I don't think many words can actually describe how I felt about this book, but in short - I absolutely loved it. The character development and relationship narration is beyond anything I've read in a long time. I can certainly see why fans of CMBYN would love this, but the incorporation of racism and classism took this novel to a new level.

Each chapter had me engrossed and many times throughout the book I was laughing, gasping, and feeling so much for the main character.

I would 100% recommend this book and want to say thank you to William Rayfet Hunter for writing such a masterpiece.

Initially this felt too closely reminiscent to Saltburn but the plot is excellent, gripping and I really enjoyed it

An unnamed young, handsome, mixed race man joins the wealthy family of his university friend Lily on their summer holiday and becomes part of their circle, but not quite of it. The Blakes are privileged, artistic, eccentric, charismatic and challenging.
The narrator's home life and social circle are completely different, and find his friendship with the Blake family difficult to understand, and his black friend Jazz calls him White Boy.
It felt like there was more focus on the Blakes, who become more unattractive and unpleasant as the book progesses. I preferred the narrator's other friends who are more caring and supportive.
The book is beautifully written, the characters are interesting, there is a constant tension that feels like bad things are going to happen to the narrator who seems quite passive and naive.
Excellent book, Recommended.

This had a very hard sell, being described as “Call me by your name meets I may destroy you”.
I mean, wow what a combo! This sounded like such a. Wheelhouse for me!

There’s a lot I liked about it - I love an obsessive friendship, family drama. There was a lot of intrigue and i liked the commentary on race and class.

I just think it left me wanting a bit, particularly in light of the things it was compared to.

3.5 stars

Sunstruck is a captivating exploration of race, class, privilege, and the complexities of love set against the stunning backdrop of the French Riviera. The story follows a young man who enters the luxurious world of the Blakes, a wealthy family that includes the matriarch Annie, a world-renowned singer, her reserved husband David, and their children – the aloof and rebellious Dot, carefree Lily, and the enigmatic Felix. The summer, with its sun-soaked days and extravagant nights, becomes a stage for a budding, yet fraught, relationship between Felix and the man. What begins as a flirtation soon evolves into a deeper connection, presenting the man with the tantalising possibility of being part of a world where he doesn’t belong.

Hunter paints a world of privilege and excess, where the distance between the reality of life in London and the fantasy of the Blakes’ summer villa in the south of France is palpable. But as the season wanes and the characters return to their lives in the city, the allure of this gilded existence begins to crumble. The man, a black working-class individual, is faced with the realities of navigating Felix’s world, a world that has been built on status and power. Meanwhile, Felix, despite his wealth and position, is wrestling with his own inner turmoil, creating a tension that threatens to pull their relationship apart.

What makes Sunstruck particularly compelling is its nuanced examination of the moral grey areas each character inhabits. Hunter masterfully delves into the selfish yet understandable choices made by the characters, especially as they navigate complex emotions and their evolving dynamics. The characters are rich with layers, and their struggles feel real, grounded in both personal and societal challenges. The relationship between the man and Felix is fraught with tension, not just due to their different backgrounds, but because of the emotional and psychological burdens each carries.

The book is a striking commentary on race, status, and the ways people are shaped by the systems they inhabit. Hunter’s portrayal of power dynamics, especially within the context of privilege and oppression, is both thought-provoking and timely. The representation of people of colour (POC) and queer characters is not only diverse but also deeply layered, adding richness to the narrative and ensuring the characters are both real and relatable.

Sunstruck is a dazzling and poignant story that deftly handles difficult topics such as identity, love, and self-worth. It is a book that invites reflection on the parts of ourselves we risk losing when we fall in love or strive to belong to worlds that aren’t our own. The novel’s exploration of emotional complexity and moral ambiguity makes it an unforgettable read, and Hunter’s sharp observations about societal structures ensure it stays with you long after the final page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

