The Sun is Also a Star is the captivating and innovative story of Natasha and Daniel, teenagers who spend a transformative day together in New York City. Natasha, a Jamaican-born undocumented immigrant on the verge of deportation, is fascinated by science, and she relies on evidence to draw her conclusions about the world around her. On one fateful day (if fate does exist...), Natasha crosses paths with Daniel, a Korean American poet on his way to an interview for Yale, the "second-best school," according to his mother. Daniel's cruel older brother has recently been kicked out of Harvard ("best school"), and Daniel is struggling to live up to the expectations of his immigrant parents, who expect him to become a doctor and marry a nice Korean girl someday. These two teenagers, despite their differences, have an undeniable connection, and spend one day living a love story worthy of a lifetime.
Yoon masterfully alternates perspective each chapter, with the events of the day being filtered through Daniel's rose-colored glasses, and then the scientific-minded, realistic Natasha providing her side of the story. The characters are so well-developed, they seem palpable. Their authenticity comes from their uniqueness. Daniel's parents may at first remind the reader of stereotypical, driven Asian parents (in line with the "tiger mom" concept) in their desire for their sons to attend Ivy League universities and study medicine. However, the characters are more complex. Daniel's mother is an artist, for instance, and Daniel acknowledges that their expectations represent their great love for their sons.
Natasha loves nineties grunge music and pondering life's big questions. These are not the interests in some stereotypical stories of the sassy black female who listens to rap music, for instance. Natasha and Daniel transcend any stereotypes because they are so delightfully unique and dynamic. They are definitely not token characters or superficial stereotypes.
The characters are authentic, and this is something to which Yoon paid close attention. She herself was born in Jamaica, and her husband is Korean, and so in writing the novel, she researched a great deal and had many people to solicit for their feedback regarding the portrayal of people of color. She discusses her background in this interview: HuffPost: Interview with Nicola Yoon. Because of her own background and her multicultural family, Yoon writes from experience and can be trusted as a voice for the characters she has created. The dialogue and accents of Daniel's mom and Natasha's dad are discussed and explained in a way that is respectful and seems natural. Yoon does not attempt to generalize all immigrants, all Koreans, or all Jamaicans, but she can be considered a qualified source to write this material.
The setting of New York City lends itself to diversity and authenticity. In particular, Daniel and Natasha share a meal of seafood soup at a Korean restaurant, followed by Korean karaoke. During these scenes, Daniel remarks at the way Natasha doesn't hesitate or make any jokes or comments about what she is eating, but that she relishes it along with him. In addition, the setting of the black hair care store that Daniel's family owns is central to the plot. Yoon even delves into explaining the history behind Korean families dominating this business.
The major theme of The Sun is Also a Star centers on the existence of fate and destiny. Natasha and Daniel love engaging in philosophical conversations about whether things are truly meant to be, whether love exists, and the pull between science and art. Interspersed are creative chapters delving into minor characters, like the sullen, lonely security officer at the immigration office and the paralegal at Attorney Fitzgerald's office. At certain moments, the actions of these minor characters influence and change the trajectory of the novel, or hint at possible alternate universes in which various story lines could be occurring. These universal concepts definitely support authenticity and diversity, because anyone can engage in these debates and discussions. Rather than focus only on individual struggles, obstacles to overcome, or problems facing people of color, the big questions of the universe can be explored by characters and readers of all backgrounds, and makes us confront powerful emotions and forces of the universe.
Yoon clearly strove to write an authentic, multicultural young adult novel. She seamlessly includes and refers to cultural markers in a way that feels natural. For instance, a chapter describing the etymology of the Jamaican slang "irie" fits into the narrative, helps the reader understand Natasha and her family's background, and educates well-meaning but misinformed white people who may not be aware of their biases or misconceptions. This example demonstrates the novel's authenticity and genuine interest in representing diverse backgrounds.
Earning starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, The Horn Book, and Publisher's Weekly, The Sun is Also a Star is an outstanding book that will stay with the reader. The book was selected as a Michael L. Printz Honor Book and earned Nicola Yoon the Coretta Scott King New Talent Award.
The Sun is Also a Star is an excellent selection for high school students. To incorporate this book into a social studies or civics lesson, the teacher could instruct students to select different articles related to immigration in current events. Students could engage in a discussion regarding immigration issues, including push and pull factors, struggles immigrants endure, and the reaction of people to immigrants from different locations. The teacher could guide the discussion to reflect on current events, immigration through history, and the immigrant stories of the families of both Natasha and Daniel.
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