Customer Reviews

Sunnyside Blues

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For almost a decade Andes Lane has moved from one location to another like a rolling stone gathering no moss. Now twenty-five years old she decides she would like to stay put at least for now. She rents a house barge "Luna" from Jay in Seattle

When her landlord Jay needs someone to baby sit his ten years old son Chase, she reluctantly volunteers since it is only temporarily. Andes accompanies the child to Sunnyside in Queens, New York on what she expects to be a waste of time. However as she watches over the tweener, her own past arises forcing her to confront what sent her on the road nine plus years ago.

This is a terrific coming of age tale; with the spin that the adult Andes (due to her positive relationship with Chase after a very poor start) is the one changing the most. The cast is strong as each of the trio and another couple in West Virginia confronts their past. With some back story of what happened years ago, Mary Carter provides a refreshing unique road tale where the final destination is Sunnyside hopefully discarding the blues.

Harriet Klausner

This is the third of Cater's books that I've read and she doesn't dissappoint. she is funny and serious all at once.

I bought this book under the imprint of Little Black Dress, because I found two of Mary Carter's other romantic novels in the LBD line extremely entertaining and witty. This was a departure from that mould - the main relationship in focus being between a troubled young woman who had been brought up in, and run away from, a religious cult, and a troubled boy.

I'm surprised this book was in the Little Black Dress line, as they are usually romances. This has romance but if you're looking for the hero and heroine on the page for most of the book, you'll be disappointed.

I have to admit that Sunnyside Blues was not one of those books that grab me right away. In fact, towards the beginning of the novel I found myself a little concerned that I wouldn't like it. But once I started to get to know the characters, Andes especially, I fell in love with this charming story and I ended up really enjoying it.

I definitely felt for Andes throughout the novel. She has spent her entire adult life running from her past, from her abusive father and from one event which changed her entire life and basically forced her into hiding. And because of all this, she hasn't had too many close relationships, too many friends she can really count on or any place where she can feel at home. So when she meets Jay and Chase in the beginning of the novel, I thought for sure it would be a story about the three of them becoming a little family (or something to that effect). What I liked about this novel is that it took a completely different turn - Andes suddenly finds herself responsible for this ten-year-old boy, on a quest to find a person who Chase believes may be very important to him. And through this journey of theirs, the reader gets to watch as Andes starts to really care about Chase, as Chase starts to trust and depend on Andes, and as they navigate the world together. Their relationship was just so fun to read about - it was sort of a love/hate relationship, but as they got to know each other better and better it just became so sweet.

Another thing I enjoyed about the novel is the fact that Ms. Carter truly had me guessing through most of the book. The plot was never predictable, at least I couldn't predict any of it, and I definitely appreciated that element to this story. I enjoyed the idea of Andes taking Chase to New York, with no concrete plan other than they'd get there safely and try to find a place to live temporarily, and it all worked out so well for them once they got there. Maybe it wasn't the most realistic of situations, but I certainly enjoyed reading about their adventure!

Sunnyside Blues is a sweet, charming story with several twists and turns and I truly enjoyed reading it. Mary Carter has crafted great characters and an entertaining plot that will leave you smiling and satisfied when all is said and done.

Ms. Carter has produced a group of memorable characters while skillfully avoiding stereotyping. In the creation of 'Chase' she gives us a complex character who we don't know whether to love or hate - until the finale. As in her first two outings, Ms. Carter demonstrates her ability to use humor in her storytelling - both 'funny' funny and excruciatingly funny - some excellent 'oh no' moments.
The lead character's background is supportive of the plot and, to me, interesting in its own right as I had never heard of the Religious movements depicted.
Descriptions of surroundings were convincing, comfortable and evocative - from Seattle to Sunnyside. Moreover, I loved the way the plot was propelled by 'outrageous' almost Dickensian coincidences.
Deserves wide readership.

Twenty-five-year-old Andes Lane has spent nine years moving restlessly from place to place as she searches for somewhere that feels right. In the little blue houseboat bobbing on a Seattle lake, she thinks she's found it. But Andes has barely had a chance to settle in before her new life is upended by her landlord, Jay, and his ten-year-old son, Chase. Smart, secretive, and precocious, Chase touches a chord with Andes even as he plays on her last nerve. When Jay needs someone to take care of Chase temporarily, Andes agrees to accompany the boy to Sunnyside, Queens, on a quest she's sure will prove fruitless. But in this new, strange, unexpectedly welcoming city, Andes will confront the secrets she tried to leave behind and the lies that have kept her running. And against all odds, she'll discover a place, a man, and a newfound peace of mind that feel very much like home.


