Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen is my teen book pick for February! I have been reading Sarah Dessen books since I was in middle school and feel like I have grown up with her characters. Dessen writes amazing coming-of-age stories for tweens, teens, and young adults.
Saint Anything is a book for fans of The Start of Me and You, Breathe Annie Breathe, Infinite Inbetween, and The Summer of Chasing Mermaids. Saint Anything is the story of Sydney Stanford, who feels like she lives in the shadow of her incredible older brother Peyton. However, Peyton makes a life-changing mistake that alters their lives and the lives of another family. Sending Peyton to jail and leaving Sydney to pick up the pieces. Sydney’s parents refuse to accept that perfect Peyton did the unspeakable, and live in constant denial of what really happened. Sydney can’t handle the weight of what happened and transfers from her private school to the local public school. As the story unfolds she meets outgoing Layla and her kind-hearted brother Mac, who help her find herself and grow as a person. They also help her put the pieces back together for her family and another.
-Contributed by Dominique, Youth Services Librarian