The Sun is Also a Star, a book review
The debate between seeing the movie or reading the book first is not an easy one.
I am the type of person who cannot see a movie until after I have read the book. I argue that this is the correct choice because if I see the movie first, I know I will never bother to go back and read the book. I will already know all the plot twists, so the story line will be boring and repetitive. I also believe that books are consistently better than their movie-counterparts because I truly find beauty in the power of words. This dedication to books before movies has one major flaw, though. Most time, I never end up bothering to see the movie! That is the case with the first Nicola Yoon novel, Everything, Everything. I fell in love with the book, looked forward to the movie, and then never went.
Despite my lack of true dedication to the author's work, as any real fan would have attended the movie, I knew I wanted to read Nicola's second book. Not to give anything away before the review, but it was another great read in my opinion, and is already facing talks of becoming a major motion picture. You guys have my word that if The Sun is Also a Star comes to the big screen, I will be in the audience. Oh, and maybe I'll make a day out of it and rent Everything, Everything beforehand.
No matter what happens, I truly loved the writing of this novel, so the movie will not be able to compete. Let's get on to the review so you can hear all about it!
The Sun is Also a Star, by Nicola Yoon (pictured above)
Rating: 10/10
Favorite Quote: "Still, getting over him didn't take that long at all. And that's the thing that makes me wary. Where did all those feelings go? People spend their whole lives looking for love. Poems and songs and entire novels are written about it. But how can you trust something that can end as suddenly as it begins?"
Synopsis: Daniel Bae is a teenage Korean-American boy living in the shadow of his successful, yet awful older brother, Charles. His parents have raised them both with their Korean heritage at the forefront, expecting nothing less than Ivy League diplomas and futures with their last name followed by M.D.
Natasha Kingsley, on the other hand, is an undocumented immigrant from Jamaica. She has lived in the United States since she was eight years old, but her family is now being deported, thanks to her father's major mistake. The methodical, practical girl she is has decided she's not leaving without a fight, and she sets out to change her future.
The two, a hopeless romantic and a realist, cross paths on the street, and embark on a day neither will ever forget.
Review: I'm obsessed with this novel. The copy I read contained over 340 pages, yet I was convinced it was far too short by the time it ended. As a fair warning though, for those of you against 'insta-love' (the concept of two characters falling for each other romantically way faster than actually possible), you are not going to enjoy this read in the least. If you are in love with love, though, you are going to be in heaven. It was cheesy, it was sappy, it made me want to run into a cute stranger on the street. Needless to say, I am not against insta-love.
Besides just the romantic-aspect of the novel, I love Nicola Yoon's ability to create characters, especially the cultural references and background she brings them. A majority of popular Young Adult fiction stories feature strictly Caucasian or African-American main characters. In this novel, the characters are Jamaican and Korean-American, which I appreciated. Additionally, her way with words is impeccable. The pages are easy to read, yet I had to write down at least twenty quotes that I loved (aka my favorite trait of an excellent book).
Final Thoughts: If you read and enjoyed Everything, Everything, you are going to enjoy this book too, although it didn't feature the artsy pages her previews work included. This was truly a great summer read - it was uplifting, easy to read, and included a cute romance. The cover is also absolutely adorable, so it could be easily Instagrammed (#bonus)!
for those of you who don't enjoy reading, at least see the movie when it comes out. then you'll have a taste of what you missed out on! i know i'll be in attendance this time, i promise
happy reading (or movie-watching if you're that type of person)
xoxo madison