This was such an incredible book, so incredibly written. A really incredible debut.

Overall, this was a story that covered all the things I love - race, sexuality, belonging, differences in class/position, family and so much more. There are so many things that were covered and discussed and I liked the thoughts I had whilst reading this.

I ABSORBED the first part as it was completely up my alley, and I found the second part a lot more uncomfortable (which I think is the point, and I think it worked really well) which made me take a lot more time with it.

There were times where I felt that the characters acted a little strangely compared to what we saw before, and the story did feel a bit self-inserty at times, but not enough for me to have a problem with it.

to sum up, I think this was fantastic, and I would recommend this one to anyone for sure!

4.5 stars (rounded up)

This is what I wanted from Saltburn, While the comparison is obvious, this has an incredible amount of depth to it. It's complex, painful, difficult to read at times. It looks at the dynamics of race, wealth and power across the different relationships our main character has with the Blake family. It get even more layers of complication when he falls for the eldest brother Felix. It spans time in a way that feels well plotted, bringing us up to speed with an expert hand. Something special.

Oof. This book. The last line? It killed me but honestly, we knew we were heading there. Didn’t we?

Think sun drenched days. Whatever you want. Whenever you want it. An exuberance that spreads through an endless summer. Oh. Did you think I was talking about the average summer? Darling, no. This is the lifestyle of the rich. And at the start of the summer, our unnamed narrator is fully immersed into the joy that money can buy and the darkness and dirt that it covers up so easily. It is during the summer that our unnamed narrator becomes romantically involved with the whirlwind that is Felix, the son of the Blakes.

Summer doesn’t last forever though and back in London, cracks in his relationship with Felix begin to appear. What does it mean for our narrator, a black man from a working class background to keep up with Felix, a rich white man who gets everything he wants? And what could it cost?
✨
This is a compulsive debut that tackles racism and classism through pages that read like poetry.

A beautifully messy coming-of-age debut. Sincere, raw, and brimming with heart. The narrator’s blind devotion to love is both endearing and heartbreaking, turning optimism into inevitable chaos.

Sunstruck by William Rayfet Hunter was a very interesting book especially as it was the first book I have read by this author and it will not be my last. Sunstruck was beautifully written from the beginning till the very end and now and very hard to put it down. Now, I need to get it on audio! to re listen to it whilst sitting in my garden. A superb book. 5⭐️ read.

I highly recommend it.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone | Merky Books for my ARC.

Much like its protagonist, this novel seems to suffer from a bit of an identity crisis. It begins with a prologue that makes you think it might be a thriller, goes on to take in the fish-out-of-water cliches, class and race polemics, LGBTQX politics, romance and everything else but the kitchen sink. In trying to cross so many genres, it doesn’t really succeed in any.

The plot itself reminded me too much of Saltburn and although the storyline is ultimately quite different, it does suffer from the comparison. It lacks the purpose, punch and humour that made the film so effective and excoriating as well as the depth of characterisation. For me, the central character lacks the depth and dimension to carry us with him as well as his own moral ambiguity. Were we meant to find him shallow and a bit of an opportunist? Were we meant to think he was an innocent outsider?

This novel didn’t really grab me, unfortunately but I will say that the ending was by far the best part of the book for me as well as having an absolute ring of truth to it. If Hunter can bring that level of clarity and edge to the rest of his writing he will be a talent to watch out for.

With thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK and the author for an arc of this book.

SUNSTRUCK - what a dazzling, sexy, summer read. Sunstruck is a book you want to take your time reading, savour every moment of Rayfet Hunter’s brilliant writing. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t stop myself from devouring this book in just a few days.

If Saltburn was a book this would be it. The novel is not just summer fun, it’s also a deep exploration of class, race, identity, and desire. I was really blown away by this book. Characters felt fully realised and developed and it left me wanting more.

I can’t wait to see what Rayfet Hunter does next.

