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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
A re-read of an old book with a view to getting rid of it because I (incorrectly) thought I hadn't enjoyed it that much first time round! Glad I did read it again because I actually really enjoyed it, this and apparently the first time I read it! Oops. I stand by everything I said in first review, with the caveat that apparently it's not that memorable of a story.
Me alegro de haberle dado una segunda oportunidad a Sarah Dessen. La historia de Mclean y su familia me pareció muy interesante desde el principio (y ella me ha caído mejor que Colie, la protagonista de Atrapa la luna), pero lo cierto es que ha sido hacia la segunda mitad del libro cuando he empezado a simpatizar de verdad con todos los personajes. De hecho, al final me he quedado con ganas de saber más sobre algunos, como Deb y Jason. Por cierto... En fin, ya haré una reseña en condiciones en el blog.
Spoiler
Estaba claro que Mclean y Dave iban a terminar juntos, pero durante buena parte del libro he pensado que Deb y Dave no habrían hecho una mala pareja.
I have been slowly making my way through Sarah Dessen’s amazing list of publications, and realised I still hadn’t read her latest novel, ‘What Happened to Goodbye’ – being Summer and a time for kicking back with a good book, I thought what better time to read a comfort novel by one of my favourite contemporary authors? ‘What Happened to Goodbye’ was a perfect book.
Mclean Sweet has not been herself for two years – not since her parents split up and a massive custody battle finally landed her with her dad, travelling around America while he fixes up failing restaurants. I was really interested in Mclean’s coping mechanism, using her middle name – Elizabeth – to recreate herself in different ways as Eliza, Liz, Beth etc, in a new towns and new ways, leaving the old Mclean behind. But what was more interesting was watching Mclean become herself again without any conscious decision to look back. The self discovery in Sarah Dessen books always makes me happy; to see broken characters become whole again is pretty uplifting.
What I love most about Sarah Dessen books, other than the patterns and flashes of past characters and situations that make the books join together, are the relationships. The friendships in ‘What Happened to Goodbye’ were so real. The way awkward characters remained wary of new friendships or how the nerdy characters brought sci-fi references into everyday conversations. The dialogue is always so easy and flows so well. What made this book better in terms of relationships was the family involvement. A lot of contemporary novels ignore the family side of things, even when family is the reason for broken characters in the first place. But with Mclean’s issues, and the storyline itself, having a pretty strong family involvement with an ugly divorce; family cannot be ignored and I really liked the family plot in this book.
For most contemporary, and Sarah Dessen books I’ve read; a guy helps bring the girl back to reality. ‘What Happened to Goodbye’ is no different, but our guy isn’t what I expected. Dave Wade - neighbour, smart guy and model train lover (sort of) is the obvious choice for romantic love interest, but while the signs are all there, the chemistry present, an actual relationship is slow to develop and not very detailed. It was refreshing to just have a story and not be so caught up on when the characters will get together.
But it’s not all family and changing identities. There’s always a subplot – an occupation and hobby that the characters keep coming back to. For Mclean and her life, this is the restaurant world and basketball. I thought they’d both be pretty big features in the story, especially the basketball because Mclean’s history focused pretty heavily on College Basketball; but it was the life of a restaurant consultant that we see more of. I’m always interested in seeing what hobbies are going to pop up next.
Another wonderful story – another amazing comfort read. Looking forward to the next Dessen book.
5/5 stars
Mclean Sweet has not been herself for two years – not since her parents split up and a massive custody battle finally landed her with her dad, travelling around America while he fixes up failing restaurants. I was really interested in Mclean’s coping mechanism, using her middle name – Elizabeth – to recreate herself in different ways as Eliza, Liz, Beth etc, in a new towns and new ways, leaving the old Mclean behind. But what was more interesting was watching Mclean become herself again without any conscious decision to look back. The self discovery in Sarah Dessen books always makes me happy; to see broken characters become whole again is pretty uplifting.
What I love most about Sarah Dessen books, other than the patterns and flashes of past characters and situations that make the books join together, are the relationships. The friendships in ‘What Happened to Goodbye’ were so real. The way awkward characters remained wary of new friendships or how the nerdy characters brought sci-fi references into everyday conversations. The dialogue is always so easy and flows so well. What made this book better in terms of relationships was the family involvement. A lot of contemporary novels ignore the family side of things, even when family is the reason for broken characters in the first place. But with Mclean’s issues, and the storyline itself, having a pretty strong family involvement with an ugly divorce; family cannot be ignored and I really liked the family plot in this book.
