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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
emotional
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
"What happened to goodbye?" McLean is used to leaving and making clean breaks. No sloppy goodbyes or promises to stay in touch. She is attending her fourth school in two years, moving as her dad's restaurant consulting job demands. Her parents divorce has left her feeling unmoored and unsure of herself. She sees each new location as a chance to reinvent herself, to fit whatever mold prevails at each new school; cheerleader, prep, drama queen, volunteer, journalist. None of them feel authentic but the busyness of it keeps her going day to day and keeps her from forming attachments. When they relocate to Lakeview in the second semester of her senior year, McLean realizes that she not only can't keep up the charade but that maybe she doesn't want to either. Maybe it's time to redefine what home means and put down some roots of her own.
Dessen always delivers a satisfying read and this is no exception. She generally manages to zero in on genuine teen angst and write a compelling page turner. Plus, this one features a hip, 21st century librarian! Although there is some mention of underage drinking, it is not glorified and there are very real consequences. No sex, no language.
On a pickier side note, there seemed to be some uneven editing in this novel. In one scene, the town is blanketed in inches of snow, so much that school is dismissed early but a short scene later her neighbor is cleaning out his garage and she is laying in the grass next to her driveway, then we return in the next chapter to the wintry weather. Oops!
Still, I enjoyed it and it will be an easy recommendation!
Dessen always delivers a satisfying read and this is no exception. She generally manages to zero in on genuine teen angst and write a compelling page turner. Plus, this one features a hip, 21st century librarian! Although there is some mention of underage drinking, it is not glorified and there are very real consequences. No sex, no language.
On a pickier side note, there seemed to be some uneven editing in this novel. In one scene, the town is blanketed in inches of snow, so much that school is dismissed early but a short scene later her neighbor is cleaning out his garage and she is laying in the grass next to her driveway, then we return in the next chapter to the wintry weather. Oops!
Still, I enjoyed it and it will be an easy recommendation!
This is the third Dessen novel I've read, and honestly, she is the queen of YA. She has an incredible way of connecting readers to characters and their stories, and not being melodramatic - which is so easy to do when writing teenagers.
I absolutely love wandering into a Dessen world.
What Happened to Goodbye got to me quite quickly, having recently worked through a very strained relationship with my mum. Some of the things that were said and done between Mclean and her mum reflected my experience, and it was pretty unpleasant to work through my own feelings at the time. I thought for sure Mclean's mother was going to die or something horrible like that, just to completely wipe me out.
I loved the ragtag band of friends, the restaurant staff, and Mclean's dad. I enjoyed spending my time with them as they built the town model, as they supported Dave through his own parental crises, as they discovers the many layers of Mclean.
It was really well written and well delivered. Flashbacks are seamless in Dessen's work, and all of it ties together in the end.
I absolutely love wandering into a Dessen world.
What Happened to Goodbye got to me quite quickly, having recently worked through a very strained relationship with my mum. Some of the things that were said and done between Mclean and her mum reflected my experience, and it was pretty unpleasant to work through my own feelings at the time. I thought for sure Mclean's mother was going to die or something horrible like that, just to completely wipe me out.
I loved the ragtag band of friends, the restaurant staff, and Mclean's dad. I enjoyed spending my time with them as they built the town model, as they supported Dave through his own parental crises, as they discovers the many layers of Mclean.
It was really well written and well delivered. Flashbacks are seamless in Dessen's work, and all of it ties together in the end.
Too slow paced and too much explanation of everything.
This is one of the last few books I got for the 12 Days of Bookmas basket I got last December, and I'm pushing to get them done before the end of the year. I read a lot of Sarah Dessen in high school but haven't for years since they're YA. It was pretty much what I expected from her: girl with family issues makes new friends and is figuring out life near the end of high school. In this case, Mclean has moved with her dad to the fourth new town in 2 years because of his consultant job, leaving behind her mom's new family. She changes her name (variations of her middle name) and persona in each new place, not making attachments. But the people in this new town get under her skin and she's more herself than she's been. This was fine, not my cup of tea anymore but can definitely see why I liked her books as a teen. The ending was too realistic in a way I didn't love because things felt rushed when they were left so open ended. I won't be keeping the print copy of this, I'll donate it or swap it for something else at the next book swap.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
So.... I wanna start saying that I LOVE SARAH DESSEN, really. I've read a lot of her books and she's one of my favorite authors but I have a problem with her characters. The majority of her characters tend to be a little bit irrational and too much impulsive for me. In her books the communication between the characters is almost always something that magically appears when the book is about to end rather than something that should be present throughout the book. That being said, I'm not saying that her books are not realistic or enjoyable, they are. Her latest books, like Saint Anything, have much more communication and I could relate to the MC a lot more so I conclude saying that I think that Sarah Dessen really improved her writing skills and I'm gonna read her next books for sure.
PS English is not my first language and I think that this is my first review in English so... sorry? I'm gonna be better next time - I can read and speak English a lot better than I can write.
PS English is not my first language and I think that this is my first review in English so... sorry? I'm gonna be better next time - I can read and speak English a lot better than I can write.
This was the first Sarah Dessen book I have read,m and I really enjoyed it, I will definitely read more by her soon. The only reason it got 4 instead of 5 was near the end there was way too much metaphorical 'wisdom' put on the reader, that I thought it was a little cheesy. I had come to many of those conclusions on my own, and having it spelled out for me just felt weird. But, it is YA, so I don't fault Dessen for putting it there, I'm sure several of the readers of this book have not been forced to dissect the "meaning" behind as many things as I had to in university! Overall, I will be getting my paws on more Sarah Dessen books!
This book was great until the ending. I thought the end seemed extremely rushed and unbelievable.
Sarah Dessen is my ultimate favourite author. Her characters and stories enchant me and draw me into their worlds and this book was no different. A little different from her other books in that the big drama in our protagonists life has already happened when we join her (like The Truth about Forever actually), and doesn't ever seem to become a big part of the story, although it defines her character a lot. The boy-girl relationship felt different too, more backseat than in other stories. I did really enjoy it, because I love her writing style, but the story didn't feel as strong, and wasn't as gripping as her last two, Lock & Key and Along For The Ride, which I devoured the second they came out, and then went straight back to read again. I didn't find the themes of basketball and restaurants as interesting as other books either. I feel like I'm doing it down but I did really enjoy it, and it made me laugh out loud quite a few times, which her books don't usually do, and I would recommend it to anyone who's a fan of her work.
One point about her style which I can't work out if I enjoy or dislike, is how she interweaves the characters from other books into the stories. I like recognising them and seeing them in different settings, but I also feel it's a little bit lazy because she's not making up new locations or completely new casts of characters. In other books the subtler references have been enjoyable, but I think maybe it's a bit heavy in this one, especially with Heidi and Jason having more than just passing mentions.
One point about her style which I can't work out if I enjoy or dislike, is how she interweaves the characters from other books into the stories. I like recognising them and seeing them in different settings, but I also feel it's a little bit lazy because she's not making up new locations or completely new casts of characters. In other books the subtler references have been enjoyable, but I think maybe it's a bit heavy in this one, especially with Heidi and Jason having more than just passing mentions.