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#BookOfTheDay #TheSunflowerBoys #SamWachman #ContemporaryFiction #LiteraryFiction #bookstoread

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Kindle Deals: $1.99 & $2.99 @moyerginny @sam.wachman @authordanbrown @authorbeatriz @hkdimon @rosiestorey

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the sunflower boys // sam wachman

four and a quarter stars

twelve-year-old artem’s life in ukraine is turned upside down when russia invades in february 2022. as he and his younger brother, yuri, flee the violence in hopes of reuniting with their father in america, artem must navigate the horrors of war while coming to terms with his sexuality and his feelings for his best friend, viktor.

i sped through the sunflower boys in just 24 hours. it was that good. this is a story that weaves coming of age, war, queer identity, and heartache together beautifully. it’s hard to believe this is the author’s debut because of how thoughtfully and skillfully it’s written. there is so much packed into this story, yet it never feels overstuffed or superficial.

i found the structure particularly compelling. the short chapters feel fitting for a 12-year-old narrator, and the imagery wachman creates is incredibly impressive. there were passages that nearly brought me to tears, a testament to just how deeply emotional this book is.

ultimately, i wanted more… and to me, that’s the mark of a great book. when a story ends and you’re still longing to know more about its protagonist and their future, you know it has left an impression.

and lastly, this book feels incredibly timely. i’m amazed by how quickly this story came together, especially given how recent the war in ukraine is. it speaks to wachman’s talent and skill as a young author. a truly impressive debut that will stay with me for a long time.

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These 6 books are currently under my personal protection and I will be accepting exactly ZERO criticism at this time 📚

You may have opinions.

You may even have strongly held opinions.

Unfortunately for you, the court has reviewed the evidence and your appeal has been denied.

These are six of my favorite reads of 2026 so far, and whether it was the character growth, the emotional damage, the queer chaos, the worldbuilding, or simply the fact that they scratched a very specific part of my brain, I am standing ten toes down.

Especially This Inevitable Ruin, because Princess Donut has had more character development than half the men I’ve dated and I will not be elaborating further.

So yes:
criticism dismissed.
case closed.
court adjourned.

Now be brave and tell me which one you disagree with most 👀 or tell me one of your fave reads this year that you will defend at all cost 😁

#bookstagram #bookrecommendations #bestbooks2026 #queerbooks #fantasybooks

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Monday Debrief: Last Weeks Reads!

It was a great reading week!

The Reformatory: Immersive read
Dear Monica Lewinsky: Immersive read
She’s a Doll: Audio (and our baseball moms book club pick)
The Sunflower Boys: Physical copy

#bookclub #bookworm #therapist #books #bookish

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Tickets are now on sale for our Conversations with the Authors event! This intimate gathering will take place at the Victoria Theatre on November 7.

Authors in conversation will be:

Holbrooke Winner Ann Patchett
Fiction Winner Sam Wachman, The Sunflower Boys
Fiction Runner-Up Charlotte McConaghy, Wild Dark Shore
Nonfiction Winner Kevin Sack, Mother Emanuel
Nonfiction Runner-Up Eve L. Ewing, Original Sins
Interviewer Rachel Martin
Moderator Gilbert King

Tickets can be purchased via the link in our bio, or by visiting Dayton LIVE’s website. We look forward to hosting our authors and seeing you at the theatre! 🕊️

#daytonliterarypeaceprize #daytonevents #literaryevents #authorconversation #daytonohio

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Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

12 year old Artem’s life in Chernihiv Ukraine is pretty normal. He goes to school with his 9 year old brother Yuri and his best friend Viktor, he draws in his sketchbook, helps his grandfather harvest sunflower seeds at the end of every summer. There are some complications, like his father living in the US so he could work and make more money to support the family, and his increasingly complicated feelings for his best friend, who happens to be a boy. Artem lives in a culture where being gay is not easily accepted, so he worries about this truth becoming known. But on a cold February night, Artem and Yuri’s lives change forever. Russia invades Ukraine on February 22, 2022, dropping bombs and artillery on civilians.

