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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn’t like this book at first and almost DNF’d it. I’m glad i stuck with it though because it got so good!
What Happened to Goodbye was missing some of the magic Sarah Dessen's other books captured.
There were a lot of lose ends at the end: McLean's mother never has to acknowledge cheating on and leaving McLean's father even though that was a huge point of focus at the beginning of the book (which fizzled out). Non of McLean's new friends cared about McLean's false identities, which made the whole running away scene unbelievable. McLean's mom and dad were kind of chummy in the end for two people that have been in the middle of constant court battles and a terrible divorce.
It also felt VERY rushed. Opal and McLean's dad sort of just "are" together at the end with no real build up. The last chapter explaining how everything worked out for McClean seemed out of place and confusing.
Ultimately, it was a good read, but definitely not up there with The Truth About Forever and Along for the Ride.
There were a lot of lose ends at the end: McLean's mother never has to acknowledge cheating on and leaving McLean's father even though that was a huge point of focus at the beginning of the book (which fizzled out). Non of McLean's new friends cared about McLean's false identities, which made the whole running away scene unbelievable. McLean's mom and dad were kind of chummy in the end for two people that have been in the middle of constant court battles and a terrible divorce.
It also felt VERY rushed. Opal and McLean's dad sort of just "are" together at the end with no real build up. The last chapter explaining how everything worked out for McClean seemed out of place and confusing.
Ultimately, it was a good read, but definitely not up there with The Truth About Forever and Along for the Ride.
Very entertaining. Definitely not Sarah Dessen's BEST book but not her worst either. Not some epic profound piece of literature but a perfect summer read.
Every once in a while, I like to read something by Sarah Dessen because I know it will take me by surprise. It will awe me with its prose, startle me with its beauty and stir up feelings with the story within. While What Happened to Goodbye is not her best work, it still comes up pretty close.
What Happened to Goodbye tells the story of Mclean Sweet, a teenager who has moved four times in the past two years. At each stop, she will assume a new persona, be it an effervescent cheerleader, an all-around over-achiever or an intense drama queen. But nothing can quite dispel the turmoil and rage she has towards her mother since her parents’ divorce.
What I liked about What Happened to Goodbye was how Sarah Dessen managed to capture, so perfectly, the vulnerability of a girl who has just witness the breakdown of her family. Mclean now has to bear the responsibility of both wife and daughter and I suppose her taking on a different persona each time her father and her moves, is her way of coping with everything. Moving on; a clean slate.
The idea of a girl who assumes a new persona every time she is in a new town is not new but Dessen does it in a refreshing way. That coupled with strong secondary characters makes this a compelling story. Mclean’s father is a restaurant manager who has commitment issues of his own. I don’t blame him, not after what his wife did, but it certainly was fun seeing him in “action”, taking a fledging restaurant and attempting to turn it around.
No Sarah Dessen novel would be complete without a cast of supporting characters as well as a budding romance. Out of all supporting characters, I love Opal and Deb best. Opal is the “leader” of the restaurant Mclean’s father has been brought in to revamp and naturally, she clashes horns with him all the time. Yet, she has an interesting backstory and is an overall good character. Deb is a lonely girl who Mclean makes friends with, and when she’s included into a circle of friend, Deb shows just how fun and amazing she can be. I feel like that sometimes and can definitely relate. Another secondary character I like is one of the cooks. I can’t remember his name but he was the smart one. I really wanted to know more about him. After all, he went into Harvard. Why would he want to quit school and become a cook?
And the romance! Well, it was sweet, innocent and endearing, which is typical of most of Dessen’s novels. I quite like Dave but unfortunately, their romance was not something I clicked with, unlike the romance in Dessen’s other novels.
There were some parts of What Happened to Goodbye I didn’t quite enjoy. It seems that in every Dessen novel, our heroine will undoubtedly have some sort of conflict with an older female and in this case, it’s Mclean vs. her mom. I suppose there’s something to be said about the author’s skill when a reader can really dislike a character but Mclean’s mom was a real piece of work, truly! There were so many times when I really felt like reaching in and hitting her hard on the head.
Also, there wasn’t any sort of conflict/climax in What Happened to Goodbye. Well, there was, but I didn’t feel its impact at all and by the time it was resolved, I felt sort of underwhelmed. Everything was tied up in a pretty little bow, and this usually happens in all of Dessen’s novels but here, it just felt a little off.
Still, What Happened to Goodbye was a great story, just not one that I’d want to keep a copy for myself.
What Happened to Goodbye tells the story of Mclean Sweet, a teenager who has moved four times in the past two years. At each stop, she will assume a new persona, be it an effervescent cheerleader, an all-around over-achiever or an intense drama queen. But nothing can quite dispel the turmoil and rage she has towards her mother since her parents’ divorce.
What I liked about What Happened to Goodbye was how Sarah Dessen managed to capture, so perfectly, the vulnerability of a girl who has just witness the breakdown of her family. Mclean now has to bear the responsibility of both wife and daughter and I suppose her taking on a different persona each time her father and her moves, is her way of coping with everything. Moving on; a clean slate.
