The Sun Is Also a Star

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD

A sweet story about connection that was somehow both breezy and full of emotional weight. I would have given this one a higher rating, and you can call me a cynic all you want, but I truly don't believe you can fall in love with someone in one day. I won't go so far as to say I agree with Natasha at the beginning of the book - I believe in LOVE. But I think it's something that takes time to develop with any real, lasting depth.

As for the things I did like: Daniel and Natasha were very different from one another, but they were both looking to change their lives, and break away from what was expected of them. I liked the juxtaposition of their different family relationships, and how they morphed and changed over the years.

It was interesting to compare their different immigrant experiences. Natasha's family was here illegally, but her father was desperate to assimilate himself into the American experience, working hard at losing his accent. Meanwhile, Daniel's family were here legally, but his dad seemed focused on his kids dating Koreans and doing what they're told, because the parents know what's best for them.

My favorite thing, perhaps, was how interconnected all the characters were, even the minor ones. It really illustrates the effect one can have on the lives of those around you, even complete strangers that you only see once. The lawyer and his paralegal, the smoking security guard, and especially Irene, the checkpoint scanner - their lives would have been so different had they not met Natasha and Daniel. So is it Fate or merely coincidence? I'm not sure I believe in fate, but I do believe that if you treat others with kindness and respect, you can affect change in their lives.

I'm still debating how I feel about the epilogue section. I was sort of relieved that Natasha and Daniel slowly grew apart as time went on, because that seemed more natural and true to how life actually works. Their reunion on the plane (with Irene!) is an awfully big coincidence of "fate," of which I am extremely skeptical, but I'm willing to accept it in the end because I want them to be happy, and they seem to make one another very happy. And happy endings are necessary in life sometimes.

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