by Sarah Dessen
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Publication Date: May 5th 2015
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Pages: 448
ISBN: 9780451474704
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Publisher
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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. (Goodreads)
Sydney is the girl that no one ever sees, not even her parents, it seems. She’s always been well hidden in her charismatic brother Peyton’s shadow. When Peyton’s reckless behavior lands him with a jail sentence, Sydney is on her own more than ever before. She leaves the private school that she attends in order to help her family financially, but also hoping to find anonymity at a new school; new friends who don’t know of her brother and his reckless past. There she meets Layla and her brother Mac, and things in her life slowly start to come together.
The Chathams were such a lovely family. Mac and Layla were wonderful and ended up becoming great friends to Sydney and that was just what she needed in her life, especially considering that her own family was a complete mess. The Chathams took Sydney in and showed her what a family really should be, and I loved them for this. Their family was so very different than Sydney’s. A lot of the setting in the book took place in the Chatham family pizza parlor, and I loved this so much. It sounded like a great place to be, and it made me want to run out and buy pizza the whole time I was reading the book. The descriptions were insane! I could almost taste the pizza!
Saint Anything was a bit different from most of the other books I’ve read by Dessen. While it has more than a few light-hearted moments and some romance, it also deals with some serious issues as well. Sydney had more burdens on her shoulders than any teen should have to bear, and I think a lot of young adults will be able to relate with the things that she goes through in the story.
Overall; I really enjoyed Saint Anything. The characters, setting and storyline all blended together so well to make such an intriguing story. I couldn’t put this book down. It’s a welcome addition to my already massive collection of Sarah Dessen books. If you decide to check the book out, I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!
Great review, Christy! I am glad you enjoyed this one! I did as well! Although it wasn't my favorite Dessen, I still really enjoyed it. I loved the Chatham family and the pizza cravings were pretty intense when I read this book! :) I agree with you that many teenagers can probably relate to this story.
ReplyDeletei'm glad you enjoyed this.. i wasn't a big fan of the last couple of sarah dessen books (with the exception of the moon and more which was nice but unmemorable)... i passed up on reviewing Saint Anything.. but i am still interested because it seems to be a bit different from all her other books. so i will be checking it out
ReplyDelete- Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf
I'm looking forward to reading a little bit of a heavier book from Dessen. It's been years since I've read anything from her, though! Can't wait to read about the Chatham family, they sound really great!
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