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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
There was a lot I liked about this book, and a lot I didn't care for, too. I'm still rounding up to 4 stars because it was so compulsively readable.
First of all, the cover and the title are quite misleading. I thought I was getting a romance about a couple who would eventually marry, but the protagonist, Louna, is only 17. The only real tie-in is the fact that she works for her mother, a world-class wedding planner. Her mom and her partner (business partner, who happens to be gay) are basically her parents, and both super cynical about love. They've passed this on to Louna, though that almost stretches belief--17 is too young to be that jaded, and her jaded years were well before the story begins too. Because she did find love: she met Ethan at a wedding, who was depicted as the whirlwind romance of her life, though she literally only saw him for one night (and lost her virginity to him). They conducted a long-distance relationship after that, intending to keep in touch, only he was killed in a school shooting. That, too, was weird. Timely I suppose, but information was withheld from the reader for too long, so that it came off like Louna just struggled with panic from excessive empathy when she heard about a school shooting... until we learn that that was how Ethan died.
Louna's story with Ethan is interspersed in flashback with her present day, where she meets Ambrose, the wealthy son of a bride who is easily the best part of the story. He's such a fantastically memorable character--annoying, super quirky, suave and utterly confident, and yet also thoughtful and kind. Some of these contradictions also didn't totally work, though: Ambrose makes a point of always dating multiple girls at once, leading to getting busted and having soda thrown in his face and that sort of thing. Yet, apparently he falls for Louna pretty much immediately, and decides he wants to win her over. He makes a bet with her: for seven weeks, he will have to find one girl and commit to a relationship, while cynical introverted Louna will have to date compulsively like he does for the same length of time. Whichever of them calls it quits first, loses the bet--and the other one gets to choose the next person the loser has to date. It seems friendly enough, though it doesn't quite ring true that Ambrose would go through all that, just to force Louna to give him a chance. Still, if you suspend your disbelief on that point, the way it played out was well done.
The twist, of course, is that Louna never tells Ambrose what happened to her last boyfriend. He just assumes it was a bad breakup, and thus puts his foot in it. The way Louna reacts to this really made very little sense to me... but the event that brings her around in the end was SO perfectly believable and satisfying.
So... entertaining, but with a lot of flaws, I'd say.
First of all, the cover and the title are quite misleading. I thought I was getting a romance about a couple who would eventually marry, but the protagonist, Louna, is only 17. The only real tie-in is the fact that she works for her mother, a world-class wedding planner. Her mom and her partner (business partner, who happens to be gay) are basically her parents, and both super cynical about love. They've passed this on to Louna, though that almost stretches belief--17 is too young to be that jaded, and her jaded years were well before the story begins too. Because she did find love: she met Ethan at a wedding, who was depicted as the whirlwind romance of her life, though she literally only saw him for one night (and lost her virginity to him). They conducted a long-distance relationship after that, intending to keep in touch, only he was killed in a school shooting. That, too, was weird. Timely I suppose, but information was withheld from the reader for too long, so that it came off like Louna just struggled with panic from excessive empathy when she heard about a school shooting... until we learn that that was how Ethan died.
Louna's story with Ethan is interspersed in flashback with her present day, where she meets Ambrose, the wealthy son of a bride who is easily the best part of the story. He's such a fantastically memorable character--annoying, super quirky, suave and utterly confident, and yet also thoughtful and kind. Some of these contradictions also didn't totally work, though: Ambrose makes a point of always dating multiple girls at once, leading to getting busted and having soda thrown in his face and that sort of thing. Yet, apparently he falls for Louna pretty much immediately, and decides he wants to win her over. He makes a bet with her: for seven weeks, he will have to find one girl and commit to a relationship, while cynical introverted Louna will have to date compulsively like he does for the same length of time. Whichever of them calls it quits first, loses the bet--and the other one gets to choose the next person the loser has to date. It seems friendly enough, though it doesn't quite ring true that Ambrose would go through all that, just to force Louna to give him a chance. Still, if you suspend your disbelief on that point, the way it played out was well done.
The twist, of course, is that Louna never tells Ambrose what happened to her last boyfriend. He just assumes it was a bad breakup, and thus puts his foot in it. The way Louna reacts to this really made very little sense to me... but the event that brings her around in the end was SO perfectly believable and satisfying.
So... entertaining, but with a lot of flaws, I'd say.
Sarah Dessen is one of my two contemporary author autobuys, every other summer I start looking for her new book and this was one of those years.
"Once and for All" focuses on Louna, who is daughter to famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, and seeing all the dirty details behind the lace and champagne has left her cynical about happily-ever-after. Especially after what happened to her last relationship (this isn't a terrible breakup, this is a REAL first love and tragic loss relationship. I don't want to give away spoilers and I feel like it's obvious pretty quick but trigger warning: it is school shooting related.) When organized and straight laced Louna is forced to work with whirl-wind Ambrose she's convinced he won't make it working for her mother's company for long, but Ambrose won't be discouraged.
