Sunburn

Sunburn is an LGBTQ+ romance and coming-of-age novel by Irish author Chloe Michelle Howarth. Sunburn is Howarth’s debut novel, with her second novel, Heap Earth Upon It, scheduled for publication in 2025. Howarth grew up in the Irish countryside and studied in Dublin, mirroring the novel’s settings in Crossmore, a fictional Cork town in the Irish countryside, and Dublin. Sunburn was published by Verve Books in 2024 and then by Melville House in 2025. The novel was shortlisted for several awards, including the Polari First Book Prize, the Nero Book Award for Debut Fiction, the Readers’ Choice Award at the Diverse Book Awards, and the Discover Book of the Year at the British Book Awards.

Sunburn takes place between 1989 and 1995 in Ireland as Lucy Nolan explores her sexuality in a town that is unaccepting of difference. The rigid society of Crossmore develops a theme of The Challenge of Identity in Small Communities, while Lucy’s love for Susannah explores The Significance of Sexual Awakening and Overcoming Obstacles in Forbidden Love. The novel is written largely in interior monologue, a form of stream-of-consciousness writing, which provides Lucy’s direct thoughts as she overcomes her discomfort with sexuality, begins a romance with Susannah, and enters the primary dilemma of the novel: leaving Crossmore and claiming her identity or remaining with her childhood best friend, Martin.

This guide refers to the 2025 Melville House Nook edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of illness, death, antigay bias, child abuse, pregnancy termination, sexual content, substance use, and cursing.

Plot Summary

Lucy Nolan does not have anything to do in the summer of 1989, and she craves independence. She fantasizes about marrying her best friend, Martin Burke. Her friends, Maria, Joan, Bernadette, Eimear, Patricia, and Susannah O’Shea, fantasize about being asked to the Debs (the Irish equivalent of prom) by an older boy. People assume that Lucy and Martin will end up together. Together, they bridge the group of girls and the group of boys. Lucy worries that her mother loves her less than before, and she feels like a burden. Martin visits, spends time with Lucy’s father and brothers, and helps Lucy study. Afterward, Lucy thinks about her friends’ lives, which are all difficult in their own ways.

Lucy watches Susannah eat and obsesses over her mouth. She stops thinking about marrying Martin and feels guilty that she is attracted to Susannah. As the school year progresses, Lucy’s obsession with Susannah grows. She misses schoolwork and resents Susannah’s other close friend, Patricia. Lucy feels close to Martin, but she connects more with the group of girls. She realizes that the girls and boys gradually replace the women and men in Crossmore. She also thinks about Susannah’s mother, a socialite in a small town. Lucy is not close to her brothers or her father, though she plays with her infant brother, Padraig, frequently. Lucy’s mother worked in a bank before marrying, but Lucy cannot imagine her mother young. Lucy hopes she develops feelings for Martin, repeating her mother’s life. Rita has a crush on Martin, and people assume that Lucy hates Rita. Lucy is only afraid of losing Martin’s friendship, and she hopes that he and Rita find love.

Susannah seduces a boy at a candy shop, and all the girls are impressed. Lucy wants Susannah to seduce her. Martin kisses Rita, and Lucy tells him that she is happy for him, cementing their friendship. Everyone tells Lucy that Martin will break up with Rita, but Susannah understands that Lucy does not like Martin romantically. Lucy and Susannah write letters to each other, passing them in classes. Lucy worries that her letters will betray her feelings for Susannah, and she cannot explain to Martin why she does not seem to like anyone. Lucy spends the summer at Susannah’s house, Croft Hall, sunbathing in her garden. She loves how Susannah looks in a bikini, but she panics while thinking about the stigma against lesbian relationships. Lucy buys aloe vera to spread on Susannah and realizes that she loves her.

