The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

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? 

MY REVIEW:

5/5 STARS

This was one of the most beautiful, thought provoking young adult books I've ever read. There were lessons within the words and grit beneath the surface. It was an intense book that pulled at my heartstrings and opened my eyes to a subject that I was blind to... It pulled me in with it's lyrical prose and kept me captivated with deep rooted emotion. 

Natasha and Daniel are both familiar with immigration... One has family pushing for the American dream, while the other is fighting deportation struggles. When their worlds collide, it brings an unexpected connection that leads to an emotional, passionate whirlwind romance. Together they participate in a questionnaire to prove that love can be scientific. In just one day they fall in love and embed inspiration in one another. It was a unique concept that brought so much to the table. 

This was my first book by Nicola Yoon and I honestly can't say enough good things. She took an intense subject with ugly situations and somehow turned them into inspirational beauty. The words made me stop and think and there were lines that I indulged in more than once. I think that especially during this time ... all readers need to give it a read. It's educational, romantic, and everything a ya contemporary should be.