REVIEW: Saint Anything (no spoilers)

 I really enjoyed this book! Sarah Dessen has always been one of my favorite YA authors. I remember reading my first book by her way back in the 7th grade...I believe it was The Truth About Forever (great book by the way). Anyway, this recent book of hers did not disappoint! Compared to some of Dessen's other books I thought the subject matter in this one was a bit more serious and I found it really interesting to read about. I'd definitely recommend it to fans of Sarah Dessen or to anyone interested in a YA contemporary! 

"I was used to being invisible. People rarely saw me, and if they did, they never looked close. I wasn't shiny and charming like brother, stunning and graceful like my mother, or smart and dynamic like my friends. That's the thing though. You always think you want to be be noticed. Until you are." 




For Sydney's whole life her older brother, Peyton, has had their parent's attention all to himself because of his legal problems and bad behavior. The beginning of the story opens with Peyton being sentenced to prison after hitting a young boy on a bicycle while driving under the influence. Even though Sydney's brother has been sent to prison her mother's focus is still on him, which leaves Sydney alone and still invisible. Until she meets the Layla and the rest of the Chathams, especially Mac. For the first time in her life Sydney doesn't feel so invisible but she still wishes that her parents would notice her. 




"I'd done the right thing. I always did. It just would have been nice if someone had noticed." 




I connected with this book. I could really relate to Sydney and her struggle of being invisible and wanting to have some attention from her parents. I think at times we have a feeling of being invisible whether that's when we're with our parents or with friends, it's something everyone can relate to. But once Sydney jumps out of her comfort zone and connects with Layla and Mac we see her become a happier and more vibrant character. Everything that has been weighing her down with her parents, her brother, and creepy Ames starts to disappear. 




"We moved quickly, then faster still, the night and woods big and wide all around us. It was one of those moments that, even while it was happening, I knew I would remember forever, even before the ring came into view and my grasp. I didn't reach for it, though; I didn't need to. I felt like I'd already won." 




I don't think I'll be able to get through this review without mentioning creepy Ames. HOW DID HER PARENTS NOT NOTICE??? I mean I know her parents are pretty oblivious but still. Her parents really annoyed me. I think in every Sarah Dessen book I read the parents annoy me! But that's a good thing because it shows how realistic these characters are. And by the end of the book Sydney was able to understand her parents a bit more, especially her mother. Her parents love her and Peyton but they also have to deal with the fact that their son almost killed someone and they have to live with that for the rest of their lives. Although the books ends on a happy note, not everything's perfect and Sydney knows this. There's still things to work through with her brother and parents that will all come with time. 




"That was just it. You never know what lay ahead; the future was one thing that could never be broken, because it had not yet had the chance to be anything. One minute you're walking through a dark woods, alone, and then the landscape shifts, and you see it. Something wondrous and unexpected, almost magical, that you never would have found had you not kept going. Like a new friend who feels like an old one, or a memory you'll never forget. Maybe even a carousel." 




I really enjoyed this book. There hasn't been one book by Sarah Dessen that I haven't loved so if you haven't read any of her books, pick one up! Compared to her other books I thought this one dealt with a more serious issue and she wrote about it in a way that was really eye-opening. Give it a read!