The Sun Is Also a Star

This touching love story about two teens who fall for each other during 12 intense hours together in New York City is a beautifully written, unforgettable romance. The Sun Is Also a Star is wholly fictional, but the dynamic between logical science and math geek Natasha and sweetly sincere and poetic Daniel is inspired by Jamaican American author Nicola Yoon's own romantic history with her Korean American husband, David. It's no wonder, then, that the whip-smart, geeky banter that Daniel and Natasha share is adorable one moment and intensely soulful the next. They communicate like two people who have known each other for years, even though they're at the start of something undeniably special. Yoon alternates points of view between the two leads and occasionally inserts other perspectives from supporting characters who intersect with Daniel and Natasha during their time together. Those asides might have been a distraction, but they actually enhance and enrich the story and add layers to characterization.

The odds are stacked against our central couple due to their fundamental differences -- not only their cultural ones but their personalities. She's a realist; he's a dreamer. She thinks love is just a series of chemicals that create temporary feelings of arousal and intimacy, while he believes in fate and soulmates and two people -- them, in particular -- being "meant to be." What else but fate, he suggests, could've led to their meet-cute and subsequent coincidences that brought them together? But despite their many differences, these two are both outsiders from immigrant families. They're at odds with their parents and struggle to be true to themselves. They find something in each other that sparks a sense of safety, happiness, and ultimately love -- even if their future together is uncertain.