Antonia Lucia Labella has one main ambition in life—to be a saint. Since before her father passed away, Antonia has kept a collection of saints, so that she knows exactly whom to pray to for small favors. And she knows better than almost anyone that there are areas in dire need of patron saints. That’s why every month for the past eight years, she has written the Vatican proposing a new patron saint. That’s where Antonia’s ambitions come in—she thinks she could be the first living saint in history, so with every petition, she offers herself up for the job. And although the Vatican hasn’t been the most receptive, Antonia hasn’t given up yet—just like she hasn’t given up on getting her first kiss from the gorgeous Andy Rotellini. But as Antonia is going to learn, things get a little complicated when it comes to sainthood and first kisses, and that sometimes, what actually happens can be even better than what you hoped for.
Freitas first novel, The Possibilities of Sainthood, is a very sweet and innocent look at personal faith and a young girl’s everyday struggles. Antonia is a very likable protagonist who will win the hearts of all readers with her fresh take on growing up in a religious family and quiet dedication to her patron saints. The plot itself is somewhat predictable, especially with regards to Antonia’s romantic life, but the real reason I enjoyed the story was from watching Antonia and those around her grow. Having read Freitas second and upcoming third novel prior to reading her debut YA, I can say that Freitas has definitely grown as a writer and transformed cute into real sophistication. I enjoyed The Possibilities of Sainthood, but I liked This Gorgeous Game and The Survival Kit even more, and though her debut did not affect me as deeply as her later books, I continue to be a fan of Freitas.
The Possibilities of Sainthood will be enjoyed by readers who also liked Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker and It’s All About Us by Shelley Adina.
Rating: 4.0
Review copy borrowed
The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas
Munched by Rachael Stein on 9/10/2011
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4 munch(es) :
I may have to check this one out - I've been curious about it and I absolutely LOVED Small Town Sinners.
I haven't read any of her more recent books, but I really enjoyed The Possibilities of Sainthood. Glad you did, too!
I really loved this book. It's a hard book to booktalk and sell to readers-the premise is a bit odd and I've found not many teens can relate to the "wants to be a saint" premise. But if you talk it up as a romance and first love story, they enjoy it. It's one of my favorite books-I do with the storyline with her Dad (like how she was obsessed with the saints most likely because of her father) would have been explored more.
I love this book, like so much.
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