The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon is another one of those books that has been on my to-be-read list since it first came out.  Why, oh why does it take over a year to get to such a good book? After reading books like this I almost always beat myself up for not getting to it sooner.

In this story, the author is asking the reader to believe in fate and love at first site. Daniel is in the right place at the right time to meet Natasha.  Only Natasha is scheduled to be deported back to Jamaica that very evening. Therefore, Daniel has only a few hours to convince Natasha that two people can fall in love in an initial meeting and he has the science to prove it. Natasha is very skeptical, and rightly so, especially since she is Jamaican and he is Korean and she knows her parents would never approve of a relationship with Daniel. 

Going in, I thought this was going to be a beach read. Was I ever wrong! The more I reflect on the story the more subtleties I see. It goes well beyond some of the topics that the author meant for us to observe and note, such as, the issues of race and immigration.

The love at first sight theory has probably been around long before the written word. So why don’t we get tired of writing and reading about it? I think the answer is, when an author, as in this case, creates such a unique story and executes the plot with such exceptional literary skill that it feels fresh and interesting.  For example, the multiple POV’s, which the author uses to show how one small action can result in a ripple effect that profoundly influences many. While multiple POVs are not new, the way in which it was used was most interesting and made the story more creditable. The effect was to remind me, the reader, that the characters do not live in a vacuum. Their actions affect others just as others’ actions will affect them.

All the above aside, the best part of this book was the connection I felt to Daniel and Natasha. Not every writer is able make you feel like you are an insider. I felt I like I became part of this vibrant fall day in New York City.

The Sun is Also a Star is a brilliantly written YA story that will also appeal to people who like a thought provoking story that leans to the lighter side.  In addition, this book would make an excellent choice for a book club.