By Laura McCarthy.
How quickly can sunshine fade and clouds dominate when you are taken in by the wrong crowd?
British-Jamaican writer William Rayfet Hunter, winner of the #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize 2022, has released his debut novel; Sunstruck was published by Penguin Random House UK this May. In the novel, Hunter explores ideas of race, class, and LGBTQ+ identities. It is an especially fitting read for Pride Month, as we follow our protagonist through a turbulent whirlwind of queer romance.
It starts in the summer time, when the main character is invited to stay at an extravagant mansion in the South of France by his friend, Lily, from university. Drawn to her brother Felix, he is soon wrapped up in the champagne, cocaine, caviar lifestyle of this wealthy family. Little does he know that, when the summer ends, everything will come crashing down around him.
As a mixed-race, gay man from a difficult background, he could never been seen as an equal in their privileged world. This social divide is carefully inspected by Hunter. It’s always present, even in the dreamlike haze of part one, where seemingly well meaning characters like Lily commit micro-aggressions without realising it. This only grows and becomes more obvious throughout the narrative, to the point where it can no longer be ignored or brushed over, despite our protagonist’s efforts to do so, so that he can fit into their privileged bubble. But he doesn’t fit in, no matter how hard he tries. Soon, he will fight back and try to make his voice heard, but can you really fight back against such power?
In this respect, it is an interesting choice for our narrator to remain unnamed, reflecting his position in society. He is seen as a nobody. Ultimately, he does not matter at all to these people.
For a debut, it’s certainly an enjoyable read. It is well paced and builds on ideas as the story progresses. Hunter juggles a multitude of social issues and makes the effort to create complex characters which cannot be seen as wholly good or wholly evil. Mostly. Sometimes, these characters do verge into caricature, especially as we reach the end of the novel, though I can see how this has been done for the purpose of Hunter’s message and to create a thrilling atmosphere.
We also cannot ignore the many, many comparisons readers and reviewers have made to Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn. Both have two syllable titles which start with ‘s’. Both feature rich men called Felix who become the source of infatuation for a man of lower social status. Both highlight the destructive allure of a wealthy lifestyle. That said, I think we are doing a disservice to Hunter by making such comparisons. His novel delves into topics of race, class, and queerness more deeply, and offers greater insight into each of these angles, than Saltburn does.
Yes, Sunstruck can be a bit on the nose, often bashing us over the head with key messages, especially as we near closer to the end of the book. But it is a strong debut and I will always advocate for supporting new writers and for winners of the #Merky Books prize who provide a loudspeaker to under-represented communities.
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