Rise to the Sun
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-07-07 07:51:14
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Leah Johnson
- ISBN：0702309508
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Summary
A stunning novel about being brave enough to be true to yourself， and learning to find joy even when times are unimaginably dark。
Three days。
Two girls。
One life-changing music festival。
Toni is grieving the loss of her roadie father and needing to figure out where her life will go from here - and she's desperate to get back to loving music。 Olivia is a hopeless romantic whose heart has just taken a beating （again） and is beginning to feel like she'll always be a square peg in a round hole - but the Farmland Music and Arts Festival is a chance to find a place where she fits。
The two collide and it feels like something like kismet when a bond begins to form。 But when something goes wrong and the festival is sent into a panic， Olivia and Toni will find that they need each other （and music） more than they ever imagined。
• A joyous， Black girl rom-com about finding love and being true to
• Explores the power of communal joy to bring people together， even in the most uncertain of times
• Leah Johnson's You Should See Me in a Crown was the very first YA pick for Reese Witherspoon's book club: '[A] super funny， joyful story that'll have you reliving your high school prom days！'
Three days。
Two girls。
One life-changing music festival。
Toni is grieving the loss of her roadie father and needing to figure out where her life will go from here - and she's desperate to get back to loving music。 Olivia is a hopeless romantic whose heart has just taken a beating （again） and is beginning to feel like she'll always be a square peg in a round hole - but the Farmland Music and Arts Festival is a chance to find a place where she fits。
The two collide and it feels like something like kismet when a bond begins to form。 But when something goes wrong and the festival is sent into a panic， Olivia and Toni will find that they need each other （and music） more than they ever imagined。
• A joyous， Black girl rom-com about finding love and being true to
• Explores the power of communal joy to bring people together， even in the most uncertain of times
• Leah Johnson's You Should See Me in a Crown was the very first YA pick for Reese Witherspoon's book club: '[A] super funny， joyful story that'll have you reliving your high school prom days！'
Reviews
Rose Stewart
，
3。5 stars， the front half felt stronger than the back half。
Vinícius
，
2，5/5Não funcionou comigo， mas acredito que tem bastante gente que possa gostar （o que me incomodou mesmo foi como a autora desenvolveu o plot/romance usando alguns arquétipos que pessoalmente não me descem）。
Alisa
，
Happy release day to this gem！ And thank you to Leah Johnson and @ireadya for my copy 🤍This was cuuuute。 Made me miss festivals and grime and dust。 Leah Johnson is a silent ninja when it comes to her books: when you feel like it’s just lighthearted and cute she shows you the deeper side of her characters and you are like ‘whoa。’ If you enjoyed hers You Should See Me In a Crown - you will love this one。
Libriamo3116
，
Olivia and Toni are both going to the Farmland Music and Arts Festival， a sprawling three-day event in Georgia。 Olivia's escaping from trouble back home in Indiana after a messy breakup that fractured her school life for the foreseeable future。 Toni's father has passed away， and Toni hopes that attending the festival he loved will help temper her grief and provide some direction in life， because all she feels is lost。 Olivia and Toni don't know each other， but when they hear about the singing co Olivia and Toni are both going to the Farmland Music and Arts Festival， a sprawling three-day event in Georgia。 Olivia's escaping from trouble back home in Indiana after a messy breakup that fractured her school life for the foreseeable future。 Toni's father has passed away， and Toni hopes that attending the festival he loved will help temper her grief and provide some direction in life， because all she feels is lost。 Olivia and Toni don't know each other， but when they hear about the singing competition and scavenger hunt， they realize that they can team up to win it all。 As the festivities go on， Olivia and Toni learn more about each other， and their own problems， than they wagered for at the onset。 Together， their love for music might provide the spark they need to raise their spirits and warm their hearts。I thought this was a heartwarming， offbeat read about two girls trying to find their way in a world that's hurt them and pushed them toward self-doubt。 I don't normally like insta-love stories， but because the premise is about a festival that helps two girls change their lives， I felt like Olivia and Toni really worked together and， despite the accelerated pace that brought them together， I think it worked。 Sometimes you just click with people， and it felt organic here。 I appreciated the focus on music and how it can help a person process their feelings， and heal。 Toni's father in particular had a special connection to music that Toni also resonated with， and that part of her character really came through。