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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
I hate to say this, but this book was just alright. I wanted it to be so much better, but I didn't really connect with the characters. In fact, I my favorite character was Monica and she barely spoke the entire book. Haha.....donneven! All in all, I would have to say the story felt like it lacked depth, especially considering it was supposed to be about loss. It didn't make me cry, and really a book dealing with loss needs to bring out some emotion in the reader and this book didn't.
Probably my favorite Dessen novel, and I've read them all. I love Macy and worried so much about her throughout the book. I tell my kids the theme here, as with so many books, is 'Grief is patient -- it waits. It doesn't go away. It waits patiently to ambush us.' Macy finally does deal with her loss, and along the way she meets such quirky friends and an awesome Dessen 'good boy!'
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
I really loved this book; really, no one is more surprised than me.
I always have the same problem with Dessen's work. It isn't that they aren't written well aesthetically as such, I just find her characters are typical and cliched, I wanted them to be out of the box more. This didn't help with the fact that as I read more of her books, these same characters kept creeping up. A mostly flat main character and there is practically the an identical family setup- an absent parent, the other who is not functioning the way they should, and one sibling who's purposes are the same in each book, to provide a contrast to the main character or at times a catalyst to get the plot moving. I found that even though Dessen talks about such real things, the characters and the book itself were unrealistic. Each book, whether the author realises or not follows a strict pattern.
You see the thing is: I never understood the appeal of Dessen. Her books are problem books and to be honest there are many that deals with these issues better. Although that doesn't mean I think that her books are bad, one thing I will say, is that they leave you thinking of the characters long after you read them.
I get Sarah Dessen now. She has this uncommon way of writing that everything in the background, the setting, what other characters are saying or doing; that reflects how Macy is feeling at that point in time, which I can appreciate, even though it maybe a little unrealistic. Yes at times characters and events seemed too typical, exaggerated and forced but they didn't seem to matter as much here, they are small annoyances if you look at the bigger picture. Yes, this book is no exception to Dessen's patterns, however if she was going to make a great book out of it she has selected the best combination here to enhance her story.
I don't know why exactly it Dessen's writing worked for me in this book. Was it that I could understand Macy's issues more? Her struggle with perfection and growth as a character was very relatable. Was it that the characters were more vibrant and unique? Wes and the Wish crew were so interesting to read about, they really added originality and life into the book that was badly needed. Was it that the romance was good? It was just how I wanted it to play out, there was none of that insta-love gunk and their relationship was believable. I suppose it was all of those things.
If you are thinking about reading Dessen's books I'd recommend read this one first. I am very glad I read this, I simply adore it.
I always have the same problem with Dessen's work. It isn't that they aren't written well aesthetically as such, I just find her characters are typical and cliched, I wanted them to be out of the box more. This didn't help with the fact that as I read more of her books, these same characters kept creeping up. A mostly flat main character and there is practically the an identical family setup- an absent parent, the other who is not functioning the way they should, and one sibling who's purposes are the same in each book, to provide a contrast to the main character or at times a catalyst to get the plot moving. I found that even though Dessen talks about such real things, the characters and the book itself were unrealistic. Each book, whether the author realises or not follows a strict pattern.
You see the thing is: I never understood the appeal of Dessen. Her books are problem books and to be honest there are many that deals with these issues better. Although that doesn't mean I think that her books are bad, one thing I will say, is that they leave you thinking of the characters long after you read them.
I get Sarah Dessen now. She has this uncommon way of writing that everything in the background, the setting, what other characters are saying or doing; that reflects how Macy is feeling at that point in time, which I can appreciate, even though it maybe a little unrealistic. Yes at times characters and events seemed too typical, exaggerated and forced but they didn't seem to matter as much here, they are small annoyances if you look at the bigger picture. Yes, this book is no exception to Dessen's patterns, however if she was going to make a great book out of it she has selected the best combination here to enhance her story.
I don't know why exactly it Dessen's writing worked for me in this book. Was it that I could understand Macy's issues more? Her struggle with perfection and growth as a character was very relatable. Was it that the characters were more vibrant and unique? Wes and the Wish crew were so interesting to read about, they really added originality and life into the book that was badly needed. Was it that the romance was good? It was just how I wanted it to play out, there was none of that insta-love gunk and their relationship was believable. I suppose it was all of those things.
