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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
If you're familiar with Sarah Dessen's other novels, then this one is very much on brand. It's her typical teen romance with a bit of tragedy thrown in. I enjoyed these characters and getting into their world. If you're into this genre, then you'll probably like this.
I'm a firm believer in love at first sight, I married mine. I can't imagine that young love coming to a tragic end, as Louna experienced. Perhaps that's why she's cynical about happy-ever-after endings. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm's length. But Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged, now that he's met the one girl he really wants.
3 stars
Just so everyone knows, Sarah Dessen has always been a guilty pleasure of mine and even though I'm getting to be a lil too old to be reading her books I just can't stop. But with that said, I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or what but I just didn't resonate with this book like I hoped I would.
So the premise is pretty typical: we got our main girl, Louna, who lives with her single mother who is a powerhouse of a woman (typical SD setup). Louna, of course, is a little uptight and even a little boring and naive but of course that all changes when she meets a somewhat goofy but totally charismatic boy named Ambrose. But Louna is still struggling with the tragic loss of her first love and can't bear to open her heart to someone new but Ambrose may be the one to thaw her frozen heart.
Okay and from here on out there will be spoilers so beware.
Louna was a pretty typical SD character from her life to her looks to her personality, definitely a theme from SD which is totally cool and usually I'm into. But this time, it just felt a little forced and one dimensional. Louna's relationship with her mother isn't well explained beyond the scenes they share together and her father is rarely mentioned. Obviously the idea is to show how independent Louna is but it just felt a little sad and left a lot for speculation.
Louna's personality was uptight and boring, she didn't let loose often and was introverted (and girl I get that I never wanna leave my house) but it just felt like more should be happening. And honestly I was missing the usual places we see in other SD books like the club Bendo and going to get a Big Gulp with friends. Louna had one friend who was also lackluster but likable and their friendship just didn't feel super realistic -- they didn't talk much and honestly it just didn't seem like they even knew each other much.
Ambrose was another story: there was too much going on. I didn't know how to feel about him especially since he seemed to be couch surfing half the time with high school girls and having one night stands and idk maybe that's the picture SD was trying to paint but that just wasn't attractive. Ambrose was obnoxious and she clearly designed him to be a scene stealer but he just was an annoyance most of the time, no dreaminess to be found.
Something I really liked about the book was the incorporation of terrible situations that happen in real life like school shootings. While it's sad and something you don't want to read about (unless you do wanna read about it, then I highly recommend Columbine by David Mullen) but these things are necessary sometimes to drive the plot forward. The most interesting character of the whole book was only seen in relived memories that Louna made, being her boyfriend Ethan and we barely saw him either.
And the worst part of it all was when Louna's mother fell head over heels in love with a rich ass dude from her Caribbean vacation. Like this woman was supposed to be the most cynical but independent lady and she falls in love with this rich dude approximately two minutes into her vacation. What???
Yeah anyway this book just didn't do it for me. I still like Sarah Dessen and all her books but this one just wasn't for me. The romance was cute at times and it was very optimistic which is nice but idk maybe I'm getting too old for these books.
Just so everyone knows, Sarah Dessen has always been a guilty pleasure of mine and even though I'm getting to be a lil too old to be reading her books I just can't stop. But with that said, I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or what but I just didn't resonate with this book like I hoped I would.
So the premise is pretty typical: we got our main girl, Louna, who lives with her single mother who is a powerhouse of a woman (typical SD setup). Louna, of course, is a little uptight and even a little boring and naive but of course that all changes when she meets a somewhat goofy but totally charismatic boy named Ambrose. But Louna is still struggling with the tragic loss of her first love and can't bear to open her heart to someone new but Ambrose may be the one to thaw her frozen heart.
Okay and from here on out there will be spoilers so beware.
Louna was a pretty typical SD character from her life to her looks to her personality, definitely a theme from SD which is totally cool and usually I'm into. But this time, it just felt a little forced and one dimensional. Louna's relationship with her mother isn't well explained beyond the scenes they share together and her father is rarely mentioned. Obviously the idea is to show how independent Louna is but it just felt a little sad and left a lot for speculation.
Louna's personality was uptight and boring, she didn't let loose often and was introverted (and girl I get that I never wanna leave my house) but it just felt like more should be happening. And honestly I was missing the usual places we see in other SD books like the club Bendo and going to get a Big Gulp with friends. Louna had one friend who was also lackluster but likable and their friendship just didn't feel super realistic -- they didn't talk much and honestly it just didn't seem like they even knew each other much.
Ambrose was another story: there was too much going on. I didn't know how to feel about him especially since he seemed to be couch surfing half the time with high school girls and having one night stands and idk maybe that's the picture SD was trying to paint but that just wasn't attractive. Ambrose was obnoxious and she clearly designed him to be a scene stealer but he just was an annoyance most of the time, no dreaminess to be found.
Something I really liked about the book was the incorporation of terrible situations that happen in real life like school shootings. While it's sad and something you don't want to read about (unless you do wanna read about it, then I highly recommend Columbine by David Mullen) but these things are necessary sometimes to drive the plot forward. The most interesting character of the whole book was only seen in relived memories that Louna made, being her boyfriend Ethan and we barely saw him either.
And the worst part of it all was when Louna's mother fell head over heels in love with a rich ass dude from her Caribbean vacation. Like this woman was supposed to be the most cynical but independent lady and she falls in love with this rich dude approximately two minutes into her vacation. What???