Both girls are going through their own tough experiences， which is why it's so important they had a close friend by their side as they arrived at the festival。 Imani and Peter were good friends to Olivia and Toni， and I think it's important in life to have a good support system like that when life throws you unfair curveballs。 Olivia was recently dealt blow after blow to her social life， so even with meeting Toni， it still mattered that Imani was there for her。 I felt like this story really excelled at expressing the importance of friendship， connection， and teamwork。 Rise to the Sun is a heartwarming story about two girls finding their path in life， and it takes the time to focus on serious issues， while also finding ways to heal and rise above them。 Recommended for readers who enjoy sapphic stories， stories about friendship and forging meaningful connections， and the power of music。Thank you Scholastic for the gifted e-copy of this book！ 。。。more
Toya （the reading chemist）
，
4。5 stars rounded up！Leah Johnson never fails to write incredible characters。 Review to come！
Emma Reid
，
I'm a huge fan of Leah Johnson's writing， so this book was a must-read for me。 The book takes place over a single weekend， so the pacing was a bit rushed （reasonably so）。 I loved Toni and Liv and how they grew throughout the festival。 There's joy， sadness， and DRAAAMA and perfectly sums up any music festival。 Personally I wish that there had been more of a focus on the scavenger hunt just because that's what I love as a reader， but I did enjoy her vivid descriptions of the music for the Golden A I'm a huge fan of Leah Johnson's writing， so this book was a must-read for me。 The book takes place over a single weekend， so the pacing was a bit rushed （reasonably so）。 I loved Toni and Liv and how they grew throughout the festival。 There's joy， sadness， and DRAAAMA and perfectly sums up any music festival。 Personally I wish that there had been more of a focus on the scavenger hunt just because that's what I love as a reader， but I did enjoy her vivid descriptions of the music for the Golden Apple competition。 I'm also over here wanting a follow-up focusing on Imani soooo。。。。 。。。more
Alyssa
，
I really enjoyed this book！ This is more serious than You Should See Me in A Crown as both of the protagonists are severely traumatized， and this book focuses on the two being a situation where they are reflecting on the trauma。Both of the protagonist's flaws are at the forefront， too， and I really love that since I love protagonists that aren't lovable。 It is also pretty clear that the characters are working on their flaws and improving themselves。 I really enjoyed this book！ This is more serious than You Should See Me in A Crown as both of the protagonists are severely traumatized， and this book focuses on the two being a situation where they are reflecting on the trauma。Both of the protagonist's flaws are at the forefront， too， and I really love that since I love protagonists that aren't lovable。 It is also pretty clear that the characters are working on their flaws and improving themselves。 。。。more
Katie✨
，
Rise to the Sun was a sweet and emotional novel that reminded me why I love Leah Johnson’s writing。It follows Toni and Olivia， two girls who meet at a musical festival， Farmland， and how they grow and change throughout the course of the festival while also falling for each other。Toni is grieving after the death of her father。 She’s headed to farmland with her chaotic and goofy best friend Peter， as going there was always a tradition with her dad。 Since the death， she’s been emotionally closed of Rise to the Sun was a sweet and emotional novel that reminded me why I love Leah Johnson’s writing。It follows Toni and Olivia， two girls who meet at a musical festival， Farmland， and how they grow and change throughout the course of the festival while also falling for each other。Toni is grieving after the death of her father。 She’s headed to farmland with her chaotic and goofy best friend Peter， as going there was always a tradition with her dad。 Since the death， she’s been emotionally closed off to almost everyone and the only thing she finds solace in is her music。 Olivia is a bubbly， sweet girl who loves the idea of being in love。 She considers herself an expert at both falling in love and getting dumped。 She’s headed to farmland with her best friend， Imani， to unwind and disconnect after a sexual harassment incident （directed towards her） at her school led to her being shunned by fellow classmates and her family being disappointed in her。 Most of Olivia’s self worth depends on someone else loving her or at least giving her even small crumbs of affection。 She thinks she’s too much and expects too much。When Toni and Olivia meet at the festival， their lives and they way they see themselves is changed。 I really loved how the two of them brought out the best in each other and how the grew and changed over the weekend。I really appreciate the nuance and care given to Olivia and Imani’s friendship as well。 Johnson gives us actually flawed characters and allow them to grow organically when things come to a head。 The festival not only brings Toni and Olivia together， but Olivia and Imani as well。 My only real complaint is the time frame of the story line。 The story takes place from Friday afternoon to Sunday night。 By the second night， Toni and Olivia are already sharing their trials and trauma to each other。 I’ve never been to a festival so maybe people just bond faster there， but it just didn’t seem that realistic to me。Besides that， however， I loved how emotional and character driven the story was。 My favorite character arc was probably Olivia’s！ If you’re looking for a sapphic coming of age story with realistic characters and a musical setting， this is the book for you :）Also， Leah Johnson officially has a Leah Johnson Literary Universe and I am HERE FOR IT！ 。。。more
