. the SUN in YOUR EYES actually explores the dynamics of women’s friendships starting in their 20’s, then a decade later; it had me reflecting back on some of my own relationships. The novel starts like a familiar story about two girls, Viv, the quiet one falling under the spell of, Lee, the loud, rich outrageous one. But Shapiro doesn’t take the easy way. She writes with depth and the characters are complex. The narrative is full of surprises and messy.
I usually have more to write about the novels I read, but I must admit this book took me deep inside myself. I found myself revisiting friendships I’ve had in the past, how they were positive and where they failed. I started looking at my part in those relationships and the ones I have now. Perhaps I’m getting sentimental. Life has been pretty extreme for everyone lately. Give someone you care about, an unexpected hug today! …just an idea…
ANYWAY….. I enjoyed this novel. Deborah Shapiro is a highly talented writer. I suggest you read the SUN in YOUR EYES for yourself.
the SUN in YOUR EYES (WilliamMorrow) by Deborah Shapiro explores the friendship between Viv and Lee. It’s a nice respite from a summer filled with “bad girl novels” like GIRLS ON FIRE and THE GIRLS. the SUN in YOUR EYES actually explores the dynamics of women’s friendships starting in their 20’s, then a decade later; it had me reflecting back on some of my own relationships. The novel starts like a familiar story about two girls, Viv, the quiet one falling under the spell of, Lee, the loud, rich outrageous one. But Shapiro doesn’t take the easy way. She writes with depth and the characters are complex. The narrative is full of surprises and messy.
I usually have more to write about the novels I read, but I must admit this book took me deep inside myself. I found myself revisiting friendships I’ve had in the past, how they were positive and where they failed. I started looking at my part in those relationships and the ones I have now. Perhaps I’m getting sentimental. Life has been pretty extreme for everyone lately. Give someone you care about, an unexpected hug today! …just an idea…
ANYWAY….. I enjoyed this novel. Deborah Shapiro is a highly talented writer. I suggest you read the SUN in YOUR EYES for yourself.
July 16, 2016
Vivian and Lee met in college and probably never should have become or stayed friends. Lee is the daughter of a rock legend who died tragically young and a glamorous clothing designer. The more stable Viv is starstruck by her friend, as a young woman and when they reconnect after several years apart. Lee asks Vivian to accompany her on a road trip to learn more about her father and perhaps locate some of his missing songs.
Of the two, Lee was the far more interesting and complex. Wounded, provocative, lacking boundaries, I always felt a sadness about her, perhaps an empty hole she was trying to fill to escape the void she felt about her father's death and her emotionally unavailable mother. Vivian, who narrated most of the book, was hard for me to embrace. She had lots of feelings about her relationships with her husband and Lee, but never voiced when she felt hurt or asked for clarification. Viv assumed the worst and held onto things. Both women had narcissistic features, Lee's were more pronounced and overt. Vivian's seemed more subtle and while she acknowledged at times wanting to hurt Lee with her words, I never got the idea Viv felt badly or wanted to do better for herself. For me, friends like Lee are easier to embrace, because what you see is pretty much what you get and I can adjust my expectations accordingly. Vivian, meanwhile, had an unspoken secondary friendship with Lee inside her head with assumptions and innuendos, and about which Lee knew nothing.
I liked that Deborah Shapiro included letters, articles and interviews from Lee's parents' past to help understand the phenomenon of her father and his death. I didn't enjoy switching points of view from Vivian's first person narration to Lee's third person. I also didn't like that the book had large sections without chapters, so finding opportunities to pause was sometimes difficult. The most interesting aspects of the story for me belonged to Lee and her journey, but much of THE SUN IN YOUR EYES was devoted to Vivian's internal dialogue with herself about Lee and others with more telling than showing.
I think many readers will see aspects of friendships they've had throughout the book. The dynamic between the two women reminds me of that in two much more enjoyable books BUFFLEHEAD SISTERS by Patricia DeLois and Kristin Hannah in FIREFLY LANE books.
I received a complimentary copy of THE SUN IN YOUR EYES in exchange for my honest review.
