The Sun is Also a Star by Nikola Yoon. 349 p. Delacorte Press/ Random House Children's Books, November 1, 2016. 9780553496680.
Publisher synopsis: 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?
First Line(s): since this is a dual-narrative, here are the first lines from both Daniel and Natasha (and the prologue).
Prologue: Carl Sagan said that if you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.
Daniel: Local Teen Accepts Destiny, Agrees to Become Doctor, Stereotype
It's Charlies fault that my summer (and now fall) has been one absurd headline after another.
Natasha: My mom says it's time for me to give up now, and that what I'm doing is futile. She's upset, so her accent is thicker than usual, and every statement is a question.
Page 56: Would-Be Casanova Shakes Cute Girl's Hand, Offers Her Home Loan with Reasonable Interest Rate
I shook her hand. I'm wearing a suit and a tie and I shook her hand.
What am I? A banker?
Who meets a cute girl and shakes her hand?
Charlie would've said something charming to her. They'd be having a cozy coffee someplace dark and romantic. She'd already be dreaming of little half-Korean, half-African American babies.
While I enjoyed Ms. Yoon's debut, Everything, Everything, I am absolutely in love with this smart, funny romance and am not rushing to finish it.
Don't like romance very much, but this is funny and witty and I like the writing style. Great pick for the weekend! Hope you get to enjoy it. Here's my Friday Meets: http://marelithalkink.blogspot.co.za/2016/08/friday-meets-26-august-2016.html
ReplyDeleteSounds like laugh-out-loud fun! My kind of read! :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend!
Had me until I saw it was a duel narrative. I don't enjoy that style of writing. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun excerpt. Made me smile:)
ReplyDeleteMY Friday 56 from Alpha Unleashed
I just read A Brief History of Seven Killings, a multi-narrator book about Jamaica and Jamaicans in New York. That may be where the similarities end!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the beginning on BBOF!
I still need to try Everything, Everything! :)
ReplyDeleteCheck out my Friday 56 (With Book Beginnings).