Stefani
，
“Love is messy and awkward and ugly， but at least it’s honest。” - Rise to the SunI was so excited to read this book after reading and loving Leah’s first book， You Should See Me in a Crown。This book has so much emotion and so much passion， the characters are flawed and relatable。 I love that young adults have books now where there are main characters struggling to figure out their next steps， struggling with anxiety and what’s expected of them。 I love that readers can feel SEEN in these novels。 “Love is messy and awkward and ugly， but at least it’s honest。” - Rise to the SunI was so excited to read this book after reading and loving Leah’s first book， You Should See Me in a Crown。This book has so much emotion and so much passion， the characters are flawed and relatable。 I love that young adults have books now where there are main characters struggling to figure out their next steps， struggling with anxiety and what’s expected of them。 I love that readers can feel SEEN in these novels。 Johnson recreates the music festival environment so beautifully in words， I’ve been to a lot of concerts and this book brings out that feeling of being connected to the thousands of strangers all there because the artist and their music had such an impact on them。 I loved both main characters， and going on this journey with them。 There’s this feeling you get as a teenager where the world is just so big and you feel SO much and you want to capture all of it and soak it all it and freeze these moments， because life moves too fast。 There’s a lot of that here and it was wonderful。 I did feel like the first part of the book was a little slow moving， but that second half was absolutely amazing。 This one comes out this Tuesday， July， 6， and you should totally pick it up ❤️☀️🎶。 。。。more
elise （the petite punk）
，
check out my reading vlog here！！Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I know this is a lot of pressure to put on one book， but Rise to the Sun has been my most anticipated release of 2021。 Like， out of all the hundreds of books being released this year。 When I first saw the book announcement on Leah Johnson’s Twitter， I immediately fell in love—this is basically the book I’ve been longing for。 Queer girls of color at a music festival？ Who are me check out my reading vlog here！！Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I know this is a lot of pressure to put on one book， but Rise to the Sun has been my most anticipated release of 2021。 Like， out of all the hundreds of books being released this year。 When I first saw the book announcement on Leah Johnson’s Twitter， I immediately fell in love—this is basically the book I’ve been longing for。 Queer girls of color at a music festival？ Who are messy， real， and figuring out their place in the world？ Sign me up。 I’ve been dreaming about this book finally being in my hands for so many months and I am so grateful I got the opportunity to read an advanced copy。 Rise to the Sun follows our two main characters， Toni and Olivia， who stumble into each other at a music festival。 Together， they decide to try to win a competition at the festival but as some dark and complex situations emerge， Toni and Olivia both have some difficult thoughts and emotions to sort out。 I loved the complexity of emotions this book—the type of complexity that specifically comes from teenage girls who often feel like they don’t have a voice。 If you know anything about my reading taste， I have a great appreciation for young adult main characters who are lost， lonely， confused， and misunderstood， especially those who may not always make the best decisions or hurt others because of their own hurt。 This is something to me that feels so real， so relatable， but often so underestimated。 Leah Johnson perfectly captures these feelings and the unsteadiness one might feel in their life。 I also absolutely adored the setting of this book。 I am going to boldly say one of my most missed things because of this pandemic has been live music。 Concerts and festivals have consistently been the #1 thing I always look forward to， so it was so fun reading a book in such a familiar setting。 I also really loved that pop punk was mentioned once in awhile because I grew up seeing bands of that genre。 Shout out to Leah Johnson for reminding me that I bought Fall Out Boy tickets in 2019 （I think？） and STILL haven't been able to go because of the pandemic。 The one thing I disliked was the alternate POVs。 