The Sun Is Also a Star by
Nicola Yoon
Published: November 1, 2016
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.
Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.
The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?
My Thoughts
“Once they met, the rest of it, the love between them, was inevitable..”
“She smiles so big that I know that whatever happens will be worth it.”
Love.. love.. love.
The Sun is Also a Star is another great example that Nicola Yoon has found her place in YA fiction. This is the first book I’ve read in a while, and all avid readers know how frustrating it is not to be able to enjoy your hobby. So thank you Yoon for penning a beautiful, simple, captivating story about a boy and a girl whose lives change after a chance meeting. It’s nice to know that with the right story, I can fall into my happy place, travel with fictional characters and simply enjoy their journey.
In this novel, we meet Natasha Kingsley who sees the world through a scientific lens of observable facts. There’s no room in her life for fate, destiny, and the possibility of falling love. If it can’t be seen, measured, quantified… then it just doesn’t exist. However, when she meets a funny, poetic, Korean boy the day she and her family are to be deported back to Jamaica, she wonders how she miscalculated so much.
Daniel Bae is a hopeless romantic that loves to write poetry. However, growing up in a Korean household where his parents have already decided his future, where he’s to go to Yale and be a doctor, he’s not quite sure how to navigate around the expectations he has no desire to fulfill. Then he meets Natasha, and as they spend a New York day together, new possibilities begin to take shape for him.
I truly enjoyed this novel. I knew after the first few pages that it was going to be an experience I wouldn’t soon forget. The story is not complicated, dramatic or over the top. It’s sincere and heartfelt. There are moments and passages that made me just stop and think about life and the choices we make. I love books that make me contemplate beyond the lines.
One thing I enjoy about Yoon’s writing is her creative narrative. Not only do we get the dual POV of Natasha and Daniel, but we also get insight into secondary and tertiary characters that you don’t realize play a crucial role in the main characters’ lives. We also get some fun insight into topics that balance love and science. Somehow, Yoon makes it all fit into a story that just flows.
Lastly, the ending was spot on! Yoon was bold in her decisions and I loved that! Not everything ends perfectly and sometimes things happen for a reason.
Overall, Yoon’s managed to impress me with her consistently in writing amazing stories with characters that have staying power. So glad I’m able to add another fave YA author to my list.
5 Snowflakes
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