I LOVED this book, it has everything I look for in a contemporary YA: equally heartbreaking and healing, this isn't just another gooey summer romance. If you're trying to hold onto summer like I AM this is the perfect book.
"Once and for All" focuses on Louna, who is daughter to famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, and seeing all the dirty details behind the lace and champagne has left her cynical about happily-ever-after. Especially after what happened to her last relationship (this isn't a terrible breakup, this is a REAL first love and tragic loss relationship. I don't want to give away spoilers and I feel like it's obvious pretty quick but trigger warning: it is school shooting related.) When organized and straight laced Louna is forced to work with whirl-wind Ambrose she's convinced he won't make it working for her mother's company for long, but Ambrose won't be discouraged.
I LOVED this book, it has everything I look for in a contemporary YA: equally heartbreaking and healing, this isn't just another gooey summer romance. If you're trying to hold onto summer like I AM this is the perfect book.
Lots of good, perceptive, thought-provoking one liners; classic Dessen!
Teenage me probably would have loved this just like I did all of Sarah’s other books, this one however had me rolling my eyes way to frequently. I didn’t care for either of the main characters, the female lead especially. Three stars because it’s not the books or the authors fault I’ve simply outgrown this age range and type of story.
3.5 stars, pretty decent book but I was never craving the relationship between Louna and Ambrose something was just off for me and not the most interesting book/plot but I did like the characters a s how everything was about weddings it made me want to go to a wedding.
Predictable
Way too predictable. The writing was good, but i prefer more story in my books. If you like predictable rom-coms, you'll like this.
Way too predictable. The writing was good, but i prefer more story in my books. If you like predictable rom-coms, you'll like this.
***This book review may contain spoilers.***
This book gutted me....for reals. The emotions I was getting from the flashbacks I had to endure, I could not.
The story was about this girl named Louna. Her mom and "pseudo-dad" run a wedding business that she's an employee. There, she meets Ambrose, who was annoying to her at first sight. Because he was so pretty. That's not the first emotion I would get from seeing a hot guy but I could see how that emotion came about. Ambrose is a character.
"He was like that upside-down exclamation point at the beginning of a sentence in Spanish, the mere appearance of which warned of something complicated ahead."
That is the perfect way to describe him. I found his personality refreshing and real. It becomes an I don't like you to an actually I like you type of friendship. All the while, we're flashing back to why Louna is so cynical and damaged. At first thought, you think it was a bad break-up. Just like Ambrose did. But then it's made oh so perfectly and damaging clear. And let me tell you, I loved Ethan as much as I loved Ambrose. Two different, distinct personalities, but I loved them both for Louna. Kudos to Sarah Dessen for being able to write such strong characters in my opinion.
Everything in the book didn't feel forced at all. I had the feels for Ethan and Louna. I had the feels for Ambrose and Louna. I even noticed that jab Sarah Dessen took where she had Louna reading fantasy instead of contemporary because she couldn't deal with her reality. Sarah, how could you?! Contemporary is awesome.
"These brides, these come in, with their new engagement rings all shiny on their fingers, and they want the ideal day. Flowers, food, venue, music, even napkins have to be perfect. And we do it, because that's our job and we're good at it. But the marriage: that's up to them. And it takes a lot more than peonies in mason jars."
I also loved the setting of the book. Wedding planning. It's nice to read a book with the introduction of so many characters around a topic that everyone has their opinions about. Weddings and marriages. It's a fun environment to read a book in. Reminded me about the type of environment from "The Truth About Forever."
I loved how Sarah flipped between the present and the flashbacks in her chapters. It fills you with dread because you know what the ending is for one story and not a clue for the other. Ethan, I'm always going to want your what could've been.
"With him and me, it was always about the truth. 'Why would I tell you anything but?' It was the closest thing to 'I love you' a boy had ever said to me. Maybe it meant even more."
Gosh, it makes me mad. So mad. No one should have to go through that, but it is a very sad reality in today's world. Especially in the U.S. of A.
It was a great read. I think you would all love it. One of the great ones by Sarah Dessen.
My Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
This book gutted me....for reals. The emotions I was getting from the flashbacks I had to endure, I could not.
The story was about this girl named Louna. Her mom and "pseudo-dad" run a wedding business that she's an employee. There, she meets Ambrose, who was annoying to her at first sight. Because he was so pretty. That's not the first emotion I would get from seeing a hot guy but I could see how that emotion came about. Ambrose is a character.
"He was like that upside-down exclamation point at the beginning of a sentence in Spanish, the mere appearance of which warned of something complicated ahead."
That is the perfect way to describe him. I found his personality refreshing and real. It becomes an I don't like you to an actually I like you type of friendship. All the while, we're flashing back to why Louna is so cynical and damaged. At first thought, you think it was a bad break-up. Just like Ambrose did. But then it's made oh so perfectly and damaging clear. And let me tell you, I loved Ethan as much as I loved Ambrose. Two different, distinct personalities, but I loved them both for Louna. Kudos to Sarah Dessen for being able to write such strong characters in my opinion.