I did enjoy seeing both sides to these characters， but I typically find that dual POVs weakens the overall connection one feels to a book。 I kept getting character details mixed up， as I often do when it comes to more than one point of view。 However， this is just a personal preference and I'm sure it won't bother everyone！ I just prefer a bit more closeness to a main character。 The chapters were also quite short which I usually don't mind， but because there was two POVs， I felt like I only got a glimpse of events from one character before the book switched over to another character。 TWs: panic attacks， death of a parent， guns/shooting， feelings of abandonment， revenge porn （non-consensual image sharing）✧ ✧ ✧≪reading 31 books for 31 days of july≫╰┈➤ 1。 the ones we're meant to find by joan he╰┈➤ 2。 rise to the sun by leah johnson 。。。more
Ariel Solorzano
，
3。75
Electroclan17
，
Wow， I absolutely loved this book。 It's hard to describe all the things I loved without spoiling stuff。 I recommend looking up TWs before you read it though cause it has a few。 Wow， I absolutely loved this book。 It's hard to describe all the things I loved without spoiling stuff。 I recommend looking up TWs before you read it though cause it has a few。 。。。more
Maria
，
Light， enjoyable romance but many of the beats felt too predictable
Randi （Rampant Reading Reviews）
，
I won an advanced copy of Rise to the Sun through a giveaway and I loved it so much that I couldn’t resist sharing my review with you！Content Warning: parental death， gun violence， discussion of a mass shooting， PTSD， panic attacks， anxiety， cyberbullying， and nonconsensual image sharing。Olivia came to the Farmland Music and Arts Festival to forget about all the ways she has disappointed the people she loves most。 After her relationship with her last boyfriend ended in flames， Olivia needed an e I won an advanced copy of Rise to the Sun through a giveaway and I loved it so much that I couldn’t resist sharing my review with you！Content Warning: parental death， gun violence， discussion of a mass shooting， PTSD， panic attacks， anxiety， cyberbullying， and nonconsensual image sharing。Olivia came to the Farmland Music and Arts Festival to forget about all the ways she has disappointed the people she loves most。 After her relationship with her last boyfriend ended in flames， Olivia needed an escape from her normal life。 So， she talked her best friend into coming to the music festival with her， where they ran into an alluring performer， named Toni。 Toni came to Farmland to remember her deceased father， honoring his memory by competing in the Golden Apple music contest。 Her father was a musician， who had always encouraged Toni to chase the wonder of performance， yet she hasn’t been able to play a single note since he died months earlier。 When she goes to sign up for the competition， however， the only remaining spots are for duos， and Toni doesn’t have a partner。 That is until Olivia offers to sing with her in exchange for help with a festival-wide scavenger hunt。 Toni and Olivia might have come to Farmland for different reasons， but they will have to work together if either of them wants to succeed！You can get your copy of Rise to the Sun on July 6th from Scholastic Books！Leah Johnson has done it again！ Rise to the Sun is yet another amazing contemporary novel， packed with summer joy and romance。 Set in the same world as You Should See Me in a Crown， this book has fun cameos from some of the characters in the last story but focuses on a new pair of protagonists。 Rise to the Sun gets off to a slower start， but it is absolutely worth it for the emotional payoff at the end of the book！ Toni and Olivia were both sweet characters， and I loved watching their personal growth through the story。 I felt that they were both very well developed， making it easy to tell who’s perspective I was reading from in a given moment。 After finishing Rise to the Sun， I just NEED a book following Imani！ She was my absolute favorite in this story， and I am desperate to know what she will do after the end of Rise to the Sun。My Recommendation-If you enjoyed You Should See Me in a Crown， you have to pick up a copy of Rise to the Sun right away！ This book would be the perfect read for anyone missing their normal summer festivals and activities this year， due to the global pandemic。 。。。more
Emma
，
I loved this book！ The writing gave me actual goosebumps it was so。。。 alive！ I loved getting to know all the characters and then getting to see them all get to know themselves。 So beautiful and heart-warming。
birdie
，
well that got a little more relatable than i expected it to。 anyway， leah johnson rules！！！ rtc。thank you scholastic press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review！ this does not affect my opinions in any way。blog | bookstagram | twitter | more well that got a little more relatable than i expected it to。 anyway， leah johnson rules！！！ rtc。thank you scholastic press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review！ this does not affect my opinions in any way。blog | bookstagram | twitter | more 。。。more
Amelia
，
RTC
Katherine
，
