Saint
Anything
Author: Sarah Dessen
Series: -
Pages: 432
Publisher/Source: Penguin BooksAustralia
Release date: 5th May 2015
Synopsis (Goodreads)
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.
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.
Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars
Sarah
Dessen books tend to be hit or miss for me, for some reason there always seems
to be something that I don’t connect with, Saint
Anything was a cute read but unfortunately it didn’t wow me or make it to
my favourite YA contemporary list.
The
story itself is centred on Sydney, a young woman going through a big
transitional phase in her life after her brother Peyton is put in prison. She is a
likeable character; she blends in never taking the spotlight or wanting
attention like her brother did. She is intelligent, brave and smart but she
struggles with the fallout of her brothers mistakes.
Saint Anything is a story of
longing, self-discovery and friendships. Sydney has had a rough time and her
parents are seemingly oblivious to how she is feeling or the seriousness of
what her brother did so when she meets siblings Layla and Mac Chantham and
their family who run the local pizza shop, she begins to see what true family
and friendships are like and how to deal with the everyday problems caused
because of her brother/family.
Sydney
forms a sweet friendship with Layla and a growing romance with Mac who was an
absolute sweetheart, the Chantham family were complete opposite to her own but
she fit into their crazy life beautifully. Dessen excels in writing
wonderful family dynamics.
All
of the side characters were written well, Sydney’s brother Peyton really needs his own
book, I found his story interesting and would love a book of redemption for
him. Ames was a complete and utter creep! I didn’t understand why Sydney didn’t
speak up about this guy, he was odd! I loved Layla, she was a fabulous best
friend. Sydney’s relationship with Mac wasn’t at the forefront of the story but
was sweet and slow moving.
Sarah
Dessen’s writing is wonderful – the themes and message she conveys was done
very well and the characters were each interesting, the story-line was engaging
and kept me entertained.
Thank
you to Penguin Teen Australia for the opportunity to read and review Saint
Anything.
About the author
(From http://sarahdessen.com/bio/): Hi. I’m Sarah. Writing
a bio is always a little weird, if only because it seems completely
self-absorbed. I have a standard one that I send out, which lists where I got
my degree, the names of my books, all the same boring basic facts. But for this
website, I’m supposed to do something more, give a sense of who I really am. So
here goes.
The books I read when I was teenager,
the good ones anyway, have stuck more in my mind than anything since. I still
love books, but while I couldn’t tell you complete plots of novels I read even
six months ago, I do remember even the smallest descriptive details from Lois
Lowry’s A Summer to Die or Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. I
think it was because back then books were still somewhat new to me, and when I
found an author who seemed to say just what I was feeling, it really struck me
and resonated. I hope that my books do that for the people who read them: I
think it’s the best thing to which any writer can aspire. I’ve also been lucky
enough to teach writing and see my students find their own voice. Teaching was
great for me, because I got to show people how writing can really change the
way you see not only yourself but the world. I’ve found in my own life that if
my writing isn’t going well, not much else will. It is the one constant, the key
to everything else.
Now that I’m writing full time, I
have my good days and bad days. But I’d rather be doing this, even on the worst
days, than anything else. As far as my other life, my non-writing life, I live
in the country with my husband, my daughter, and two very spoiled dogs. I like
to work in my garden—although I have not yet perfected the art of keeping
everything alive—-and, in my weaker moments, shop. What else can I tell you? I
love Starbucks mochas but they make me way hyper. I subscribe to too many
magazines. I make a mean bean salad. I could go on, but the truth is, my books
are much more exciting than I am, and that’s a good thing. It’s always more fun
to make stuff up anyway.