Of the two, Lee was the far more interesting and complex. Wounded, provocative, lacking boundaries, I always felt a sadness about her, perhaps an empty hole she was trying to fill to escape the void she felt about her father's death and her emotionally unavailable mother. Vivian, who narrated most of the book, was hard for me to embrace. She had lots of feelings about her relationships with her husband and Lee, but never voiced when she felt hurt or asked for clarification. Viv assumed the worst and held onto things. Both women had narcissistic features, Lee's were more pronounced and overt. Vivian's seemed more subtle and while she acknowledged at times wanting to hurt Lee with her words, I never got the idea Viv felt badly or wanted to do better for herself. For me, friends like Lee are easier to embrace, because what you see is pretty much what you get and I can adjust my expectations accordingly. Vivian, meanwhile, had an unspoken secondary friendship with Lee inside her head with assumptions and innuendos, and about which Lee knew nothing.
I liked that Deborah Shapiro included letters, articles and interviews from Lee's parents' past to help understand the phenomenon of her father and his death. I didn't enjoy switching points of view from Vivian's first person narration to Lee's third person. I also didn't like that the book had large sections without chapters, so finding opportunities to pause was sometimes difficult. The most interesting aspects of the story for me belonged to Lee and her journey, but much of THE SUN IN YOUR EYES was devoted to Vivian's internal dialogue with herself about Lee and others with more telling than showing.
I think many readers will see aspects of friendships they've had throughout the book. The dynamic between the two women reminds me of that in two much more enjoyable books BUFFLEHEAD SISTERS by Patricia DeLois and Kristin Hannah in FIREFLY LANE books.
I received a complimentary copy of THE SUN IN YOUR EYES in exchange for my honest review.
June 4, 2017
I ended this book thinking about who I want to gift a copy of this to but how much I hate the social pressure of foisting a book on someone and demanding that they read it.
However this book was that good -- sharp and funny and smart and gut wrenching
in its portrayal of this friendship that it might be worth forcing on a friend to find out if they saw the same moments as you.
However this book was that good -- sharp and funny and smart and gut wrenching
in its portrayal of this friendship that it might be worth forcing on a friend to find out if they saw the same moments as you.
April 23, 2021
This book was a slog to get through. The premise was appealing, but I could quickly tell I was not going to enjoy this one. Even though we got both of the main characters points of views, I don't think I really "understood" either of the characters (Viv and Lee), their motivations, or why they were so drawn to one another and had such an intense on-again off-again friendship, which from the synoposis on the back of the book was what this book was supposed to be about?
Though most of the book was told from Viv's POV, once it switched to the Lee POV, the narrative definitely picked up steam, though admittedly at that point I was just racing to finish this book so I could be done with it, ha.
Would not recommend this one.
Though most of the book was told from Viv's POV, once it switched to the Lee POV, the narrative definitely picked up steam, though admittedly at that point I was just racing to finish this book so I could be done with it, ha.
Would not recommend this one.
June 15, 2019
Didn’t finish this book. It was horrible. I tried really hard to get through it but just couldn’t. I had no interest in the main characters. Neither seemed to have a personality. The book doesn’t seem like it’s even about anything. I read a synopsis of it and even that left the idea that there was no real story.
August 12, 2019
Gorgeous, multi- layered novel that stayed with me long after I'd finished. I can't recommend this highly enough.
June 14, 2016
When I first heard about Deborah Shapiro's The Sun In Your Eyes, I was intrigued. It's rare to find novels where friendship takes the center stage.
The power dynamic between Viv and Lee is compelling. Who is using who? Are they more equal than either think? The time apart has given both a chance to reflect about their relationship. (We experience more of Viv's perspective in the first half and some of Lee's perspective in the second.) As we learn about how they first met and the circumstances that strengthened their bond, it becomes clear that for all their closeness, there are parts of each other they do not know or understand.
As I read, I wavered between thinking Lee manipulated everyone around her to whether they had a co-dependent relationship to how Viv benefitted from her relationship with Lee. There were no easy answers. Even when the characters made choices with which I vehemently disagreed.
