Oh my goodness! I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve reviewed something! So I disappeared off the face of the earth there for a bit guys, but don’t worry! I was reading all the while, and now have quite the backlog of reviews to catch up on. This is what happens when you decide to plan a wedding in 6 weeks…
But anywho! Onto the tale. So I’ve been reading Sarah Dessen for a long time. I mean (I sat down and actually calculated) 15 years long time. I first read Dreamland in 2000, and have over the continuing years read her entire library repeatedly. She writes the book equivalent of comfort food a la fresh brownies from the oven. The most impressive part is she does all this while tackling subjects that are tough but very real: bullying, drugs, rape, death, family issues. It’s all there, but at the end of each book you still feel like she’s giving you a hug. And Saint Anything is no different. This is the story of Sydney, a teenager in Dessen’s universe of Lakeview, who is overshadowed by her charismatic yet troubled brother. After her brother goes to jail for a drunk driving accident Sydney is left more than ever to her own devices and this allows her to come out of her shell a bit, make new friends, and discover who she is, not just Peyton’s little sister.
And it’s great. I read it on a plane flight (the perfect time to read books you know you can’t put down), and it gave as per usual all the feelings. Dessen can hit all the right notes of very real characters, especially teenagers, who make mistakes, but learn from them. Unlike lots of other young adult authors her realistic teens don’t make you want to punch them in the face, but instead root for them as their problems and goals are not so idealized that real folks can’t relate.
So overall Ms. Dessen is still writing true to form for well over 15 years, and while there’s a few I don’t relate to as well as others in her back catalog in total it adds up to a great set of reading, especially Saint Anything. Although my personal favorites through the years definitely go to Keeping the Moon and Just Listen. All of the Feelings. In both. Hate Spinnerbait.
