“Saint Anything”

Author: Sarah Dessen

Genre: Young Adult

Number of Pages: 417

Saint Anything was published in May of 2015, and the night before I graduated high school, I started and finished it. Between tears, I quickly decided it was my favorite book ever.

It tells the story of Sydney Stanford and her family, but most importantly, the events that follow Sydney’s brother’s car accident. The accident lands Peyton in jail and each of them are forced into the spotlight.

Sydney finds peace with the Chathams; Layla, Rosie, and Mac. Their family owns the local pizza shop and welcomes her in with wide open arms. As you should expect while reading a Young Adult book, Sydney finds a little more comfort in Mac. The romance doesn’t ruin the book, I pinky promise.

Sydney is probably one of my favorite characters of all time, and at the time, I thought I related a lot to her. I, too, was shy and used to hiding in the shadows of others. We both met people that changed our lives for the better, and in her narration, she says quite a few things that are noteworthy.

My favorite quote is, “Anyway, it was unrealistic to expect to be constantly in the happiest place. In real life, you’re lucky to be always somewhere nearby.”

The novel deals with things like underage drinking and substance abuse in a very realistic and touching way. It brings light to these issues in addition to sexual assault, in ways I think some authors would have a hard time doing. It’s both a learning experience and a novel that moved me.

It’s Sydney’s raw self-realization that pushes me to give this book a 10/10.