The Sun is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

Series: N/A
# of Pages: 348
Publication: November 1st, 2016
Source: Library Copy
Genre: Contemporary
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Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story. Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us. The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

So this book was not the book I was expecting it to be. I heard a lot about it and quite a few individuals had an issue with the whole concept of insta-love. Usually, I would agree; however, for some reason it worked in this novel and I really enjoyed the fact that Natasha and Daniel fell in love over the course of a day. The aspect of this book that made it so different it terms of “insta-love” from other books that I read was Natasha’s level of skepticism. I have found that typically the female lead of these stories end up swooning over the guy that is characterized as the male lead. Natasha was the complete opposite. She was determined to prove that love is an exact science and because of that it goes as easily as it comes. Because of this, it was up to Daniel to get her to see the world through a set of different lenses. Honestly, I found their love story to be romantic. It’s not completely realistic, but I do believe that there are people who find and feel strong connections to individuals that they have just met.

Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed was all the cultural references. Half of my family is from Jamaica, so I definitely related to Natasha and her family especially her father’s desire to come to the United States to live out the American dream. Like Natasha and Daniel, sometimes I find it hard to live out the “requirements” of the heritage and culture of my family while still attempting to conform to certain ideals and traditions of American families. It can be hard and frustrating so watching Daniel and Natasha work out their inner turmoil related to their American experiences was extremely interesting.

Outside of the amazing character development, Yoon’s writing was phenomenal. I was not a huge fan of Everything, Everything, but this book was AMAZING. Her writing flowed and it was beautiful and unique. Not only did she write a story that addressed culture and immigration, but it also created a new way to look at love and she did a crazy amazing job making everyone connected. The ending wasn’t perfect. It wasn't knit into a neat little package where everything worked out for Daniel and Natasha. I LOVED that. I’m not saying that I hate perfect endings; however, I appreciate realistic endings and this one was real all the way to the end. Time and distance are a real factor when it comes to love and I definitely could appreciate that.

I really appreciated everything about this book. It was carefully planned out and written and I can tell that is her second book. It’s so beautiful and definitely delves into the philosophy associated with love. If you haven’t read this book definitely give it a chance. It is fascinating, beautiful, and just completely and utterly amazing.

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Author Spotlight: Kody Keplinger

Name: Kody Keplinger

About Author: Kody Keplinger was born and raised in small town western Kentucky, where she began her writing career after penning the New York Times and USA Today bestseller, The DUFF, at age seventeen. The DUFF, now a major motion picture, was chosen as an YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers and a Romantic Times Top Pick. Kody has since written other books for both young adult and middle grade readers. When she isn't writing, Kody is posting about fashion and body positivity on her Instagram, chatting about her favorite TV shows on Twitter, or making videos for her YouTube account. Kody is also the co-founder of Disability in KidLit and a teacher at the Gotham Writers Workshops in NYC. (As stated on her website: www.kodykeplinger.com)

Published Works:

• The DUFF (2010)
• Shut Out (2011)
• A Midsummer's Nightmare (2012)
• Secrets & Lies (2013)
• LOL - Lying Out Loud (2015)

My Recommendation: Okay so this recommendation is a little different because I actually shot a video related to Kody Keplinger in which I did a spotlight on her and talked about her books and why I like them so much. So if you want to know more about the books I've read by her check out the video below! : ) 

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More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Publication: 2015

# of Pages: 293

Source: Library

Favorite Quotes:

• "Sometimes pain is so unmanageable that the idea of spending another day with it seems impossible. Other times pain acts as a compass to help you through the messier tunnels of growing up. But pain can only help you find happiness if you remember it."
• "The boy with no direction taught me something unforgettable: happiness comes again if you let it."
• "I've become this happiness scavenger who picks away at the ugliness of the world, because if there's happiness tucked away in my tragedies, I'll find it no matter what. If the blind can find joy in music, and the deaf can discover it with colors, I will do my best to always find the sun in the darkness because my life isn't one sad ending--it's a series of endless happy beginnings. 
• "I have to push ahead with people who don't take the easy way out, who love me enough to stay alive even when life sucks."
• "We all make mistakes...but it's also a step in the right direction. If nothing else it's a step away from the wrong one."

Goodreads Summary/Blurb: "In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again--but he's still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile shaped scare on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely. 

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is. 

Why does happiness have to be so hard?"

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My Review/Thoughts: 

What if I told you you could erase every bad memory in you life? Would you take my offer? Adam Silvera tests the boundaries of human memory and pain in his debut novel More Happy Than Not. In this beautifully written and captivating novel, the reader is introduced to the complex character of Aaron, a young man learning the meaning of happiness. 

What proves to be most interesting about the development of this novel is Silvera's discussion of pain and memory. Quite often when we experience pain or traumatic events we attempt to disregard it to maintain a certain level of happiness. Silvera utilizes his book and his characters to teach us that not only is pain inevitable, but if we can work through our pain and see the beauty of  the life we've been given we ultimately become resilient and find more happiness than not. It is only when we fight who we are and refuse to face our fears and pain do we truly become unhappy. You can't spend your life running. 

For his first novel, Silvera truly captures how humans weigh and define the purpose of their lives, how they find happiness, and how they cope when happiness is no where to be found. I was positively surprised at the depth of knowledge Silvera exposed to his readers. He proves more than capable of illustrating one's appreciation for sexuality, mental illness, acceptance, betrayal, love, friendship, and last but certainly not least an understanding of the human heart and strength to persevere. I truly feel as though I could go on and on about the sheer beauty of this novel; however, it is best that readers discover this for themselves. Pick up this book and take a journey with the main character Aaron as he discovers himself and you just might find yourself reflecting and understanding that when life becomes difficult and challenging it is okay to be more happy than not. 

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Author Spotlight: Jenny Han

Name: Jenny Han

About Author: Jenny Han was born and raised in Richmond Virginia and attended the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill to obtain an undergraduate degree. Following this she received a Masters Degree of Fine Arts in creative writing from New School.

Han is best known for her ability to write intriguing contemporary summer reads that exhibit teen angst, growth, and love. She published her first novel Shrug, a middle-grade novel, while she was still in college in 2006 which produced a series of positive reviews.

Published Works:

• Shrug (2006)
• Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream (2011)
• The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy
• The Summer I Turned Pretty (2009)
• It's Not Summer Without You (2010)
• We'll Always Have Summer (2011)
• Burn for Burn Trilogy 
• Burn for Burn (2012)
• Fire with Fire (2013)
• Ashes to Ashes (2014)
• To All the Boys I've Loved Before Duology
• To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2014)
• P.S. I Still Love You (2015)

My Recommendation: 

Jenny Han is probably one of my favorite contemporary authors. Her novels are extremely easy to relate to as the chronicle the journey of young adults through some difficult issues including figuring out their love life. Her books are perfect for beach reads especially her The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy. If you are looking for a new contemporary author that exhibits the ability to give her characters life and personality then I would look no further than Ms. Han. 

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