100/5

This is my all-time favorite book. It is beautiful, and heartbreaking, and so relatable to those of us who grew up queer in an area where we didn't feel safe to be open about it. Absolutely incredible.

Thank you NetGalley and Melville House Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

At once heartbreaking and full of love. I immediately was invested in Lucy and Savannah . A few times I found Lucy a bit tiresome but this almost immediately changes, I had a hard time putting this down.

Startlingly gorgeous and nuanced, this is a masterpiece of a debut novel from Chloe Michelle Howarth. It will burn you in its brilliant blaze of passion, and you will be better for it.

Out of the 53 books I’ve read in 2025 so far, this was the first book I read and it is still my favorite of the whole year. I felt so transfixed reading this book - it’s the perfect queer coming of age narrative. I absolutely loved every element of this book from the writing to its characterization. All the side characters added SO much depth to our main characters’ complex dynamic. UGH it was phenomenal, I already have this preordered, I can’t wait to reread it. It’s one of the books I immediately recommend to people.

Wow- I loved this so much. Fantastically written coming of age novel about a young woman grappling with her sexuality in small town Ireland in the late 1980s. This already has a huge holds list within my system and I imagine will be a popular book club discussion title.

Loved this messy, dramatic and sometimes cringy coming of age / coming out story. The style is so unique -- very few scenes with dialogue and yet Lucy's teenage introspection moves the plot forward nicely. We get a great sense of who the characters are through her eyes (though unreliable teenage eyes). Reading as an adult, you just want to give her a hug and also give her a stern talking to, but hey, we've all been 17 before...

I specifically loved the setting. It felt real and familiar. I saw a lot of myself and my home village in Crossmore, for better or for worse.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I love coming of age stories, especially in an Irish setting. The author really captures the all encompassing energy it takes to be young and around peers, and the obsession with another person. Beautifully done

Set against the golden haze of an early 1990s Irish summer, Sunburn is a poetic and devastating exploration of first love, longing, and the suffocating weight of societal expectation. It reminded me of Call Me By Your Name, but through a distinctly feminine lens.

Lucy’s love for Susannah burns quietly, fiercely and the intensity of it practically breathes off the page. The longing is so palpable it feels like a living thing, threading its way through every line. Their relationship is tender, obsessive, secretive, and heartbreakingly real, shaped by the conservative pressures of their small town and the looming presence of Lucy’s mother and community.

What makes Sunburn so powerful is its honesty. It doesn’t flinch from the sadness of being unseen, or the quiet despair of having to hide who you are. At times, it’s overwhelmingly sorrowful. You want so badly for things to work out, for Lucy and Susannah to have a place in the world, but the reality of their time makes that hope feel distant. Still, what the novel offers is something just as meaningful: a deep, aching portrait of love in all its raw, messy beauty.

Beautifully written, Sunburn is a moving, melancholic coming-of-age story that lingers long after the final page. A must read for those who remember their first heartbreak, and perhaps the first time they knew they were different.

Thank you NetGalley and Melville House Publishing for my ARC.

Thank you toNetGalley and Melville House Publishing for the early eARC!

Wow! So far this is my book of the summer. It gives you ALL the feels. Seriously you're going to go through every emotion. I will be in my hammock reading this over and over.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Melville House Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was beautifully written and engaging. It was very honest and real. The reason why I gave it this rating is that a) this story is not necessarily unique, it’s the setting that makes it stand out and b) the characters are very insufferable and are pretty much mean girls which makes it hard for me to root for them

This was beautiful and I loved it.
Sunburn will be the perfect summer read and I think a lot of people are going to love it too.

rated 4/5

At first, I wasn't super into this book. The first few chapters are a lot of exposition that felt kind of repetitive, and the general tone/style of writing felt too sophisticated for a teen. However, once I got to around chapter 4, there was a lot more plot than rumination/exposition. I started to get really invested in the story, not wanting to put the book down. Even though the writing style still felt a bit sophisticated, there were some really beautiful quotes and metaphors sprinkled throughout that made it really enjoyable to read. I started to realize that the voice was just kind of how the character is when I was reading her letters. The romance was excruciating in the best way -- it's so important to note our recent pasts to understand and appreciate the progress that others have made for us. I really enjoyed the setting and the characters; even when Lucy did questionable things, you could understand the thought process behind her actions, so you couldn't judge her too much. She felt like a realistic teen, and you could really feel her struggle with her emotions. Lucy felt so real and honest, even if she couldn't be honest about herself with other characters. Overall I would recommend this book to people as I really enjoyed the story and the writing.

