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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
3.5 stars.
Being a sarah dessen fan for so long I was extremely excited about this book. From the summary I thought it'd be a bit more like 'This Lullaby' with cynical Louna being another Remy. But actually it was completely different. And a pretty big disappointment. Let me start off with likes.
The characterization in this one. Ambrose was so well developed and I rolled my eyes and said 'jesus' in my head almost all of the time Louna did because he was so annoying and goddamn chipper. But he has a good heart. That's about it though because he annoyed me the rest of the time.
How they revealed what happened with Louna's previous relationship bit by bit. I know that you can have an instant connection with people and I loved her entire night with Ethan up until him saying 'I love you' to her 24 hours after they had met. That was just unrealistic and like ???? You can like someone a lot A LOT after first meeting but to say I love you? Idk that threw me off. However, Dessen did a great job of showing their short lived relationship. The reason is ends is so sad though. My heart ached for Louna throughout those scenes.
While I loved her mom and William as characters I kept waiting for that issue that Louna would have with her mom. Dessen's novels usually deal with some type of discrepancy between the mom and her daughter. In this one it never came though. Which is fine but idk I just miss it? I always like the family stories. But this one is 100% just about Louna really.
I would've loved to have seen more of her best friend, Jilly in this book. Honestly Jilly was more interesting than the main character. I get why Louna was so guarded but like she was so boring/bland?? There really didn't seem to be a plot at all?? What?
Overall, fine story. Fairlyyyy quick read I just didn't get into it as much as her others.
Being a sarah dessen fan for so long I was extremely excited about this book. From the summary I thought it'd be a bit more like 'This Lullaby' with cynical Louna being another Remy. But actually it was completely different. And a pretty big disappointment. Let me start off with likes.
The characterization in this one. Ambrose was so well developed and I rolled my eyes and said 'jesus' in my head almost all of the time Louna did because he was so annoying and goddamn chipper. But he has a good heart. That's about it though because he annoyed me the rest of the time.
How they revealed what happened with Louna's previous relationship bit by bit. I know that you can have an instant connection with people and I loved her entire night with Ethan up until him saying 'I love you' to her 24 hours after they had met. That was just unrealistic and like ???? You can like someone a lot A LOT after first meeting but to say I love you? Idk that threw me off. However, Dessen did a great job of showing their short lived relationship. The reason is ends is so sad though. My heart ached for Louna throughout those scenes.
While I loved her mom and William as characters I kept waiting for that issue that Louna would have with her mom. Dessen's novels usually deal with some type of discrepancy between the mom and her daughter. In this one it never came though. Which is fine but idk I just miss it? I always like the family stories. But this one is 100% just about Louna really.
I would've loved to have seen more of her best friend, Jilly in this book. Honestly Jilly was more interesting than the main character. I get why Louna was so guarded but like she was so boring/bland?? There really didn't seem to be a plot at all?? What?
Overall, fine story. Fairlyyyy quick read I just didn't get into it as much as her others.
3.5, tentatively rounded down. Will need think on it more. Definitely the most emotional Sarah Dessen book. Seriously, I cried. Probably a few times. Trigger warnings for School Shootings/Death. Somewhat spoilery but nothing major unless underneath a cut.
I enjoyed/liked:
- Louna. Her grief and attitude towards life was very realistic and true to HER. I understand the big complaint that there wasn't mention of Louna seeking professional help for her grief- I wish people understood that not everyone seeks out that sort of help. Everyone grieves and heals differently, and Louna not seeking professional help didn't bother me at all. Should there have been at least a line or two mentioning the reasoning behind it? I guess, but again... I dunno. I don't really think its fair to get mad that she didn't grief and heal the way you wanted her to or you would have.
- Ethan and Ambrose's interactions with Louna were wonderful to read and I still got the same giddy feelings I do whenever I read a Dessen novel
- Natalie and William were so delightful. Honestly I'd love to read a novel about them and their somewhat dysfunctional friendship.
- The overarching storyline/plot, however, I really enjoyed. I think that the "betting" trope is gonna turn some people off from it but I both enjoyed it and found it beneficial to Louna's characterization.
- All of the wedding scenes were fun to read, and weirdly, I found some of the side characters in these scenes more developed than some of the main ones.
What wasn't so great:
- I still just don't feel like I was ever really given a chance to fully love Ethan and Ambrose as individual characters. Ethan's lack of development obviously makes sense, but I feel like there is so much to Ambrose we never got to see that I think we're just meant to fill in the lines on our own.
