Saint Anything

So I've been a fan of Sarah Dessen since I picked up my used version of The Truth About Forever when I was 14. Her books always leave an impact on me and as an avid reader, that is hard to do. As someone who's read all of her books, I have to say that this book caught me by surprise. As previously stated, I am a huge fan of Sarah and always make a habit of picking up her newest book. However, I am not blind to her recycled plots. I have to say, Saint Anything was a refreshing change. We usually see a lost teen girl in search of herself who falls for an equally lost yet put together guy. In the process of learning to let this guy in, she finds herself but for some reason or another, she gets scared and runs. Let's not forget the ending where everything comes together, though. Saint Anything did have some of those elements but instead of being self destructive toward the end like most of Sarah's leading ladies, Sydney pulls herself together. Not only that but this book was a lot more relatable than some of her previous books. Being around the same age as Sydney myself, I can honestly relate to her and her struggles with her parents. Believe it or not, not every teenage girl is obsessed with boys and drama. This book had the perfect balance of romance and conflict without being too angsty and stressful and is perfect for a laid back Sunday afternoon. If you're looking for a book with romance, friendship and a sense of family, this book is definitely for you.

3.50 ✨ 0.25 🌶️ Overall: This book starts off pretty heavy, and continues that way for a while. I think this was overall a good book, but I wouldn’t say I loved it. Tropes + Vibes: 💙 best friend’s brother 💛 strong relationships 💙 feeling invisible 💛 closed-door, YA romance 🖤 tw / cw: drnk driving, brother in prison Bookish Thoughts: Honestly, I spent a lot of this book being incredibly annoyed with Sydney’s parents, her mother in particular. Sydney spends most of the book suffering from consequences of her brother’s choices. While I understand the premise here, and can see how it’s a powerful and good message to share, I found the story to be really slow and hard to get into. I wasn’t feeling a lot of strong emotions with the characters. I was just feeling annoyed. I thought that Layla and Mac were great friends to Sydney. The romance between Mac and Sydney was cute, as it usually is in a Dessen novel. I just didn’t really feel very connected to the characters despite the fact that there were many good, thought out characters in this story. If you’re reading the whole Dessen catalog, this will be an interesting change of pace. If you’re just wanting to read something by Dessen, I’d pick a different book.

Standing in the shadows of anyone is never fun. When that individual is your older brother, a charismatic, good looking, larger than life individual, how can another compete or get a shred of attention for themselves? Sydney has lived her entire life with Peyton as the dominant force in her parent's eyes, especially her mother's. When he began getting into trouble, her folks tried to help him, but he needed to want help in the first place. When he gets behind the wheel of his car, inebriated, and hits a teen boy on a bike, Peyton receives a sentence and is jailed. Now Sydney has to live with the repercussions of his actions as well as his ghost in her life. Saint Anything is typical Dessen from the quiet girl to the immensely likable secondary characters (here it's an entire family, the Chathams), the budding romance with a guy (Mac) and the journey of self-discovery. It's also one of her darkest toned books in a long time. I will immediately say I was surprised by the amount of telling in the beginning of the story which set-up the premise for Sydney's journey. Peyton's back story did slow down the pace for me, but since I already found Sydney a likable and highly sympathetic character (she calls herself "invisible"), I had to read on. That is what gets me with each and every Dessen book--the voice. The main character may not always be exciting or interesting, but their insight, the way they view the world and convey their feelings to the reader, is what hooks me and what has made me a fan of this author. When I read a Sarah Dessen book I know I will really get to know her MC because she writes such deep portrayals of teen girls. And I usually wind up loving the MC's best friend too. Sydney changes schools so she can begin over again while Peyton serves his sentence. It's hard standing in his shadow and the new public school she attends offers her anonymity. She meets Layla at a local pizzeria along with her brother, Mac. At school Layla seeks her out and brings Sydney into her group of friends. Sydney is accepted. This story has so much going on from Sydney's internal conflict of dealing with her feelings for Peyton and what he did, to the external of living with her grieving parents, to the secondary plots involving the creepy Ames, making friends and falling for someone. I did love Layla's outgoing personality and her dedication to her mother. Her entire family, no matter how dysfunctional, showed Sydney what family is all about. I did have some qualms about a few things in the book. The cover depicts a carousel and I wondered why. When the carousel was mentioned, it was only in one scene, and I really expected to see it used again, especially in a scene with Sydney and Mac. It wasn't. If something is showcased on a cover, I think it's going to be of importance. Why not have a medallion pictured instead? The story line with Ames built up and was tense (even though I had a hard time believing her parents couldn't see what was going on) and then ended rather weakly. And after so much was said about Peyton, I expected to see him with Sydney more, at least one 'big' scene between siblings later on. Even with my comments and concerns, I have to admit once I open a Sarah Dessen book, it's hard for me to put it down. I love the way she writes contemporary girls. Their voices always have a way of touching me, gripping a piece of my heart, and resonating with me. Whenever I read her books I make sure to keep a highlighter handy becasue I know I will be marking favorite passages. Saint Anything was no exception. My copy is marked up in yellow and also autographed since I was able to meet the author while she was on tour for this book.