First off, just let me say that I adored this book! From the very first chapter where Andes is getting interrogated about the "kidnapping" of Chase, I was drawn in. The author does a beautiful job of inserting pieces of Andes past throughout the book and really helps you connect w/ her character and understand why she is the way she is. There are several little side stories that keep you interested and guessing throughout the whole book. (Such as whom is starting all the fires, the identity of Chase's father and what is so important about Andes matchbook collection?) This is the first book I have ever read by Mary Carter and I was truly sad to have it end. I look forward to other books by her in the future!

I was so happy that I had the chance to read SUNNYSIDE BLUES by Mary Carter last week on my train ride to New York for BEA. I could pretty much read it uninterrupted, and if you are a mom you know how nice that is! The first thing that struck me about this book was the cover -- I think it's just fantastic and really attracted me to the book. I think a lot of people are going to pick up this book when they see it in the stores based on the cover alone.

SUNNYSIDE BLUES was a story that I found interesting, and there were just enough secrets to keep me guessing until the end. There was a lot going on in this novel; and as is the case in books with many side stories and characters, I was definitely interested in some more so than others. I have to admit that I was a little curious about finding out who was setting all the fires, but I was really more interested in finding out the identity of Chases' father and especially Andes' past. I think the author did a good job of telling this story and giving away little clues here and there that will keep readers interested as well as guessing.

I found that I enjoyed the story in SUNNYSIDE BLUES; however, for me the best part of this book was how the author developed the character of Andes. Don't get me wrong, I thought Andes was more than a little out-there, but I did think she had a huge heart and I couldn't help but like her. The reader realizes early on that Andes has a lot of baggage from her childhood, and I was extremely interested in discovering why she was so damaged. I don't want to give too much away about her past and her family, but I found myself really enjoying those chapters that gave me insight into Andes' parents and their religious beliefs. I also liked seeing how her character changed throughout the course of the novel. I especially liked how she matured and eventually confronted the demons from her past.

While I liked this book and the very quirky characters, I'm not sure that this book is for everyone. As I read this book, I kept thinking that there were just so many coincidences and random meetings especially given that the story took place in two big cities. In addition, I found some of the characters' actions to be kind of far-fetched and even unbelievable at times. When I read this book, I was just looking to escape and be entertained so I could get past the parts of the story that seemed unrealistic; however, I can see that some readers might have a hard time making the stretch.

I have not read any of Mary Carter's prior books to SUNNYSIDE BLUES, and I have to admit that I wasn't even familiar with her prior to this book. When I visited her website, I checked out her other books and thought quite a few of them looked like light, fun reads. Ms. Carter is extremely accessible and is interested in meeting with book groups in the New York area. You can learn more about how to contact her regarding her books, the reading guides, etc. on her website.

You might want to consider it as a future book club selection. You can read an excerpt from Chapter 1 to get an idea of the author's writing style. There is also a very complete reading guide (23 questions) included in the back of the book to help facilitate your discussion. Some of the topics included in the guide are family relationships, friendships, secrets, and abuse so you can see that there are a lot of terrific things to talk about. I have a feeling that this book might stimulate a lot of differing opinions and feelings in your group, and I think your meeting could be very interesting.

Twenty five year old, Andes Lane is a free soul. She has never stayed in one place for very long, always on the go. As much as traveling around the world sounds like fun, Andes is ready to settle down and find a place she can call home.

Andes just may have found that place. in Settle, Washington. She comes upon an flyer, advertising for a houseboat for rent. Andes goes and checks out the houseboat. The owner Jay tells her that the boat will be unoccupied after the fourth of July but after Andes criticizes the condition of the place, Jay doesn't want to rent to her. As if getting off the wrong foot with Jay wasn't bad enough, she has to also contend with his ten year old son, Chase.

Chase hates Andes and he makes sure she knows it. Andes currently has no other place to go. She tried to find a way to make it up to Jay. The only way to do that is through Chase. Jay gets arrested, leaving Chase in Andes temporary custody. Andes has never taken case of a child. She can barely take care of herself. In order to survive Chase and Andes will need to learn to get along with each other. They take a trip and end up in Sunnyside, Queens. There they will find love, friendship, heartache, and the most important thing of all...family!

Sunnyside Blues is a touching story about two people, who come to realize that home is where the heart is and that you don't always have to be strong, as long as you have people around you who care about you. At first I really didn't like Chase. He got on my nerves and I thought he was a brat. As the story went on, I came to realize that I felt sorry for Chase and was glad he had someone like Andes to look after him. Andes is very quiet. At the beginning, she is like a caterpillar but towards the end of the book she emerges turning into a butterfly. I did have a slight issue with the transition when the story would flash from present to past and present again. For me I wished the switch was a little more smoother. Overall though I thought this was an good book.