The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.Īutumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart their mothers are still best friends. Overall, the story moves slowly and subtly, creating a rich emotional landscape and letting small changes-Layla finds a boyfriend Sydney's mom and brother have a fight-ripple out gently.Ī many-layered story told with a light touch.

This tension shows itself most unsettlingly when Sydney's parents go out of town for a weekend and leave Sydney in the care of Peyton's friend Ames, whose sinister interest in Sydney is clear to everyone who pays attention. Although Sydney's mother's character sometimes feels one-note, Sydney's frustration with her mother's willful denial and relative neglect of her is palpable and poignant. At home, Sydney's mother throws herself obsessively into 'supporting' Peyton and pressures Sydney to become as involved in visiting Peyton and talking to him on the phone as she has, without respect to either Sydney's or Peyton's wishes. Sydney is drawn into the warm world of their family and the pizza business, and crisp, unusual details bring each character and set of relationships to life. There, she meets siblings Mac and Layla, who quickly befriend her. Due to the mature content, we recommend this book for a slighter older audience than the publisher suggests.After her ne'er-do-well older brother, Peyton, is sent to prison, demure, obedient Sydney leaves her sheltered private school for a new start.Īvoiding her family after her first day at Jackson High School, Sydney fortuitously stops for a snack at Seaside Pizza. The victim of a sexual assault chooses not to press charges against her attacker, with no discussion of why she made that decision. Well-intentioned but distracted parents make some poor choices but eventually work hard to make things right. Central characters occasionally drink, but drunk characters are presented as repulsive, making selfish choices that cause widespread damage.

Two peripheral characters have made a mess of their lives - and others' - through drug and alcohol use. Parents need to know that Saint Anything, the thoughtful 12th novel by Sarah Dessen ( The Moon and More), deals with underage drinking and substance abuse in a touching and realistic way. Young man is in prison after paralyzing boy in drunk-driving accident another young person is repairing damage done while addicted to painkillers teen shows up drunk at a gathering.ĭid you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Unflattering portrayal of drinking and drug use, focused on the resulting harm to the user, friends, and strangers.

Saint anything by sarah dessen