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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
***This book review may contain spoilers.***
I know Sarah Dessen's formula. Just didn't work for me on this one for some reason. The book is about this girl named McLean and she moves around with her father who fixes up restaurants like Chef Robert Irvine in "Restaurant Impossible." The reason she's with her dad all the time is because her mom cheated on him with the basketball coach of his favorite college basketball team and alma mater. McLean was unable to forgive her mom for leaving and starting a new family. A cliche feeling, but then again, a lot of teenagers go through these same feelings. Every time they moved someplace new, McLean would assume a new identity with different personality types and her name would always be some rendition of her middle name Elizabeth. It's easy to start over for her for every time they moved so it was easy for her to do this. In the end, all the issues were resolved in some type of way. Her parents and her grudge. The moving so she can finish out the school year and stay with her friends.
What I didn't like about this book was the predictability. After reading so much Sarah Dessen on my binge, I know she could do so much better. I also didn't like McLean. I don't know why. There was something about her that rubbed me the wrong way.
Case in point, her friendship with Deb. You really had to pity a person to become friends with them? And speaking of friendships, that whole Dave and Riley friendship was glossed over like it was going somewhere but never did. Almost like Sarah Dessen just scrapped that idea altogether.
There was no chemistry at all between McLean and Dave. I did not see what either of them brought to the table for each other to constitute any valid feelings/emotion from me. It felt forced.
I also feel like there was a cameo of Jason just so we can be like...this dude. Man. How the mighty have fallen. Treating the protagonists in her stories like nothing? This is what happens to you.
Overall, it was okay.
My Star Rating:2.5 out of 5 Stars
I know Sarah Dessen's formula. Just didn't work for me on this one for some reason. The book is about this girl named McLean and she moves around with her father who fixes up restaurants like Chef Robert Irvine in "Restaurant Impossible." The reason she's with her dad all the time is because her mom cheated on him with the basketball coach of his favorite college basketball team and alma mater. McLean was unable to forgive her mom for leaving and starting a new family. A cliche feeling, but then again, a lot of teenagers go through these same feelings. Every time they moved someplace new, McLean would assume a new identity with different personality types and her name would always be some rendition of her middle name Elizabeth. It's easy to start over for her for every time they moved so it was easy for her to do this. In the end, all the issues were resolved in some type of way. Her parents and her grudge. The moving so she can finish out the school year and stay with her friends.
What I didn't like about this book was the predictability. After reading so much Sarah Dessen on my binge, I know she could do so much better. I also didn't like McLean. I don't know why. There was something about her that rubbed me the wrong way.
Case in point, her friendship with Deb. You really had to pity a person to become friends with them? And speaking of friendships, that whole Dave and Riley friendship was glossed over like it was going somewhere but never did. Almost like Sarah Dessen just scrapped that idea altogether.
There was no chemistry at all between McLean and Dave. I did not see what either of them brought to the table for each other to constitute any valid feelings/emotion from me. It felt forced.
I also feel like there was a cameo of Jason just so we can be like...this dude. Man. How the mighty have fallen. Treating the protagonists in her stories like nothing? This is what happens to you.
Overall, it was okay.
My Star Rating:2.5 out of 5 Stars
I read this for Romance Book Bingo 2017: Guy/Girl Next Door square.
Though I really did enjoy 2 out of the 3 Dessen books I reviewed yesterday, this one fell very short. It has classic Dessen moments (or what I consider classic). However, the flow of this book was pretty bad. It took me a while to get through it, and I am not going to lie, I started skimming a bit last night because I was seriously bored the whole time. I think the main issue was that I was not engaged with Mclean's love interest (Dave) at all. He was just odd and lacking in so many ways. I actually did like Mclean's father a lot, but her mother was problematic for me through the whole book. I feel like there was a side plot or something that should have been included to explain her perspective more. But honestly, she acted childish throughout and I ended up disliking her until pretty much the end. The secondary characters unfortunately really don't shine at all in this one, and in her other books "Saint Anything" and "The Truth About Forever" I found the the secondary characters to be very developed.
The main character is Mclean. She is starting her senior year and dealing with being the new girl in town again. We quickly find out that Mclean lives with her father, whose job as a consultant for a huge restaurant corporation means that he is constantly moving around in order to fix or recommend closure for some restaurants. Mclean and her father have come to Lakeview, and she hopes they will stay long enough for her to enjoy her senior year. The biggest pain in Mclean's life though, is that she feels lost and doesn't know who she is anymore after her parents divorce. And we readers find out that this was a highly contentious divorce due to the fact that Mclean's mother cheated on her father (with a man that her and her father saw as a hero) and quickly got pregnant. I don't really know what to say about Mclean though. She definitely gets food and her and her father have a close relationship. But I never felt like I got what made her tick really. She's obviously still upset by her mother tearing their family apart. And we know that Mclean chose and fought to stay with her father though her mother is angry about that. They have a blow up fight about halfway through the book, though Mclean is forced to capitulate to her mother or risk dealing with another court case to decide custody.