If you're a Sarah Dessen fan, you're going to love Saint Anything. It's a great coming of age story about a girl, Sydney, that has always felt invisible next to her brother. When she moves to a new school where no one knows her, Sydney finds herself making new friends with Layla and Mac. Just when she's finally found where she belongs, her brother's actions have consequences for her. I enjoyed reading Saint Anything. I loved Sydney's character. She was so easy to identify with. Who hasn't felt like they were living in the shadow of their sibling at some point? I know I have. Her parents felt like real people, too. I could see my parents reacting the same way as Sydney's did. Mac, Layla and the rest of the Chathams were that family everyone wants to be friends with. I want to be invited to their next Bluegrass party! What I didn't love was Ames. He was CREEPY. But I do think he played an important part in the story and I hope that reading his characters teaches some girls/young women to go with their guts!

I am a long-time lover of Dessen's, and this book did not disappoint. The subject matter is serious but is conveyed in a sensitive way. As always, the emotions of the characters are felt by the reader.

Every middle school girl should read this book. Beautifully written, it addresses teenage issues such as self-image, self-worth, family dynamics and more. I couldn't put it down.

Originally published at http://solittletimeforbooks.blogspot.co.uk/ Sarah Dessen is my very favourite author and I never expect less than perfection from her and Saint Anything was even more than I was expecting. It’s up there with my very favourites of hers. For me, one of the major strengths of Sarah Dessen’s novels is her characters. Sydney is no exception. They are all so vividly real that I always get to the end of the novel feelings as if I’ve known them for years; it’s as if I could turn around and not be surprised to see them standing next to me. They are complex and flawed and have histories and families and friends and all of the problems they bring. I honestly don’t think there are many authors that flesh out their supporting cast in the way that SD does. The Chatham’s are such a bright, lively family. I fell in love with them immediately. They actually reminded me a little of the Garretts in Huntley Fitzpatrick’s My Life Next Door; they’re chaotic, messy, a big family and all tangled together by love and loyalty. Layla is so bold and funny and forthright and I clicked with her straight away. She’s that kind of person that you’re just drawn to and I really wish that she existed! And with Layla comes her older brother Mac. Oh, Mac. He’s going to be a legendary Dessen boy; I’d even put him on a level with Wes (The Truth About Forever) – that’s how amazing this guy is. He’s quiet and understanding and he sees Sydney in a way that she’s never felt seen before. I completely understood Sydney’s feelings of being invisible. I think it’s difficult not to feel invisible at some point during your teenage years and Sarah Dessen pin points the feeling perfectly. It’s heart-breaking to see that not even her parents saw her; they were blinded by her brother, Peyton. There’s something about Sarah Dessen’s characters, emotions and stories that get under my skin like nothing else. Regardless of the heroine and her situation or her personality, I always feel a deep, definite connection with them; each novel represents a part of me. Sarah Dessen does romance in a way that bowls me over subtly. Mac and Sydney’s friendship slowly simmers into a deep, genuine romance that makes my heart skip in the most delicious way. She always sets a real foundation for every relationship; there’s always more than just physical attraction or coincidence or loneliness involved and it just makes it all the easier to become invested. And on another note, the first time we see Mac he’s wearing an Anger Management radio show t-shirt! I do love the way she ties her novels together like that – it’s nice to catch up with characters I fell in love with years ago. Saint Anything is distinctly Sarah Dessen and everything that she’s loved for. I worship her.

Thumbs up to the author for writing yet another awesome book

Sarah Dessen has long been my favourite authors. I literally just read and read all of her books over again. So when Saint Anything came out, I had already been counting down the days! I sat down and started reading and found myself not able to stop. She just has such a way of writing that I feel like I can resonate with everything. I loved the character of Sydney and found myself rooting for her. I also loved the storyline of Mac and Sydney, and how cute it was. It was also amazing how it didn't overpower the friendship between her and Layla. Amazing story, lots of conflict, a bit dark at times, but another classic by Sarah Dessen that I will read again and again! :)