Thanks to yallwest and ireadya for the arc of this book。 I’m gonna be honest。 I’m giving this book a low 4/5 stars。 It was so slow in the beginning and it was messy。 I believe the messy parts were intentional and part of the character arcs。 There was too much going on with each character and only like 5 characters。 I constantly felt like I had to reread a chapter。 I love the visuals and the details tho。 Great story though
Melissa
，
So stinking cute！
Pamela
，
Toni and Olivia meet at the Farmland Music and Arts Festival where each is searching for a way forward。 Despite being strangers and， apparently， having nothing in common， they find they have to work together to make the things they are sure will give them the answers they are seeking happen。Johnson has created two characters that are appealing， but， unfortunately， she forgot to give readers enough to tell them apart。 They are interchangeable and thus hard to remember as individuals。 Readers will Toni and Olivia meet at the Farmland Music and Arts Festival where each is searching for a way forward。 Despite being strangers and， apparently， having nothing in common， they find they have to work together to make the things they are sure will give them the answers they are seeking happen。Johnson has created two characters that are appealing， but， unfortunately， she forgot to give readers enough to tell them apart。 They are interchangeable and thus hard to remember as individuals。 Readers will find themselves returning to the chapter headings to figure out whose chapter it is， but sometimes even that didn’t help。 What would have helped is if the author had fully fleshed out her characters for her readers。This book is full of teenage angst， some humor， and a little romance。 If that sounds appealing， then this book is for you。 If you like characters to be defined in a way that will have you rooting for them throughout the book， this is not the book for you。My thanks to Scholastic Press and Edelweiss for an eARC。 。。。more
Serene
，
This was so， so wonderful！！ Beautifully flawed Toni and Olivia， and their whirlwind weekend， this was such a great read and perfect end to June for me。 Miss。 Leah Johnson REALLY did her thing with this one， oh my God！！！
may ➹
，
2。5 starsRise to the Sun follows Olivia and Toni at the Farmland Music Festival， both of them excited to experience the magic of live music and friendship。 What they don’t expect to find is each other， and a weekend of discovering themselves and a blooming romance between them。 Though this book was sadly disappointing for me with its romance， it still has so much to offer。 With her sophomore novel， Leah Johnson proves how adept she is at weaving stories full of both joy but also more serious iss 2。5 starsRise to the Sun follows Olivia and Toni at the Farmland Music Festival， both of them excited to experience the magic of live music and friendship。 What they don’t expect to find is each other， and a weekend of discovering themselves and a blooming romance between them。 Though this book was sadly disappointing for me with its romance， it still has so much to offer。 With her sophomore novel， Leah Johnson proves how adept she is at weaving stories full of both joy but also more serious issues and self-growth。 Love is messy and awkward and ugly， but at least it’s honest。 At its heart， Rise to the Sun is about two girls figuring out themselves and how to navigate the world in a way that is kind to both themselves and others， especially as queer Black girls。 Olivia has been in many romantic relationships that ended in disaster for her， particularly her most recent one， and it has led her to believe that she is the problem who brings havoc to all the lives she touches。 She is also selfish and not that good of a friend， and though it was hard to read at times， I appreciated the space that was given for her to be messy and make mistakes， and to learn and grow。 Toni has known the Farmland Music Festival her whole life， and she holds both it and music very dearly in her heart。 Music is especially meaningful for her because of how much her father loved it， who recently passed away。 She is struggling with the direction she wants her life to go after graduating high school， and she also has a hard time letting people past her ice-cold barriers。The characters’ development is what really shines for me in this book。 Olivia struggles with feeling like she is too much for the people around her， molding herself to fit what she thinks they will like until she accidentally lets a part of her true self slip out。 I think a lot of people will find Olivia unlikeable， and though I understand why， I find it even more meaningful that she is not excused for what she does and is able to grow into a better person （and also that she still deserves better from people despite not being the best herself）。 And I really loved Toni’s arc—she is standoffish in order to protect her heart from people getting too close to it and possibly hurting it， compounded by the recent loss of her father。 She learns she deserves love， and it was truly so beautiful to see her journey to the realization。 I also found myself in her feelings of not knowing what she wants to do with her future， since that is a current worry for me too， and there is one conversation Toni has with her mom that really resonated with me。 “That big love you give everyone else—you deserve to save some for yourself。 You’re worth that much。 You’re worth every good thing。” I love that this book is set at a music festival， and I think Johnson succeeded at bringing it to life in all its magical， sweaty glory， while also raising important discussions about mass shootings at such large gatherings。 But sadly， I think the fact that this book is limited to only a three-day timeline is what made me dislike it。 First of all， while there have been a few books with insta-love that managed to satisfy me， Rise to the Sun is not one of them。 I think part of the insta-love is understandable， since Olivia is someone who crushes easily and Toni needed to learn how to let love in。 But I really hate reading books with romances that become serious very quickly， like this one， so that really ruined a lot of the book for me， despite their relationship being sweet。 （For example， Toni was ready to say “I love you” to Olivia the day after they met… not my thing。） A lot of things also felt awfully convenient， especially at the end， and the main premise that resulted in Olivia and Toni working together seemed so random to me that it was hard for me to suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy the book。I still somewhat enjoyed Rise to the Sun， and I do think it has a lot of good to offer， particularly with its characters。 It also is truly a wild whirlwind adventure， and once you pick the book up， it’s difficult to put it back down！ Unfortunately， the insta-love really brought down my opinion a lot， and the setting worked a little more against the book than for it。 But I think I’m in the minority in not completely loving this， and if you’re searching for Black girl joy and self-discovery in an unputdownable book， Rise to the Sun is for you。—★—:: representation :: Black lesbian MC， Black bisexual MC， Black wlw character， biracial （Indian， white） character:: content warnings :: parental death， gun violence， shooting， panic attacks， PTSD， non-consensual sharing of private photos， depictions of grief， talk of mass shootingsThank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 This did not affect my opinions in any way。All quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in final publication。// buddy read with melanie <3 。。。more
Amanda M
，
This is an absolutely enjoyable book that takes place over the course of a weekend music festival。 It follows Olivia and Toni in alternating chapters as they start out as unassuming strangers to growing to know each other's hopes， fears， and aspirations。 In short， this books is wonderful。 I absolutely loved how we start the book as the characters do， strangers to each other。 The characters are a bit distant， but as the story goes on and the characters begin to trust each other， we also gain that This is an absolutely enjoyable book that takes place over the course of a weekend music festival。 It follows Olivia and Toni in alternating chapters as they start out as unassuming strangers to growing to know each other's hopes， fears， and aspirations。 In short， this books is wonderful。 I absolutely loved how we start the book as the characters do， strangers to each other。 The characters are a bit distant， but as the story goes on and the characters begin to trust each other， we also gain that trust and learn what it is that brought them to this meeting and how events in their lives have shaped and changed them。 This is a really light read for the most part， while there are mentions of shootings， death， and wrongful spreading of images， they aren't discussed too in depth。 This book could easily be read in a day， and it would absolutely be a day well spent with these wonderful and complex characters。 While I haven't had the chance to read You Should See Me in a Crown， this book has definitely convinced me to read more of Leah Johnson's writing。 。。。more
Melanie
，
ARC provided by the publisher - thank you so much！ "That big love you give everyone else-you deserve to save some for yourself。 You're worth that much。 You're worth every good thing。" This is a story told over the course of three days at a music festival， with alternating povs！ Olivia is there with her best friend in the whole world， and the one person who always has her back in every situation。 Olivia has had a lot of not so great romantic relationships， but this last one ended with a ARC provided by the publisher - thank you so much！ "That big love you give everyone else-you deserve to save some for yourself。 You're worth that much。 You're worth every good thing。" This is a story told over the course of three days at a music festival， with alternating povs！ Olivia is there with her best friend in the whole world， and the one person who always has her back in every situation。 Olivia has had a lot of not so great romantic relationships， but this last one ended with a massively evil invasion of privacy that has also caused her a lot of harassment before her junior year of high school ended。 Toni has grown up with music and the Farmland Music Festival for her whole life。 