Even Stubborn Suns Will Set - A Review

Open Shelf recently read Even Stubborn Suns Will Set by Elden Brooks. Here's our review.

Even Stubborn Suns Will Set is available HERE.

Some novels entertain. Others comfort. Some seem written specifically for readers who are carrying something heavy and need someone to sit beside them for a while. Even Stubborn Suns Will Set falls firmly into that final category, blending romance, faith, grief, mental health, music, and hope into a story that feels remarkably sincere from beginning to end.

The novel opens with seventeen-year-old Tevy attending a therapy session while wrestling with suicidal thoughts and overwhelming grief following his mother's death. From the first chapter, the author demonstrates a willingness to engage with difficult subjects honestly.

Tevy is not portrayed as a caricature of depression, nor as a problem to be solved. Instead, he is presented as a thoughtful, wounded young man trying to understand whether life can still contain beauty after profound loss.

What follows is a deeply personal journey that explores the spaces between despair and hope. The author's greatest strength lies in his ability to capture emotional vulnerability without sacrificing warmth. Even in its darkest moments, the novel maintains a belief that connection matters and that people can help carry one another through seemingly impossible circumstances.

One of the most compelling elements of the story is the relationship between Tevy and Gracie. Their first meeting at a Jon McLaughlin concert instantly shifts the energy of the narrative. Gracie enters the novel with confidence, humour, and an infectious enthusiasm for life that provides a natural counterpoint to Tevy's introspective nature. Their dialogue sparkles with playful banter, awkward honesty, and the kind of emotional openness that gradually transforms strangers into something much more meaningful.

The concert scenes are among the strongest in the early chapters. The story captures the magic of discovering not only great music but genuine companionship. Whether discussing favourite songs, sharing cookies after midnight, or navigating conversations that many people would rather avoid, Tevy and Gracie feel authentic. Their growing bond is built not on idealised romance but on understanding, patience, and a shared awareness of pain.

The novel also deserves praise for its portrayal of disability. Gracie's wheelchair is a significant part of her life, but it never becomes her sole defining characteristic. She is funny, stubborn, compassionate, independent, and occasionally insecure. The conversations surrounding her accident and its aftermath are particularly effective because they focus on her humanity rather than inviting sympathy. The author gives her agency, complexity, and a powerful voice within the narrative.

As the story progresses, the emotional weight deepens considerably. Tevy's depression remains a constant presence, and the novel refuses to offer simplistic solutions. One midpoint chapter, in particular, demonstrates the book's maturity as it explores the limits of love when confronted with severe emotional suffering. Some of the most affecting passages emerge from conversations between Tevy and Gracie as they attempt to navigate the uncomfortable reality that caring for someone does not automatically remove their pain.

Throughout the novel, storytelling itself functions as a recurring theme. Memories of Tevy creating stories with his mother become a powerful symbol of love, loss, and legacy. Stories are not merely entertainment here; they are survival tools. They become a means of preserving hope when reality feels unbearable. Music serves a similar purpose, weaving through the narrative as both comfort and connection.

Faith also plays a significant role in the story's emotional framework. The story approaches spiritual questions with sincerity, allowing characters to wrestle with doubt, belief, suffering, and purpose in ways that feel organic to their experiences. Readers do not need to share the characters' beliefs to appreciate the emotional honesty behind these discussions.

By the final chapter, the novel reveals itself to be less a story about overcoming pain and more a story about learning to live alongside it. The beautiful "satellite call" imagery, the continued emphasis on human connection, and Tevy's growing determination to participate in his own future all contribute to an ending that feels genuinely earned. Rather than suggesting that life suddenly becomes easy, the novel argues that life can still become meaningful.

Perhaps the book's greatest achievement is its compassion. Every page seems written with empathy for those who have experienced grief, depression, loneliness, or feelings of not belonging. The author understands that hope is often fragile, and he treats that fragility with care. The result is a novel that feels less interested in delivering answers than in offering encouragement.

Even Stubborn Suns Will Set is heartfelt, earnest, and emotionally generous. It explores some of life's heaviest subjects while never losing sight of the possibility of joy. At its core, it is a story about choosing to stay, choosing to love, and choosing to believe that tomorrow may hold something worth seeing. For readers who enjoy emotionally driven contemporary fiction with strong themes of healing, connection, and resilience, this is a memorable and uplifting read that lingers long after the final page.

You can find Even Stubborn Suns Will Set  HERE.

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