I really enjoyed the writing in this book and the plot was an interesting examination of class and societal structure. It was also filled with the most over-privileged and horrible people who would stop at nothing to destroy people.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

Lots of reviewers have absolutely loved this book, and I can see why, but it had a couple of issues that, for me, dropped it to a like rather than love.

Our un-named mixed-race MC joins his posh university friend at her family house on the French Riviera and is attracted to her brother Felix. So far, so sexy.

However, I found the study of racism and classism, to be rather obvious and hyperbolic.

And the ending, annoying for 2 reasons:
1. From a story perspective it seemed to say ‘stay in your lane‘ and don‘t dare to have ideas above your station, colour or class.
2. From a style perspective, another of those books that just ends suddenly. So much so in this case, that I might pick up the physical book next time I‘m in a bookshop to see if there was a bit missing from my ARC.

I wanted to love this - and I was so pleased to receive it when I requested it. However, I didn't love it. I know this goes against many 4 and 5 star reviews but for me, it is contrived and cliched, although I guess it is meant to be.

When the narrator arrives in a luxurious villa in the south of France to spend time with Lily, a friend from university, he is caught up in a world of opulence and excess - and Felix, the Blakes' son (and LIly's brother) - is a significant draw for him. The novel moves from France then back to London - and I felt it tailed off when the sunshine and sexiness of a French summer is left behind.

Most of the characters are hard to like. Clearly, there are issues here about race, about class, and about LGTBQ+ characters, and I realise the importance of these things. However, the superficiality of the characters jars, as does the way certain things happen which aren't always obvious.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC>

I could not get into this book. It did not grab me, I didn't find what I read so far very interesting. This book is not for me.

I've just finished William Rayfet Hunter's Sunstruck, and let me tell you, it's the kind of debut that genuinely feels fresh and essential. If you're looking for a book that delves into the intoxicating allure of privilege and the complicated dance of identity, this one's for you.

What sets Sunstruck apart is its unflinching gaze at the intersections of race, class, and sexuality, all wrapped up in a narrative that feels both incredibly intimate and profoundly universal. Hunter introduces us to an unnamed narrator, a young mixed-race man from a working-class background, who gets drawn into the opulent world of the ridiculously rich Blake family in the South of France. It’s an immediate hook – think Saltburn meets a sharp, modern British voice.

The first half of the book, set in the sun-drenched French villa, captures that dizzying feeling of being an outsider peering into a world of effortless wealth and charm. The narrator's fascination with Felix, the charismatic and elusive Blake brother, quickly becomes the beating heart of the story. You can almost feel the heat of the summer and the simmering tension between the characters. Hunter does an incredible job of building this atmosphere of desire and unease without giving away too much, keeping you utterly captivated.

But Sunstruck isn't just about a summer romance. The second half of the novel shifts to London, and here, the cracks in the idyllic façade truly begin to show. The narrator's relationship with Felix is tested by the realities of their differing worlds, and the novel smartly explores how power dynamics play out in love, friendship, and society at large. We see the struggles of navigating a new, elite circle while holding onto your own sense of self and community, particularly through the narrator's relationship with his long-time friend, Jasmine. Hunter's prose is sharp and insightful, really digging into the emotional complexities and internal conflicts our narrator faces.

It’s a deeply felt book that had me reflecting on themes of belonging, authenticity, and the price of assimilation long after I'd turned the last page. William Rayfet Hunter has crafted a masterful debut that’s not only beautifully written but also incredibly timely. Trust me, you'll want to pick this one up.

I won't say much as this book was not quite my taste - no fault of the author, more a personal preference. I was hoping this would bring something new but just seemed like it used Saltburn as a crutch.

