The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
***Loved Loved Loved.***
As with many people, I loved Nicola Yoon’s first book Everything Everything and had very high expectations for The Sun is also a Star. I am happy to say those expectations were exceeded. After I started this story it didn’t take me very long to realise that I had fallen in love with both characters, and the story, and was reading something that I suspected would end up on my best books list! Natasha, who started the day with a final attempt at finding a way for her family to not have to be deported back to Jamaica that night and Daniel, who was on the way to his father’s shop and contemplating if he could crush his parent’s hopes by not going to college to become the expected ‘reliable, stable and successful Korean doctor,’ but instead to follow his dreams of being a poet.
They somehow run into each other and the rest of the day is spent following them around and discovering if two people really can fall in love in one day.
The writing was fantastic and for the few hours that I was reading this, I felt like I was right there in the story with Natasha and Daniel. These two characters certainly clicked and had the perfect amount of sass and cheekiness, combined with kindness and hope. (Have I mentioned I fell in love with both of them!)
The extra little thing that I absolutely adored about the story was all of the short reflections of the minor interactions with other characters, whether it was Irene the security guard, or the lawyer. Natasha’s dad or Daniel’s dad. Simply including a paragraph or two from their point of view had such a great impact. I also loved the two endings…. when I reread, which I definitely will be doing many times, I can choose which ending to read depending on my mood!
I recommend this book for anyone who wants to read a story about love – falling in love, love for your family, love for your dreams.
There were many beautiful words and sentences in this story that made my heart crinkle with love and happiness….here are two examples:
‘he kisses the corner of my palm again, and I sigh. Touching him is order and chaos, like being assembled and disassembled at the same time.’
‘He thinks my hair smells like spring rain. I’m really trying to remain stoic and unaffected. I remind myself that I don’t like poetry. I don’t even like people who like poetry. but I’m not dead inside either.’
Review copy received from Penguin Random House UK Children’s via Netgalley.
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