Everything in the book didn't feel forced at all. I had the feels for Ethan and Louna. I had the feels for Ambrose and Louna. I even noticed that jab Sarah Dessen took where she had Louna reading fantasy instead of contemporary because she couldn't deal with her reality. Sarah, how could you?! Contemporary is awesome.
"These brides, these come in, with their new engagement rings all shiny on their fingers, and they want the ideal day. Flowers, food, venue, music, even napkins have to be perfect. And we do it, because that's our job and we're good at it. But the marriage: that's up to them. And it takes a lot more than peonies in mason jars."
I also loved the setting of the book. Wedding planning. It's nice to read a book with the introduction of so many characters around a topic that everyone has their opinions about. Weddings and marriages. It's a fun environment to read a book in. Reminded me about the type of environment from "The Truth About Forever."
I loved how Sarah flipped between the present and the flashbacks in her chapters. It fills you with dread because you know what the ending is for one story and not a clue for the other. Ethan, I'm always going to want your what could've been.
"With him and me, it was always about the truth. 'Why would I tell you anything but?' It was the closest thing to 'I love you' a boy had ever said to me. Maybe it meant even more."
Gosh, it makes me mad. So mad. No one should have to go through that, but it is a very sad reality in today's world. Especially in the U.S. of A.
It was a great read. I think you would all love it. One of the great ones by Sarah Dessen.
My Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Dessen never disappoints.
(Actual Review post-Dessen binge, 6/10/17): I really, really adored this novel - as I always do when it comes to Sarah, so perhaps I'm a bit biased! Really, though, I love how each of her novels are dealing with more serious plot points in the protagonists' lives. I commented on my Saint Anything review that it dealt with darker subject matter than I was used to in a Dessen novel, and here we see a continuation of a trend I enjoy. No spoilers, but it's equally as affecting as the events of Saint Anything, and it doesn't feel cheesy and isn't written like a trope - it feels as real as this problem is in real life, and I love that she was able to make it feel real and tangible and raw rather than some shadowcast of the actual trauma. That aside, I feel like the relationship was more subtle, this time around; had it been from Ambrose's point of view, it would have been totally in your face (which is totally like Ambrose), but I'm really glad that this novel and the character of Louna gets to tell this story. Even though there's romance involved, it didn't strictly feel like romance was the point. It felt more like Dessen was writing about a girl trying to get over something big and spectacular that happened to her; it felt like I was seeing a person grow, change, and accept rather than simply fall in love and face difficulties. This isn't to say that Dessen's' other novels aren't like this - most of them are - but it felt more like Louna needed to make up with herself rather than an outside character or event, which seemed more honest than a lot of Sarah's previous novels. I know that it was difficult for her to write this book - or to even find a story to write about - but I'm so glad she did and that I continue to be able to experience her work. I've been reading Dessen since the fifth grade, and I hope to continue reading her for a long time! Until then, I have 13 lovely novels to return to at any point and fall in love with all over again.
(P.S. If you're planning on buying this one and are a Dessen fan, it's worth it to purchase from B&N - the epilogue is chock-full of little references to some other loved characters and places that might make you a little warm inside!)
(Actual Review post-Dessen binge, 6/10/17): I really, really adored this novel - as I always do when it comes to Sarah, so perhaps I'm a bit biased! Really, though, I love how each of her novels are dealing with more serious plot points in the protagonists' lives. I commented on my Saint Anything review that it dealt with darker subject matter than I was used to in a Dessen novel, and here we see a continuation of a trend I enjoy. No spoilers, but it's equally as affecting as the events of Saint Anything, and it doesn't feel cheesy and isn't written like a trope - it feels as real as this problem is in real life, and I love that she was able to make it feel real and tangible and raw rather than some shadowcast of the actual trauma. That aside, I feel like the relationship was more subtle, this time around; had it been from Ambrose's point of view, it would have been totally in your face (which is totally like Ambrose), but I'm really glad that this novel and the character of Louna gets to tell this story. Even though there's romance involved, it didn't strictly feel like romance was the point. It felt more like Dessen was writing about a girl trying to get over something big and spectacular that happened to her; it felt like I was seeing a person grow, change, and accept rather than simply fall in love and face difficulties. This isn't to say that Dessen's' other novels aren't like this - most of them are - but it felt more like Louna needed to make up with herself rather than an outside character or event, which seemed more honest than a lot of Sarah's previous novels. I know that it was difficult for her to write this book - or to even find a story to write about - but I'm so glad she did and that I continue to be able to experience her work. I've been reading Dessen since the fifth grade, and I hope to continue reading her for a long time! Until then, I have 13 lovely novels to return to at any point and fall in love with all over again.
(P.S. If you're planning on buying this one and are a Dessen fan, it's worth it to purchase from B&N - the epilogue is chock-full of little references to some other loved characters and places that might make you a little warm inside!)