(3.5, deservedly rounded up)
Honestly, I've been tying myself in knots trying to decide what to say about this book, or even just what sort of rating to give it. This is a good novel. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of picking it up at a time where I was already really anxious and kind of miserable (end of the academic semester, baybee) which meant that it stressed me out so much that I had to put it down several times and I now mostly associate it with a feeling of dread.
But then again, this book is certainly not one that's trying to make you happy and comfortable, and that just proves it's well executed, with the emotional beats hitting the way they should. That also made it a little predictable for me - I know how this kind of story goes, so I kind of expected how the majority of the plot ended up developing - which stressed me out more, because I knew that our unnamed protagonist would continue to have a miserable time for quite a while. So, yeah, if I had a bone to pick with this novel is that it goes kind of exactly the way you'd expect it to go if you are somewhat familiar with this format and themes, but that's not necessarily a bad thing - the author was clearly aiming for something and achieved it successfully.
So overall, this is a skillfully executed novel, and I'm sad I picked it up at the time I did, because I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I wasn't already really stressed out. I can see that the release date is set for May, which I think is gonna be ideal - if you want something to set you on edge and make you laugh and mostly cry in bright summer days, this is absolutely it.

I received an advanced reading copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, Cornerstone, and the author William Rayfet Hunter.
Unfortunately this book really wasn't for me. I found it frustrating and stressful at times, especially with the writing style and the character development of Felix who was totally unrecognisable by the end from the charismatic man we were initially introduced to. For that reason, the subsequent actions and reactions just didn't quite add up. I also found the unnecessary hyperbole grating. Not for me! 2 stars.

Nicely written book for a debut novel. I did feel that the book lost its way part of the way through and really needs a good edit. The possibility of making it into two books is there.

The innocence of youth and all that entails is written very well with lots of atmospheric detail. Summer reading for the first part of the book. London stage really seems to be a lot darker in places and this is where it needs editing.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

Stunning book, I read it in one sitting and stayed up late to finish it. It’s an amazing read that felt like a punch in the stomach throughout. It felt like 2 different books with such complex and intricate interweaving stories, which was ambitious and could have gone so wrong but the author pulled it off flawlessly. It depicted class, race, toxic relationships, family, sexuality seamlessly. I highly recommend this book.

Oh this was insanely good.
Starting off in the rush of a pseudo-bacchanalia during the height of a french summer, where our narrator is staying with a university friends family, followed by the starkly sobering conclusion set back in the UK.
I couldn’t put it down, clinging to the pages in the same gripped, disgusted way I watched Saltburn, which Sunstruck is definitely reminiscent of. Take Saltburn, Brideshead and the atmosphere of CMBYN and this is it. The only difference is Sunstruck takes on it’s topics unflinchingly, regardless of the severity. Our narrator is unnamed, of fairly ambiguous race and lower class, finding himself in a world of rich, powerful white people. But the author does not shy away from the moments of microaggressions, and full on aggressions, letting them flow naturally and horrifyingly between the intoxicating romance (if you can really call it that), never once underwriting the serious aspects of the novel.
A truly stunning, aching read and I look forward to reading anything else William Rayfet Hunter publishes in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Cornerstone for the ARC!

This is a first novel from a clearly talented writer, but it’s also a sprawling story and it would have benefited from a more determined edit. It might even have made two novels!

It opens with the unnamed mixed-race narrator, straight from university, encountering the rich and amazingly talented Blake family at one of their homes in France. He has been invited there by Lily, his university friend, but struggles socially even as he falls for her brother.

In fact, struggling socially is a major theme of the novel as apart from his experience with the arty toffs, he does not really seem to fit in with black London, carnival, demonstrations and police violence later in the novel. Also, these different contexts and his sexuality overlap in uncomfortable ways and new relationships. It’s obvious that the narrator will not fit in with the Saltburn lifestyle of the Blakes but less obvious that he also has problems in being nicknamed ‘white boy’ in the black community.

It makes for a challenging read! It also makes for a powerful novel as it explores aspects of a mixed-race heritage and the confused business of trying to fit in.

Perhaps, the Blakes are slightly overcooked in their pretensions and extravagances, even as they overlook the nastier sides of some of their natures and it’s a shame that the narrator often seems to pass out (from alcohol, drugs, sex and whatever) when it would have been good to know what happened next! However, it is still an excellent read from a writer to watch out for.

I want to express my gratitude to Random House UK and Cornerstone | Merky Books for providing access to this book ARC. From the very first moment I started reading, I was completely hooked. The characters and the storyline felt so effortless and engaging that I found it hard to put the book down. However, I did encounter a bit of a challenge with the number of characters; there were moments when I felt a bit lost amidst the cast. Despite this minor issue, the book turned out to be a brilliant read, offering insightful commentary on privilege, wealth, and tradition. The diversity within the characters was impressive, though there were sections that felt slightly cringey. Nevertheless, the blend of nice drama and societal issues was well-balanced, making the overall experience quite enjoyable.

Okay so this was absurdly good. The pseudo-bacchanalia of the French opening and the sobering yet no less sober London/Manchester conclusion. This book felt like it delivered on all of the promises of Saltburn and Call Me By Your Name without deciding to flinch away at the last moment, or to shift from addressing any of the more serious topic they come so close to breaching. The attempts of the narrator to shrink himself down, before trying to reestablish himself in protest and joy and dance, before ending, finally, in lonely obscurity (which we know, now, at least, is actually where he finds himself surrounded by those he has been guilty of neglecting, but are still waiting to catch him anyway.) There were so many moments where I was afraid microaggressions, and full on aggressions for that matter, would be brushed over to make way for the continuation and success of the driving-force of the romance (which is written with stunning and intoxicating precision.) It was both a relief and a shock to see that the author refused to shy away from the tensions they spent the entire novel establishing and underwriting. Rather, they executed a complex and messy but oh so real series of events, which made each family member and each side character, even those who barely feature, burst from the page with life. Each and every subplot with their subtleties and pains never fell into the trap of distracting from the core of the novel, and rather bolstered it, imbuing it with more purpose and depth. The whole novel felt like a stunningly vulnerable rumination on the permeability and mutability of boundaries, including but not limited to temporal, racial, economic, and interpersonal. I look forward to having a physical copy of this book on my shelf, and reading anything else William Rayfet Hunter publishes in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Cornerstone for the eARC of Sunstruck!

This is a sweeping, intricate story about a who is student is invited to stay with a friend at her family's lavish French holiday home. He's a working class, Northern, queer, black man, but despite feeling out of his depth, he soon becomes embroiled with them all, especially her charismatic brother.
Think 21st century Brideshead or a more political Saltburn mixed with Natasha Brown's 'Assembly'. This is exquisite. Tense pacing, a compulsive storyline, and well-drawn characters. I felt a constant sense of discomfort and disconnection from being in this protagonist's skin. He couldn't have felt more real to me.

It's a tightly plotted story that's hard to put down. It's also a superb depiction of an entitled, dysfunctional family and a thought-provoking examination of race, class, sexuality and identity. It's beautifully done and never feels heavy-handed.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

From the very start of this book I was hooked. The settings and characters are described so well without feeling forced or unnatural. This allowed me to feel instantly invested in every plot line. The setting of France in the summer felt somehow nostalgic (though this may be due to picturing scenes from Call Me by Your Name).

The nameless main character felt so relatable despite being so dissimilar to me, making it easier to forgive his seemingly silly decisions. The way you are allowed insight into his memories to explain what influences his decisions and viewpoints works incredible well.

The other characters felt so well fleshed out that, despite there being so many, I never felt lost or confused as to who was who.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and felt I couldn’t put it down whilst reading, the only area it lost a star for me was that the conclusion felt dissatisfying. Not because I wasn’t happy with how the author chose to direct the end of the story, but because I didn’t expect the last page to be the last page. Though I understand why they chose this, I felt I wasn’t ready for that to be the end of the story. Just one more chapter at the end would have felt to be a more satisfying conclusion.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone as an insight into the lives of the extreme upper class, and the disproportionally of a seemingly more ‘normal’ person being enraptured into their lives.

This book is a fascinating take on power and money, showing how people navigate systems of privilege and oppression. I loved how diverse the cast was, with strong representation of POC and queer characters that felt real and layered. The characters are all morally grey, making choices that are selfish yet understandable, which kept me hooked.

The commentary on police brutality was one of the book’s standout points—raw and relevant without feeling preachy. The first few chapters were so dreamy and immersive, but then the story shifted into the cold, gritty reality of London, which was a sharp and effective contrast.

That said, the book had a few rough patches. The parts in French came off as cringey and unnecessary, and the time jumps between chapters were confusing at times. These things took me out of the story a bit.

Overall, this is a gripping read that balances social issues with personal drama. Despite some flaws, it’s worth picking up for its depth and story.

Sunstruck is a novel about class, race, and power, as a young man enters the world of a privileged family. Our unnamed narrator, of mixed White British and Black Caribbean heritage, goes to stay in France with his White friend from university, Lily, and her family, including her enticing brother Felix. Whilst there, he grows closer to Felix, and his desire seems to be reciprocated, as the family gears up for a big party. And then, months later in London, he tries to navigate his new relationship with Felix and with others in his life, pulled in different directions and by different allegiances.