At its heart, The Sun In Your Eyes is about the ups and downs of friendship and whether we can see another person clearly. I'm not entirely sure we as readers should judge the nature or health of Lee and Viv's friendship. We are changed by the people we befriend. At times, this blinds us to their faults- and we benefit when we are on the receiving end of this.
Shapiro's debut novel impressed me for the ways she welcomed us into Lee and Viv's world and showed us its nuances and heft. It is at once a gracious and incising portrayal. Neither character is demonized but nor are they idealized and idolized. In other words, they are you and me. While I don't have any friends like Lee and Viv, their portrayal gave me hope about the state of female friendship because no matter how they leave things, it shows why women need each other. And we do need each other.
The Sun In Your Eyes is a lovely and worthwhile addition to the friendship canon.
Full review here: http://www.leighkramer.com/blog/2016/...
Disclosure: I was provided a free copy of this book by TLC Book Tours. Opinion is my own.
The power dynamic between Viv and Lee is compelling. Who is using who? Are they more equal than either think? The time apart has given both a chance to reflect about their relationship. (We experience more of Viv's perspective in the first half and some of Lee's perspective in the second.) As we learn about how they first met and the circumstances that strengthened their bond, it becomes clear that for all their closeness, there are parts of each other they do not know or understand.
As I read, I wavered between thinking Lee manipulated everyone around her to whether they had a co-dependent relationship to how Viv benefitted from her relationship with Lee. There were no easy answers. Even when the characters made choices with which I vehemently disagreed.
At its heart, The Sun In Your Eyes is about the ups and downs of friendship and whether we can see another person clearly. I'm not entirely sure we as readers should judge the nature or health of Lee and Viv's friendship. We are changed by the people we befriend. At times, this blinds us to their faults- and we benefit when we are on the receiving end of this.
Shapiro's debut novel impressed me for the ways she welcomed us into Lee and Viv's world and showed us its nuances and heft. It is at once a gracious and incising portrayal. Neither character is demonized but nor are they idealized and idolized. In other words, they are you and me. While I don't have any friends like Lee and Viv, their portrayal gave me hope about the state of female friendship because no matter how they leave things, it shows why women need each other. And we do need each other.
The Sun In Your Eyes is a lovely and worthwhile addition to the friendship canon.
Full review here: http://www.leighkramer.com/blog/2016/...
Disclosure: I was provided a free copy of this book by TLC Book Tours. Opinion is my own.
June 7, 2016
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A story examining the dynamics of friendship. I found myself taking inventory of my friendships to see if I am easily influenced, passive, questioning if power and/or control exists, luckily my relationships are well balance.
I found it interesting after a 'falling out' which led to a considerable amount of time apart, these two pick up the pieces, albeit with suspicion and questions not to mention guilt, as if a monumental interruption never occurred - betrayal isn't easy to digest. They do wrestle with their reconnection as the story unfolds. Lee clearly the leader, Viv the follower. The duo rekindles their fragile friendship for their own reasons - known and unknown.
I enjoyed the legendary Jesse Parrish and the rock references along with Lee's quest to learn more of her deceased father Jesse.
I do wish the plot focused less on Lee and Viv's past friendship and more on their interaction now. The alternating of 'then' and 'now' became distracting. Difficult to bond with protagonists, simply too much telling and not nearly enough showing.
Fans enjoying a well written exploration of friendship and relationships in general will want to make room on their TBR.
A story examining the dynamics of friendship. I found myself taking inventory of my friendships to see if I am easily influenced, passive, questioning if power and/or control exists, luckily my relationships are well balance.
I found it interesting after a 'falling out' which led to a considerable amount of time apart, these two pick up the pieces, albeit with suspicion and questions not to mention guilt, as if a monumental interruption never occurred - betrayal isn't easy to digest. They do wrestle with their reconnection as the story unfolds. Lee clearly the leader, Viv the follower. The duo rekindles their fragile friendship for their own reasons - known and unknown.
I enjoyed the legendary Jesse Parrish and the rock references along with Lee's quest to learn more of her deceased father Jesse.