At a party, Martin defends Susannah, which upsets Lucy, who wanted to defend Susannah herself. Lucy tells Martin to leave her alone. She goes to Croft Hall with Susannah and Joan and sleeps in the same bed as Susannah. In the morning, Lucy leaves early to avoid being tempted by Susannah’s body. She pretends that she and Martin did not have a fight. Susannah criticizes Lucy for leaving early. Lucy feels bad that Susannah has to lash out to get attention from her parents, but Susannah says that she does not want to sleep with boys. Lucy kisses Susannah, and they hold hands. Lucy writes a letter lamenting that they cannot always be together.

The next day, Susannah explains that she is powerless against her feelings for Lucy. They grow closer, but Lucy is obsessed with hiding their relationship to avoid discrimination. Lucy fears that she is another tactic for Susannah to upset her family, but she supports Susannah anyway. Martin spends less time with Lucy because of Rita and Susannah. Lucy and Susannah start having sex, and Lucy cannot imagine why someone would have sex with boys. Martin breaks up with Rita, and people think that he and Lucy will get together.

Lucy’s parents are opposed to change, and Lucy notices how her friends and family discriminate against gay people. Susannah wants to come out and share their relationship, but Lucy feels like she is not in the socially advantageous position that Susannah occupies. She cannot leave home, and her parents and friends would not accept her. Susannah wants to go to the Debs with Lucy, but Lucy does not see how they could safely do this. Susannah comes to Lucy’s house, where Lucy’s mother catches them having sex. Susannah leaves, and Lucy’s mother ignores her. The next day, Lucy’s mother continues ignoring her, but Susannah gives Lucy a letter confessing her love. Lucy goes on a date with Martin and lets him kiss her in front of her mother. Susannah is upset, but Lucy says that she needs to have her mother think she is with Martin to avoid further suspicion about her sexuality.

Lucy does not study or prepare for the end of school, focusing instead on maintaining her relationships with Martin and Susannah. Lucy accepts Martin’s invitation to the Debs, upsetting Susannah. The girls prepare for the dance instead of their final exams, and Lucy realizes that she does not have the same opportunities as her friends. The girls gossip about a boy whom they suspect is gay, and Susannah pushes back, revealing how discriminatory their friends are. Lucy worries that she is stuck with Martin. At the Debs, Lucy feels distant from Susannah until they dance. Lucy realizes that all the manipulation is worth it if it means that she can be with Susannah for even a moment. Susannah hates Martin, especially because he probably thinks about having sex with Lucy. Susannah wants Lucy to come away with her when she gets her inheritance, offering to support Lucy indefinitely in an environment that will accept them.

Susannah’s mother leaves town, telling Susannah that she will not return. The girls throw parties in the empty house, but Susannah wastes away. Lucy tries to support her, but she cannot agree to leave with Susannah. Martin asks Lucy to come with him to Dublin for college. Lucy cannot decide between going with Susannah—which would mean losing her friends and family—and Martin, whom she is only pretending to like. When Susannah’s father offers to bring her to Paris, Susannah says that Lucy needs to decide. Lucy goes with Martin to Dublin.

Two years later, Lucy lives with Martin in Dublin and has not heard from Susannah or any of her other friends from Crossmore. Though Lucy has sex with Martin, she sees it as a favor to him, preferring to have sex with her coworker Geraldine. Lucy also becomes close friends with a woman named Evelyn, who encourages Lucy to reach out to Susannah. Lucy and Susannah resume writing letters, with Susannah detailing her travels throughout Central and South America. Susannah has many lovers, including a man, Julian, which upsets Lucy. Lucy uses Geraldine to distract her from her mistakes. Martin is nice, helping Lucy fall back into her life as his girlfriend. Susannah says that someone has broken her heart and asks Lucy not to contact her anymore. Lucy discovers from her mother that Susannah’s mother died, and Lucy does not understand why no one told her. Martin discovers Lucy’s letters with Susannah, but he accepts Lucy for who she is. Lucy goes back to Crossmore and gives Susannah a letter saying that she wants to be together. Susannah opens the door and welcomes Lucy back.