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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
First read: Summer 2012
Second read: Summer 2015
I loved this one even more this time around! I'm not sure why, but I appreciated it so much more. I loved the Luna Blu, the glimpses of Colby, and all of the characters. Definitely one of my favorite Dessen books!
Second read: Summer 2015
I loved this one even more this time around! I'm not sure why, but I appreciated it so much more. I loved the Luna Blu, the glimpses of Colby, and all of the characters. Definitely one of my favorite Dessen books!
Mweh
This was the first book I've read from Sarah Dessen and it was a complete disappointment. This novel tells us about the live of Mclean (which is a weird name to read in my language because I read this book in Dutch) she and her farther move a lot and she doesn't know who she is anymore because of all the different schools and different friends. She gives herself another name every time and it's kind of sad.
This novel was very predictable and the most exciting thing that happened was not even an exciting moment. At some point to the end I didn't even know what the story was about and why I was even reading it. I was wondering if there was going to happen something at all.
I guess I just didn't liked Mclean as a main character because her potential lover, Dave, is very cute and her friends Deb, Heather and Riley with her brother Ellis where amazing characters and friends to Mclean.
The interests of Mclean and her friends didn't interest me at all. They had to made a model of the city and the building things onto the model was pathetic. Also the talk about basketball and food where boring to me.
So I'm definitly reading more Sarah Dessen. I'm just not in Team Mclean.
This was the first book I've read from Sarah Dessen and it was a complete disappointment. This novel tells us about the live of Mclean (which is a weird name to read in my language because I read this book in Dutch) she and her farther move a lot and she doesn't know who she is anymore because of all the different schools and different friends. She gives herself another name every time and it's kind of sad.
This novel was very predictable and the most exciting thing that happened was not even an exciting moment. At some point to the end I didn't even know what the story was about and why I was even reading it. I was wondering if there was going to happen something at all.
I guess I just didn't liked Mclean as a main character because her potential lover, Dave, is very cute and her friends Deb, Heather and Riley with her brother Ellis where amazing characters and friends to Mclean.
The interests of Mclean and her friends didn't interest me at all. They had to made a model of the city and the building things onto the model was pathetic. Also the talk about basketball and food where boring to me.
So I'm definitly reading more Sarah Dessen. I'm just not in Team Mclean.
Well, I have to say this isn't my favorite book by Dessen, but I still loved it.
I don't really think Mclean was built up very well, but that might have sometime to do with the fact that Mclean was still trying to find herself. She wasn't sure who she was anymore. Her persona changed every time she moved to a new town with her dad.
But I have to say I adored Dave. He was super sweet to Mclean even when she wouldn't give him the time of day. I was a bit leery of his friend Riley in the beginning, but it all worked out.
I did feel awful for Mclean's mom because she didn't treat her very well. But her mom should have expected that given the situation. I really want to know why her mom did what she did, but that was never explained.
All in all, if you're looking for something light with not much build up, then read this. But if you've never read Dessen before pick one of her other's first, as this isn't her best.
I don't really think Mclean was built up very well, but that might have sometime to do with the fact that Mclean was still trying to find herself. She wasn't sure who she was anymore. Her persona changed every time she moved to a new town with her dad.
But I have to say I adored Dave. He was super sweet to Mclean even when she wouldn't give him the time of day. I was a bit leery of his friend Riley in the beginning, but it all worked out.
I did feel awful for Mclean's mom because she didn't treat her very well. But her mom should have expected that given the situation. I really want to know why her mom did what she did, but that was never explained.
All in all, if you're looking for something light with not much build up, then read this. But if you've never read Dessen before pick one of her other's first, as this isn't her best.
Maybe I'm getting old and growing out of my Sarah Dessen phase, but this book felt formulaic. McLean felt like a rehashing of Ruby, the background characters were rough translations of the Wish coworkers in The Truth About Forever, and it was all very average. It wasn't bad, I wouldn't warn a friend against it or anything- but it still wasn't that great either.
1.5 stars. I originally read this in 7th grade and wanted to give it a second chance, but I was right all along. This book was incredibly boring. I didn’t like any of the characters. Especially the dad, he was such an arrogant douche. He would also constantly lead women on. The main character was so whiny, bratty, and annoying. She was constantly shitty to her mother because she was mad about her parents’ divorce. She would also keep making comments about how hot her dad is and would get upset about him dating. I didn’t like any of the friends, and I didn’t like Dave the love interest. This book has basically no plot. I did not feel bad for her at all. She was so privileged and had such first world problems. She had no right to be upset about moving around so much, that was literally her choice. All of the characters had really shitty attitudes and talked down on people they viewed as below them, the restaurant staff, the kids doing community service, an unpopular girl at their school. I also didn’t understand why she was even that upset about moving or why she wanted to stay, she literally barely knew any of those people and didn’t really even have anything there. Also the chapters were way too long.
I did not like What happened to Goodbye as much as I liked Sarah Dessen's other books. I've read every book she wrote (besides That Summer) and I think that What happened to Goodbye was one of the worst, only Dreamland was worse to me. I tried to identify with Mclean but somehow I couldn't. I couldn't identify with the whole Basketball story either, maybe because I'm not really into sports or because there are hardly any very popular or famous sports coaches in Germany, I don't know... I as well missed the love story almost during the whole book... Mclean and Dave did not really connect until the book was like almost finished (at about 80%, I think...) As others mentioned before, Sarah Dessen's male protagonists are usually very special characters. They were all very interesting (I really loved Wes from [b:The Truth about Forever|51737|The Truth About Forever|Sarah Dessen|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309198433s/51737.jpg|1032900], I'd probably marry him right on the spot if he really existed!). Dave seemed kind of boring to me and I think that his whole behaviour did not fit together at all. I found it strange that he wasn't allowed to go out anymore since he was busted for drinking under-age, I just could not relate to that (maybe because doesn't really exist in Germany either!?)
All in all, the book did not feel as perfectly fit together as Dessen's other books seem to be and she has definitely wrote better books.
(I'm sorry if something of my review sounds strange/wrong or is not understandable but English is not my mother tongue but anyway I felt like I had to say something about What happened to Goodbye!)
All in all, the book did not feel as perfectly fit together as Dessen's other books seem to be and she has definitely wrote better books.
(I'm sorry if something of my review sounds strange/wrong or is not understandable but English is not my mother tongue but anyway I felt like I had to say something about What happened to Goodbye!)
This definitely wasn't one of my favorite books by Dessen. The story was good, just wasn't as entertaining as other books I have read by her. Overall, I am glad that I read it.
challenging
emotional
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:
Complicated