Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny, upbeat romance has a serious side.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
SUNNY G'S SERIES OF RASH DECISIONS begins with the one to finally go to prom, even though he doesn't have a date, and even though his family is marking the one-year anniversary of his older brother Goldy's death with a memorial gathering at his house. Other rash decisions include getting on the back of a motorcycle with a girl he just met, driving around town in an ice cream truck he borrowed without asking, and taking a huge bite of super-spicy Hmong sausage. Sunny's real hope is that acting more like Goldy will help him to finally understand his brother's life and tragic death. But is that even possible?
Is It Any Good?
This debut novel manages to perfectly balance fun, adventure, and romance with tragic loss and grief. Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions has a breathless feeling of excitement, wry humor, and a terrific example of romance blossoming from a solid foundation of friendship and understanding. Sunny and Mindii are many things, and their characters are well realized and easy to relate to even as each comes from an underrepresented background.
The early part of the book has a lot of cultural and pop-culture references coming fast, which can be confusing until you figure each one out, and may have some readers frequently looking them up online. The middle slows down when some of Sunny and Mindii's conversations start to feel repetitive. But the large cast of colorful, diverse characters and Sunny's and Mindii's bittersweet memories of lost loves ones are enough to keep readers' interest until the next rash decision comes along. Best for teens who can handle the depictions of alcohol abuse and strong language.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about alcohol addiction in Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions. How does Goldy's addiction affect himself and his loved ones? What did you learn about alcohol addiction that you didn't know?
What about the strong language? Is it realistic? Does that matter? How much is too much?
This novel mixes fun, adventure, and romance with loss and grief. Do think the author did good job of balancing all those elements?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Contemporary Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Empathy , Integrity , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Dial Books
- Publication date : February 8, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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