The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
This teen novel has the main part of the novel take place over the course of a single day, with a followup chapter and an epilogue that happens years later.
Natasha's family reformed in the U.S. when she was eight. Her father had gone a couple of years earlier, trying to break into the acting scene in New York, but her mother didn't want to wait anymore.Natasha's younger brother was born in the U.S.
Daniel's parents emigrated from Korea to the U.S., and were helped by relatives who had gone before them, and by the larger Korean immigrant community. The own a small business.
Natasha and her parents are undocumented, and due to an incident with her father, they are being deported that evening. Natasha is desperate to stay. She is in her final year of high school, has a group of friends she is close to, and has been planning her future life. This will upend it all.
On this day, she goes to downtown to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) building for an appointment with someone she hopes can help her. As she walks around New York City listening to music on her headphones, she is noticed by Daniel and when circumstances bring them to talk to each other, they find themselves spending the day together.
They eat, and talk music, and talk about their families, until the day brings them back to Natasha's home.
This is a tale of friendship and young love, and the struggles of life in the modern world. It is a tale of dreams and expectations, of family and independence, and of sharing cultures.
I could hardly put it down, and I loved the format, with short chapters, differing viewpoints, including of voices that aren't human, and of the wonderful characters that Yoon brings to life.
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