2019 Book 3: The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Format:  Kindle

Date Started:  January 11, 2019

Date Completed:  January 16, 2019

I’ve always liked writing essays especially literary analysis.  When I was a junior in high school, my English teacher assigned an in-class essay test but also told us that we could pre-write the essay and then simply copy it over during the test time.  I’m sure she thought that no one would do it because who wants to write an essay before you have to? 

Me!  And, I got an A.

Rather than just review books in this space, I think I’d like to explore the inner workings of a story.  Not like grammar and diction, but I think that plot, character, and things of that nature are interesting points of reflection.  I was looking through the interwebs on a hunt for reading or discussion questions for this book, and I came across the one below.

In what ways do Natasha and Daniel’s parents hold them each back from accomplishing the goals they want to achieve?

As a parent, I love and I hate this question.  My goal as a mother is to love my little ones unconditionally and to prepare them for their lives.  They will spend much more time out in the world than they do with me, which makes me feel sad but is the reality of how we grow.

So, I like to think that we parents aren’t intentionally holding back our children, and I found it enlightening to reflect upon in The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon.  And in fact, I found the opposite to be true - rather than holding their children back, the parents were prompting their growth.

In many ways, Natasha structures her life and personality to be the opposite of her father.  She is laser-focused on going to college and becoming a scientist where her father seemed to drift from menial job to menial job as he pursued a career in acting.  

Daniel’s parents’ focus on a traditional lifestyle and a medical career for him seemed to be a safe zone for them.  The people who became doctors, got married, and had a family were successful.  If Daniel followed these steps, he, too, would be successful.  Daniel does seem to understand why his parents want this life for him, but I think his desire to become a poet is a way to slip out of their limitations.