Sunburn
Chloe Michelle Howarth
Verve Books, 2023, 288 pages
$16.99

Reviewed by Jules Gellert

Sunburn is a coming-of-age story set in 1990s rural Ireland, following Lucy as she faces her love for her friend Susannah over the course of several years. The catalyst of her infatuation is spending time with Susannah the summer before their final year of school, a summer spent sunbathing in the yard of Susannah’s absent parents’ home. By the end of the summer, the two girls are unable to deny their interest in each other. They begin a secret relationship that slowly deteriorates as they prepare for the rest of their lives.

When Lucy’s mother catches the girls together, Lucy begins to publicly date her best friend, Martin, to prove to her mother that she is “moving in the right direction” (229). Lucy finds herself forced down the same pipeline her mother and every other woman she knows has gone through. She must choose whether to follow the well-trodden path of domesticity in order to preserve the conditional love of her mother, friends, and community, or to follow her love for Susannah.

While Sunburn covers topics perhaps overdone within the queer coming-of-age genre, such as the role of religion and guilt in self-acceptance, Howarth dives much deeper both through her excellent writing and her discussion of the impact of shame on those outside the individual experiencing it. In making her choices between Susannah and Martin, or her own happiness and the path set before her, Lucy wounds everyone around her. She tries to walk a tightrope between these options, but by trying to make everyone happy and avoid pain and rejection, she becomes selfish. Howarth explores these ideas through a perfect combination of tender, intense, and occasionally unsettling inner dialogue. Lucy’s love for Susannah is not sappy, but all-consuming and incredibly honest. For some readers, this may be a bit off-putting—but for many, it will make the story more sincere and profound.

Lucy’s story requires patience, like that which a good friend offers. Following her story is painful and frustrating, but also deeply moving. As a reader, you might struggle with the characters in their questions such as: what is love worth and worth losing? Sunburn is a distinctive story about choices, shame, and love, perhaps best summarized by Susannah in a letter to Lucy: “I’ll marry you if you get past all the shame of being with me” (98). Despite the young age of its characters, this book is mature and good for anyone who wants to experience the overwhelming intensity and honesty of a first love.

Jules Gellert is a master’s student in Helsinki and is a Sinister Wisdom intern for the summer of 2025. She spends her time reading, studying, and making art.