- I really felt like Jilly and Louna's friendship was never explored the way I wanted it to and just felt like she was there to help Louna get a date (aside from a few, brief interactions between them that were really lovely).
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I enjoyed/liked:
- Louna. Her grief and attitude towards life was very realistic and true to HER. I understand the big complaint that there wasn't mention of Louna seeking professional help for her grief- I wish people understood that not everyone seeks out that sort of help. Everyone grieves and heals differently, and Louna not seeking professional help didn't bother me at all. Should there have been at least a line or two mentioning the reasoning behind it? I guess, but again... I dunno. I don't really think its fair to get mad that she didn't grief and heal the way you wanted her to or you would have.
- Ethan and Ambrose's interactions with Louna were wonderful to read and I still got the same giddy feelings I do whenever I read a Dessen novel
- Natalie and William were so delightful. Honestly I'd love to read a novel about them and their somewhat dysfunctional friendship.
- The overarching storyline/plot, however, I really enjoyed. I think that the "betting" trope is gonna turn some people off from it but I both enjoyed it and found it beneficial to Louna's characterization.
- All of the wedding scenes were fun to read, and weirdly, I found some of the side characters in these scenes more developed than some of the main ones.
What wasn't so great:
- I still just don't feel like I was ever really given a chance to fully love Ethan and Ambrose as individual characters. Ethan's lack of development obviously makes sense, but I feel like there is so much to Ambrose we never got to see that I think we're just meant to fill in the lines on our own.
- I really felt like Jilly and Louna's friendship was never explored the way I wanted it to and just felt like she was there to help Louna get a date (aside from a few, brief interactions between them that were really lovely).
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Spoiler
The time jump at the end of the novel felt really weird and honestly by the end of it I was just trying to skim through all the Ben scenes because I really just... didn't... care.-
Spoiler
The "I love yous" between Ethan and Louna at the end of their night together. Listen. Them hooking up totally makes sense for me. Them being SUPER DUPER into each other? Totally makes sense to me. But... this just felt off to me.Spoiler
I always look forward to reading a new Sarah Dessen book. They are, without exception, funny and romantic and quirky; but she also doesn't shy away from hard-hitting subjects. The way that Louna's romance with Ethan the previous summer is slowly revealed is completely devastating. In contrast, Ambrose's character is the perfect tonic to these emotional moments. He seems so annoying, but he's also kind of adorable. Yes, I'll admit to being a little bit in love by the end. The wedding business and Louna and Ambrose's dating competitions were fun. I also liked how the narrative switches between the past summer in Colby and the present summer in Lakeview.
I love Sarah Dessens books. They remind me of summer and being young. This was my favorite book of hers so far. It was everything I love in a YA book. As a wedding photographer I couldn't help but laugh and understand all the wedding hijinks. I really loved this book. The only thing that would make it better was if I read it at the beach.
The beginning reminded me of another Dessen book, but I can't remember what one (maybe This Lullaby?)
Easy to read as always but way too little loyalty for me. Can’t wait for the day when authors stop using cheating as a positive plot device
The more I think about this book and Dessen's books in general the more I start to rage about her treatment of overweight characters.
i wasn’t really sure what i wanted to rate this book (i was stuck between a 3 or 4) because it had its cute moments but it also had its flaws but i’m gonna go ahead and give it a 3.5 since i can’t decide because despite its flaws i actually really enjoyed it, it left me smiling at the end and it helped me get out of my reading slump(‘:
Sarah Dessen always manages to find a way to make you believe in love. During Once and For All I remembered what it was like to have that first love. The one that you believed would be forever only for something to happen to it that ruins the relationship, and the notion of love. To be wrapped in the feelings that love would never find you again until all of a sudden the unexpected happens, and there is someone right in front of you. There is a sameness to this novel from the others of hers, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. If you are a Sarah Dessen fan then you will not be disappointed. She still makes you want to look for a love that can last.
"It's funny, the little details you remember from the things you cannot forget."
Sarah Dessen does it again. I keep thinking the older I get, the less charming her books will be. But there's a certain amount of truth in them that hits you no matter what age you are. This is exactly what a contemporary young adult book should be.
Sarah Dessen does it again. I keep thinking the older I get, the less charming her books will be. But there's a certain amount of truth in them that hits you no matter what age you are. This is exactly what a contemporary young adult book should be.