This debut novel takes the 'outsider enters the world of a privileged family' novel and explores some of the power dynamics within it, particularly around race and sexuality as well as money and connections. The first half of the novel is set in a big French house where the unnamed narrator visits the family, and contains a lot of what you'd expect: simmering desire, secrets, and the narrator not necessarily understanding everything going on. Then, the book suddenly moves to part two, which is set in London and follows him as he and Felix navigate having a half-secret relationship with increasing arguments and tension. Alongside this, there's his increasingly ill grandmother back in Bury and feeling torn between one White posh family and his Black friends and their activism and art.

There's a lot packed in—there's also a Black Conservative MP who keeps popping up, the narrator's childhood with a mentally ill mother, and the side characters all have plotlines as well—making it feel rich and varied, though a few elements don't necessarily get enough space (for example, there's multiple examples of the narrator not being able to support people after sexual assault and not knowing what to do, which could've been explored a bit more). Overall, this is a gripping novel perfect if you enjoy this kind of 'outsider in a privileged world' story.

I've been thinking about this book a lot since I finished it. The first half of the book gave such strong saltburn vibes that I kept expecting something awful to happen to the characters - the story starts with our main character (only ever referred to as "white boy") spending a dreamlike, toasty summer with his unbelievably rich, old-money friend Lily and her family. He quickly falls for her brother, Felix (saltburn again, see?), and the two flirt and dance around each other for the first half of the book. The stay in the Chateau is tainted with microaggressions against white boy, and subtle jokes and stabs, and really weird family traditions that always keep him "othered" from the family and their rich friends. I enjoyed the first half of the book, and the flashbacks to whiteboys childhood were a good contrast and explained some of his behavior in the present timeline. His grandma is the best.

I was pretty shocked at how big the time jump was for the second half of the book. It's a year later, and immediately the vibe is different, they're in London now, not the fairy-tale castle, the relationship with Felix has grown fraught. Every interaction with the family has layers upon layers of double-meaning. Soon whiteboy is selling his integrity as he desperately tries to stay close to Felix. The trouble was, I could never see why he liked Felix in the first place (asides how hot he was), so the minute it got rocky and whiteboy was still simping all over Felix, (and screwing over his friends in the process) I started to lose patience and interest in whiteboy as a character. Even as major, life changing events are happening in London, whiteboy is obsessed with getting Felix to accept him publicly. Which I suppose is the point, but it was almost <i>too </i> frustrating for me. His friends were much more interesting to me, Jazz & Dot especially. I thought Lily was much more interesting than Felix too, with her thoughtless photography and possessive behavior about whiteboy. So the second half dragged a little bit for me. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think I'll be mulling over it for a while yet.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for my advanced ecopy of this book in exchange for a review. I really enjoyed reading this book it was very current and on trend. I liked the main character although never being referred to by his name, only known as 'White boy' by Jazz his black friend even though he is of mixed British white and Caribbean heritage. The plot was very enjoyable - covering his holiday to France with his white best friend Lily where he meets and falls for her brother Felix. We also read topics including the shooting of a black man in America and trouble incurred at Notting Hill Carnival in London. This looked in depth at how black and mixed people are treated in society with subliminal micro racism as well as full out racists and police brutality. The book also explores the difference in families and culture where wealth and poverty are divided as well as love and friendships. I will be recommending this book to others and looking out for more in the future from William Rayfet Hunter - a well deserved winner of the Merky books new writers prize in 2022! 4.5 stars

WILLIAM RAYFET HUNTER – SUNSTRUCK****
As a debut novel, this is a tour de force. A beautiful young black man becomes captivated by Felix, the troubled but glamourous son of a wealthy family with a luxurious mansion in the south of France and estates in London.
This could be described as Alan Hollinghurst lite, having similar racism themes to the recent captivating Our Evenings; both have young gay black actors as their POV heroes and wealthy families with which they become involved. As one would expect the ‘perfect’ Blake family is disintegrating under the surface and his relationship with Felix is on again, off again, over many years.
Some sentences, particularly at the beginning, seem overwritten and need a judicious edit, hence only four stars, but overall, this is a very impressive tome and well worth a read. An author to watch out for in the future.