2.0 ⭐

This book wasn't really for me but I can definitely see that it WILL be for others. I read and loved Ghost Music so I was really looking forward to Sunbirth, but unfortunately I found myself on the edge of DNFing the whole time and kind of wish I had.

Sunbirth is set in a fictional village near a lake called Five Poems Lake. Our main character is a pharmacist and her only other living relative is her older sister. Small pieces of the sun have been disappearing for 12 years a little at a time, until suddenly they are on the verge of the sun disappearing completely.

The prose is uncomplicated but beautiful - something I also loved about Ghost Music.

I love the premise of this story but just didn't find myself wanting to pick it up. I felt very disconnected from the characters and the plot and there wasn't really much driving us forward. It all felt very hopeless (which I realize is kind of the point), but I don't think I was in the headspace to appreciate it.

Maybe this would've worked better for me as an audiobook?

*Thank you to Grove Press and Netgalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Sunbirth is a strange novel in the sense that it’s quiet but emotionally charged, occasionally disjointed and full of ideas that don’t always land.

The first chunk of the book (around 50%) moves at a glacial pace. The writing style is minimalist but it felt a bit flat sometimes. With that being said, it does work well when we consider the emotional numbness of the unnamed narrator. Once the story starts to unravel, the pacing lunches forward and new interesting narrative layers emerge.

This novel is about sisters, grief and the blur between guilt and love. I thought the dynamic between the two girls was the most powerful part of the book. Their bond felt both endearing and suffocating which made a few moments unexpectedly personal and emotional.

Besides the themes mentioned before, this novel is also about trauma, loss, environmental collapse and identity. Some of these themes are handled with care, others feel like they’re thrown in too late or dropped too soon. At some points in my reading I felt like I, as a reader, was being introduced to a lot of different themes which, in all, felt a bit too much at times.

The ending felt particularly abrupt and while I didn’t dislike Sunbirth, I also didn’t fully connect with it either. It’s a slightly fractured book that left me feeling thoughtful by the end but that didn’t entirely satisfy me.

In Sunbirth, the reader is drawn into a world quietly unraveling under the weight of an impossible reality: the sun is vanishing. Not in a sudden, apocalyptic burst, but in gradual, unnerving increments; 5%, then 10%, then 20%; until, inevitably, it disappears completely. It is this slow erosion of light, and the psychological toll it exacts on a town left to witness it, that gives the novel its haunting power.

What makes Sunbirth remarkable is not the scale of its premise but its restraint. There is no hero’s journey, no scientific solution, no divine intervention. The townspeople, trapped under a dimming sky, respond not with rebellion but with the quiet, desperate gestures of people trying to preserve normalcy against a tide of cosmic indifference. They adjust their lives each time the sun weakens—changing routines, revising rituals, hoping that order can withstand entropy. But as light recedes, so too does reason, structure, and cohesion. People panic. Some vanish. Those who leave the town are never heard from again, swallowed by an uncertainty more terrifying than death.

The novel’s metaphysical response to this disintegration comes in the form of the “beacons,” people who, in a desperate bid for meaning, choose to become suns themselves. These “sunbirths” burn brightly, briefly, and are never seen again. Whether their act is one of transcendence or annihilation remains unclear. But their emergence reveals something deeply human: a longing to reclaim agency in a world that denies it. In fearing immortality beneath a dying sky, they chase mortality as a kind of rebirth. The paradox is chilling: to seek light through burning.

The writing itself mirrors the novel’s emotional and philosophical terrain. It is poetic, even elegiac, but never overwrought. The prose moves with the rhythms of twilight; measured, melancholy, intimate. Magical realism is not an aesthetic flourish here but a natural expression of the story’s inner logic. The boundary between the magical and the real is fluid and seamless, evoking a world where the impossible is not questioned but absorbed into daily life.

Sunbirth does not offer closure. It does not promise renewal or redemption. Instead, it gives us something rarer: a quiet meditation on helplessness, on waiting for an end that cannot be avoided, and on the fragile, flickering ways people try to make sense of that darkness. In a literary landscape saturated with spectacle and salvation, Sunbirth dares to dwell in stillness, and that is its most luminous achievement.

