From the Bookshelf of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge…

The Sun Is Also a Star

Nicola Yoon

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Dec 26, 2016 Molly rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-lit, on-the-classroom-shelf, 4-stars, i-want-to-like-you, realistic-fiction, read-in-2016, book-of-the-month

There's a great quote from JK Rowling: "Destiny is a name often given in retrospect to choices that had dramatic consequences." Girlfriend makes a solid point. I'm always back and forth on whether or not I believe in fate, or what's "meant to happen," but damn does this book sure want me to believe. On the one hand it's a little annoying, because these are kids and kind of the whole point of being a teenager is that you don't HAVE to decide your entire life right away. It's sort of what Daniel's There's a great quote from JK Rowling: "Destiny is a name often given in retrospect to choices that had dramatic consequences." Girlfriend makes a solid point. I'm always back and forth on whether or not I believe in fate, or what's "meant to happen," but damn does this book sure want me to believe. On the one hand it's a little annoying, because these are kids and kind of the whole point of being a teenager is that you don't HAVE to decide your entire life right away. It's sort of what Daniel's trying to prove to Natasha. But...just as much as it's ok for him not to choose the path of becoming a doctor, isn't it equally believable that they won't choose the mutual path of together forever-ness? He mocks Natasha for knowing the career she wants, but repeatedly insists that he's falling in love with her. It's a tad hypocritical.

The style is what redeemed this for me. We aren't hearing solely from Natasha and Daniel. There are interspersed chapters about other characters, both tertiary and relatives (though these are all written in 3rd person). It gives me a bit of a "love actually is all around" vibe that melts my cold dead heart. It's probably only working because it's Christmas (and at Christmas, you tell the truth).

The other redeeming factor is the diversity of the main characters. These aren't two spoiled white kids. Natasha is an illegal immigrant, whose family is about to be forced to return to Jamaica, while Daniel is the son of Korean immigrants who has always felt second-best to his brother. Never mind the fact that said golden child just got kicked out of Harvard. I really liked both characters' voices. They each have these little personality tics that kept them from blending together (always a risk, especially when your characters are often doing things together). I found Daniel more amusing, but honestly I would have gladly read an entire book about Natasha's experiences being in the country illegally. It's no fault of her own; she was only 8 when her mother decided to follow her father to the states. And her brother was born here, so he's a citizen. It raises so many questions and conflicts that there just isn't time to delve into in this novel. But it's interesting, and I particularly loved her rant to the immigration lawyer who tried to mansplain that she would love it in Jamaica.

This is just really, annoyingly, heart warmingly cute. It got too schmoopy for my tastes towards the very end...I guess I just have a hard time wrapping my mind around this notion of not only immediately loving someone you've known for 24 hours, but also believing that you two are meant to be together forever. Does not compute. (view spoiler) ...more

Like · see review

Sep 17, 2020 Dawn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Equal parts hope and despair, funny and sad, this book left it's mark on my soul. A must read. You will never look at the person next to you the same way, unless you are heartless and void of all emotion. ...more

Like · see review