Book Review: Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Sydney hates being the number 2 child, and not just because she's the youngest. Her mom has always been so proud of older brother Peyton, and her Dad doesn't seem to see her at all. Even when Peyton goes to prison for a DWI that paralyzes a teen, Sydney is still overlooked by her parents. Tension builds within Sydney as her privacy in the community disappears and Peyton's best friend Ames begins to get a little too close for comfort.

When Sydney decides to leave her private school to go to the local public high school for a bit of anonymity, she is enveloped by Layla, her brother Mac, and their cozy band of family and friends. Sydney meets with an acceptance she has been searching for and finds in a family pizza restaurant.

To me, the Chathams were like that merry-go-round out  in the middle of nowhere in the woods. I hadn't been aware they'd existed; it was pure luck to have stumbled upon them. Now that I had, I couldn't forget and go back to the way I'd been before. Just knowing they were out there changed everything. Especially me.

This story made me want to laugh, cry, and shout out "Exactly!" Getting to know Sydney, Layla, and Mac would have made my high school years magical.

"Relationships evolve, just like people do. Just because you know someone doesn't mean you know everything about them."

"Just because a person isn't talking about something doesn't mean it's not on their mind. Often, in fact, it's why they won't speak of it."

When faced with the scariest of things, all you want is to turn away, hid in your own invisible place. But you can't. That's why it's not only important for us to be seen, but to have someone to look for us, as well.

Saint Anything an amazing story. I love Sarah Dessen's writing - the truth in each story, the agony of emotions the characters express and the reader feels, and the ease in which simple words become a world I could be living next to any day of the week. Sarah Dessen writes about the community that readers live in, emotions they feel, and stories they can sink in to. Sarah Dessen is the friendly neighbour I wish I knew.

That was just it. You never knew what lay ahead; the future was one thing that could never be broken, because it had not yet had the chance to be anything. One minute you're walking through a dark woods, alone, and then the landscape shifts, and you see it. Something wondrous and unexpected, almost magical, that you never would have found had you not kept it going. Like a new friend who feels like an old one, or a memory you'll never forget. Maybe even a carousel.

I highly recommend Saint Anything as a great read. You may just have found yourself a new author, too!

From just Beyond My Bookshelf...