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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Honestly, I love most of Sarah Dessen's writing. But this one was was so freaking difficult to get through. The characters are a bit flat and the plot lines are a bit predictable... I mean its so obvious that Luke and Emmaline aren't going to last (he's a bit too perfect and she's a bit too unsatisfied). I admit, her not ending up with Theo was a bit out of the left field (and I appreciate that). What I didn't like was there way she totally vilified Theo near the end to drive her point (or what I think was her point home)
Though not one of Dessen's better novels, it still surpasses most Romantic, Teen Fiction.
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. . . "As close as this painting behind me, which as the flash popped, I reached a hand back towards, suddenly knowing what it was I'd seen on it earlier" (435). Editing much? Yikes!
Much as I enjoy Sarah Dessen, the book is nearly as muddled as that sentence. Is the plot about Emaline's relationship with her father? with Luke and/or Theo? with her half-brother? Her "dad's" obsession with remodeling? Her mom's lack of boundaries? Her own plans for the future? Her strangely-undeveloped friend Morris's inability to do anything right?
Well, yes. And it remains just that muddled throughout. Waaaaaay too much detail tossed in, wasting characters and plots that could've been interesting and thought-provoking otherwise. There are possibly 4 novels sloshing around in this one. I finished this on the basis of the name on the cover. That said, I really hope she slows down the rate of production and ups the quality of her writing, or she'll lose that vote of confidence.
Much as I enjoy Sarah Dessen, the book is nearly as muddled as that sentence. Is the plot about Emaline's relationship with her father? with Luke and/or Theo? with her half-brother? Her "dad's" obsession with remodeling? Her mom's lack of boundaries? Her own plans for the future? Her strangely-undeveloped friend Morris's inability to do anything right?
Well, yes. And it remains just that muddled throughout. Waaaaaay too much detail tossed in, wasting characters and plots that could've been interesting and thought-provoking otherwise. There are possibly 4 novels sloshing around in this one. I finished this on the basis of the name on the cover. That said, I really hope she slows down the rate of production and ups the quality of her writing, or she'll lose that vote of confidence.
4.5
My heart for Morris and Benji. Daisy. sighhh. The last sentence. Just everything.
I did spend a majority of the book in frustration over the love interest, but there you go, it was a learning experience for her. And quite honestly, haven't we all had one (or a few) of those?
Really though, this book isn't about the romance or the drama-breakups. It's about learning critical things that can only be understood through experience. Little realizations that make a world of difference in shaping one's philosophy. And that's what always makes a Dessen book work for me. They're real in that respect. The ordinariness of it all drives those realizations home, and Dessen does it so well in this book. Maybe I like this book so much because I've had similar realizations in my recent past. *shrugs*
My heart for Morris and Benji. Daisy. sighhh. The last sentence. Just everything.
I did spend a majority of the book in frustration over the love interest, but there you go, it was a learning experience for her. And quite honestly, haven't we all had one (or a few) of those?
Spoiler
Admittedly, I was wondering why she was wasting her time on him, but I guess he was a good distraction? Idk, personally, he would have been too time consuming during a summer where I'd want to savor every moment.Really though, this book isn't about the romance or the drama-breakups. It's about learning critical things that can only be understood through experience. Little realizations that make a world of difference in shaping one's philosophy. And that's what always makes a Dessen book work for me. They're real in that respect. The ordinariness of it all drives those realizations home, and Dessen does it so well in this book. Maybe I like this book so much because I've had similar realizations in my recent past. *shrugs*
One of the better Sarah Dessen novels, it’s not one of her typical stories and I love the gray-ness of the main character. She is neither good nor bad but learns along the way who she is.
…ah the shine might be off for me. I can usually forgive Dessen a lot, even as she writes a similar plot over and over, but this time round I didn't really enjoy this at all.
I felt her female protagonist was even more of a blank slate that usual, apart from the usual traits she gives them - dutiful, repressed, waiting for someone to break them open and reveal their true selves. I guess this one's a bit different in that the romance is not the key to this story here - it's part of it, but the unlocking happens through another character, another plotline.
But while I actually liked the character of Ivy and how she plays a part in where the story ends up, I didn't feel it was deserved - the developing relationship is completely skimmed over and that ending is not helped by the very obvious obscuration to get to the "twist". It feels loose and unfinished as a whole, as if Dessen herself got kind of bored of writing this one.
I felt her female protagonist was even more of a blank slate that usual, apart from the usual traits she gives them - dutiful, repressed, waiting for someone to break them open and reveal their true selves. I guess this one's a bit different in that the romance is not the key to this story here - it's part of it, but the unlocking happens through another character, another plotline.
But while I actually liked the character of Ivy and how she plays a part in where the story ends up, I didn't feel it was deserved - the developing relationship is completely skimmed over and that ending is not helped by the very obvious obscuration to get to the "twist". It feels loose and unfinished as a whole, as if Dessen herself got kind of bored of writing this one.
It was an amazing book. It took a little while for me to get into, but once I did I couldn't put it down. I recommend highly for those who are into Sarah Dessen.
Another lovely Sarah Dessen book. My fav is still The Truth About Forever, but this was a comfy sumnmer read.
I'm a fan of Sarah Dessen, although I do realize her books generally follow the same formulas. This one just didn't catch me like some of the others have. I was aggravated with the main character for a large portion of the book because of her choices and other characters annoyed me so much that I despised scenes that they were in. I did enjoy some of the characters, but overall these were big enough problems for me that anything I did enjoy seemed faded. I will say, that the scene in which Emaline freaks out had me laughing. Definitely didn't measure up to The Truth About Forever, which is still my untouched favorite Dessen novel.
overall, enjoyed, but still bummed about the hard of hearing customer and how that scene was written