The Sacrifice of Sunshine Girl

February 1, 2017
Sunshine Griffith faces down her destiny.The Sunshine Girl trilogy concludes as the title character returns from training and prepares to battle the deadly superdemon, Dubu. Surrounded by her biological, luiseach parents, Aidan and Helena, her boyfriend, Nolan, her adoptive, human mom, Kat, her childhood, human best friend, Ashley, and a fellow luiseach, Lucio--all evidently white with the exception of Latino Lucio--Sunshine is filled in on prophecies, hidden histories, and last-minute skill sets. The promising series stumbled in its second installment by wedging Sunshine into a poor "chosen one" narrative. But now Sunshine is back on her home turf and ready to slay some demons. The author embraces the campy, gothic roots that inspired the series, offering sordid romantic histories, a mysterious luiseach council, and eleventh-hour betrayals. Sunshine is admirably strong, observant, and self-reliant. She may have lots of backup, but at the end of the day she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. The only storyline that's a whiff is Sunshine's relationship with Nolan. There's very little heat to this romance. Sunshine's relationship with Aidan and Helena is much more interesting, crackling with conflict and character. The spooky set pieces remain excellent, and the author's handle on action has improved over the three books. The first installment remains the best, but this is a fine way to end Sunshine's story. An excellent end to an uneven but enjoyable series. (Paranormal suspense. 12-16)

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April 1, 2017
Gr 8 Up-When Sunshine Griffith turned 16, she moved from her home in Austin, TX, to an old, haunted house in Ridgemont, WA, with her adoptive mother, Kat. Sunshine then discovered that she was a luiseach, one of an ancient race of creatures who protect the human race from dark spirits and help dark and light spirits safely move on to the afterlife. Her abilities have now been fully awakened, and she has learned to navigate the spirits who surround her with the help of her birth parents, Aiden and Helena, who are powerful luiseach themselves. In this third installment, McKenzie continues to portray Sunshine as a relatable, strong, and likable heroine as she keeps readers on the edge of their seats with one unexpected dark twist after another. Teens follow Sunshine's struggles as she works to uncover a dark prophecy, fights demons, and faces the harsh reality that she may be the savior of the entire human race. Can she maintain her normal life as a teenager, as well as her relationships, now that she is -the luiseach, the one who is destined to save humanity-? VERDICT Readers who enjoyed the first two volumes are sure to devour this entry.-Elizabeth Blake, Brooklyn Public Library

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