"What a difference a day makes." That alone is the perfect sentence to describe Nicola Yoon's new book, The Sun is Also a Star.
A day can determine if you meet someone, go to college, be deported, enjoy a good book, or a myriad of other events. A day really can make such a difference for good or for bad; the key is what we do with that day.
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon won a Printz Honor Award this year; basically she got 2nd place for one of the best books for young adults/teen that were published in 2016.
This is the second Yoon book I've read, and her second book. Everything Everything was published almost two years ago, and I just found out a movie based on the book, that shares the title, is going to be out this year. I love Book Based Movies; I guess that is probably why I wrote my thesis on it.
I really enjoyed Everything Everything, and I should probably write an official review of it since I read it over a year ago. I thought the story line was creative, the character development was well done, and I really found myself cheering for Maddy. If you liked The Fault in Our Stars you should definitely read Everything Everything.
Sorry about that book review interruption. Let me get back to the Printz Honor winner at hand. I give The Sun is Also a Star 4 out of 5 stars. I liked it, I really did. I felt the diversity and the immigration/deportation issue to be poignant and relevant. I felt the story line was fun, romantic, creative, pushed complex issues, and all around great. I really think it deserved the honor award, and b/c of the complex issues it presented I see why it was awarded a Printz Honor.
With all of that said, I only gave it 4 stars b/c it was just good; it wasn't great in my mind. I actually enjoyed Yoon's first book a tad more. I enjoyed the reason for the title, The Sun is Also a Star, and how that was explained. It was deeper, and perfect for an English paper analysis.
In the book, I thought the survey was cute. I liked that it was a romance, but completely realistic. I liked that the characters followed their dreams. I liked the ending and that it wasn't your perfect unrealistic ending. I liked the complexity of the relationships with the families situations and viewpoints as well as the interracial dealings. I liked Daniel as a character and I liked Natasha as a character. I thought Yoon did a great job writing this story, and I'm glad I read it.
I would definitely recommend this book to boys or girls in high school, but probably only if they were readers. I don't think this is a book for a reluctant reader. I don't remember anything being highly inappropriate. There wasn't any sex, but there was reference to it if I remember correctly. There was some language, but I would say it was a pretty clean read.
The Sun is Also a Star is a great story. It wasn't amazing in my mind, and it didn't have the wow factor. However, it was really great, and the realistic love story of sorts made it perfect for this week. I just had to share it with you.
Go check this one out, or give it a listen. It's a good audiobook as well.
Amazon has the following book review from School Library Journal:
"It is Natasha's last day in New York City, where she has lived for 10 years. Her family, living as undocumented immigrants in a small Brooklyn apartment, are being deported to Jamaica after her father's arrest for drunk driving. Natasha is scouring the city for a chance to stay in the United States legally. She wants the normal teen existence of her peers. Meanwhile, poetic Daniel is on his way to an interview as part of his application process to Yale. He is under great pressure to get in because his parents (who emigrated from South Korea) are adamant that he become a doctor. Events slowly conspire to bring the two leads together. When Daniel and Natasha finally meet, he falls in love immediately and convinces her to join him for the day. They tell their stories in alternating chapters. Additional voices are integrated into the book as characters interact with them. Both relatable and profound, the bittersweet ending conveys a sense of hopefulness that will resonate with teens. VERDICT This wistful love story will be adored by fans of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park and by those who enjoyed the unique narrative structure of A.S. King's Please Ignore Vera Dietz."
Is young adult realistic fiction/contemporary fiction your cup of tea? It's my favorite genre so I gravitate to these types of books.
Did you read The Sun is Also a Star? If so, do you think it was Printz Honor worthy? As always, I love to hear your thoughts.
Happy Diverse Complex Contemporary Fiction Award Winning reading!
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