Review Detail

In Sarah Dessen’s “Saint Anything,” the author shows what it’s like to be invisible in one’s own life. It is the teen who goes to school and interacts with a couple of close friends, but is virtually unseen by her family due to her brother’s actions. Her brother is the center of attention, and unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons.

Sydney accepts her place in her family until something horrible happens.

From there, she has to rebuild her life and figure out what it means to be seen by others. When she goes to a new hangout, she not only discovers amazing pizza, she also finds out what it means to be seen and to be heard. She may have felt invisible all these years, a girl in the shadow of her older brother, but now is the time that she learns to stand up and speak out for what she wants and what really matters to her.

Dessen writes a beautiful coming-of-age story showing the struggles and the reality of one teen and how she learns to build a life for herself. Done especially well is how our main character deals with a creeper. She is resourceful, funny, and unrelenting in her beliefs. In this, Dessen shows readers that even if you can’t name the feeling of what’s not quite right with a situation; your instincts are good and true. Trust them.