Sunbirth is a thought-provoking book about two sisters navigating their relationship while they deal with a slowly disappearing sun and the death of their father.

This is a book that I know I’ll be thinking about and reflecting on for a while to come. I like that the book left some things a mystery, just like how some things are in real life. It was a contemplative story that leaves you thinking about the expectations we have for ourselves and for the loved ones in our lives. I liked that the mystery of the Beacons was something I hadn’t read anything similar to in another book and that it wasn’t something easily explained.

I think the best books are the ones that will pop up in our minds for years to come, and this definitely will spend some time in my thoughts!

'Sunbirth' by An Yu is a dystopian work where we follow our main character whose name is not revealed throughout the novel but we do see her interactions in this world where sun doesn't exist anymore. Our main character runs a pharmacy in a small village named Five Poems Lake. We follow her story with her sister Dong Ji her only remaining relative in this frozen world where the sun is chipping away day by day. No one knows why the sun is disappearing and we see some abnormalities happening in this small village. We see questionable suicides, harassments, weird footage of people looking like they are the sun themselves. Alot of confusion and loose ends are showcased and we are clueless as our main protagonist.

My ebook was kinda messed up so that derailed my reading experience abit but all in all this was surprisingly a quick read where we get character study and vivid imagery of this sun-less world. This made me think about our life and what sun represents in our lives—metaphorically and otherwise. 3.5 stars, would recommend if you are new into the dystopian genre

I WILL READ ANYTHING AN YU WRITES— i literally scoured every bookshop i could find in my country and abroad for copies of her first two books. i read them as ebooks and just HAD to get physical copies to annotate. I’M SO GLAD THIS ARC WAS GIVEN TO ME. thank you so much, Grove Atlantic!!!

"Sunbirth" is a literary fiction novel that incorporates elements of magical realism. It explores themes of sisterhood and grief, set against the backdrop of a small desert village where the sun gradually disappears over the years. As this phenomenon unfolds, the villagers' heads transform into miniature suns, giving them a zombie-like appearance.

Although the premise is quite unusual, Yu's (Ghost Music) writing effectively addresses serious topics such as grief and sexual assault, which are central to the story. However, as the narrative progresses, it attempts to tackle too many different themes and ideas, resulting in an ending that feels unfinished and disjointed. Yu's (Ghost Music) style and storytelling evoke comparisons to authors like Sayaka Murata and Bae Suah.

While "Sunbirth" is primarily character-driven, its inconsistent pacing leads to unrealistic character development. Some arcs feel rushed, while others drag on. The setting is consistently well-described and detailed, making it easy and enjoyable to follow. Overall, I cannot recommend this book due to the inconsistencies in writing throughout, which can make it difficult to follow. Thank you, NetGalley and Grove Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sunbirth is An Yu’s upcoming novel, set to be published in August. Known for Braised Pork and Ghost Music, An Yu returns with a quiet but powerful story of two sisters living in a village where the sun is slowly disappearing from the sky. ☀️

I spotted this book on Bookstagram just once or twice and didn’t know much about the author or the plot—but the stunning cover immediately pulled me in. I knew I had to check it out, so I requested an advanced copy from @groveatlantic via @netgalley 🥰

The story takes place in Five Poems Lake, a small and isolated village that feels like a prison to some—but not to our protagonist, who’s content with her place in the world. Her only concern is the sun. She keeps watching the sky, quietly dreading its absence. While the looming mystery of the vanishing sun keeps you hooked, the novel’s heart lies in the bond between the sisters and the quiet strength of family. 👭🏻

There’s another mystery, too—one rooted in the past. The sisters try to uncover the truth behind their father's death, raising the question: are some secrets better left buried? 🧐

All in all, this was a mesmerising read. I kept turning the pages, eager to discover what would unfold. I’ve now added An Yu’s earlier books to my TBR and can’t wait to read them. If you're looking for a novel you won't be able to put down—quietly suspenseful, beautifully written—I highly recommend Sunbirth. 🥰

EArc provided courtesy of NetGalley, spoilers ahead.

