I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen Published by Penguin on May 5th, 2015
Pages: 448
Source: ARC from Publisher
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Goodreads
Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?
Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.
The uber-popular Sarah Dessen explores her signature themes of family, self-discovery, and change in her twelfth novel, sure to delight her legions of fans.
My Thoughts:
If you follow me on twitter or have been reading this blog for some time you probably know I’m a Sarah Dessen fangirl. I just adore her novels. Back in 2011 I co-hosted a Sarah Dessen week (which was so much fun!) At that time I did a post about the connections in her books. It’s still the most popular post on this blog!! In preparation for the release of Saint Anything Mitali and I decided to re-read all of Sarah’s other books. I wouldn’t let myself read Saint Anything until I finished! I have to admit, I was a little worried that re-reading all my favorites might be a disservice to Saint Anything. I was so wrong!
I don’t even know where to begin with my love for this book. Let’s just say that I read it twice within the span of ten days. I was absolutely floored by it. This book was exactly what I needed at exactly the right time. Never has the reading of a book been so timely for me. I honestly got chills while reading it… both because of the story and because of how Dessen wrote exactly what I was feeling and what I needed to hear.
I’ve seen a number of reviews/blurbs talking about Saint Anything and calling it Sarah Dessen’s “darkest” book. They aren’t saying this in a negative way at all but, honestly? “Dark” is not a word I would use to describe this story. Are there hard issues addressed? Yes. But, and I say this after recently re-reading every book Dessen has published, she does this in all of her books. Dessen writes teen characters that deal with real issues teens face. She’s written about eating disorders, abuse, losing a parent, teen pregnancy, and more. Her books have serious depth! I admire the way she’s able to write about these topics as well as the fun romantic aspects. Life has highs and lows… often at the same time! Dessen’s writing reflects that. I didn’t think Saint Anything was darker than any of her other books. It was, however, just as amazing.
I think what I love so much about Dessen’s books is the way she gives voice to what her characters are feeling and the truths they learn throughout her stories. This is so true with Sydney. She is an exceptional character. The reader really gets to know and connect with her. There is so much going on in her world and she’s doing all she can to make it through. She’s confused and trying to sort through what she’s feeling. It just all felt so authentic to me.
And the relationships! The friendships in this book were everything. The new friends Sydney makes, her friends from her old school, all of it! It just felt so real. And the family relationships! So many different dynamics were explored. I loved seeing the differences and how Sydney comes to understand them. Dessen really does an excellent job of exploring how the ways we view a person or their actions are not always the ways they see themselves or the same event. Man, did I connect with that!
Basically, Saint Anything is one of my new favorites. It resonated with me in a way few books have before. I highly recommend it for long time Sarah Dessen fans or those who have never picked up one of her stories. So much love.
Sara
Do another post about all the connections in Sarah Dessen’s books! I loved that post – you definitely caught more connections than I did 🙂