Yeah anyway this book just didn't do it for me. I still like Sarah Dessen and all her books but this one just wasn't for me. The romance was cute at times and it was very optimistic which is nice but idk maybe I'm getting too old for these books.
I have missed Sarah Dessen. her books always feel like such a breath of fresh air. Also, her book covers are always fun and feminine and pretty. I was excited to get my hands on Once and for All.
But....
If I am being honest, it was just okay for me. It had a lot of great things going for it, though. I really enjoyed the wedding planning background, and the dynamic between Louna,, her mother, and William, her business partner. The wedding theme served as a great backdrop for a story about love, what it is, and how real the idea of true love is.
Ambrose was properly adorable and quirky, and I enjoyed him as a love interest. I also enjoyed Louna's retelling of her magical night with Ethan, who was sweet and adorable.
Individually, all of those parts worked well. As a whole, though, something was lacking. I got the sense that these characters were older than a lot of Dessen's previously. Not by age, but in terms of maturity. That threw me a bit. At the samed time... I sort of got it? Louna experienced something no high schooler should ever even have to think about, and that would surely change a person, make them grow up more quickly than they would haved to otherwise.
That being said...maybe as a result of just being a jaded adult, the other area at which i found myself suspending disbelief was with the whole "single magical night" idea, because...come on.
Overall, I enjoyed the characters but found parts of the actual storyline a little less realistic than I would have liked.
But....
If I am being honest, it was just okay for me. It had a lot of great things going for it, though. I really enjoyed the wedding planning background, and the dynamic between Louna,, her mother, and William, her business partner. The wedding theme served as a great backdrop for a story about love, what it is, and how real the idea of true love is.
Ambrose was properly adorable and quirky, and I enjoyed him as a love interest. I also enjoyed Louna's retelling of her magical night with Ethan, who was sweet and adorable.
Individually, all of those parts worked well. As a whole, though, something was lacking. I got the sense that these characters were older than a lot of Dessen's previously. Not by age, but in terms of maturity. That threw me a bit. At the samed time... I sort of got it? Louna experienced something no high schooler should ever even have to think about, and that would surely change a person, make them grow up more quickly than they would haved to otherwise.
That being said...maybe as a result of just being a jaded adult, the other area at which i found myself suspending disbelief was with the whole "single magical night" idea, because...come on.
Overall, I enjoyed the characters but found parts of the actual storyline a little less realistic than I would have liked.
As someone who wanted to be a wedding/party planner, I loved the background details of this book with Louna working for her mom's wedding planning biz. From the tiny personal details to the bride freak outs, the bets on whether or not couples will make it to the little last minute tasks Natalie has to get accomplished, I loved loved loved reading a YA set in this world.
Back to Louna -- Dessen slowly reveals her backstory: the truth behind her previous relationship, the early days of her mom's business, and her parent's marriage. Dessen truly paces this unveiling and it's similar to Louna herself -- always holding back a little bit. When Ambrose, a bride's brother, joins the wedding planning team, sort of by accident, he shakes things up in a way that Louna did not anticipate this summer. He's charming and fun and spontaneous. I loved getting to know him and watching as he and Louna got closer.
There are lots of layers to this book including a dating challenge between Ambrose and Louna -- can Ambrose successfully date long-term and can Louna get back into the dating game by seeing a few different guys? Things, of course, get complicated when Louna realizes her feelings are growing in a way she's not sure she's ready to admit.
If you are a grown-up loving YA reader and looking for a book to convince your other big kids friends to read some YA, this is definitely a book to consider. Runs the gamut of emotions -- as all great books do -- and perfect for a long vaca.
Keywords: wedding planning, gun violence, mother/daughter relationships, grief, dating, summer
Back to Louna -- Dessen slowly reveals her backstory: the truth behind her previous relationship, the early days of her mom's business, and her parent's marriage. Dessen truly paces this unveiling and it's similar to Louna herself -- always holding back a little bit. When Ambrose, a bride's brother, joins the wedding planning team, sort of by accident, he shakes things up in a way that Louna did not anticipate this summer. He's charming and fun and spontaneous. I loved getting to know him and watching as he and Louna got closer.
There are lots of layers to this book including a dating challenge between Ambrose and Louna -- can Ambrose successfully date long-term and can Louna get back into the dating game by seeing a few different guys? Things, of course, get complicated when Louna realizes her feelings are growing in a way she's not sure she's ready to admit.
If you are a grown-up loving YA reader and looking for a book to convince your other big kids friends to read some YA, this is definitely a book to consider. Runs the gamut of emotions -- as all great books do -- and perfect for a long vaca.
Keywords: wedding planning, gun violence, mother/daughter relationships, grief, dating, summer
Good beach read. Doesn't require a lot of thought or attention. Pretty predictable with a couple of surprises thrown in. Very quick read!
Sarah Dessen is a pretty reliable author. She'll give you heartache and love and a few laughs. She'll give you a protagonist who is flawed and maybe vulnerable and is just trying to figure things out. That's what we get in "Once and for All." Louna is cynical about love, especially helping at her mom's wedding planning business for so long. And she's got her own broken heart. She meets Ambrose, who is basically her opposite. What follows is not exactly groundbreaking, but is charming and entertaining.
J'ai rit. J'ai pleuré. J'ai pleuré de joie. Étonnant ce petit livre!
Maybe it's nostalgia at this point but there is nothing better than starting the summer off with a new Sarah Dessen novel. I loved Louna and Ambrose. I loved the wedding planning atmosphere. The second to last chapter just about killed me and I'm very grateful that was not the end. This one will definitely have to be reread though as I consumed it way too fast!