Sunny: Diary 1

California Diaries #2

by Ann M. Martin

Since the beginning of the series, readers have known that Sunny's mother is sick. Now, Mrs. Winslow's struggle with cancer reaches its final chapter and Sunny is left with many unresolved issues. Presented in a personal, first-person journal format.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Contemporary, Diary, Friendship

135 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

About the author

Ann Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.

Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.

Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.

Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.

After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...

Reviews

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought I would enjoy a book about a thirteen year old's rebellion so much. Sunny is going through a lot. Her mother has cancer and when she's not in hospital she's either surrounded by annoying cancer survivor support group people, or giving away her things to Sunny which causes her to panic. Her father is either working or yelling at Sunny for not having dinner on the table because having your 13 year old daughter shop, cook and clean for you always goes well. She feels alone, like no one understands her. So she skips school and heads for Venice Beach where she meets Carson an older runaway. She continues to skip school and head for the beach until finally one day she loses it completely and decides to run away for good only to find herself alone and cold and afraid on the beach at night. Even though I was an adult when my own mother died, I do remember caring for her, having to clean and help around the house as she had a chronic illness. There was always something in the back of my mind that said she might not be there one day. Sunny's story was dark but realistic and more than any other character in the whole BSC universe she felt real and human and your heart broke for her. Really hated Dawn in this book. Some good friend she is. Seriously what the hell happened to Dawn after she moved back to California? Definitely not the same girl who lived in Stoneybrook. But Sunny made up for Dawn being an ass in this series and Ducky is the kind of friend everyone should have. Can't wait to see what Maggie has in store.

[Samantha Glasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunny was my favorite character from the California Diaries. She seemed so much older and so cool. She skipped school to go to the beach and she fell in love. I liked her writing style too. She was very creative.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunny’s mom has cancer and her life is a miserable shell of what her friends have. There’s so much in this scintillating novel. Layers! Pete Lerangis at his best. Sunny is terrified of what might happen to her mom, but the lack of predictability, boundaries, attention, are really hurting her. Sunny’s mom is in the hospital, out of the hospital, at home but out with the lady from her support group, back in the hospital with pneumonia, leaving heirlooms on Sunny’s desk. Sunny is too sick with worry to concentrate on school but the teachers are on her case. She skips and takes the bus to Venice Beach, where a cute gutter punk named Carson talks to her about On the Road for five minutes, and Sunny’s in love😍!

Carson is on his own journey, and running away might be “staying with his aunt and uncle.” Not to judge his reality, but Rollerblades were EXPENSIVE back in the day. He tells Sunny about his “plans” and dreams and the joys of traveling. And he’s cute. And he’s older. And he’s a boy. Of course Sunny falls for him.

The first time they meet, Carson’s probably lonely and wants some girl attention and hasn’t quite clocked how young Sunny is. The next time he sees Sunny, he forgets who she is until she hangs around chattering for a while and then they have a nice day together. The night Sunny runs away, he thinks about trying it on, but realizes how young Sunny is, tries to give her some advice, and walks away when she keeps trying to force him to divulge his trauma. He’s not a bad dude, Carson, even if he’s a Kerouac-reading idiot.

Sunny herself is suffering. Her dad is taking his anger out on her sometimes, and expecting her to do housework she didn’t even know was expected of her. And her mom. And school. And Dawn and Maggie are withdrawing because they’re scared of her. At least Ducky’s a superhero. How cool is having an older gay friend?

[Jaclyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite possibly the strongest of the series so far. (I've read Dawn's, ducky's, and Maggie's diaries.) Sunny's having a tough time dealing with her mom's declining health from lung cancer, and starts rebelling. Very relatable and heartbreaking.

Most powerful part for me is how her mom keeps trying to give her heirlooms and Sunny can't stand the reminders that her mom could die soon but then can't say that out loud, so instead she pretends the jewelry and clothing are not fashionable enough for her.

Poor Sunny. Poor Sunny's family. And jeez Dawn, you could be a BIT more understanding and less judgmental.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought Sunny was SO COOL.

[chloe ! · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Cant decide if i love or hate sunny lol
the whole running away thing was kinda strange
i did NOT like when she broke the music box….

[Anne Callison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sunny is experiencing a lot of upheaval in her life. Her mother is dying of cancer and she doesn't get along with her father. She is staying with her best friend Dawn, but there is tension and jealousy between the two of them. Sunny is comfortable enough to ask boys out, but not for a second date. Dawn's stepmother is pregnant and Sunny forms a bond with her, but it doesn't turn out the way she wants. The reason I gave the book two stars is because I thought the ending was lacking, I was left feeling dissatisfied. I'm guessing that her story continues into the next story because there were major plot points left hanging.

[Annora · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems really hard to make the California Diaries characters likable, outside of Ducky. But at least she had a reason to be the way she is.

[Melinda Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A realistic diary supposedly written by a 13 year old girl named Sunny. Her mother has cancer and her father is involved with his work, so she feels that nobody has time for her, although she has three close friends. She has trouble sleeping at night. Sunny escapes by writing in her diary and ditching school to go to the beach. Finally, through some interesting events, she realizes what she really has in her life. This book could have been written by any teenage girl who is suffering. It is an eye-opener that parents and teens could benefit from.
"Optimism is such a strange thing. It's like a beautiful ice sculpture on a clear, sunny day. Everything seems perfect, but no matter what you do, the sculpture starts to melt."
". . . the language (of 'On the Road') has this incredible rhythm. It hypnotizes you."
"I have morphed into a new life-form. Robo Slave Daughter.

[lyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sunny was always my favourite in this series as a kid. Her anger and teenage angst provided a relatability factor. In rereading this, it's actually a bit unsettling how Sunny is thirteen and running around with a seventeen year old. Luckily nothing physical happens between the two but even when she goes to Ducky for advice, the age difference is not mentioned.

The ending doesn't offer any sort of sense of Sunny getting support or anyone reaching out to her either. Everyone is mad at her and she still feels like shit. There is no hope at the end vs Dawn's first book. In hindsight, this book is pretty dark for the age demo it is aimed at.

Maybe if everyone wasn't so angry at Sunny for trying to grapple with regular events at age thirteen as well as a dad who is furious all the time and a dying mom she wouldn't be skipping school and running off to the beach.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Sunny's books. She's totally a brat, but for such a good reason. I feel like this book handled her emotions well, and really gives the whole situation a feeling of realness.

These books are so incredibly bingeable, if I weren't trying to keep to reading the Baby-sitters Club series and all it's spin-offs in publication order, I would probably immediately start reading the next California Diary.

[Devon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I'd call this book and improvement over the first book in this series. But then again, there's less Dawn, so that makes sense.

In all seriousness, Sunny's problems have more gravity than Dawn's (at least seemingly) do, and discovering more about her character was more interesting because of that. Unfortunately, she's as insufferable as Dawn is, but at least she has her reasons. I'm actually intrigued by how this one will turn out by series end.

[Linsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunny was always one of my favorites.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this as a kid and this character still sticks with me. She's bitter and lost.. and for good reason

[Amanda Del Brocco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one when I was younger, loved it now.

[Christina]

Read my recap at A Year with the BSC via Stoneybrook Forever: www.livethemovies.com/bsc-blog/califo...

[Delorisanom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice book.

[Monalisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it

[Meg GlitteryOtters · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly i only read it in 1 period but it was really good and i think no one truly understood what she was thinking

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sunny is a total mess...but I understand completely.

[Ashley Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunny’s story was so gritty and adult when I was young, being in her head always broke my heart.

[Kiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think, of all the California Diaries characters, Sunny will always be the most sympathetic and memorable because of her difficult life situation. Looking back on this series as an older reader, Sunny is strikingly adult in its subject matter. Like most of the stories in the series, this book could have been more emotionally effective if the authors had chosen to play to an older audience, rather than the middle grade readers they were most likely targeting.

Sunny's frustration and family struggles are incredibly heartfelt and realistic, but the book's short length and skimming treatment of certain subject matters stop it from reaching its full emotional potential. For example, the whole subplot with Carson felt particularly awkward, like the middle-grade writers didn't quite know what to do with Sunny running around with an older guy. But the more mundane moments that lead to Sunny's outbursts, particularly the tension with her father and her mother's overly cheerful support group, are incredibly well executed and you can feel Sunny's simmering rage and understand her desire to escape. The last two pages are incredibly haunting in their maturity and desperation, and the final Venice Beach scene remains one of the creepier things I've ever read--aside from Book 12 (not coincidentally, also a Sunny story), that might be the darkest the series ever had the nerve to go.

Final words: although it makes the poor choice to play down Sunny's situation in order to be more accessible to younger readers, Sunny is a very emotionally effective, occasionally dark, book that shines a light on how loved ones can struggle when a family member is dying. There are moments in this book that are far more relatable now that I'm older and I won't deny that Sunny's cynical, falling-apart-at-the-seams narrative style has heavily factored into the way that I write my own characters. (Fun fact: when I discovered this series as a tween, Sunny was the first fictional character I'd come across who also battled insomnia.)

3 stars.

[Bouvardia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunny is one of my favorite characters. I can relate to her feelings and even a little with the situation with her mother. She might be thirteen in the story but she's certainly more grown up at times. She tends to act first before thinking but this has allowed her to explore more. She doesn't worry over everything all the time like other characters do which is nice since all their complaining about how their going to get in trouble can get a little annoying.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Sunny-her mother is dying of cancer throughout her diaries, and she isn't taking it very well. I thought her rebelling was completely normal, considering the circumstances, and I actually wasn't surprised that she ran away from home. Sunny isn't the bubbly thirteen year old she was in her BSC appearances, but that is understandable. Her character development was very good. Not a light read.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Sunny one of the girls in the series of California Diaries. Sunny's Mom has Cancer her Dad is stressed from his bookstore. Sunny doesn't know what to do, so she starts going to the beach and meets this 17 year old runaway Carson. Sunny starts skipping school to go to the beach in hopes of seeing Carson.

Read the book to find out the rest.

[Kristen Byers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-reading the California Diaries has been interesting so far. I remember Sunny being one of my favorite characters to follow, but as an adult I find her one of the most annoying. Also, the series is starting to be a bit dated. For example, in this book, Sunny calls her parents from a pay phone at Venice Beach. A pay phone. I'll just let that settle for a bit.

[Saphie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the writing of this book. It truly felt like you picked up a diary of 13 year old Sunny. She had a tough life as many do, and while she didn't always deal with things properly, she accepted the consequences and learned from her mistakes and grew.

[Alix-Marie Bald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sunny's diary is so much more relatable than Dawns when re-reading as an adult, her struggles with her mother and father are relatable to most teens although perhaps some aspects are not in terms of her mothers illness, I loved this book and the series as a whole.

[Lorien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gotta say, as a 25 year old, I can relate to Sunny better than most teenagers. While I can't fathom looking at your mom and knowing she's gonna die, I can relate to her frustrations, her need to be and go somewhere else. I think that's why I love this series, and this book so much.