This book was DEVASTATING. I cried at almost every chapter. The beginning was such a beautiful coming of age story about a queer boy afraid of his blossoming feelings and what those feelings may mean. Artem struggles with the things that any queer 12 year old would struggle with, so he was immensely relatable. I felt transported to a childhood of skinned knees, bike riding, trips to the beach, memories that are universal and could belong to any child coming of age in the 20th century. Author Wachman affectively used nostalgia as a tool to connect the reader to the lives of Yuri and Artem, reminding us that they are normal children. This fact makes what happens next all the more devastating. Watching Artem and Yuri wander through the decimated remains of their beloved country broke my heart many times. I felt afraid with them, felt the blood boiling in their veins, the anger growing like the hunger in their bellies. I felt it all with them. A truly gorgeous book that made me stop and think about all the things in my life I am grateful to have: a home, a family, access to food, clean water. Though it was mostly sad, there were stunning moments of joy weaved throughout the book, tiny little victories and moments of love that give the reader hope. As said by an 82 year-old grandfather: “War cannot be understood; it must be felt.”
Read the full review on my Substack! Link in bio
#bookreviews

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Our 2026 winner is nothing short of breathtaking. Sam Wachman’s The Sunflower Boys is a poignant, coming-of-age story that leaves readers aching. Hauntingly beautiful, this novel demonstrates what it means to survive in a war-torn world. We are honored to welcome Sam to Dayton in November to receive his honor.
#daytonliterarypeaceprize #samwachman #thesunflowerboys #harperperennial #bookawards

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Big news: our friend and wonderful writer Sam Wachman just won the fiction prize at the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for his debut novel, The Sunflower Boys. 🌻
We hosted Sam last year for a Ukrainian Cultural Festival event at the Center for Fiction, where he joined Oksana Lutsyshyna for a conversation on migration, queerness, and identity, moderated by Johannes Lichtman. Swipe through for a look back!
Congratulations, Sam — so well deserved.

Watch the conversation on YouTube — link in bio

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A devastatingly beautiful story of innocence, love, loss and survival

Sam Wachman’s The Sunflower Boys took me completely by surprise. I went into this debut expecting a powerful coming-of-age story set against the war in Ukraine. I wasn’t prepared for how deeply Artem and Yuri would get under my skin.

The story begins in the gentle rhythms of childhood. Twelve-year-old Artem spends his days playing in the woods, drawing in his sketchbook, swimming with his little brother Yuri and trying to make sense of feelings he barely understands for his best friend, Viktor.

It’s lyrical. Tender. Beautiful.

And then, in a single brutal act, childhood is over.

When Russia invades Ukraine, Artem’s world is torn apart. His home is destroyed. His family is shattered. And suddenly this twelve-year-old boy has only one thing left to do: keep himself and Yuri alive.

The transition from the carefree beauty of the first half to the horrors of war is shocking. That innocence isn’t gradually eroded—it is ripped away.

And I adored Artem.

His devotion to Yuri. His confusion and vulnerability over his feelings for Viktor. His astonishing bravery. And the quiet stoicism with which he faces unimaginable grief and terror.

He is still a child, even when circumstances demand that he become so much more.

But what stayed with me most was the reminder of just how many children and families are living through versions of this reality right now.

War. Displacement. Separation. Grief. Terror.

And how frighteningly easy it is for the rest of us to look away.

Headlines move on. Attention shifts. The suffering continues.

This book made me stop and look again.

The ending didn’t quite have the same momentum for me, but that’s a small reservation beside the emotional impact of the story as a whole.

I finished it with tears in my eyes, a lump in my throat and a lot to think about.

⁉️

- Has a book ever changed the way you see something happening in the world?

- Do you find stories about war difficult to read—or important to read?

- Which fictional child has stayed with you long after you’ve finished their story?

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The 2026 Dayton Literary Peace Prize winners have been announced and we're thrilled to congratulate The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman, the Fiction winner, and Ann Patchett, recipient of the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. Congratulations!!! 👏 👏 👏

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Congratulations to our 2026 Dayton Literary Peace Prize award winners! We look forward to hosting them in the Gem City this November. Follow along for more updates and ticket information!

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