If you are thinking about reading Dessen's books I'd recommend read this one first. I am very glad I read this, I simply adore it.
Macy lost her father several years prior, and her mantra since then has been “I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine.” She’s trying to achieve Perfection by dating the boring, perfect boy. (Seriously, he’s beige, bland, and BORING!!) Macy’s mom is a very successful real estate agent working on a new housing development and their interactions were pretty heart-breaking. Her mom’s whole life was the business, to the point that she sat down to scold Macy at one point and during a five minute conversation, interrupted her own scolding THREE TIMES to take phone calls about her business. The third time, she just waved Macy off and left. Macy’s sister keeps telling her to cut loose and enjoy life, but Macy doesn’t want to be a partier like her sister, and she doesn’t seem to know how to find the middle ground. Her mom doesn’t either, and thinks that if Macy isn’t home by 8:00 studying SAT words, she must be into drugs and losing focus. Hi, Macy’s mom? YOU SUCK.
Macy is dating Jason and working his job; she’s trying so hard to be fine that she’s content to sink into Jason’s life and routine. Her own identity is nonexistent – the things she does and the hobbies she engages in are part of her routine because of Jason and his whole … blahness. (Can you tell I hate Jason? He’s such a nothing person. He’s like a robot teenager.) This aspect of Macy’s personality really annoyed me, actually – who is she? What does she like to do? We don’t get a sense of that even after her summer of changes. I still don’t really know who Macy is, and the reader more gets the sense that Macy’s about to start figuring that out, but the book ends before that self-discovery can occur.
One of the things I most liked about this particular novel was that the romance wasn’t the problem-solver, life-fixer, end-all solution to Macy’s sorrows. In fact, her love interest Wes is barely present until we’re over 130 pages into the novel, and even then, he’s just a guy that was mentioned briefly as a hot bartender on the catering crew. After Macy starts hanging out with the catering crew after jobs, she becomes better friends with Wes. They both have significant others and their interaction is mostly friendship. They have an ongoing game of Truth going and that provides us with some “awwww’ moments. Wes is the first person to whom Macy has really opened up since her father died, because Wes’ mom died and she can relate to him. Of course, we love Wes because he’s a sensitive artist type who is also taking care of his quirky younger brother Bert – whom I love because the kid bought an out-of-service ambulance for his first car and they all ride around in it after catering jobs. ROCK ON BERT.
This is my 9th Dessen novel, and to be honest, while I have enjoyed each of them, they’re all blurred together in my mind and I’d be hard pressed to differentiate them if pressed. While they utilize universal themes and are always relatable, most authors like to branch out and stretch themselves. It seems like Dessen is perfectly content with her formula and she’s sticking with it. This was a good, enjoyable book, but it doesn’t stand out in any remarkable way, at least to me.
Macy is dating Jason and working his job; she’s trying so hard to be fine that she’s content to sink into Jason’s life and routine. Her own identity is nonexistent – the things she does and the hobbies she engages in are part of her routine because of Jason and his whole … blahness. (Can you tell I hate Jason? He’s such a nothing person. He’s like a robot teenager.) This aspect of Macy’s personality really annoyed me, actually – who is she? What does she like to do? We don’t get a sense of that even after her summer of changes. I still don’t really know who Macy is, and the reader more gets the sense that Macy’s about to start figuring that out, but the book ends before that self-discovery can occur.
One of the things I most liked about this particular novel was that the romance wasn’t the problem-solver, life-fixer, end-all solution to Macy’s sorrows. In fact, her love interest Wes is barely present until we’re over 130 pages into the novel, and even then, he’s just a guy that was mentioned briefly as a hot bartender on the catering crew. After Macy starts hanging out with the catering crew after jobs, she becomes better friends with Wes. They both have significant others and their interaction is mostly friendship. They have an ongoing game of Truth going and that provides us with some “awwww’ moments. Wes is the first person to whom Macy has really opened up since her father died, because Wes’ mom died and she can relate to him. Of course, we love Wes because he’s a sensitive artist type who is also taking care of his quirky younger brother Bert – whom I love because the kid bought an out-of-service ambulance for his first car and they all ride around in it after catering jobs. ROCK ON BERT.
