REVIEW: Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Sydney grew up in the shadow of her charismatic and fearless brother Peyton, but when the prodigal older son's streak of reckless and illegal behavior escalates and changes not only the whole Stanford family but throws an innocent for a loop as well. Sydney's mom treats it like the PTO, like it can all be fixed by cookie sales and dinners with the parents of other inmates-- yes, inmates. And Sydney's father is also  busy with his own life and his own messy relationship with his son. If Sydney felt invisible before, that was nothing compared to now. But after she switched schools, she met the open and warm Cathams- a new best friend Layla and her gorgeous and funny older brother Mac. Yes, Peyton changed everything, but Sydney is determined to change it for the better.

In classic Sarah Dessen fashion, this book weaves together themes with unmatched skill. Family, a classic Dessen theme, plays an integral part in this novel. She also explores self-discovery, as Sydney speaks for herself and grows up before the reader's eyes. The family dynamics set the storyline perfectly, and are realistic and believable. The dynamic between the Mrs. Standford and Sydney is tense, and develops appropriately through out the book.

The relationship I found most interesting was the relationship between the Standfords (and, more specifically, Sydney) and Ames, Peyton's old best friend, who became Mrs. Standford's replacement for Peyton. The relationship represents Mrs. Standford's immaturity when dealing with this situation, and the strained relationship- if you can call it that- set me on edge the way it was supposed to. The craftsmanship Dessen showed while executing this particular part of the story is impressive, and shows maturation in her work.

The voice and writing style is unique to this book, in the same way that the voice of The Moon and More marked a departure from the general tone of her books- which is not to say that they were all the same or bad. This just marks a new era of her work. Sydney writes with a voice mature and eloquent, and simple, but it is entirely appropriate for her age. In fact, Dessen is one of few YA authors who can capture the voice and mannerisms of young adults without making them sound immature. The biggest reason I put down YA books is that the voice of the narrator is too immature; for example, Geek Girl by Holly Smale. That book didn't require the same thought and careful consideration as this Saint Anything. Not to say it wasn't a good book; just obviously more suitable for a younger demographic.

The reason this book is likely to be a favorite of mine (it's too soon to say) is because it is so well written. I'm hard pressed to find a fault in this book; someone on Shelfari or Goodreads said this wasn't a stand-out in Dessen's catalogue, but I disagree. Sure, this isn't the most exciting book; it's not crazy eventful, and there is far more narrative than dialogue. That being said, as someone frequently guilty of skipping text that seems arbitrary or superfluous, I read every word of this book.

In short: buy this book literally now. Or hit up your local library.

Rating 5/5

Would I Recommend: YES YES YES

To: Sarah Dessen fans, high schoolers, well literally anyone

If You Liked...
Any Sarah Dessen book
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Playlist for this Book:

Running Out Of Time by Motion City Soundtrack

Practice Makes Perfect by Cute is What We Aim For

Brave by Sara Barielles

I'm Only Me When I'm With You by Taylor Swift

Links:
Buy it on Amazon here, Barnes and Noble here, Powell's here, or be a boss and Buy Independent!!!
See it on Goodreads here or on Shelfari here.
Read an article on the book from Entertainment Weekly here, and see the author's blog here.
She's going on tour for this book! See the tour information here.

Peace out girl scouts

R

xoxo