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Sunstruck

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Sunstruck

By: William Rayfet Hunter
Narrated by: William Rayfet Hunter
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

WINNER OF THE #MERKY BOOKS 2022 NEW WRITER'S PRIZE

It’s summer and a young man walks through the gates of a luxurious mansion in the south of France. At the dinner table, the Blakes are waiting for him: Annie, the family matriarch and world-famous singer, her inscrutable husband David and their children, Dot, aloof and rebellious, Lily, the man’s carefree university friend, and their enigmatic older brother Felix.
Between sun-drenched days spent lounging by the pool and nights blurring into endless, opulent parties far from the reality of life in London, a restless attraction grows between Felix and the man. The possibility to be part of a family – and an entire world – in which he doesn’t belong is suddenly within reach.
But the idyllic haze of the summer slowly fades as they return to the city. While the man struggles with his troubled past and the challenges of navigating Felix’s world as a black, working-class person, Felix is tormented by demons of his own. As their lives spiral out of control, the couple’s bond will not only be tested but pulled apart at the seams, altering the course of their lives and the future of those around them.
Sunstruck is a dazzling and poignant exploration of race, status and the parts of ourselves we risk losing when we fall in love.


© William Rayfet Hunter 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

 Coming of Age Family Life Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Romance

Critic reviews

This summer's hottest read
Sticky and pacy with an undercurrent of unease, you won't want to put it down
Rich and complex
A heartbreaking but necessary portrayal of identity and belonging in modern day Britain. It's the perfect beach read
The book of the summer . . . a pacy page-turner and a timely piece of social commentary
Richly evoked and quietly furious, building from its Saltburn-like beginnings into a roar about the state of modern Britain that never loses sight of the questions around family, friendship and belonging at its emotional core
There’s plenty of plot; the novel’s brisk pacing, together with its shrewd blend of emotional sincerity, brooding intrigue and political overtones, make for a lively beach read
[A] dark, intoxicating debut . . . A thoughtful meditation on class, race and queerness
Sticky, twisting and dangerous: Sunstruck compels, unravelling the fraught strings that keep the elite class together and asking if an outsider can ever truly belong in their fold (Rebecca K Reilly)
Hunter's debut skilfully follows the journey of an aspiring Black musician drawn into a world of privilege and excess. Beautifully written and well-paced . . . builds tension as it approaches an exciting revelation (Jacqueline Crooks)
All stars
Most relevant
Gorgeous writing and such a well paced story. Narrated by the author which feels fitting with themes

Fabulous

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Sunstruck is a striking and confident debut that really stayed with me. Set between a dreamy summer in France and the sharp edge of London life, it follows an unnamed mixed-race man from Manchester who becomes caught up in the world of his privileged university friend and her powerful family.

It’s a novel that looks head-on at race, class and belonging — with the main character both welcomed in and always slightly kept at a distance. I thought William Rayfet-Hunter captured that tension brilliantly: the lure of wealth and opportunity, but also the quiet, uncomfortable moments where identity and power come into conflict.

The writing is atmospheric and compelling. Overall, Sunstruck is sharp, stylish and unsettling in all the right ways.

A compelling debut exploring race, class and privilege

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William is a natural and amazing narrator and author, pulled into the story from beginning to end. The complexities of race gender and social standing where money talks but doesn’t bring happiness. I hope there is another i can see this being a fabulous film

The story and the narration couldn’t stop listening

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Highly recommended subverts your expectations throughout and beautifully performed by the author
One to watch out for

Great debut

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