This is my 9th Dessen novel, and to be honest, while I have enjoyed each of them, they’re all blurred together in my mind and I’d be hard pressed to differentiate them if pressed. While they utilize universal themes and are always relatable, most authors like to branch out and stretch themselves. It seems like Dessen is perfectly content with her formula and she’s sticking with it. This was a good, enjoyable book, but it doesn’t stand out in any remarkable way, at least to me.
I've never been a huge fan of Dessen's writing but this was the better one of her books that I semi-enjoyed. I feel like the characters she creates always annoy me so much. They just don't strive for anything and don't speak up. In particular Macy and her mother are the two characters that really got on my nerves but I'm not going to go into detail because it would take all day. I loved Wes and Delia though. Wes had such a unique background and his personality was to die for. Delia was a cute, fun character. She is such a great mother and caring person. The book overall really didn't have a plot to it but it worked out okay. This book was just not really something that kept me on my feet wondering what would happen next
After her fathers death, Macy tries to be perfect to make her mother happy, make her fit into her "perfect" boyfriends world and to make sure that her life is utterly predictable. But when the WISH catering company needs help to serve at the party Macy's mom is hosting, her predictable life changes. She feels that she can open up about her fathers death and the way her boyfriend makes her feel inadequate. And when sparks starts to fly between her and the artistic Wes, Macy has to make a choice about how she wants to spend her life and who she wants to be: the perfect girl, that does everything to be perfect, or the girl who can wear her heart upon her sleeve.
I really loved this book. Most of the time, I understood the pressure that Macy felt. I loved the characters, especially Kristy. Especially the way that Monica changed in the ending. I liked the teenage rebellion that Macy puts up against her mother. A must-read for your summer.
I really loved this book. Most of the time, I understood the pressure that Macy felt. I loved the characters, especially Kristy. Especially the way that Monica changed in the ending. I liked the teenage rebellion that Macy puts up against her mother. A must-read for your summer.
I have to admit, that - although it had its good parts - it was kind of boring and a bit too long. When I read Sarah Dessen books I always have the feeling that I read the nearly same story already a thousand times elsewhere. But I like her writing style and her sense of detail:)
Okay I fell in love with this book the moment Wes walked into Macy's life. I love watching characters fall in love with each other, it's one of my favourite things to read in a romance novel. I wish there was a little more to the ending but other than that it was the perfect contemporary read and has me filled with all kind of emotions (mostly me really wanting to find a guy like Wes to fall in love with). It was beautiful how she wrote it and am so glad my friend recommended I read it.
This is one of the better YA books I have read. Great character development, a plot that kept me turning the each page. The only bad thing I have to say about this book is how quick Dessen ended the book. I finished the last sentence happy where she left the characters but wanting to know more about how they got there and where they are going.
Praises for the novel are, first this truly is a YA novel. The characters are believable teenagers who deal with the life in a realistic way. I would recommend this to any 15-16 year old and really to anyone adult. The reality that teenagers cuss and go to parties that have alcohol are evident in the novel but the main characters don't delve into the deep end. It was refreshing to have an adult figure who was grounded and brought wisdom. There was respect given to adults in a believable way. Yes, they broke rules but they did not do it flippantly and without consequence.
The biggest praise is just the belivablity of the story, the growth in the characters, the moving of the plot. You just get lost in their world and you want to see them succeed, you want to slap sense into the ridiculousness of some of them. You want to cheer them all on for not giving up.
Great book!
Praises for the novel are, first this truly is a YA novel. The characters are believable teenagers who deal with the life in a realistic way. I would recommend this to any 15-16 year old and really to anyone adult. The reality that teenagers cuss and go to parties that have alcohol are evident in the novel but the main characters don't delve into the deep end. It was refreshing to have an adult figure who was grounded and brought wisdom. There was respect given to adults in a believable way. Yes, they broke rules but they did not do it flippantly and without consequence.
The biggest praise is just the belivablity of the story, the growth in the characters, the moving of the plot. You just get lost in their world and you want to see them succeed, you want to slap sense into the ridiculousness of some of them. You want to cheer them all on for not giving up.
Great book!