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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I don't know if I can say that my favorite Sarah Dessen book has changed, but I definitely loved a little twist of change in the way she wrote this one. I have to say It's still up there on the list!
I'll never get tired of the way Sarah Dessen writes these stories...people may claim that the characters are formulaic and all the plots are the same, but I see a different story and lesson in the lives of each of her girls.
Mclean is no exception...she is pulled from town to town, following her restaurant renovating father after his messy divorce from Mclean's mom. In each new place, she throws up a mask over herself, knowing the next move in only weeks away. What good would it do to show anyone the real Mclean, when she's not even sure who that is?
But from the beginning, Lakeview is different. From the failing but endearing restaurant Luna Blu to the basketball hoop in the driveway and the strange boy on the porch, the town promises to interrupt the choppy rhythm of Mclean's life, and maybe tease out the real girl in the process.
One thing is consistent about these novels...they always include a thoroughly enjoyable cast of characters. Some might even be familiar from previous books, but others are wonderfully new. The main boy this time is Dave, who may carry streaks of previous Dessen love interests but in the end is a great guy with an appeal all his own.
True, the story may have been slower paced than others, but I really could connect to a few of the themes about divorce, independence, and finding and seizing those things in life that are 'real.' And as usual there are some really beautiful sentiments expressed, those ones that stay with you after the book's over. I hope Sarah Dessen never stops writing; we always need touchingly well-done, coming-of-age romances like these.
Mclean is no exception...she is pulled from town to town, following her restaurant renovating father after his messy divorce from Mclean's mom. In each new place, she throws up a mask over herself, knowing the next move in only weeks away. What good would it do to show anyone the real Mclean, when she's not even sure who that is?
But from the beginning, Lakeview is different. From the failing but endearing restaurant Luna Blu to the basketball hoop in the driveway and the strange boy on the porch, the town promises to interrupt the choppy rhythm of Mclean's life, and maybe tease out the real girl in the process.
One thing is consistent about these novels...they always include a thoroughly enjoyable cast of characters. Some might even be familiar from previous books, but others are wonderfully new. The main boy this time is Dave, who may carry streaks of previous Dessen love interests but in the end is a great guy with an appeal all his own.
True, the story may have been slower paced than others, but I really could connect to a few of the themes about divorce, independence, and finding and seizing those things in life that are 'real.' And as usual there are some really beautiful sentiments expressed, those ones that stay with you after the book's over. I hope Sarah Dessen never stops writing; we always need touchingly well-done, coming-of-age romances like these.
This book is an easy, light read that's perfect for summer. The characters are extremely likable and, at times, humorous. The story sees Mclean find herself and has a satisfying ending that readers will love.
Ever since her parent’s news making divorce, Mclean Sweet has traveled from city to city with her father, a former chef who now works for a company that revitalizes failing restaurants. She likes all the moving. In each city she can be someone else, someone different from the girl whose world crumbled a few years before. When they pull into Lakeview for the first time, Mclean wonders who she’ll be in this particular town. Cheerleader? Student council president? Drama geek? She doesn’t expect to be is Mclean Sweet, especially since she has no idea who that is anymore. But after meeting her neighbor Dave, and planting roots for the first time in forever, she realizes that maybe it’s time to find out…warts and all.
What Happened to Goodbye is classic Sarah Dessen, heartfelt, introspective, and gritty without being too rough or angsty. She’s romantic without being fluffy, and despite where you are in life, you identify with her characters in some way. I can definitely understand the appeal of starting over in a new place with the opportunity to be whoever you want to be, and I absolutely appreciate the sentiment of loving other, and yourself, warts and all. I highly recommend Sarah Dessen’s new book What Happened to Goodybe.
What Happened to Goodbye is classic Sarah Dessen, heartfelt, introspective, and gritty without being too rough or angsty. She’s romantic without being fluffy, and despite where you are in life, you identify with her characters in some way. I can definitely understand the appeal of starting over in a new place with the opportunity to be whoever you want to be, and I absolutely appreciate the sentiment of loving other, and yourself, warts and all. I highly recommend Sarah Dessen’s new book What Happened to Goodybe.
I understood Mclean's need to reinvent herself. I liked the parallels of her reinventing herself in each new place to be someone different as compared to moving around and having no sense of home or place. I enjoyed that she chose to be "her" during their time at Lakeview, and that she fell into finding out who she was again without taking on any personas.
A few things I didn't understand were a) the pacing of the book and b) a few of the relationships. Without direct timing references in the writing, I would have felt that just a few short weeks had passed instead of months or a semester. Dessen (at least in the other books of hers I've read) very slow builds relationships. Mcleans's relationship with Dave was virtually non-existent. I think if you understand that this book is more about Mclean's self-discovery than about a blossoming relationship with a great boy, then the story is more impactful.
Not one of my favorite of Dessen's books or relationships.
A few things I didn't understand were a) the pacing of the book and b) a few of the relationships. Without direct timing references in the writing, I would have felt that just a few short weeks had passed instead of months or a semester. Dessen (at least in the other books of hers I've read) very slow builds relationships. Mcleans's relationship with Dave was virtually non-existent. I think if you understand that this book is more about Mclean's self-discovery than about a blossoming relationship with a great boy, then the story is more impactful.
Not one of my favorite of Dessen's books or relationships.
FINALLY Book two done!! This one took just as long as the first but I finished! I have to admit that this is probably my least favorite Sarah Dessen book of the ones I've read. It could just be because it has been taking me for-ev-er to get through books recently but I found this one kinda boring, unlike the others that I've read and really enjoyed. The ending was interesting and enjoyable but I felt like the first 3/4 of the book dragged immensely and the characters to be kind of cliche and unreal. More moronic than other Sarah Dessen books. Excited to hopefully keep reading and reviewing!
Too unrealistic, yet creates a great fantasy world for readers
Sarah Dessen is my new favorite road trip audiobook author. This was so perfect for a trip because it was light and fluffy enough to keep me from missing details while I was focused on passing a giant semi, but had enough depth to keep me from feeling bored or like I was wasting my time. I love how Dessen novels seem like they’re going to be about teen romance and then end up being about so much more. I loved the supporting characters and really appreciated getting to know them. However, the romance was just not that exciting... I didn’t feel a spark. And the ending was a little bit too neat and tidy, but I actually liked that, it felt appropriate. I was really sad when the book ended and I still had like 6 hours left in my trip... it really helped the miles fly by.
