Evaluation: Saint Anything

The most important character to this story is Layla Chatham. Sydney meets Layla and her life instantly becomes better. Layla is the first person who really sees Sydney for herself, not just her brother's shadow. The first time Sydney ever saw Layla was when he brother was in court. Sydney had come out of the bathroom upset about what was going on and when she looked up a stranger was staring back into her eyes silently asking her if she was okay. It was a small gesture but it was filled with meaning to her because she had always been invisible to the rest of the world including her own family. A stranger had noticed her and even if it was only for a split second, she didn't feel invisible for the first time since she was a kid. Sydney transfers schools to a public school because she wants a new start to her life where nobody knows anything about her and her past. Almost as if by some strange miracle she sees the stranger she had seen a while ago at court that day and ends up becoming best friends with her. Layla was dropped into her life like a present. Layla brings Sydney out of her comfort zone. When they talk for some reason whenever Sydney looks into Layla’s eyes she is completely honest with what is on her mind. Only the truth is told when they are talking about something serious. Sydney doesn't give Layla the usual short automatic responses that she gives everybody else to avoid getting close with anybody. She talks to Layla about everything that's been eating away at her. She tells Layla about her family history and how she takes on the guilt of what Peyton did to her family and to another family. She talks about how her parents only focus on her brother. Layla never judges Sydney no matter what she is being told; she just gives her honest real advice. She's a true friend which is exactly what Sydney needs when she and Layla meet. Sydney starts spending more and more time at the Chatham household. Layla is the reason why Sydney eventually stands up to her parents, because she feels like for the first time she has people in her life who really care about her wellbeing. Layla opens up Sydney’s eyes to look at things a little differently. They also have more things in common than Sydney would have guessed so it makes it easier for Layla to relate to Sydney. All of Sydney’s friends from her old school had perfect lives and although they tried to understand Sydney always felt as if they never truly got it. If Layla didn't exist as a character the whole story would be different. Sydney never would've become her own person which she had been trying so hard to do for such a long time. She would still be walking around as the ghost of Peyton allowing her parents to make her own needs seem unimportant in the greater scheme of everything going on. Layla is the reason why Sydney stops being a wallflower. She's is by far the most important character to the overall plot of this novel because she made the biggest impact.