The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon Published by Delacorte Press on November 1st 2016
Source: Purchased
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Amazon | Book Depository | Publisher | Angus & Robertson | Booktopia
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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?
I knew I was going to love The Sun is Also a Star but I was unprepared for how much I loved it. It was not without some minor flaws but I enjoyed my reading experience of it and the epilogue definitely made me tear up from emotions.
What I loved most about this novel was the diversity. The two protagonists of the book were PoC and I loved that the book explored immigration and families with strong cultural backgrounds and traditions, which is a topic that I haven’t read a lot about in YA but is one that I can connect with deeply because my parents were immigrants themselves. In this book, we follow Natasha, who is an illegal immigrant from Jamaica. She moved to the United States with her family when she was 8 in order for her father to pursue an acting career, which has never really taken off. Daniel is a first generation Korean American and has always lived under the weight of his parents’ expectations. The book is set within a 12 hour period, on the day that Natasha and Daniel meet. On this day, Natasha’s family is being deported and she’s frantically rushing around New York City, trying to find a solution for her family. Daniel is getting ready for a college admission interview, despite not knowing whether he even wants to go to college and live the American Dream that his parents have always envisioned for him. When the two meet, they spend a whirlwind day together that changes their lives forever.
I really enjoyed the format of the book. It was written in extremely short chapters, which made it a very quick book to read. I love stories with dual perspectives and I enjoyed that they switched constantly in this book. There were also some ‘interlude’ chapters where we learnt more about the side characters and about certain concepts that were mentioned in the book. I thought this was an interesting format and made it a really well-rounded story that was enjoyable to read.
To make a thing as simple as an apple pie, you have to create the whole wide world.
I absolutely loved the two main characters, Natasha and Daniel. I loved that Natasha was a scientist and I’m happy that I can now add her to my list of fictional women in STEM. She really enjoyed seeing her passion for all things science and how teaching Daniel about scientific concepts made her come alive. I can’t vouch for whether all the scientific concepts were represented accurately but I didn’t read anything that jumped out at me as inaccurate. I just really appreciated that science was a theme in the book and it made me love the story even more. I connected with Natasha a lot as a character. I enjoyed that she was a realist but I also loved that Daniel was able to bring out the more sentimental side of her. And I loved Daniel equally as much. He was kind and genuine and what’s not to love about a boy who’s just genuinely nice. Plus he’s a poet and a hopeless romantic. And a contagious crier, which I am too!
My main issue with the book was the insta-love. I was able to look past it for the most part because I thought the romance between Natasha and Daniel was extremely adorable and heartwarming. But I did think that it was a bit unrealistic. The author did try to play it off as “love at second sight. It’s the feeling when you meet someone that you’re going to fall in love with them.” I was a bit confused by that because… isn’t that just insta-love or attraction? It just seemed like too much of a justification. Fate and destiny were also big themes in the book and I wasn’t a huge fan of it. There was too much attention drawn to the fact that they were meant to be and the universe worked in a way that allowed for them to meet. But I did enjoy the romance immensely and these small issues I had didn’t detract from the warming of my heart.
I absolutely loved The Sun is Also a Star! It had an adorable romance and was filled with diversity. I especially enjoyed that the book was about immigration and I appreciated what the author was trying to do with this story.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Jenna
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[…] 3. The Sun is Also a Star – My Review […]
I GAVE THIS BOOK AN INFINITY SYMBOL FOR A RATING <3
I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH <3
I'm so glad to hear that! This book definitely deserves all the stars!
I jst finished this one a few minutes ago and I don't know how I feel yet. I loved Everything Everything but didn't have the same feeling for this. So glad to see you loved it though 🙂
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Oh that's a shame! I had the opposite experience where I enjoyed this one a bit more than Everything Everything. I can see why people might have problems with it though!