I do wish the plot focused less on Lee and Viv's past friendship and more on their interaction now. The alternating of 'then' and 'now' became distracting. Difficult to bond with protagonists, simply too much telling and not nearly enough showing.
Fans enjoying a well written exploration of friendship and relationships in general will want to make room on their TBR.
September 17, 2016
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway from the publisher. The book was ok. It's largely about a friendship between Viv and Lee. The biggest section is from the point of view of Viv. At first I found her interesting and relatable, but after awhile I found her annoying and bitter.
Maybe I was supposed to because the next section was from Lee's point of view and Viv's annoying and bitter attitude toward the end of her section made Lee more sympathetic. Lee is an interesting character, but I usually don't really care that much about the characters like her in books that are breathtakingly beautiful, wild seeming child of celebrities (in this case) or regular wealthy people (in other books I've read). Lee's chunk of the book was smaller, but much more interesting and I kind of wish she had been the major voice of the book.
All in all it was fine. Nothing special, but not all books need to be. This books is for people who love easy books that don't require a lot of mental energy and isn't dark like much of literary fiction.
Maybe I was supposed to because the next section was from Lee's point of view and Viv's annoying and bitter attitude toward the end of her section made Lee more sympathetic. Lee is an interesting character, but I usually don't really care that much about the characters like her in books that are breathtakingly beautiful, wild seeming child of celebrities (in this case) or regular wealthy people (in other books I've read). Lee's chunk of the book was smaller, but much more interesting and I kind of wish she had been the major voice of the book.
All in all it was fine. Nothing special, but not all books need to be. This books is for people who love easy books that don't require a lot of mental energy and isn't dark like much of literary fiction.
did-not-finish
May 30, 2016I received this as an egalley from William Morrow through Edelweiss in return for an honest review.
I decided to stop reading this about 35% of the way through because at that point I was just no longer intrigued by it. While the characters can be interesting at times, and the writing is decent, I found the constant jumping between the past and the present to take away from the plot and overall made it feel as though nothing was actually happening. I felt no personal connection with any of the characters or with the distant plot and thus decided not to continue with it. I'm sure there are plenty of readers out there who would enjoy this type of story and can better connect to these sort of characters, but I am not one of the readers right now.
I decided to stop reading this about 35% of the way through because at that point I was just no longer intrigued by it. While the characters can be interesting at times, and the writing is decent, I found the constant jumping between the past and the present to take away from the plot and overall made it feel as though nothing was actually happening. I felt no personal connection with any of the characters or with the distant plot and thus decided not to continue with it. I'm sure there are plenty of readers out there who would enjoy this type of story and can better connect to these sort of characters, but I am not one of the readers right now.
August 14, 2016
BORING!
August 31, 2016
Interesting and engaging, but point of view switches a bit disconcerting for this reader.
September 27, 2017
If you're into stilted dialogue, 5-word sentences and a grown adult woman still neurotically obsessed with the fact that her college roomate is cooler than her, this is the book for you.
July 1, 2017
"I expected her to change the subject, turn it to me, but she continued, as though a vein had been opened. Depression may not have been the clinical term for it, but she'd been low. She got herself to work but the rest of the time she was too low to do little more than watch TV or lie in bed thinking about how much effort it would take to do anything but lie in bed. Low in a way that felt like a habit or an addition; her lowness made her want more unstructured and unaccountable time in which to be low. Social engagements - any kind of engagement - encroached on that time were therefore a source of resentment. The lowness was like an addition too, in that she was compelled to hide it. She would keep the remote in her hand, ready to turn off the TV as soon as she heard Jack's key in the front door. She would quickly get out of bed. "What are you doing?" he would ask. "oh, just tidying up."
Along the depression spectrum, there much be a point at which one is no longer able to be furtive, when you're too depressed to care about appearances. She hadn't reached that point. But how many times can you center a pile of books on a night table? Stand over your coffee table looking slightly lost? Was paranoia part of it too? Jack could, if it occurred to him, determine whether the TV was warm and just-watched. He could detect the recent impression of her body on the quilt and sheets, the indent in the pillow. Even the TV and the bed - her greatest comforts - were against her."