It brings on so many happy memories of nostalgia， but also a lot of uneasy feelings about her future before her freshman year of college begins。 But she hopes she will find some answers this weekend at the festival with her best friend。 And when a hidden apple（s） quest and a musical performance mission to win gets sprung on both of these girls and their friends the first day， we get to see everything playout the whole weekend。 Sadly， I think this being told over three days was what didn't work for me。 I loved so many parts of this story， and I really enjoyed the first day and seeing the story being set up， but days two and three weren't able to make me connect as much， even though my heart broke for all the characters very differently。 I really think having a glimpse into the future past the three days would have really helped and really helped the insta-love too （and i'm not saying insta-love is bad or not real， it's just not my favorite type of romance）！ You Should See Me in a Crown is one of my favorite YA contemporaries of all time （you still me holding it in my pfp， hehe） and I still am in complete awe of Leah Johnson and what they are doing for queer poc teens is truly life changing。 Their stories are making so many people feel seen， making so many people cry real tears wishing they had books like this when they were younger （me）， making publishing and the world such a more hopeful place。 I will support and boost their voice always， and even though this book wasn't the perfect book for me， I know it's going to mean the whole world to so many！ Content and Trigger Warnings: loss of a parent， panic attacks， gun violence， and nonconsensual image sharing （provided by the author at the start of the book <3）！ I also would like to add talk of mass shootings， anxiety depiction， asthma attacks， online bullying and harassment， ptsd depiction， many feelings of abandonment。 Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch Buddy read with May！ ❤ 。。。more
Darby
，
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Scholastic Press for giving me the opportunity to review Rise To The Sun！ My Rating: 3。5 StarsRise To The Sun （for sale starting July 6） is a brilliant novel about discovering your true self， finding love， and the power of music to bring people together。 I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this book！ I read Leah Johnson's You Should See Me in a Crown last year so I had been anticipating this novel since I heard she was writing it！ While I loved the main Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Scholastic Press for giving me the opportunity to review Rise To The Sun！ My Rating: 3。5 StarsRise To The Sun （for sale starting July 6） is a brilliant novel about discovering your true self， finding love， and the power of music to bring people together。 I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this book！ I read Leah Johnson's You Should See Me in a Crown last year so I had been anticipating this novel since I heard she was writing it！ While I loved the main message of this book， I didn't find much depth to the characters。 While I loved the characters， the way they told the story felt very two-dimensional unfortunately。 Hence the 3。5 star rating。 Otherwise， I loved it！！Things about this book that I loved: The message！ I loved how different everyone was， but how they were able to not only put those differences behind them but also accept each other and grow to love each other despite them！ I also loved the aspect of forgiveness and new beginnings: how not everything is going to work out on the first try， but it doesn't mean we have to give up trying。 Overall this book was great， I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to read and review it！ 。。。more
Mindy Christianson
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After loving Johnson’s You Should See Me in a Crown， I was thrilled to read an advance copy of her newest book！ This one follows two girls to Farmland， a summer concert festival。 I loved the setting and juxtaposition of the main characters。 Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC。
Kelly
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Olivia and Imani head to Georgia for a three day Farmland music festival。 It's an opportunity for Olivia to escape a situation back home in Indiana -- something that caused her deep pain -- but she lies to her mother to make it happen。 Imani is looking forward to a solid three days of friends-only time and Liv makes the promise this is what they'll be doing。Enter Toni and Peter。 They're also at the festival and they're long-time attendees。 Toni's father was a musician and despite how much he was Olivia and Imani head to Georgia for a three day Farmland music festival。 It's an opportunity for Olivia to escape a situation back home in Indiana -- something that caused her deep pain -- but she lies to her mother to make it happen。 Imani is looking forward to a solid three days of friends-only time and Liv makes the promise this is what they'll be doing。Enter Toni and Peter。 They're also at the festival and they're long-time attendees。 Toni's father was a musician and despite how much he was absent in her life （and the pain of unexpectedly losing him in a way that was traumatic）， she's drawn to it。 