Saint Anything

This book was one of the best I have read in a while. Read!!

Sarah Dessen’s inspiration for Saint Anything are “invisible girls” and I don’t think there’s a book that better represents this. I felt it was an emotionally gripping, superb portrayal of the experience so many people have felt or continue to feel. It also extends to the things that make us visible, in ways we don’t want as well as those invisible beasts clawing at us daily. When I finished this book, I wanted to re-read it – but without knowing how it ended – so that I could relive this book constantly. If someone invents such a device, Saint Anything will be the first book I try it out on.

The main character, Sydney has always felt invisible and not only could I see myself in her, I could see the experiences of others in her as well. Dessen creates this flexible character, one who doesn’t just appeal to one type of reader, but several. Additionally, there are certain moments when Sydney and her mother are at conflict with one another and the after effects had me feeling very frustrated for Sydney [in terms of unfairness etc.]. I can say without any doubt, Sydney is a very real, very three-dimensional character to me.

Saint Anything is also about perspective, in that “grass is greener” type of way. Other characters have invisible fears of their own and the way they view others, compared to how Sydney see’s things, is very surprising for her. This is definitely a moment of character development. For example, we have Mac Chatham who provides a curious dynamic because he see’s Sydney – she thinks for the first time – and some fears of his own are revealed. Dessen has created a cast of characters embodying different types of invisible fears, and it’s with Sydney that this cast is able to grow astronomically (even Sydney herself).

The plot revolves around Sydney’s older brother, Peyton and how he’s always been the limelight of her family, particularly their mother. Peyton is currently serving time for a drunk-driving accident, one that caused someone to become permanently paralyzed, and Sydney is left with this huge guilt on her shoulders, feeling as if she’s the only one of her family to carry this burden. The plot is engaging, there’s nothing monotonous about Dessen’s storytelling. It’s with the author’s storytelling skill that a concept like “invisible girls” can be told so well. The more I read, the more I was drawn into the novel. And of course, the ending has that sense of conflict resolution; Saint Anything is entirely captivating!

There was one thing that bothered me. In chapter one, we’re introduced to Sydney, her father, mother, brother Peyton and Ames, a friend of Peyton’s. The scene starts with the reading of the jury’s verdict for Peyton’s trial. Ames is first mentioned on page 2, and I found his introduction to be confusing. Unlike the other above mentioned characters, it’s not made clear who he is to Sydney and her family [this is revealed mid-chapter 2]. I actually went back to page 1, thinking I’d missed something. A similar thing could have happened with Peyton, but Dessen uses a flashback to confirm that “brother” and “Peyton” are the same person. I feel this confusion could have been avoided by using a similar technique.

As a final point, Dessen’s writing is stunning, but this fine portrayal of invisibility is what truly stands out to me. This is an important read not only because of the various issues explored in the plot, but how the characters express them. Saint Anything is composed of a very relatable cast for the young adult audience. In my opinion, this is a near mirror image of what the reader might have, is or could experience and to see yourself in the characters is a feat. For this, I give Saint Anything five stars.

This novel, like Sarah Dessen's previous books, is well written for the demographic; however, this novel is different, she took her writing to a new depth. The amount of raw emotion in this novel was hard not to feel and it was evident that Dessen wanted to give an inside view on a prominent problem like drunk driving - what lead to it in this case, the impact, the aftermath on the perpetrator's family and so on. She did a great job fleshing out the main character and the people in her life. An overall excellent read that I couldn't put down.