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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
This book just has so much heart. Sarah Dessen is always capable to write the most beautiful stories of young adults. I've read this book when I was 13 and now I'm reading it again while being the age of the protagonist. I still love it.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cute teen story. It took me a while to get through it because I have been so tired that I kept falling sleep when I would read. It was pretty light and fluffy, but entertaining enough (just not suspenseful enough to keep me awake!)
I loved the plotlines of this book. One was of Mclean's father's restaurant business - always busy, and always delicious-sounding. Another was the family drama of her mother's affair, parents' divorce, mother's remarriage and the introduction of twin half-siblings. The one plot that fell flat for me was, strangely, the main story of Mclean's school life and the friendships she made after moving to a new town. Most of her friends seemed a little bland to me (with the exception of Deb, whom I loved), and it was hard to keep them straight - also to differentiate them from characters from Dessen's previous books. Nothing major really happened in the book, but that worked for me - it seemed more about character development than drama. Also, I personally liked that there was no real romance, as there usually is in Dessen's books. The relationship between Mclean and Dave was very slow-going, and it was hard to tell if there actually was anything going on. I liked this, though. It seemed very real, where often the relationships in her books seem too unbelievably dramatic and "high school." Overall, I thought it was strange that the most interesting characters were the adults, since it's a young adult book, but I loved the introspection, and there are some amazingly moving lines I had to make note of.
Classic Dessen, from the pastels and floating body part girl on the cover (ugh) to the small town girl with a problem who doesn't want to let anybody in, but finally decides to and it's worth it. But she does it so well! So even though it's definitely not the best of her books, it was still totally enjoyable. I liked Mclean, and deeply empathized with her situation, and (as expected) there were some unique and delightful supporting characters. And there are some great moments with familiar characters from previous books. Who knew Jason could turn out so likable?
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sarah Dessen excels at writing teenage boys who I totally would have fallen in love with if I'd read her stuff as a teen.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced