Author(s): Nicola Yoon
Edition: Audio, 8 hours 4 minutes/7 discs
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: November 1, 2016
Source: Library
Buy: Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository
Summary
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 Opinion
“The thing about falling is you don't have any control on your way down.”
― Nicola Yoon, The Sun Is Also a Star
I don't know if I am capable of expressing how much I absolutely loved this book. The protagonists, Natasha and Daniel, were so alive I felt I could touch them. The backdrop of New York, a gateway for so many people into the United States was perfect. The family dynamic was realistic and crucial. Every part of this book, from the first sentence to the last, was necessary and masterfully crafted.
Natasha and Daniel are both part of the immigrant experience that plays such a large role in the culture of the United States. Daniel's parents immigrated from South Korea in order to give their children the "American Dream". Daniel is a first generation Korean-American, trying to balance between being American and being Korean. Natasha too, is struggling to find the balance between her two cultures, but in her case she is an illegal immigrant from Jamaica. She and her family moved to the U.S. when she was around 8 years old, and it is the only country she really knows. And, her and Daniel meet on the day that she is going to be deported.
The mix between cultures that Yoon crafts is really large part of the story and gives each character such a strong background. Most Americans started as immigrants, either personally or within their family history. We all have other cultural aspects of us that mix together in this country, creating a completely original experience. This is what you see when you learn Natasha and Daniel's story.
They could not be farther apart in personality: Natasha, the logical scientist and Daniel, the daydream poet. But as they spend the day together, falling more and more in love, they learn to see some of the world through the other's eyes. Even the minor characters are well developed, with each person Natasha and Daniel encounter adding something to their story.
Besides the character development, the other very strong aspect to this book that I enjoyed immensely was the writing and structure of the book. As this story takes place within one day, structure of events is so important! Yoon did an amazing job of inserting pieces of both characters history, shedding more information without taking away from the current story. Additionally, the chapters were told from both Natasha and Daniel's perspectives, which gave interesting insight to events happening to both of them. Finally, important events/items/side characters also receive a chapter giving more depth to their importance to the story. Just masterfully crafted, the poetic language Yoon scribes is phenomenal. I mean, that quote above just explains love so well!
The Sun is Also a Star stole my heart, crushed it, then gave it a beautiful, but bittersweet, farewell. If you read ONE book this year, get a copy of this! One of my top books of all time!!!
Want a copy? Check out my giveaway below!
Final Rating
Extras
Book Trailer
Making the Book Cover
Interview with Nicola Yoon
Giveaway
Giveaway runs from February 06, 2017 12:00AM - February 13, 2017 12:00AM
Open to US/INT (as long as Book Depository ships to your country)!
Must be at least 13 years old to enter.
ONE winner will win a finished copy of _The Sun is Also a Star_
Winner will be contacted by email to inform them they won.
Winner has 48 hours to respond with mailing address or a new winner will be chosen.
NO PO BOXES as prizes tend to be lost when sent there.
I claim no responsibility for lost prizes.
Once package arrives to recipient, personal information (i.e. address) is deleted.