Along the depression spectrum, there much be a point at which one is no longer able to be furtive, when you're too depressed to care about appearances. She hadn't reached that point. But how many times can you center a pile of books on a night table? Stand over your coffee table looking slightly lost? Was paranoia part of it too? Jack could, if it occurred to him, determine whether the TV was warm and just-watched. He could detect the recent impression of her body on the quilt and sheets, the indent in the pillow. Even the TV and the bed - her greatest comforts - were against her."
March 3, 2021
In "The Sun in Your Eyes", a reference to a quote by William Faulkner is made: "The past is never dead. It's not even past." This idea pretty much sums up the main treatise of the narrative.... a complex friendship between Vivian Feld and Lee Parrish, forged at college, picks up where it left off (sometimes convivial and sometimes adversarial), as the women embark on a journey (literally, by plane, train and automobile), trying to reconcile their present-day relationship while harkening back to whilom days. I had to concentrate as I read, because the use of multiple narrators, fluid timelines and the somnolent tone made it easy to drift off (I tend to do that when I'm a passenger on a long car ride)--more than once I had to reread earlier pages, to sort out the various people, places and events as the mystery of Lee's famous musician-father and his lost album were explored. Nonetheless, I'm glad I made the trip!
March 10, 2017
This book took an extended time for me to finish. It was one I liked enough to keep going, but became tedious after a dozen pages, and I often fell asleep after just a few. It took me months to finish it. On one hand, the characters were well-drawn, interesting, and likable. On the other hand, much of the dialogue and conversations these characters had was improbable, pretentious, novel-speak that is not heard outside the pages of a book. It was a tug of war between interesting and annoying the whole way, the deluge of detail and insight into the characters and their relationships. Clever but over-worked analogies of the same relationship between two main characters, said a hundred different ways. A few of them would feel perfect, but the other 98 would feel unnecessary.
The subject matter was easy to handle, but also a bit trite. Two college friends who go from co-dependent to estranged reunite. So much time spent shuttling back and forth between the college years and the present, the main characters now in their 30's. Something about spending too much time reading about college life is just not cute anymore, unless there is something new or interesting to say, or a great story to tell. Who was attracted to who, for how long, at what party, etc, no, regardless of the prose used in its telling.
And a big part of the plot, what plot there is, is based around a dead fictional celebrity. I personally don't care for reading about fictional celebrities, just as I don't care for films about filmmaking or episodes of tv where the characters go to Los Angeles. It feels forced to me, not just in in this book, but generally. The names of the fictional albums, the descriptions of the album covers and the interviews, the way of using the F word too much in all of the celeb's dialogue is supposed to feel edgy and artsy and raw, none of it works for me, ever. So that was a really big part of this book, and though it wasn't done particularly poorly, I just can't stomach that much of it.
And yet...parts of this book felt quite revealing or thoughtful. The characters will probably stick with me, despite speaking as if they have had hours to formulate each sentence. But I have a hard back with nobody to pass it on to, as I can't quite recommend it to my friends.
The subject matter was easy to handle, but also a bit trite. Two college friends who go from co-dependent to estranged reunite. So much time spent shuttling back and forth between the college years and the present, the main characters now in their 30's. Something about spending too much time reading about college life is just not cute anymore, unless there is something new or interesting to say, or a great story to tell. Who was attracted to who, for how long, at what party, etc, no, regardless of the prose used in its telling.
And a big part of the plot, what plot there is, is based around a dead fictional celebrity. I personally don't care for reading about fictional celebrities, just as I don't care for films about filmmaking or episodes of tv where the characters go to Los Angeles. It feels forced to me, not just in in this book, but generally. The names of the fictional albums, the descriptions of the album covers and the interviews, the way of using the F word too much in all of the celeb's dialogue is supposed to feel edgy and artsy and raw, none of it works for me, ever. So that was a really big part of this book, and though it wasn't done particularly poorly, I just can't stomach that much of it.
And yet...parts of this book felt quite revealing or thoughtful. The characters will probably stick with me, despite speaking as if they have had hours to formulate each sentence. But I have a hard back with nobody to pass it on to, as I can't quite recommend it to my friends.