Storygraph review linked below, Instagram review to be linked once it is posted closer to the release date (likely June).

I finished this book this morning, and it’s a huge call but I think it is one of the best books I’ve ever read! This story absolutely shattered me but was so beautiful and was one of the most complex love stories I’ve ever read. If you love books like Shuggie Bain, Honeybee, and Call Me By Your Name, then I highly recommend this!

This book shows how hard it really was for gay people in Ireland in the 1990’s and the pressure of the Catholic Church and the generations of parents of teenagers in that era. It spoke highly to the pressure people face when it comes to ‘normal’ life experiences and expectations and the idea that young women are expected to grow up, marry a good man and have children and be done. So much of the story was told through written letters and email correspondence and the love story that blossomed between Lucy and Susannah was such a beautiful journey to follow.

I wanted to share my favourite passage from the book, because I just can’t communicate enough how stunning the writing was in this book. I want everyone to read it and love it as much as I did. I will be thinking about this for a long, long time.

“I’ve been smoking a lot recently - the smell always reminds me of you. From the second when the flame hits the joint, you are with me. Then the flame goes and I am left with only embers of you to breathe. I cannot live on your embers anymore. If you want me, I’m yours, if not, let me know now so I might learn to live without you.

Susannah, you are heaven made flesh. You have been the greatest fire of my life. It’s not good enough, I know, but for every time I made you feel inadequate I have died a hundred deaths. I’ll love you until the earth finishes. Just tell me, yes or no.“

What a heartbreakingly beautiful story!!!! We’re following Lucy, who lives in a rural small town in Ireland in the 90’s, and is coming to realize she may have complicated feelings for her friend, Susannah. We are fully in Lucy’s head as she walks us through her feelings for Susannah, the complicated and strained relationship she has with her town, and her overall want for her freedom, both generally and sexuality-wise. The prose of this story is so beautiful; Chloe Michelle Howarth really put me in Lucy’s head to understand every sense of emotion she felt. I absolutely loved this story and felt so much for Lucy and Susannah all throughout. Probably one of my favorite literary fiction-written romances ever.

sunburn is perfect for sally rooney fans who are gay and/or carry a lot of religious guilt. it was a masterpiece of a debut novel and i’m looking forward to reading more

This book brings about a deep longing and sadness for something I've never even had, and that's when you know it's good. Beautifully written, a flow both dynamic and poetic, and gripping characters.
This caused a kind of paradox in which I longed to read it, but the longing that was brought about when I actually did pained me.

My biggest complaint is the cover needs a lot of work... but that can be ignored. Otherwise a very solid read!

“Hey Siri, play ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ by Chappell Roan on Spotify.”

Before I get into my review of “Sunburn”, I’d like to thank NetGalley and Melville House Publishing for the early eARC!

If anyone tells you to read this book, don’t. No, I’m kidding, this book was amazing. “Sunburn” felt like Chloe Michelle Howarth had a personal vendetta against me, ripped out my heart, stomped on it, and then spat on it. And I’m thanking her for it.

I have a feeling in 100 years, if human life even exists then, this book will be in the new classic lit genre.

I made the beautiful mistake of reading this book while on my period, and by the end of this book I was open mouth sobbing and hyperventilating. This is the first time in my years of reading that I have ever hyperventilated to a book.

If you’re thinking about reading this book just know you will leave feeling, sad, lonely, depressed, anxious, and very very very dehydrated. (But you should still read it though!)

Overall I think I’m going to contact my therapist for the first time in four years, thanks, Chloe!

Oooph. "Sunburn" is undoubtedly a banger, albeit a banger that left me morose. Nostalgic, hazy, and beautifully written, "Sunburn" tells the tale of a lesbian coming of age in a tiny Irish town in the 1990s. The tone is heavy and brittle; Lucy's attempts at mirroring compulsive heterosexuality were brutal to witness as she realizes that her love for her best friend will not be allowed in the way she wants it to. The writing style is dense and poetic; this is a book that asks you to pay attention to it, and rewards you for it.

Completely obsessed with this book!! Beautiful romance turns heartbreaking. Was so excited to read this and it did not disappoint!!

Sunburn is a tender and heartbreaking coming-of-age novel set in small-town Ireland, where Lucy struggles with the weight of societal expectations and her own forbidden love for her close friend, Susannah. As their bond deepens, Lucy is forced to confront the suffocating pressures of family, tradition, and her growing feelings, leading to a devastating choice that will change everything. A beautifully written exploration of love, identity, and the complexities of growing up in a conservative, close-knit community.