So glad you liked this one! I can't wait to read it. I really enjoyed Everything, Everything, and this one seems just as good if not better. I love that Natasha is a science-oriented character as well. 😀
Thanks Aila! I loved this one more than Everything, Everything because it didn't have those weird, funny moments that EE had HAHA. Also I really loved the diversity in this book and that it had immigration rep in it!
Aren't they just the best?! It's always so exciting when I can mark a book as 5 stars!
I really enjoyed that too, especially with how it was set up in the prologue! But I did think that it got a bit old as I progressed through the book. Like, okay we get it. It was fate. HAHA
Ahh I'm so glad you loved this too! This book really surprised me with how much I loved it. I thought the ending was so perfect and beautiful but also not the typical ending I was expecting. I really connected with Daniel being half korean myself. I loved the diversity of this book too 🙂 Great review Jenna!
The ending was sooo beautiful. I definitely cried during the epilogue from happiness and love. I really enjoyed how the side characters were incorporated into the story… even though that lawyer guy ruined EVERYTHING. *shakes fist*
[…] hype is real with The Sun is Also a Star, which Jenna […]
Happy weekend ladies and a 5-star book is always a great thing!
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I've had this one on my shelf for quite a while, Jenna. And it sounds fantastic, so I'm not sure why I haven't picked it up yet. I'm really happy you loved it so much!!
Have a wonderful weekend and happy reading:)
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Oooh it's a super quick read so I hope you get a chance to pick it up soon! I read it in one day and it was such a nice, warm, feel-good read.
I have heard about this book because I've read Everything, Everything. Since I didn't like Everything, Everything, I think I'll make a pass on this one. I feel a bit sad about that because of the diversity and the culture in this book. I also feel that this is kinda about a younger version Nicola and her husband because I know Nicola's Jamaican and her husband's Korean xD
Yeah I think this is definitely based on the author's own relationship and I think I appreciated it more because of that. This one has a similar vibe to Everything Everything in terms of the relationship, but it explores a lot of different themes, which I liked a lot more than Everything Everything.
Because of your 5 Stars I’ll give this book a try, though I’m a little weary about insta-love. Also 12 hours seem like such a short spun of time for a romantic story.
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Yeah it's definitely more of a whirlwind romance kind of story. Still, if you're in the mood for a light contemporary that will warm your heart, this one is a great read!
Wow. Glad you eally enjoyed the read Jenna! Oh yes, insta love is so not good. But you have given it five stars so i guess the rest of the book makes up for it
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Haha yes! The rest of the book definitely did make up for it. The romance was super cute though so the insta love didn't matter toooo much.
Yeah, it does seem like there's going to be instalove in it because of the short time frame. But it seems like the author wrote it well, so yay! 🙂 Lovely review. I can't wait to read this.
I kind of wish the book had focused less on the romance and more on the themes of identity and immigration but romance always makes everything better so I could definitely overlook the instalove.
Not gonna lie, seeing your photo of the naked covers makes me want to buy the hardcover lol. I love the diversity in this novel and the format of the book! I'm really looking forward to reading it now especially since you gave it 5 stars. Even though it has that fate thing haha. Lovely review Jenna!
Gahhh it's so pretty. The naked cover also has like a debased sun ray pattern on it, kinda like I'll Give You the Sun naked cover. You should definitely read this Jeann! It was such a delightful read and the epilogue was just… FEELS.
Insta-love is usually a hit or miss for me but if the concept and the broader themes are so well executed then I can overlook it, or at least not let it bother me as much haha. I love that the book looks at the themes of immigration and cultural diversity, a topic that I definitely think needs to be explored more. I enjoyed Everything, Everything and by the sound of it I'm going to enjoy The Sun is Also a Star just as much. 😀
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Yeah I thought the whole book was great apart from that little bit of instalove. The fate and serendipity thing got old pretty quickly but I thought the whole immigration and identity aspect was done really well. I enjoyed Everything Everything but I loved this book much, much more!
I need this book now! Can't wait to read it. Great review.
Yes you do! It's such a light and impactful read. I really, really loved it!