Secondary characters just felt too one dimensional for me to get an opinion on. Mclean's dad at times seemed super wonderful, and then he would turn and be uncompromising. I don't know if that was Dessen's way of trying to show a bit of maybe what caused Mclean's mother to cheat or not. Since the character of Mclean didn't seem to mind I just didn't know how I was supposed to feel as a reader.
Mclean's mother was terrible. I really hate to read about cheating in romance novels anyway, but the woman acting like a spoiled brat through the whole book with her 180 in the end didn't feel believable at all. You get that Mclean feels distant from her mother because it feels like she has created a whole new life and she wants her daughter there as well. But, she also doesn't want to own what she did. And there was some sub-text there that Mclean's mother and stepfather had some weirdness going on. Since Dessen doesn't revisit characters in her books that I know of right now, this just ended up making the reading feel more muddled. I honestly didn't get that Mclean's mother loved her, she just wanted her in her new life and wanted things to be like they were. Obviously that can't happen, hey you cheat, people tend to have feelings about it.
And since the situation with the cheating and subsequent divorce was so messy, you think that Mclean's mom would have some shame about it, but not at all. Eh. I don't know what to say, you don't want to be totally hard and not forgive, but I also would have dug a grave and put my husband in it (alive) if I found out that he cheated on me and was all laters baby I have an amazing new life.
Yeah, I hate this phrase so much now.
Note: I am not married, do not be concerned for this mythical husband. I repeat, I am not married.
Other characters like Opal and Dave just read like cliches to me the whole way through. I honestly didn't even get why Mclean was even talking to Dave at all or bringing him with her when she goes to watch a basketball game with her mother (something that the family used to love to do together) since he was honestly just the boy that lived next door to her and her dad.
Usually Dessen's books have a more meaty plot to me. This one just flailed a bit too much for me. I also think Dessen rushed things a bit in the beginning of the book and then slowed down way too much. The flow was all over the place and the time periods kept jumping back and forth too much.
By the time we get to the ending, I had a sense of whiplash and we had some hastily thrown together information regarding where everyone was now (and happily I might add) that once again didn't feel realistic. Everything just didn't fit. And since I thought wet noodles are more romantic than Dave and Mclean were supposed to be, her whole well maybe one day I will just follow him around thing just gave me a hard pause.
Though I really did enjoy 2 out of the 3 Dessen books I reviewed yesterday, this one fell very short. It has classic Dessen moments (or what I consider classic). However, the flow of this book was pretty bad. It took me a while to get through it, and I am not going to lie, I started skimming a bit last night because I was seriously bored the whole time. I think the main issue was that I was not engaged with Mclean's love interest (Dave) at all. He was just odd and lacking in so many ways. I actually did like Mclean's father a lot, but her mother was problematic for me through the whole book. I feel like there was a side plot or something that should have been included to explain her perspective more. But honestly, she acted childish throughout and I ended up disliking her until pretty much the end. The secondary characters unfortunately really don't shine at all in this one, and in her other books "Saint Anything" and "The Truth About Forever" I found the the secondary characters to be very developed.
The main character is Mclean. She is starting her senior year and dealing with being the new girl in town again. We quickly find out that Mclean lives with her father, whose job as a consultant for a huge restaurant corporation means that he is constantly moving around in order to fix or recommend closure for some restaurants. Mclean and her father have come to Lakeview, and she hopes they will stay long enough for her to enjoy her senior year. The biggest pain in Mclean's life though, is that she feels lost and doesn't know who she is anymore after her parents divorce. And we readers find out that this was a highly contentious divorce due to the fact that Mclean's mother cheated on her father (with a man that her and her father saw as a hero) and quickly got pregnant. I don't really know what to say about Mclean though. She definitely gets food and her and her father have a close relationship. But I never felt like I got what made her tick really. She's obviously still upset by her mother tearing their family apart. And we know that Mclean chose and fought to stay with her father though her mother is angry about that. They have a blow up fight about halfway through the book, though Mclean is forced to capitulate to her mother or risk dealing with another court case to decide custody.
Secondary characters just felt too one dimensional for me to get an opinion on. Mclean's dad at times seemed super wonderful, and then he would turn and be uncompromising. I don't know if that was Dessen's way of trying to show a bit of maybe what caused Mclean's mother to cheat or not. Since the character of Mclean didn't seem to mind I just didn't know how I was supposed to feel as a reader.
