“Now is the time to go ahead and pursue that love interest!”
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
5 stars
Pros:
- Quick pace
- Timely discussion (immigration issues, cross-cultural relationships)
- Love story
Cons:
- Different narrative formats (could be disorienting for some)
- Belieavability about love at first sight (for those who don’t think it exists)
The Sun is Also a Star is an amazing book. I love how it deals with really sensitive issues like immigration and deportation in a caring and authentic way. Kudos to Yoon for bringing light to a sometimes hidden segment of the population!
I’m also a sucker for a good love story. Albeit, it is a love at first sight tale, so readers who are skeptics might balk at the notion of sparks flying at the touch of fingers. I really like the two main diverse characters, Natasha and Daniel, and admire how Yoon portrayed them in three-dimensional, detailed ways.
The structure of the book is also interesting. This is a page-turner that explores different forms. Sometimes you’re in one of the main character’s heads, but other times, you follow a side character or even see from an omniscient perspective. I didn’t mind the quick shifting, and this moving around might actually appeal to those with short attention spans. The Sun is Also a Star also adds interesting science tidbits, which as a self-professed nerd, were extra goodies for me to discover.
Overall, a beautiful and immersive read.
Find more of my book ratings and reviews here.
This book is on my to-read list since I read an excerpt a few weeks ago. Being myself an immigrant I am sure to find an echo to my own experience (although drastically different from deported immigrants, of course) and I also like it when an author tries different storytelling styles. Thank you, Jennifer for highlighting such a timely novel.
You’re welcome, Evelyne. I love how current YA books don’t shy from real topics.
It sounds good. I’m going to put it on my list.
Yes, definitely add it to your list! :)