A classic first-love tale of power, class and race. A young black man from a working class background finds himself swept up in the opulent upper class life of a white friend. When he falls for her brother, he gets further lost inside this world. But he's never quite fully allowed in - the boyfriend doesn't acknowledge the relationship publicly, connections are dangled and pulled back, family remain aloof. After a moment of public protest turns violent, he is shaken from this narrowed existence and starts to reevaluate. What does he want & deserve? Who does he want to be? The characters teeter on cliche at times and are stuffed with tropes. But it's still an engaging read about getting lost in first loves and growing within yourself.

William Rayfet Hunter's Sunstruck is a debut novel set to be released on the 15th of May 2025 by Cornerstone.

SEMI-SPOILER REVIEW

Sunstruck follows a young man of Jamaican descent as he visits the rich Blake family mansion in the south of France following an invitation from best friend Lily Blake. There he meets her family; younger sibling Dot (never Dorothea), mum Annie (who just so happens to be the favourite singer of the unnamed protagonist’s possibly late mother) and Felix, Lily's brother, as handsome and charismatic as he is mysterious. It doesn't take long for the protagonist to fall hard for the magnetic Felix, and who can blame him? If I met a stunning queer James Taylor fan oozing charm and mischief I definitely would, too.

Told in two parts, Honey and Flies, the first follows the trip to the villa and is told in chapters of days. The second starts eleven months later in London and deals with the consequences of the trip, told through months instead of days.

Beautifully written and atmospheric, Sunstruck is a masterwork of not only queer fiction, but also every other canon it belongs to.

I love the flashbacks to when the protagonist was a child, there is a very childlike lilt to the prose, evoking Jacqueline Wilson’s best work of emulating a child's perspective. There are also moments that have such a visceral edge to them, so relatable that I felt them almost physically, and this is the gift of Rayfet Hunter's prose. I can only imagine how reading this book must be for queer people of colour and especially Black readers.

A lot of advice you are given as a writer is to do with how varying lengths of sentences affects pace; lots of short sentences quicken, longer ones drag things out. There is a scene just over halfway through the novel where Rayfet Hunter uses a succession of fairly long sentences to describe an incredibly traumatic event and somehow this section feels like it goes by in no time at all, and all too long. And it is so, so claustrophobic. I really can't overstate how amazing the prose in this novel is.

There are some sections in the second half of the novel that I found incredibly difficult to read, not because they weren't enjoyable, but because I felt the emotions of the scenes so viscerally. Maybe I just get too attached/involved in some of the stories I read/watch, but there aren't many writers who can affect me to the extent that William Rayfet Hunter did here. Trust me when I say you should be prepared to feel a whole gamut of emotions, sometimes in the space of one page, Rayfet Hunter is just that talented.

One of the most beautiful books I've ever read, Sunstruck is the kind of book that feels destined to sit in the annals of history as a masterpiece. I don't say this lightly, I loved it that much, and feels to me as much of a classic as the likes of Jane Eyre and Orlando. if you told me that in the next century this book reached those heights, I can't say I would be surprised.

The ending of the novel was inevitable, but I still couldn't help wishing things could turn out differently. I really cared about the characters in this story, even some of the ones who were not-so morally good. Maybe I got too invested (as anyone who knows me will tell you I do a lot - Doctor Who, Dragon Age, Warehouse 13…), but William Rayfet Hunter's writing skill definitely contributed to it.

If only summer could last forever…

I was instantly drawn by the blurb and the cover of this book when I first saw it. The first 70% percent of the book felt extremely slow to me but those last 80% are what really made this book a truly memorable one and one that has unexpectedly turned into a favorite for me.

Writing about a toxic relationship is something that I think can be difficult because it's hard to really capture how things become increasingly but gradually unhealthy, and how brains trick us into not seeing the warning signs or to rationalize them away. Sunstruck did really well in capturing that as well as the codependency and the terrible power dynamics between the main character and Felix but also the Blakes at large. It's written in a way that made me feel and understand all the conflicts he faces, from his relationship with the family but also with himself and his community.

