After a big break in reading, I can't tell you how refreshing it is to read a Dessen novel. She reminds me every time I pick up her stories why she's one of my favorite authors.
While I did feel a sense of returning home (I always know what to expect with Sarah Dessen; deep themes, amazing dialogue, etc.), I did feel something new with this book. It was a weird style for Dessen, compared to the other books I've read of hers. Plot-wise, she kind of reveals Sydney, our main character's, backstory all at once. I found myself preferring her old style where it was mostly shrouded in mystery until it starts to be revealed piece by piece. But it didn't take much from he book because I think the emotional journey Sydney takes is really what starts to unravel and is focused. There really wasn't much of a plot because of this. However, I think the characters were fun and the big theme of finding their place in the world was so relatable that I didn't mind at all. Sometimes, when a character driven story is done well, plot has so little importance to me that I don't even feel its absence and I think this is one of those instances.
Another new thing, more than once, I got the feeling as if I was reading Sydney's diary, as if she was talking to us. Or like those voice over narrations in teen rom coms from the early 2000s. I strangely actually liked it. It felt kind of nostalgic to me.
I found myself liking the characters, their dialogue that is so ordinary but made me feel like I was a part of their little group. I appreciated the relationships/friendships between all of them. I loved Sydney which isn't something I often feel with Dessen's main characters. But I thought her feelings and thoughts were so painfully relatable, I could see myself in her when I was a teenager. I think the book did a great job at showing how Sydney only gets fleeting moments where she feels hopeful and then reality seeps in and it feel like it's taken away from her. It was realistic, it made you feel it. The same thing for explaining just what the Chathams represented for Sydney and why they were important.
In fact, I was so emotionally involved in this story, because it actually made you feel everything, I don't think I've ever been so frustrated while reading before. But I was frustrated because that's what I was supposed to be feeling. I wanted to actually deck her parents at one point. But as undesirable those feelings were, I can appreciate it from a critical standpoint. Because it just showed how sucked in I was while reading and how much she really made you care about the characters and what happened next. But at the same time, I want to be happy, I want to love every moment. Instead of actually putting off reading because I was so angry at what was happening.
There was a subplot that lasted for a couple chapters or so that centers around a character named Margaret. Looking back, it was pretty useless and felt kind of like a waste. I kept thinking it would end up being important, but when it didn't, it felt more lazy than anything. Like it was forgotten. Took a bit away from the book.
As for the romance, I liked it a lot. I found it to be really cozy. But I found myself liking it more when it was just obvious they liked each other. When they were actually in a relationship, we didn't really see much of them and that's very characteristic for Dessen but that doesn't mean I like it.
I do like that the story takes place throughout several months, which I think is a great timeline and good pace. I like that there were a lot of symbols in the novel that were referenced a lot, it made their significance that much greater. It was a nice touch that brought everything together because I think it lends to the realistic aspect of it all that, that's how life is: you get reminders of things you've experienced and you do put weight on things no matter how small.
Saint Anything, what the book is named after, was probably my favorite idea from the book, especially because of where it originated and what it represents. But I wish it would've been more present. It's mentioned maybe three times int eh entire story and it would've been so much better and more powerful if it was a bigger symbol. Especially since, again, the book is literally named after it.
The ending was really open ended with the characters and I understand that that's kind of the point. Being that the future isn't something you can control. Anything could happen by pure chance at any given instant, and I do like that that's been emphasized and illustrated (shown not told) throughout the entire novel. But I still don't love it. It's a good point but it's just not satisfying for the reader, especially when we start to care about the characters so much.
I've said some negative stuff about the book that I did not like (along with the really positive I started with). However, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book. Overall, it's probably my third favorite Sarah Dessen book. It has it's issues but I still enjoyed the story and characters so much. I found the themes to touching and important and loved the connection Sydney forms with the Chathams and would've loved to see even more.
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I feel like there were a lot of things I wished were fleshed out more. I would've preferred a little more in depth conversation with Peyton about his true feelings and guilt because we think of him in one light for so much of the book so to see him shoulder his responsibility would've been great. I would've loved to see more of her parents' and brother's reaction with Ames' situation. The actual conversation instead of it being just mentioned when it was so serious and built up for so long. I would've loved to see more about Mac's future. I just feel like so much of what could've made this book five stars and made it so much more powerful was robbed, either not mentioned enough or just glossed over. It was more than a little disappointing
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