The idea of a girl who assumes a new persona every time she is in a new town is not new but Dessen does it in a refreshing way. That coupled with strong secondary characters makes this a compelling story. Mclean’s father is a restaurant manager who has commitment issues of his own. I don’t blame him, not after what his wife did, but it certainly was fun seeing him in “action”, taking a fledging restaurant and attempting to turn it around.
No Sarah Dessen novel would be complete without a cast of supporting characters as well as a budding romance. Out of all supporting characters, I love Opal and Deb best. Opal is the “leader” of the restaurant Mclean’s father has been brought in to revamp and naturally, she clashes horns with him all the time. Yet, she has an interesting backstory and is an overall good character. Deb is a lonely girl who Mclean makes friends with, and when she’s included into a circle of friend, Deb shows just how fun and amazing she can be. I feel like that sometimes and can definitely relate. Another secondary character I like is one of the cooks. I can’t remember his name but he was the smart one. I really wanted to know more about him. After all, he went into Harvard. Why would he want to quit school and become a cook?
And the romance! Well, it was sweet, innocent and endearing, which is typical of most of Dessen’s novels. I quite like Dave but unfortunately, their romance was not something I clicked with, unlike the romance in Dessen’s other novels.
There were some parts of What Happened to Goodbye I didn’t quite enjoy. It seems that in every Dessen novel, our heroine will undoubtedly have some sort of conflict with an older female and in this case, it’s Mclean vs. her mom. I suppose there’s something to be said about the author’s skill when a reader can really dislike a character but Mclean’s mom was a real piece of work, truly! There were so many times when I really felt like reaching in and hitting her hard on the head.
Also, there wasn’t any sort of conflict/climax in What Happened to Goodbye. Well, there was, but I didn’t feel its impact at all and by the time it was resolved, I felt sort of underwhelmed. Everything was tied up in a pretty little bow, and this usually happens in all of Dessen’s novels but here, it just felt a little off.
Still, What Happened to Goodbye was a great story, just not one that I’d want to keep a copy for myself.
Another Sarah Dessen book that I would secretly give 5 stars to??
What is happening in this world.
This was an amazing thing of dealing with change and anxiety, a really cute geeky boy, 'delinquents' building a model city, and characters with depth.
I would reread again, eventually...
What is happening in this world.
This was an amazing thing of dealing with change and anxiety, a really cute geeky boy, 'delinquents' building a model city, and characters with depth.
I would reread again, eventually...
Wow. What can I say here? Dessen's Keeping the Moon was one of my favorite books in middle school. I've loved her work for a long time. To say I was looking forward to this book would be an understatement.
To say I was disappointed would also be one.
I didn't really get it. There didn't seem to be a point to the book. It was all tell, no show. (if you're a writer, and you most likely are, you get what I'm saying here). I was confused mostly. There were so many characters that we spent time focusing on but never really seemed to matter all that much. They were flat and forgettable, and most of them seemed to have the same personality. How many boy geniuses can you fit into one book?
Apparently three.
Don't get me started on that.
Anywho:
WHO: Mclean Sweet is the main character. Or you could call her Beth, Lizbet, Liz, Lizzy, Elizabeth, Eliza, or however many names this girl had. Talk about confusing.
Dave: the super hot boy-next-door. He's boy genius, over-protected son and (predictably) madly in love with our leading lady, Mclean.
There were other supporting characters, but I really didn't get them. They weren't solid and their existence was questionable.
WHAT: Well, Mclean goes through this rough divorce and she's struggling. Her parents act like it's no big deal and that it doesn't effect her at all. Her mother acts like a teenager and throws hissy fits quite often. I don't think there was a single moment in which she acted like the adult she was. Anyways, Mclean moves around a lot and changes her name and personality with every move. Then she meets Dave and accidentally tells him her real name. Now she's stuck being Mclean again. At least, until her next move. But then she falls for Dave in that predictable but much loved style that is Sarah Dessen's.
read the rest here: http://deenashoemaker.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-review-what-happened-to-goodbye-by.html
To say I was disappointed would also be one.
I didn't really get it. There didn't seem to be a point to the book. It was all tell, no show. (if you're a writer, and you most likely are, you get what I'm saying here). I was confused mostly. There were so many characters that we spent time focusing on but never really seemed to matter all that much. They were flat and forgettable, and most of them seemed to have the same personality. How many boy geniuses can you fit into one book?
Apparently three.
Don't get me started on that.
Anywho:
WHO: Mclean Sweet is the main character. Or you could call her Beth, Lizbet, Liz, Lizzy, Elizabeth, Eliza, or however many names this girl had. Talk about confusing.
Dave: the super hot boy-next-door. He's boy genius, over-protected son and (predictably) madly in love with our leading lady, Mclean.
There were other supporting characters, but I really didn't get them. They weren't solid and their existence was questionable.
WHAT: Well, Mclean goes through this rough divorce and she's struggling. Her parents act like it's no big deal and that it doesn't effect her at all. Her mother acts like a teenager and throws hissy fits quite often. I don't think there was a single moment in which she acted like the adult she was. Anyways, Mclean moves around a lot and changes her name and personality with every move. Then she meets Dave and accidentally tells him her real name. Now she's stuck being Mclean again. At least, until her next move. But then she falls for Dave in that predictable but much loved style that is Sarah Dessen's.
read the rest here: http://deenashoemaker.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-review-what-happened-to-goodbye-by.html