For most contemporary, and Sarah Dessen books I’ve read; a guy helps bring the girl back to reality. ‘What Happened to Goodbye’ is no different, but our guy isn’t what I expected. Dave Wade - neighbour, smart guy and model train lover (sort of) is the obvious choice for romantic love interest, but while the signs are all there, the chemistry present, an actual relationship is slow to develop and not very detailed. It was refreshing to just have a story and not be so caught up on when the characters will get together.
But it’s not all family and changing identities. There’s always a subplot – an occupation and hobby that the characters keep coming back to. For Mclean and her life, this is the restaurant world and basketball. I thought they’d both be pretty big features in the story, especially the basketball because Mclean’s history focused pretty heavily on College Basketball; but it was the life of a restaurant consultant that we see more of. I’m always interested in seeing what hobbies are going to pop up next.
Another wonderful story – another amazing comfort read. Looking forward to the next Dessen book.
5/5 stars
Sarah Dessen's books are like comfort food - always familiar and satisfying. I've liked some of her books better than others - The Truth About Forever and Just Listen remain my favorites - but each one is always a good, solid read.
Normally I love Dessen's romances, but the relationship between Dave and Mclean in What Happened to Goodbye felt a little bit flat to me. The other relationships in the book made up for it. The familial relationships in this book were marvelously written, as were Mclean's friendships with Riley and Deb.
Normally I love Dessen's romances, but the relationship between Dave and Mclean in What Happened to Goodbye felt a little bit flat to me. The other relationships in the book made up for it. The familial relationships in this book were marvelously written, as were Mclean's friendships with Riley and Deb.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
SO SLOW
Sarah Dessen’s books are always a safe choice for me. I always like them and usually love them. After finishing Saint Anything (which I looooved by the way) I decided to just go ahead and start another audiobook by Dessen. What Happened to Goodbye was my choice from the 2 or 3 of hers I haven’t read.
What Happened to Goodbye is about McLean, she’s going through a bit of a crisis since her parents’ messy divorce. McLean was an interesting main character but I didn’t feel a lot for her. She made some very unwise choices that predictably came back to bite her. I also didn’t connect with the romance as much as I wanted to. I liked Dave but Dave and McLean just felt meh…
There were things I really loved. McLean’s new group of friends was one. They were so funny and kind. I also really enjoyed the storyline with McLean and her mother. I had no idea how McLean was going to get over her grudges and it was nice seeing her do that in a realistic way.
The audiobook was great and kept me company on many drives. I think Meredith Hagner did a great job capturing the heart of the story and bringing it to life.
Overall, What Happened to Goodbye was a fine book but certainly not my favorite by Dessen. Honestly, this book might have suffered because I listened to it right after Saint Anything, which was spectacular.
What Happened to Goodbye is about McLean, she’s going through a bit of a crisis since her parents’ messy divorce. McLean was an interesting main character but I didn’t feel a lot for her. She made some very unwise choices that predictably came back to bite her. I also didn’t connect with the romance as much as I wanted to. I liked Dave but Dave and McLean just felt meh…
There were things I really loved. McLean’s new group of friends was one. They were so funny and kind. I also really enjoyed the storyline with McLean and her mother. I had no idea how McLean was going to get over her grudges and it was nice seeing her do that in a realistic way.
The audiobook was great and kept me company on many drives. I think Meredith Hagner did a great job capturing the heart of the story and bringing it to life.
Overall, What Happened to Goodbye was a fine book but certainly not my favorite by Dessen. Honestly, this book might have suffered because I listened to it right after Saint Anything, which was spectacular.
‘All those clean, fresh starts had made me forget what it was like, until now, to be messy and honest and out of control’
As a young teen, the only books I read were by Sarah Dessen. This was the first Sarah Dessen book I’ve read for years and the familiarity of Dessen's writing style made me all nostalgic! I really enjoyed reading this! The book follows Mclean who moves from town to town with her father, inventing a new identity in each one, following the messy divorce of her parents. She has to come to terms with her past and be real with herself as well as with her new found pals.
