Sunhead by Alex Assan

Sunhead by Alex Assan. HarperAlley, 2024. 9780063113572






Rating:  1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4



Format : Paperback graphic novel



Genre : Realistic fiction



What did you like about the book?  High schooler Rotem acknowledges that she’s a “sunhead,” a super fan of the series Sunrise . The book is about a boy vampire that falls in love with a mortal girl, and it’s really romantic. She carries the book around with her everywhere, including school, and eagerly awaits the next book in the series. When she meets Ayala, she shares the book and finds a kindred fan, and their friendship grows. Meanwhile, her old group of friends seems less appealing – is it because they are all trying to pair up? When Rotem impulsively kisses Ayala, she gets confused about everything. It’s not the romantic moment she has always imagined, like with Edmund, the character in Sunrise.



This sweet coming-of-age story is set in Tel Aviv but the school and family dynamics feel universal. It’s clearly modelled on the fandom of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. I loved the graphic art, in a warm brown/pink/red palette, the dreamy Sunrise sequences that are always in Rotem’s mind, and the depiction of her typical family, with Mom trying to get Rotem to open up. Dialogue is pithy and secondary to the visual storytelling. Readers get a sense of the attraction that Ayala holds for Rotem long before she does, and we hope that she manages to get out of her funk about the kiss before too long. The long period of confusion after the kiss is nearly wordless, and the reader senses Rotem is on the cusp of a big change about her identity.



Anything you didn’t like about it? No



To whom would you recommend this book?  For teens who enjoyed Jen Wang’s The Prince and the Dressmaker and other coming of age graphic novels.



Who should buy this book?  Middle and high school and public libraries



Where would you shelve it?  Graphic fiction



Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Near the top



Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Stephanie Tournas, Robbins Library, Arlington, MA



Date of review:  May 16, 2024