The Hard Truth About Sunshine

By: Sawyer Bennett

Narrated by: Lance Greenfield

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author Sawyer Bennett has written her most gripping and poignant tale yet. Provocatively heart-breaking, audaciously irreverent and romantically fulfilling, The Hard Truth About Sunshine exposes just how very thin the line is between a full life and an empty existence.

An angry, bitter amputee.

An optimist losing her eyesight.

A dying kid.

A suicidal thief.

Four people with nothing in common but their destination.

Despite having narrowly escaped death's clutches, Christopher Barlow is grateful for nothing. His capacity to love has been crushed. He hates everyone and everything, completely unable to see past the gray stain of misery that coats his perception of the world. It's only after he involuntarily joins a band of depressed misfits who are struggling to overcome their own problems, does Christopher start to re-evaluate his lot in life.

What could they possibly learn from one another? How could they possibly help each other to heal? And the question that Christopher asks himself over and over again...can he learn to love again?

He's about to find out as he embarks upon a cross country trip with a beautiful woman who is going blind, a boy with terminal cancer, and an abuse victim who can't decide whether she wants to live or die.

They will encounter adventure, thrills, loss, and love.

And within their travels they will learn the greatest lesson of all.

The hard truth about sunshine...

Warning: This book deals with some tough issues including suicide and sexual abuse.

©2017 Sawyer Bennett (P)2017 Sawyer Bennett

A strong story worth reading and listening to

I enjoyed listening to this story. There were parts I missed when reading this book. Sawyer Bennett wrote a story for the times. Christopjher is a former marine angry with the world. Connor is a dead kid walking. Barb is a tough chick and Jillian is a ray of sunshine
They are on a trip.that none of them know how it will end. It is a roller coaster ride of emotions. Even though I was not in the military I related to Christopher. This is a story that will leave you contemplating it when you finish. I couldnt bring myself to do anything else. I just sat there drained.
I really liked how the narrator sounded when he read the part of Christopher but not so much Jillians part.

Wow

It was hard to put this one down. 4 lives who need each other to overcome obstacles that no one else understands. I definately recommend this audio book. Beware foul language at the beginning and then it slowly changes into a beautiful story.

Stunning & Beautiful

I loved this book! This book will stay with me for a long time. A top read of the year for sure.

Good book but wrapped up too quickly

The dozens of strikeouts throughout this book were annoying as hell, er strike that, completely excessive. It was fine at first but started to get really obnoxious.
I enjoyed most of this book but feel that it fizzled out toward the end and wrapped up too quickly. I don't feel any closure or resolution, just more of an, 'oh that's it?, well okay then'.
Overall, I give The Hard Truth About Sunshine 3.5 stars.

Audible: The narrator did a good job. I didn't have any complaints. He was easy to listen to and had good distinction between characters.

Such a heart gaping full of emotions book!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Heck yes because its moving and the narrations is outstanding!

Any additional comments?
So not your typical Sawyer Bennett book, which in itself show her power in writing! By taking you on a hypnotic read. One that will sear your mind, burying you with its touch and reveling in its flame. Just the swirls of the mix of characters and plots will have you simmering with a need for more. More of everything! That perfect amount of fire, that blows embers into the fire and to dust!
Searing you by the heat and lighting you up from within!! Powerful!

Sharing feelings

The beautiful feelings each person shared. Sad but inspiring. Each person had their own cross to bear and was helpful to each other.

Good but slow

I liked that the story line was so different but for reason I couldn't get into it. I started & stopped it 3x before I finished it. It was a good story and well written.

Heartbreakingly poignant and soul shattering

Heartbreakingly poignant and soul shattering. My emotions are fractured after listening to this story but I need to write a few words. Sawyer Bennett has delivered a brilliant, emotional story of hope and loss, of pain and courage. I was determined not to read this book, well not anytime soon, but instead of reading it I listened to it on audio. This book is confronting on numerous levels but I am eternally grateful that I found the courage to listen. The Truth About Sunshine is burned into my soul. Thank you Sawyer Bennett.

Heart bounding pulse racing good!!!

This book will make you laugh, cry and fall in love with the characters. The journey is amazing to cross of bucket list items.....being able to hear the story added depth to the characters and the story....

Great Emotional Story!

This book was nothing like any other Sawyer Bennett book I've listened to! It was such an emotional story line and the characters were all very strong in their own ways. This book is about 4 VERY different people with very different issues taking a trip together, only they each find more than they expected along the way. I giggled, I was sad, I was mad, I was happy.... Yes this hit a lot of emotions!! I loved that each character has their own issues that the others could never really understand completely but they tried and with that they found exactly what they needed in each other. This book touches on everything from depression, illness, PTSD, Loss & so much more. Great story!

With all that I loved about this book I have to say the narration was not one of them. I love Lance Greenfield but I didn't feel he was right for this book, especially since it was a solo narrated audiobook. He fit good for Christopher which was good because the story is told from his POV. But I had a very hard time liking & connecting with all the other characters because his voices & tones made them almost unlikable to me. I especially had a hard time with his female voices. I would have recommended dual narration or if going with a single narrator he needs to be able to pull off off the different ages for both male & female characters.