I’ve always found Sarah Dessen’s writing style to be easy to read and enticing, the kind that you start reading and before you know it, hours have passed. This was certainly the case with this book; I found the storyline to be quite realistic, some scenes were a little exaggerated but overall, it tackles some realistic problems. McLean’s relationship with her parents is also quite a large part of this book, which is refreshing to see.
The main characters in many of Dessen’s books are usually quite passive and almost plain, in attempt to let the reader identify with the character more easily. I once watched a panel of Dessen and, from what I gathered, this is what she implied. This was largely the case for McLean; many of the secondary characters had distinct and specific quirks and facets to their personalities which were slightly lacking in McLean. However, McLean is not a completely passive character; she does stand up to her slightly (might be an understatement) overbearing and mother and is very independent.
My favourite character in this book was undoubtedly Deb. I loved Deb’s character so much. She really encapsulated the idea that appearances can be deceiving, and is such a lovable character. In fact, I might even go as far as saying that Deb is my favourite thing about this book. She’s a really misunderstood and multifaceted character, who is unashamedly herself and genuine. I wanted more of Deb in the book! The romance elements in this book were quite low key but still cute and adorable and Dave was a really different and interesting character.
One thing I found a bit bothersome in this book was the stereotyping of people with tattoos and piercings as delinquents. I think that generally, there are a lot of stereotypes surrounding tattoos and body modifications and they are very often portrayed in a very negative light. Bit of a personal issue, but as a huge fan of tattoos, it bothered me to see these negative stereotypes included, albeit not that often. But still, it bothered me.
Overall, What Happened to Goodbye was an enjoyable read and hit me with a wave of nostalgia. It’s a solid Dessen book and deals with family issues, coming to terms with your identity and past whilst bundling in a cute romance and friendships. I loved the familiarity of Dessen’s writing and Dessen manages to weave different elements of young people’s lives into McLean’s story.
As a young teen, the only books I read were by Sarah Dessen. This was the first Sarah Dessen book I’ve read for years and the familiarity of Dessen's writing style made me all nostalgic! I really enjoyed reading this! The book follows Mclean who moves from town to town with her father, inventing a new identity in each one, following the messy divorce of her parents. She has to come to terms with her past and be real with herself as well as with her new found pals.
I’ve always found Sarah Dessen’s writing style to be easy to read and enticing, the kind that you start reading and before you know it, hours have passed. This was certainly the case with this book; I found the storyline to be quite realistic, some scenes were a little exaggerated but overall, it tackles some realistic problems. McLean’s relationship with her parents is also quite a large part of this book, which is refreshing to see.
The main characters in many of Dessen’s books are usually quite passive and almost plain, in attempt to let the reader identify with the character more easily. I once watched a panel of Dessen and, from what I gathered, this is what she implied. This was largely the case for McLean; many of the secondary characters had distinct and specific quirks and facets to their personalities which were slightly lacking in McLean. However, McLean is not a completely passive character; she does stand up to her slightly (might be an understatement) overbearing and mother and is very independent.
My favourite character in this book was undoubtedly Deb. I loved Deb’s character so much. She really encapsulated the idea that appearances can be deceiving, and is such a lovable character. In fact, I might even go as far as saying that Deb is my favourite thing about this book. She’s a really misunderstood and multifaceted character, who is unashamedly herself and genuine. I wanted more of Deb in the book! The romance elements in this book were quite low key but still cute and adorable and Dave was a really different and interesting character.
One thing I found a bit bothersome in this book was the stereotyping of people with tattoos and piercings as delinquents. I think that generally, there are a lot of stereotypes surrounding tattoos and body modifications and they are very often portrayed in a very negative light. Bit of a personal issue, but as a huge fan of tattoos, it bothered me to see these negative stereotypes included, albeit not that often. But still, it bothered me.
Overall, What Happened to Goodbye was an enjoyable read and hit me with a wave of nostalgia. It’s a solid Dessen book and deals with family issues, coming to terms with your identity and past whilst bundling in a cute romance and friendships. I loved the familiarity of Dessen’s writing and Dessen manages to weave different elements of young people’s lives into McLean’s story.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
fast-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
hopeful
medium-paced
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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