May 14, 2017
I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads contest.
This book is 100% about relationships; between female friends and between parents + their children. It is 100% emotionally based and that drives the story. The plot is really secondary in this book. It is all about the characters.
The book brought me back to the 1990stone in my mind. When I was in my 20s and in the Alternative music scene. It reminded me of things that happened and brought instances back to the forefront of my mind. It got some nostalgia going for me. That led to a few journal entries on my part.
I really enjoyed this book and am glad to have had th3 chance to have read it.
This book is 100% about relationships; between female friends and between parents + their children. It is 100% emotionally based and that drives the story. The plot is really secondary in this book. It is all about the characters.
The book brought me back to the 1990stone in my mind. When I was in my 20s and in the Alternative music scene. It reminded me of things that happened and brought instances back to the forefront of my mind. It got some nostalgia going for me. That led to a few journal entries on my part.
I really enjoyed this book and am glad to have had th3 chance to have read it.
July 9, 2017
I received this book for free in return for an honest review. Thank you!
The Sun in Your Eyes is a sweet, yet haunting story of two best friends. Shy Viv meets worldly-wise Lee, whose famous father died too young. The story follows the relationship of the two girls, through college, marriage (Viv), and Lee searching for clues to her past and anything more about the father she never really knew. This book is very hard to put down, you find yourself drawn in and really caring for the characters. A very good book! Will be watching for more from this author. :-)
The Sun in Your Eyes is a sweet, yet haunting story of two best friends. Shy Viv meets worldly-wise Lee, whose famous father died too young. The story follows the relationship of the two girls, through college, marriage (Viv), and Lee searching for clues to her past and anything more about the father she never really knew. This book is very hard to put down, you find yourself drawn in and really caring for the characters. A very good book! Will be watching for more from this author. :-)
August 6, 2017
The story of two college age girlfriends/roommates who ultimately get back together to see if they can find the tapes of ones rock and roll father who died in a car crash when she was young. You go back and forth to when they first became friends and now. Both characters tended to annoy me-both with their actions when they met and present day-and of course, they find out the story of the father's death.
January 9, 2019
I loved this book.
It's probably not for everyone, but any woman 30-50+ will immediately identify with the characters and the twisted web of female relationships and how they change over time. Don't get me wrong -this is definitely not a breezy beach read: the writing is beautiful and intense and the author just "gets it." I wish it wasn't a library copy I read because this book deserved the highlighter treatment. So many good lines. Can't wait to read her next book.
It's probably not for everyone, but any woman 30-50+ will immediately identify with the characters and the twisted web of female relationships and how they change over time. Don't get me wrong -this is definitely not a breezy beach read: the writing is beautiful and intense and the author just "gets it." I wish it wasn't a library copy I read because this book deserved the highlighter treatment. So many good lines. Can't wait to read her next book.
July 17, 2017
I had so much trouble finishing this book. I just couldn't seem to stay interested. I think it was partly because I just couldn't find anything to relate to in either Viv or Lee. Strangely enough I think a movie version would be much more to my liking. I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
August 23, 2019
At first I thought that Viv's lack of confidence and obsession with her friend Lee was unhealthy, but then I realized that this is what the book is all about. Kind of pointless with lots of sexual innuendos of various relationships. Weird. Perhaps, had I been familiar with the music of Gram Parsons, the inspiration for the story, it might have had more meaning.
September 19, 2017
A story of friendship. A story of love and what one is capable of when they feel it slip through their fingers. The hunt to find something lost. Other than that, the story was scattered and didn't flow. This had a lot of potential but fell short in the long run, almost rushed.
March 24, 2018
For me the subject matter was boring. I only felt compelled to read because I received an advanced copy. Writing was okay although characters somewhat cliche-ish. I only made it a third of the way thru so it may have become quite intriguing after pg 100.
April 4, 2020
I won an advanced reading copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to a “take-one, leave-one” free library box.
September 12, 2017
Lovely writing and yet the story just wasn't enough to keep me turning pages. After 100 pages, I skipped to the end, and will happily move on to another book.
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