This book had a wonderful dreamlike quality to it. I did love it but have so many questions nagging at me still due to the open ending which I love in a slightly masochistic way. I don't really have many criticisms or thoughts relating to this as I felt like I was Dong Ji's sister while I was reading, despite not even being a woman, which is a real testament to the quality of An Yu's writing. The use of the sun as a metaphor for grief just perfect, at least that's my interpretation of the sun's disappearance at Ba's death and return only when the sisters begin to truly heal from his death and their relationship with Dong Ji taking less of the familial burdens, allowing her sister to come into her own and to take some of the burden with her.

4 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for this advanced reading copy.

Sunbirth is an interesting novel. It was easily readable in an afternoon and extremely compulsive throughout. It's power as a novel comes from the complex questions it poses - and I have found myself thinking of it regularly over the days since I have read it. I would highly recommend for fans of Sayaka Murata,

In a town called Five Poems Lake, two sisters grapple with the disappearance of their father from over a decade ago amid a turbulent time - each day significant slivers of the sun seem to be disappearing. Days get colder, and people fear what this will mean for survival without sunlight if the sun continues to disappear into nothing. Further, there's also a strange phenomenon where people's heads spontaneously burst into bright balls of light.

There's a scarcity to the writing. The development of the story is slow and moves back and forward in time. It also follows multiple people throughout the town which is a little discordant at times.

It had a zombie apocalypse feeling to it despite the complete lack of zombies. The descriptions of the dynamic explored between the two sisters is what kept me so invested in what happens to them. They both had their childhood stolen from them too early but they are also both alternate mothers to each other.

The book explored finding purpose in life, hope in one's family and footing in where you've settled. Is home where the family is even if you cease to exist? After we all die, if we are no longer remembered, do we cease to exist? Can we be rebirthed?

The buildup of the story felt intriguing in the beginning, but petered out in the middle for me and by the end felt a a little anticlimactic. I wish it had more exploration of the magical element to it.

The sun is slowly disappearing and in a small village in Five Poems Lake, people are slowly turning into Beacons—humans with a tiny sun as their heads. ☀️ It’s a dawn of a new kind of apocalypse. Two sisters try to figure out what is going on and how their late father might hold some secret to make sense of their reality.

This was a very strange read but for some reason, I could not stop reading it. As the characters try to uncover the truth, we’re left with more questions than answers. And maybe that’s the point, for how much can you truly know about the mysteries of the universe? 💭

The book just seems to go on with conversations that feels so normal and doesn’t add much to the plot and somehow I just went along with it?? I don’t fully get it, but I don’t think I will forget it either.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic for the review copy!

An interesting, and at times surreal novel about one town’s slow apocalypse. The sun has been shrinking slowly over a long period of time, but has started rapidly increasing its disappearance. This coincides with sightings of people emitting an impossibly bright light from their head. The story follows a woman as she grapples with this new reality and her relationships with those around her, namely her sister. I found that their relationship was the most interesting in the novel, both have opposing views regarding most conflicts in the book. The beginning started a little slow, but about 15% in I was completely hooked. I really enjoyed the imagery, but I wouldn’t recommend to anyone looking for a more concrete read. It does feel more grounded than other more surreal stories, closer to a show like The Leftovers. Really great read!

Sunbirth is the story of the death of the sun and the rebirth of a new light.

In a world where the sun is slowly disappearing, our main character is living in a constant cold environment, trying to navigate life while also navigating this wild situation. Then, she encounters a Beacon, or a person who has become an almost mini-sun, and is terrified to learn that her late father may have known something about these people. It's a story of the end of the world, and also of how our main character navigates her relationships with her friends and family.

Overall a very interesting premise, and very satisfyingly executed. An Yu manages to put a lot of different themes into a very complicated setting, making it seem very realistic (and honestly a little scary).

Thank you to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic/Grove Press, and An Yu for an ARC copy of this book.

What a strange novel. Did I get a story of environmental collapse? Nope, but at one point, with all the disappearing sun and decay of the built environment, I thought I did. Did I get a story about a family and grief? Nope. But at one point, it certainly seemed like it was. Did I get a whodunnit? No, but there's a narrative thread dedicated to discovering the cause of death of one character. Did I get a bizarre, magical realist set-up? I did, but what it actually meant and what was its function in the novel remains a mystery to me. I'm very curious about other An Yu's novels now.