Beyond those power dynamics, I think that this book portrays the other forms of oppression and exploitations throughout with so much brutality and realism. Racism, classism and homophobia all play a part in how the characters interact with each other, at many different levels. For this, the book often gets compared to Saltburn but really it has much more depth in exploring the topic of discrimination and systemic violence, and how those in power attempt to profit off the suffering of people. Things here are written in a way that can really draw a reaction out of you but also make you think a lot about the reality of those injustices.

And speaking of reaction, there is a detail throughout the story that seems unimportant at first but takes on all its meaning at the very end of the book and made me want to throw something at a wall in fury. That was the moment that really made me go "wow" about this book, in a mix of rage and disgust for that part and awe at the author's skill. I just love writing that involves stylistic choices that actually play a huge part in the story and I will definitely read whatever the author writes next because this is an excellent debut.

So, if you enjoy stories that explore the themes of oppression, identity, relationships — the toxic ones, the healthy ones and the ones that are just really complicated — and that really take time to set up their message, I'd highly recommend this.

I think it's also one of those books that is interesting to discuss with others because what you draw from it can look very different and could reveal what we each believe about liberation.

Huge thanks to Merky Books and NetGalley for the E-ARC.

William Rayfet Hunter’s Sunstruck is a luminous debut that delves into the complexities of race, class, and desire. The novel follows an unnamed, mixed-race aspiring musician from Manchester who becomes entangled with the affluent Blake family during a summer in the French Riviera. As he navigates the opulence of their world and a burgeoning relationship with the enigmatic Felix, underlying tensions of privilege and identity surface.

Hunter’s prose is evocative and cinematic, capturing both the allure and alienation of the protagonist's experiences. The narrative transitions seamlessly from the sun-drenched escapism of France to the gritty realities of London, where themes of racial consciousness and societal expectation intensify. While the protagonist exhibits some passivity that can be off-putting, the novel's emotional depth and incisive social commentary resonate powerfully.
Sunstruck is a compelling exploration of belonging and the sacrifices made in pursuit of acceptance.

Excellent reminds me of saltburn and just as good. Social status, hedonism, friendship, deceit and sex, this ticks all the boxes and more. A throughly entertaining read! I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as i did.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

There have been quite a few books recently on the subject matter of the clash of cultures between young moneyed people and less well off friends. I suppose this is partly the Saltburn effect. Other reviewers have mentioned that this book is like Saltburn but it reminded me more of Brideshead Revisited except of course in Brideshead it is the aristocrat who suffers more than his more ordinary friend.

As in many of these books, things do not always go well for the characters from different worlds. We have an unnamed narrator, the only name he is ever given is the crass and offensive "Whiteboy" by his black female friend. It might have been interesting and more unusual if the book had explored that sort of casual racism between people of colour. I suppose it underlines that the narrator is an outsider in more than one world, although, to be fair it is only Jazz who diminishes him with this name. The other main character is the privileged Felix who is at best shallow and indifferent and at worst cruel and entirely selfish.

I enjoyed the book, and found the themes interesting. None of the characters are particularly likeable. I did sympathise with the narrator but he makes some foolish choices and seems oddly naïve.

There is a lot of nastiness and pettiness in the end in the way the rich people behave, even to the extent of spitefully withdrawing the narrator's audition for the conservatoire.

I am sure this is not the intention of the book but I can't help but think that the all too English message is "know your place and stay there.".

Thank you to Netgalley and the UK publishers for an advanced copy of this author's debut novel in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I really enjoyed this and i would thoroughly recommend! Think Saltburn but minus all the weird stuff and instead injected with a lot more depth and tackling difficult topics and feelings in a lot more detail.

The book tackles racism, classism, ruthlessness, family, friendships, drug addiction, violence and police brutality, and even more. I was always invented and it did this in a sensitive way.

The only criticism I had was that for all the developments in the plot, I didn't feel like the protagonist showed the same internal development and I didn't learn enough about how he was changed by the events in the story.