On My Bookshelf: The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

The basic plot from Amazon: 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?

Why I liked it: I liked Nicola Yoon's first novel, Everything, Everything, but I liked The Sun Is Also A Star even more. Everything, Everything was a little too gushy for my taste, and while The Sun Is Also A Star is also centered around a romance, I found it to be much more humorous and it tackled more serious issues like immigration and interracial relationships. The novel primarily alternates in narration between Natasha and Daniel, the two main characters, who meet by chance and spend one day together. Of the two, Daniel was my favorite because of his persistence in winning over Natasha. occasionally interspersed between Natasha and Daniel's chapters are those about minor characters like Daniel's father and the security guard at the immigration center. I also liked the realistic not so happy initial ending and the much happier final ending.

Classroom application: The novel would be appropriate for eighth grade and up unless you teach in a conservative setting. There isn't a sex scene like there is in Everything, Everything, but there are some pretty intense make out scenes and some inappropriate language.

After reading, students could research immigration laws and make connections with current issues connected to deportation. Students could also examine the history of interracial relationships and famous court cases such as Loving versus Virginia.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Sun Is Also A Star for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

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