But she's torn between taking a safe choice going to college or taking a chance at making a crack at music。 She sees things in black and white。 When Toni and Olivia crash into one another， it's a quick crush。 But over the course of three days， the two girls have their ups and downs， challenge themselves to work through their pasts， and rectify the relationships in their lives that matter to them most。 I love Johnson's writing and her complex and compelling characters。 There might， however， be a little too much going on in this book， as well as maybe a bit too little。 That's a contradiction， of course; perhaps a better explanation is that the things that happened distracted a little bit from the things that could have been expanded。 The first two days of the festival dragged， and when there's a Big Incident， it's a quick run through day three， which was the most compelling and engaging。 A solid read about friendship， queer romances， tackling your personal challenges， as well as learning how to see and understand the world in shades of gray。 。。。more
USOM
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（I received this ARC as a part of the Miss Print Arc Adoption Program！）。TW: panic attacks， parental death， shootingThe chemistry in Rise to the Sun works so well to not only convey a story about love， but also one about self-acceptance。 While I loved reading the POVs of both Olivia and Toni - especially their interactions with each other - what I loved even more was watching both of their journeys unfolding。 The way that Johnson sets up these pieces of the stories， and seemingly opposite forces， （I received this ARC as a part of the Miss Print Arc Adoption Program！）。TW: panic attacks， parental death， shootingThe chemistry in Rise to the Sun works so well to not only convey a story about love， but also one about self-acceptance。 While I loved reading the POVs of both Olivia and Toni - especially their interactions with each other - what I loved even more was watching both of their journeys unfolding。 The way that Johnson sets up these pieces of the stories， and seemingly opposite forces， and allows them to be drawn together。 Olivia's feelings of being "too much" struck a chord within me。How one wonders if they're just too much for someone， just waiting for that one moment before someone leaves。 And all the ways society can convince us it's a flaw to be ourselves。 Rise to the Sun was fast paced and engaging and the dual POV worked so well to bring the characters to life。 To witness their dynamic。 The tension brought from yearning， the teasing and hesitant banter， and the vulnerability we allow ourselves。full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind。com/revi。。。 。。。more
Kristina Hart
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Rise to the Sun by Leah JohnsonI adored You Should See Me in a Crown， so I was super excited to read Leah Johnson’s newest title: Rise to the Sun。 I have to say it didn’t disappoint at all。Firstly， I love novels that revolve around music so having it set at a music festival was perfection。 I loved the vibe， the challenges， and the music。 It is set over the course of three days， where Olivia who seems to have endless love affairs that result in disaster， decides to have a fun weekend away from al Rise to the Sun by Leah JohnsonI adored You Should See Me in a Crown， so I was super excited to read Leah Johnson’s newest title: Rise to the Sun。 I have to say it didn’t disappoint at all。Firstly， I love novels that revolve around music so having it set at a music festival was perfection。 I loved the vibe， the challenges， and the music。 It is set over the course of three days， where Olivia who seems to have endless love affairs that result in disaster， decides to have a fun weekend away from all things love and just enjoy being with her best friend when in walks Toni and takes her breath away。 Toni is grieving the death of her father and feels closest to him at the annual Farmland Music and Arts Festival。 This year’s event， however， turns out to be very memorable indeed。If you enjoy YA contemporaries， with a splash of drama and a hint of tension， this is the book for you。 Leah writes from the heart; I honestly feel her books will resonate with so many people out there feeling alone in the world。 A story about grief， loss and love。 。。。more
Blakely Smith
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This book was OK。 Decent YA romance that I’ll definitely recommend to my readers， but I didn’t love it like Johnson’s other book。 I love good multiple POV book， but the characterization in this one wasn’t good enough to pull it off。 Maybe it was just me， but I found myself always flipping back to see whose POV the chapter was featuring。 I honestly found myself more interested in Peter and Imani！ Still looking forward to seeing what Johnson does next。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Rise to the Sun
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Rise to the Sun&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Rise to the Sun&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0