3.5/5 stars.
This book is pretty character driven, so if you're expecting a lot of action, maybe go elsewhere. The main thing that kept me from rating this book 4 stars are the plot holes and unanswered questions. I love ambiguous endings and questions in some books, but not when it's the important plot points that are not being addressed or explained. Rather than being left open to interpretation or things that can't be explained, these just felt like abandoned plot lines. The concept itself was pretty interesting though, and it kept my interest for the most part.

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-ARC. *5 STARS*

Let's get this out of the way: I adored this book so consider this review biased.

In SUNBIRTH, the residents of Five Poems Lake are really just trying to get by. Only, the Sun seemingly disappears overhead, and the already-inhospitable desert that isolates the village becomes a snowy wasteland. Residents grapple with realities like crop failure and plummeting temperatures with no choice but to continue on; work their jobs, go home. At the same time, our protagonist and her sister, Dong Ji, become entangled in the mystery that has unfolded in parallel (or contrast) to the disappearing sun: the emergence of "Beacons," people whose heads are overtaken by small, roaring blazes.

What unfolds is a multi-POV account that weaves past and present beautifully. The dynamic between sisters is convincing, and the love between them is so complicated, at times messy. The protagonist is almost painfully self-aware, and has the ability to see intense things with a great distance while experiencing them. This, in contrast to her strong-headed sister, creates a dynamic main cast full of small idiosyncrasies that feel like their own. Set against the backdrop of magical realism imagining of an apocalypse scenario, it is all very hypnotic.

The writing is just so great. Just really pared down and intentional use of language. The descriptions of light were just so luscious. I scribbled down so many quotes and took so many pictures of passages. Once the book is published, I will come back and share some favorites. Anyway, I am a huge fan of An Yu now, which gives me a couple more books to read!

Sunbirth – An Yu
A haunting and poetic novel that explores themes of rebirth, longing, and the search for meaning. An Yu’s lyrical prose paints a dreamlike world that feels both intimate and vast, making Sunbirth a story that lingers in the mind like a half-remembered dream. Fans of literary fiction with a touch of magical realism will find this book mesmerizing.

Eerie novella that I could absolutely see being adapted into a film down the line. This is the story of two sisters trying to live their lives as the darkness that hangs over their town starts to increase, and people seem to transform into bodies with beacons of light attached to them, and as they try to keep their family together as people randomly ascend. Gorgeous and eerie as hell.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I have read An Yu’s two other novels (Braised Pork and Ghost Music) and I feel like with each book she’s getting better. Sunbirth blew me away. It is the right mix of atmospheric, surreal and fast-paced.

*

The sun is disappearing. Days are getting darker and colder, but nobody knows why the sun shrinks. There won’t be coming any help either. Beyond the city limits of Five Poems Lake is nothing but a vast, unforgiving desert. The few who dared to venture into it are never to be seen again.

The protagonist, a young pharmacist, tries to live her life under the disappearing sun as well as she manages to. One night, she gets attacked by one of her delivery drivers. Before the attack gets physical, the driver’s head turns into a miniature sun: a beacon. Scared and bewildered, the protagonist confides to her sister and a family friend, a young police officer who worked with her deceased father, who was also a police officer. As strange things keep on happening, she tries to find out the truth about her father’s death many years ago and how it might be connected to the beacons.

*

In her third novel, An Yu manages again to suck me into one of her strange worlds. The story heavily relies on the three dimensional characters and their relationships to each other, but is plot-driven at the same time, which is not an easy feat. The descent into surrealism is slow at first, but then accelerates. While sometimes surrealism seems to be a tool to appear “artistic”, this is not the case here. As proven with this and her two other novels, An Yu is a master of the surreal. It is playful at times, atmospheric at others, but always effortless. Yes, not everything is happening logically, but it moves with the narrative so fluidly that it becomes addictive.

*

Overall, I loved this book. Go read it!