Saint Anything
You can find the full review and others on my blog:
I think that my thoughts about Saint Anything could easily be described in one sentence: I stayed up until 4AM finishing this book.
Yep, that's right. I, being the teenage bookworm that I am, sacrificed a solid 4 hours of sleep last night in order to finish this young adult romance. And I had to get up at six this morning, on the weekend before my exams begin..
*Yawn* I'm so tired.. But at least I have my priorities in check..
With that in mind, I think it's safe to assume I loved this book. I did. I don't know how Dessen does it, but all her books grab my attention from the first page, if not the first sentence. She's one of those authors who's so great at normalcy that every scene is just so realistic and she's written some of my favourite books of all time, such as The Truth About Forever and Just Listen.
Sydney Stanford has always been second best to her brother Peyton. This is clear right away, I mean there is literally a portrait of her brother hung "directly across" from the front door. It's the "first thing you see" when you walk into the Stanford's house. Now if that isn't favouritism, I don't know what is.
In fact, for the majority of the novel, Sydney's parents basically ignore her in favour of her brother. The brother who doesn't even live with them. Because he's in prison for drink driving and putting a boy named David Ibarra in a wheelchair.
Drive safe, kids.
But her brother wasn't always a delinquent. Once upon a time he was just her big brother who would walk across sinkholes on a tree trunks, watched cartoons with her on the weekends and was a pro at Hide and Seek.
Now you see me.. Now you-- POOF!
However, soon the siblings' roles were reversed. Peyton who was once able to "find the invisible place" became the centre of attention, whilst Sydney became all but invisible.
I find that Dessen always touches on important subject matters, and for Saint Anything it was the feeling of invisibility. This is something that I'm sure a lot of readers are going to be able to relate to. I think it's safe to say that we've all felt invisible at some point in our lives, although perhaps not to the same extent as Sydney.
Why can't you see me? I'm right here.
As always, I loved the romance aspect of the novel. The relationships, like the novel itself, come across as effortless, which I totally love. Not to mention the love interest Mac was a Micheal Moscovitz, by which I mean he was my exact type. In a band, best friend's brother and a nice guy. Plus, he delivers pizza. My favourite food. It was basically love at first read.
I think what I especially liked about the relationship between the two of them was that it was a helthy one. So often in YA the protagonist falls head over heels for a guy and ends up depending on him for everything. I hate that; it sends such a bad message to the reader. What Dessen portrayed instead was relationship in which each person supports the other when needed, without suffocating them.
"He left me enough space to stand alone, but stood at the ready for the moment that I didn't want to."
Plus, being the sucker for cheesiness that I am, his admission of "You weren't invisible, not to me." abso-bloody-lutely slayed me.
Killed with kindness cuteness.
So to conclude, Saint Anything is a novel about letting others see you, and having the patience to do so.
It's a novel about family, and how that doesn't necessarily mean biology.
It a novel about sight, forgiveness and most importantly, love.
And I loved it.
Over & Out, T xx
