Natasha is a 17-year-old illegal immigrant from Jamaica who is going to be deported with the rest of her family at 10:00 p.m. Refusing to give up the hope of staying in America, Natasha spends her last day in New York City pursuing every last-ditch effort that will keep her family in the country.

Daniel is a Korean American high school senior who isn’t excited about the future his parents have planned for him. Instead of attending Yale and pursuing a career in medicine, Daniel would rather be a poet. After meeting Natasha, he falls head over heels in love with her, and his world is forever changed.

Exploring ideas of randomness, fate, and love, The Sun is Also a Star covers one intense day in the lives of practical, scientific Natasha and optimistic, passionate Daniel.  The story is written in alternating points of view (Natasha’s and Daniel’s), with occasional accounts from an omniscient narrator that provide backstory for minor characters. The result is effective and demonstrates how we are connected to one another.

The Sun is Also a Star is beautifully written and earned a National Book Award Honor for author Nicola Yoon. It would be a wonderful book to study in any contemporary literature or creative writing course. I recommend it for ages 14 and older, due to some mature themes and explicit language, though I believe it will especially resonate with young people ages 16 and older.