It's a Book Thing: Viking

Saint Anything

by Sarah Dessen

Released: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Page Amount: 432, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Sydney)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-18/20
Characters-19/20

Creativity-18/20

Writing-19/20

Pace-8/10

Ending-8/10

=90/100 A

★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

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. -Goodreads.com

REViEW:
Sarah Dessen is the queen of Young Adult Contemporary novels. She has written 12 books so far and each one is better than those preceding it. Saint Anything is by far my favorite Sarah Dessen book. This book has a depth to it while still maintaining a light mood. Dealing with the repercussions of Sydney's older brother, Peyton, being in prison from alcohol abuse, Sydney has to figure out how to move past the guilt that she feels. To do this, Sydney changes schools and makes new friends. She finally has a new beginning. The plot of Saint Anything is very intriguing. There are many aspects to the plot which ensures that no page is dull. Not only are there issues of substance abuse, but also family drama, illness, guilt, friendships, unhealthy relationships, love, and last but not least: food. Sydney is faced with so many hardships during these 400 pages, but continues to focus on the good things of life. This book is extremely heartfelt and interesting. Although I was not able to relate entirely to Sydney's position, I think we all can relate to Sydney's feeling of being invisible. No matter if you're a super popular person or a nerd sitting at home reviewing books, I'm sure everyone has felt invisible if even for just a moment. This books perfectly captures that feeling and provides hope.

The characters in this book are amazing. Sydney, in all honesty, is a pretty bland character on her own. She doesn't have a dynamic personality and stays hidden in her brother's shadow. However, this was intentional. Once Sydney meets the Chathams, she begins to open up and have some fun. As a reader, I was able to see Sydney grow and become who she was supposed to be: a good daughter as well as an amazing friend. Her new friend, Layla, was another driving character of this book. She is bubbly and is a connoisseur of food and relationships. Her brother, Mac, is always there. He is a loyal companion and also a brainiac. He wasn't as dynamic of a character as Dessen's boys typically are, but I believe his character was perfect for this book and for Sydney. His relationship with Sydney was not at all the focal point of this novel. On the contrary, there is barely any romance in this book. However, the few romantic scenes that were included were so simple and so eloquent that they still made me swoon. It was also very interesting to see the stark differences between Sydney's parents and the Chatham's. Sydney's mom annoyed me to no end because she wanted to control everything both of her children did and did not take time to realize that Sydney is not her brother Peyton. I personally know a mother like this and that was probably why I had such a emotional response to this character. I am glad that Dessen included a character like her though because there are sadly a lot of parents who are very controlling, which is difficult for a teenager to handle. All in all, each and every character blew me away. Even the smallest of the small secondary characters had a distinct personality and an intricate backstory.

The ending was good. I understand why Dessen ended the book there, but personally I wish she would have continued for just one more page. I am curious to find out how the final issue resolved itself, but I guess now that is up to my imagination. Well played, Dessen. Honestly, I just wish this book was longer. It was a long book, but there was so much to it that it could go on for another whole book. I'm still not ready to say goodbye to Sydney, Layla, and Mac. This book is definitely one of the best of 2015.

My Favorite Part: The pillow fight scene. I'm laughing just thinking about it.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes! This is an amazing book, and it is a perfect read for summer!

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

All I Need by Susane Colasanti

Released: May 21, 2013
Publisher: Viking
Page Amount: 340, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Skye and Seth)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon
OVERALL:
Plot-19/20
Characters-19/20
Creativity-18/20
Writing-19/20
Pace-10/10
Ending-10/10
=95/100 A
★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:
Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?.Goodreads.com

REViEW:
I'm not one for cheesy, idealistic relationships. That made me leery to start reading this book. I was lucky enough to meet Susane and she was so amazing and nice in person I had to read this book. Covers and titles can be deceiving, I should have learned from Anna and the French Kiss. Sure this book started out very romantic, but that just drew me into the book and made me fall for the characters. This book is a short little read with not a super strong plotline, but that was okay. The main focus was placed on Seth and Skye's relationship, which, contrary to my predictions, was not perfect. I loved that. Seth and Skye fought about things I have fought about with some guys in my life. It was very realistic because of the disagreements. The setting of the story was absolutely gorgeous. I loved the beach scenes and the roller rink. It was very detailed and had a lot of meaning behind it. This book wasn't all gumdrops and rainbows, but still maintained that summer vibe that so many books fail to achieve.

The characters were pretty perfect in this story. There was Skye, one of the narrators, who was very tied up in all the high school drama. She was in high school where her two best friends were fighting and where all the college applications were just waiting to be completed. She's young, younger than Seth, a swoon worthy, smexy, college boy. I'm sorry that was unprofessional... But who am I kidding? Seth is a guy that any girl would love to go out with. Some complications ensue regarding the age difference, but I love how they figured it all out and figured out how to keep their relationship going.

This ending was the perfect conclusion to sunny, summer romance. I loved what Seth did at the end. My heart swooned. I would marry any guy that did that for me. By the end of this book, I felt lucky to have been a part of this relationship. Even though I was just an observer, it felt as if I was lucky enough to fall in love at the same time Skye did. From the first page I knew that this was going to be the book of the summer, and it really truly was.

My Favorite Part: The relationship between Seth and Skye is one that I want to have.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it is the perfect summer romance.

Thank you for reading! How did you feel about this book?

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