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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
Every Sarah Dessen book is a 5 star read for me. I knew I would love everything about this book before even starting it.
Let me start by saying: I loved this book. It was much more powerful than I was expecting and resonated with me more than any of SDs books have before. It was just the right mix of heartwarming, humorous, and tear jerking. The juxtaposition between present day and past tense didn't feel forced and provided just enough mystery to keep me turning pages until I had read the whole book in one sitting.
I wrestled with a four or five star review, though. As the story unfolded I went back and forth between thinking that Louna's sunset love story with Ethan was too fast to be realistic and telling myself, "reality is often stranger than fiction." In the end, the latter opinion won out as I ended up falling in love with Ethan almost as quickly as Louna did.
As a final note--the wedding theme added a touch that I didn't know I needed in my life. It served as a catalyst of sorts--an almost silent narrator if you will. Well done, Sarah Dessen, well done.
I wrestled with a four or five star review, though. As the story unfolded I went back and forth between thinking that Louna's sunset love story with Ethan was too fast to be realistic and telling myself, "reality is often stranger than fiction." In the end, the latter opinion won out as I ended up falling in love with Ethan almost as quickly as Louna did.
As a final note--the wedding theme added a touch that I didn't know I needed in my life. It served as a catalyst of sorts--an almost silent narrator if you will. Well done, Sarah Dessen, well done.
An lovely Sarah Dessen as always. I loved the wedding planning business aspect and although Ambrose went from player to serious a bit fast, I can't help but love all Dessen's heroines and plots.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First of all, the back of this book does not do it justice. If you are an avid reader the description of this book instantly makes you think you've heard this story before. A girl who works in wedding planning but doesn't believe in love? There's literally a movie about that.
So what's different here?
Louna Barrett, the main character, is a teenager. That changes a lot of things, I think. We give young love a lot more leeway because it's so new an experience for the character. But her history is heart wrenching in a way I wasn't expecting. It made me connect with and invest in her character right away. I loved her.
Ambrose wasn't my favorite character, but I did like him. He's real and awkward, which I appreciate. I would've liked to see him challenged a bit more. I like characters who learn and grow from failing, especially when they think they have it all planned out. That's the evil in me, I suppose.
Overall, I enjoyed this story (as evidenced by the fact that I read the entire book in one day). It was fun, it felt real, and I recommend it.
So what's different here?
Louna Barrett, the main character, is a teenager. That changes a lot of things, I think. We give young love a lot more leeway because it's so new an experience for the character. But her history is heart wrenching in a way I wasn't expecting. It made me connect with and invest in her character right away. I loved her.
Ambrose wasn't my favorite character, but I did like him. He's real and awkward, which I appreciate. I would've liked to see him challenged a bit more. I like characters who learn and grow from failing, especially when they think they have it all planned out. That's the evil in me, I suppose.
Overall, I enjoyed this story (as evidenced by the fact that I read the entire book in one day). It was fun, it felt real, and I recommend it.
Classic, heartwarming Sarah Dessen. Without giving too much away, I liked the idea of the two love stories being told at once. It was different than her other books in that aspect and I really enjoyed it. I don't cry often at book but this one made me tear up during many chapters because I could feel exactly how Louna felt. Overall, great, easy read.
emotional
lighthearted
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:
Yes
It’s not that this book was BAD, it just also wasn’t very good. The first half of the book was very slow and then the end and the “getting together” was so rushed and we hardly got to see the love interest’s reaction. Romance books don’t all have to be dual POV but I would have at least liked to see Ambrose explain why he liked Louna so much from the beginning, I can’t believe in the love story when it doesn’t seem to have a strong reasoning and foundation.