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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Sarah Dessen at her best!!! The plot, the characters, the Easter eggs! I loved every. single. word. I highly recommend buying the Barnes & Noble edition that includes a bonus epilogue, especially if you've read her other books. The best Easter egg was in those last few, extra pages!
THIS HAS TO BE MY FAVORITE COVER OF ALL SARAH DESSEN'S BOOKS!
No book will ever be as good as The Truth About Forever but this one had the love of unconventional parents, two love stories and a cute dog so you can't go too wrong there.
3.5 stars. I just really loved Ambrose as a character. My one complaint is lack of explanation in a few spots and the ending felt a bit abrupt. Overall I enjoyed the book and the telling of past and present.
Classic Sarah Dessen book. Love the wedding company summer job vibe, but also the complexity behind the main characters relationship was really nice to see as I originally went in not loving the main character.
More accurately a 4.5/5
This was definitely not my favorite Sarah Dessen book but it also wasn't my least favorite (not sure I actually have one). I read a few negative reviews and let me just say this: if you went into this book excepting something revolutionary then you're going to be disappointed. Sarah Dessen has a formula and, at least to me, that's not a bad thing! Her stories are light and fluffy (save for Dreamland and this one); are easy reads; and are absolutely cheesy. But that's what I like about them! Now onto the actual book. I've marked the below as a spoiler just in case!
My main issue with the book was one person: Ambrose. I found him incredibly annoying and could not see what Louna liked about him. Their romance was slow burning, yes, but it also came out of nowhere. It was obvious that he and Louna would end up together, but I didn't see that as a negative. I greatly identified with Louna and found myself agreeing with her every action, so when she ended up with Ambrose it left me confused. I was definitely still hung up on Ethan while reading this story. Their love, of course, was cheesy and that once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. Ultimately, I think Ambrose character was such a contrast to Ethan's for a reason: you can never have the same love twice.
That's it. That's my only complaint about the book because I knew what to expect from a Sarah Dessen book. If this was your first introduction to her writing, don't let it keep you from reading her other works! The Truth About Forever (TTAF) is my favorite of hers and is a definite must read. Also, a character from TTAF shows up in Once and For All (OAFA) and it left me giddy.
This was definitely not my favorite Sarah Dessen book but it also wasn't my least favorite (not sure I actually have one). I read a few negative reviews and let me just say this: if you went into this book excepting something revolutionary then you're going to be disappointed. Sarah Dessen has a formula and, at least to me, that's not a bad thing! Her stories are light and fluffy (save for Dreamland and this one); are easy reads; and are absolutely cheesy. But that's what I like about them! Now onto the actual book. I've marked the below as a spoiler just in case!
Spoiler
My main issue with the book was one person: Ambrose. I found him incredibly annoying and could not see what Louna liked about him. Their romance was slow burning, yes, but it also came out of nowhere. It was obvious that he and Louna would end up together, but I didn't see that as a negative. I greatly identified with Louna and found myself agreeing with her every action, so when she ended up with Ambrose it left me confused. I was definitely still hung up on Ethan while reading this story. Their love, of course, was cheesy and that once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. Ultimately, I think Ambrose character was such a contrast to Ethan's for a reason: you can never have the same love twice.
That's it. That's my only complaint about the book because I knew what to expect from a Sarah Dessen book. If this was your first introduction to her writing, don't let it keep you from reading her other works! The Truth About Forever (TTAF) is my favorite of hers and is a definite must read. Also, a character from TTAF shows up in Once and For All (OAFA) and it left me giddy.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In my fall binge of favorite sarah dessen books, I did read a few of the ones I've missed. I hadn't read this one before and I did really like it (along with Saint Anything).
Entertaining as an audiobook for a long car ride... but the name Louna? Come on.
I love Sarah Dessen, but just like I felt about "The Moon and More" it wasn't the classic Dessen that I was expecting. I didn't feel the chemistry at all between the characters. The bet was ridiculous and how was that supposed to bring them together? I believed when Louna said "it's not like that" since I could not feel the love at all. The back story of Louna was interesting but I felt that it interfered with the flow of the book when in the in the middle of the story every other chapter was a flashback. It really killed the momentum. I hope her next one is better but she has really disappointed me in the last few years.