Mclean's mother was terrible. I really hate to read about cheating in romance novels anyway, but the woman acting like a spoiled brat through the whole book with her 180 in the end didn't feel believable at all. You get that Mclean feels distant from her mother because it feels like she has created a whole new life and she wants her daughter there as well. But, she also doesn't want to own what she did. And there was some sub-text there that Mclean's mother and stepfather had some weirdness going on. Since Dessen doesn't revisit characters in her books that I know of right now, this just ended up making the reading feel more muddled. I honestly didn't get that Mclean's mother loved her, she just wanted her in her new life and wanted things to be like they were. Obviously that can't happen, hey you cheat, people tend to have feelings about it.
And since the situation with the cheating and subsequent divorce was so messy, you think that Mclean's mom would have some shame about it, but not at all. Eh. I don't know what to say, you don't want to be totally hard and not forgive, but I also would have dug a grave and put my husband in it (alive) if I found out that he cheated on me and was all laters baby I have an amazing new life.
Yeah, I hate this phrase so much now.
Note: I am not married, do not be concerned for this mythical husband. I repeat, I am not married.
Other characters like Opal and Dave just read like cliches to me the whole way through. I honestly didn't even get why Mclean was even talking to Dave at all or bringing him with her when she goes to watch a basketball game with her mother (something that the family used to love to do together) since he was honestly just the boy that lived next door to her and her dad.
Usually Dessen's books have a more meaty plot to me. This one just flailed a bit too much for me. I also think Dessen rushed things a bit in the beginning of the book and then slowed down way too much. The flow was all over the place and the time periods kept jumping back and forth too much.
By the time we get to the ending, I had a sense of whiplash and we had some hastily thrown together information regarding where everyone was now (and happily I might add) that once again didn't feel realistic. Everything just didn't fit. And since I thought wet noodles are more romantic than Dave and Mclean were supposed to be, her whole well maybe one day I will just follow him around thing just gave me a hard pause.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
I had never read this one before. It was good. Nothing special though.
“Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go.”
“Your past is always your past. Even if you forget it, it remembers you.”
“Accepting all the good and bad about someone. It's a great thing to aspire to. The hard part is actually doing it.”
“Your past is always your past. Even if you forget it, it remembers you.”
“Accepting all the good and bad about someone. It's a great thing to aspire to. The hard part is actually doing it.”
What started out strong as an interesting story about identity turned into a rather staid YA chick lit tale with lots of happy resolutions that I didn't quite buy. McLean reinvents herself every time she moves to a new town. But during this new move she unexpectedly puts down roots. The narration on the book on CD was fine. Good but not great. And by the end I kept getting annoyed at McLean's trite epiphanies.
It was cute. I enjoyed Deb out of all the characters.
Biased rating. Found this book in high school and read it right before a big move to a new state. Definitely some cliches but its a good light read
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is on me, but Sarah Dessen really does nothing for me! I found this one pretty boring. I think there was more she could have dug into with Mclean (ugh that name), especially around the climax and how her new friends acted. The romance was also weak. I did really love Deb, would have read a whole book about her to be honest. I *think* I might be done trying to find a Sarah Dessen book I do love.
First off I absolutely love Sarah Dessen. I have read all of her books up to this one and was very happy to get my hands on this one as well. If you have ever read Sarah's books you may of noticed a similar trend in all of her books. Her main character has a problem (that she may or may not see as a problem) as well as a romance aspect that helps the character realize they have an issue.
This book is really no different. Sarah's books are predictable but I love the worlds she builds. As well as the fact she touches on such serious issues or more common issues we see or hear about all the time. Her characters are always so well thought out have there own problems making them very realistic and you can connect to at least one of them in every book.
I really don't have anything to say that really makes this one of her books stand out to me since all of her books are so similar. Don't get me wrong I love ANYTHING by her and will always be a loyal fan but I wasn't overly impressed.
So if you are a fan of Sarah Dessen and have read her other books than check this one out. If you have just discovered her or have heard of her I defiantly suggest you check out some of her earlier work before this one.
I will still be buying this book as well as probably rereading it again in the future! What can I say I just Sarah Dessen that much!
My Rating 3/5
This book is really no different. Sarah's books are predictable but I love the worlds she builds. As well as the fact she touches on such serious issues or more common issues we see or hear about all the time. Her characters are always so well thought out have there own problems making them very realistic and you can connect to at least one of them in every book.
I really don't have anything to say that really makes this one of her books stand out to me since all of her books are so similar. Don't get me wrong I love ANYTHING by her and will always be a loyal fan but I wasn't overly impressed.
So if you are a fan of Sarah Dessen and have read her other books than check this one out. If you have just discovered her or have heard of her I defiantly suggest you check out some of her earlier work before this one.
I will still be buying this book as well as probably rereading it again in the future! What can I say I just Sarah Dessen that much!
My Rating 3/5