Shine

'An irresistibly exotic story of family, friendship, ghosts and legends' Booktrust

Gourlay has created something very special here . . . [Shine] is about reinvention and the faces we present to the world . . . all wrapped up in an exciting and perfectly paced story with a disturbing and dramatic climax. . . . She has truly found her voice.

[An] irresistibly exotic story of family, friendship, ghosts and legends . . . A sparkling jewel of a story.

Has you laughing and crying at the same time. You despair at people’s prejudice. But then there are people who make you believe in humanity again. I can’t tell you what style Shine is written in. You just don’t notice. It just feels perfect.

There is a deftness of touch . . . This is a moving story about family secrets and the importance of communication and connection.

Powerful central mystery . . . likeable and well-rounded characters . . . This story will suit a reasonably confident reader emotionally robust enough to appreciate an intense family thriller.  If they also love an intriguing and well-realised contemporary setting, then they will thoroughly enjoy SHINE.

Wow, I loved Shine! I was hooked from the first page! It was a thrilling roller-coaster ride and I could barely put it down . . . I’d give Shine six stars out of five!

A treat: original, beautifully written and very enjoyable

Candy Gourlay is a Filipino author based in London. Her debut novel Tall Story won the Crystal Kite Prize for Europe and the National Book Award in the Philippines. It was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for 13 prizes including the Blue Peter, the Waterstones Prize and the Branford Boase. When she’s not blogging, Candy loves taking photographs and making videos. Shine is her second novel. www.candygourlay.com

Monsters are in the eye of the beholder. 
 
Rosa suffers from a rare condition that renders her mute. She lives on the strange island of Mirasol where the rain never seems to stop. 
 
In the gloom of the island, its superstitious population are haunted by all sorts of fears . . . they shun people who suffer from Rosa's condition, believing them to be monsters. So Rosa must live hidden away in an isolated house with its back to the rest of the world, with only the internet for a social life. 
 
But Rosa has no desire to leave Mirasol. This is where her mother died and every night she lights a candle on the windowsill. The islanders believe this is the way to summon ghosts, and Rosa wants her mother back. 
 
One day she is befriended by a boy online who calls himself Ansel95 – and she quickly realizes that this is one friendship that can take place in the real world. Can she really trust him? What does he want from her? 
 
And then Mother turns up at the front door. 
 
From the author of the critically-acclaimed Tall Story comes a haunting, intense and moving novel which weaves myths and ghosts into a modern setting. As Rosa's social life blossoms, how will she seize the freedom to be who she really is?

Candy Gourlay

Gourlay spins slender threads of wishes and prayers, magic and miracles, desires and redemption 
and weaves together an impressively sweet and rich tale

I enjoyed Candy Gourlay's Tall Story

This is a story that is funny, sad and magical. I thought the author chose a good subject to write about because she wrote about very real emotions. She also added a bit of imagination which made it very interesting. The main characters tell the story in alternate chapters. I would recommend this book - pure brilliant!

Be careful what you wish for . . . 
Andi is short. And she has lots of wishes. She wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she wishes for her own bedroom, but most of all she wishes that her long lost half brother, Bernardo, could come and live in London, where he belongs. 
Then Andi's biggest wish comes true and she's minutes away from becoming someone's little sister. As she waits anxiously for Bernardo to arrive from the Philippines, she hopes he'll turn out to be tall and just as mad as she is about basketball. When he finally arrives, he's tall all right. But he's not just tall ... he's a GIANT. 
In a novel packed with humour and quirkiness, Gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures.

Candy Gourlay

Praise for Tall Story

Gourlay spins slender threads of wishes and prayers, magic and miracles, desires and redemption
and weaves together an impressively sweet and rich tale

I enjoyed Candy Gourlay's Tall Story

This is a story that is funny, sad and magical. I thought the author chose a good subject to write about because she wrote about very real emotions. She also added a bit of imagination which made it very interesting ...

Gourlay spins slender threads of wishes and prayers, magic and miracles, desires and redemption
and weaves together an impressively sweet and rich tale

I enjoyed Candy Gourlay's Tall Story

This is a story that is funny, sad and magical. I thought the author chose a good subject to write about because she wrote about very real emotions. She also added a bit of imagination which made it very interesting ...

Gourlay spins slender threads of wishes and prayers, magic and miracles, desires and redemption
and weaves together an impressively sweet and rich tale

I enjoyed Candy Gourlay's Tall Story

This is a story that is funny, sad and magical. I thought the author chose a good subject to write about because she wrote about very real emotions. She also added a bit of imagination which made it very interesting ...

Books by Candy Gourlay

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter

Praise for Tall Story

Gourlay spins slender threads of wishes and prayers, magic and miracles, desires and redemption and weaves together an impressively sweet and rich tale

I enjoyed Candy Gourlay's Tall Story

This is a story that is funny, sad and magical. I thought the author chose a good subject to write about because she wrote about very real emotions. She also added a bit of imagination which made it very interesting ...

Gourlay spins slender threads of wishes and prayers, magic and miracles, desires and redemption and weaves together an impressively sweet and rich tale

I enjoyed Candy Gourlay's Tall Story

This is a story that is funny, sad and magical. I thought the author chose a good subject to write about because she wrote about very real emotions. She also added a bit of imagination which made it very interesting ...

Gourlay spins slender threads of wishes and prayers, magic and miracles, desires and redemption and weaves together an impressively sweet and rich tale

I enjoyed Candy Gourlay's Tall Story

This is a story that is funny, sad and magical. I thought the author chose a good subject to write about because she wrote about very real emotions. She also added a bit of imagination which made it very interesting ...

Books by Candy Gourlay

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter

Gourlay spins slender threads of wishes and prayers, magic and miracles, desires and redemption
and weaves together an impressively sweet and rich tale

Gourlay spins slender threads of wishes and prayers, magic and miracles, desires and redemption
and weaves together an impressively sweet and rich tale

Gourlay spins slender threads of wishes and prayers, magic and miracles, desires and redemption
and weaves together an impressively sweet and rich tale