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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
THIS MIGHT MAKE YOU CRY!!:(
Overall, this was an OK book. I felt like they could have added more to the romance part of the book, it felt a bit rushed in the middle and end. The beginning was a bit boring, but I could read it without stopping constantly! I liked the message of the book, about eating disorders and overcoming challenges! I would have loved to read the book from Whitney’s (her sister) perspective. It might have been more interesting to me that way.
Wow. I’ve had this on my shelf for years and finally listened to it. I was very happily surprised. A great books with great messages!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I'm a decade older than when I first read this, but it still holds up and will be keeping it's title as one of my favorites
i really liked this! it touched on topics that need to be talked about more. i liked how real the characters seemed and i loved owen!
Another great book by Sarah Dessen.
This author continually ropes me in with her insight into the stresses, fears, traumas and hopes of teenage girls. This story was a tough one for me to read at times if only for the sense of seething injustice I felt for Annabel and all she was going through alone with the revelation of her much guarded secret.
I loved the relationship between Owen and Annabel. I really liked Nate from Dessen's book "Lock and Key" but at this point I have to say, no one beats Owen Armstrong. Funny, gentle, passionate, strong and supportive, Owen is pretty close to the perfect guy even with this flaws! I loved the way Owen and Annabel's relationship flourished. One things I continue to appreciate in Dessen's books is the way she constructs relationships built on great friendships. The romance is always slow to build, but what always makes it perfect in the end is the very really friendship full of depth and emotion that the two main characters bring to the story. Annabel and Owen were great accompaniments for one another as they each supported and leaned on one another is different ways. I really enjoyed Owen's penchant for honesty at all costs. Owen, who has had issue with Anger Management as has since gone to classes to resolve the way he expresses his anger has a strict honestly policy. In his own words "I might be saying you're fat, but at least I'm not punching you in the face." Annabel, a sweet-tempered, pleaser type harbours a horrible secret that has traumatized her into silence in order to protect herself. She believes that it is better sometimes, to keep silent rather than say the things that would potentially hurt someone else. Through her friendship with Owen, though she comes to realize that secrets can weigh you down in very destructive ways, and that sometimes no matter what you're saying, keeping silent can hurt more than speaking out.
I admired Annabel as much as I was sometimes (not very often, though) was annoyed with her. I wanted so badly for her to be able to reveal the pain she was keeping inside, to reach out to someone with such an important matter, but I could also understand her fear and rational for staying quiet. In the end though, everything came together and Annabel found her voice.
As always, Dessen groups together a great supporting cast. From Annabel's parents, not large characters, but still fun to read, to her two distinctly different sisters Kirsten and Whitney, each on their own soul-searching journeys to Owen's little sister Mallory - a fashion obsessed, Annabel-obsessed, precocious young girl. Her exuberance and zeal really reminded me of my little cousin which only made Mallory's scenes that much more enjoyable.
A great read with many thought provoking scenes and insights. 5
5 stars hands-down.
This author continually ropes me in with her insight into the stresses, fears, traumas and hopes of teenage girls. This story was a tough one for me to read at times if only for the sense of seething injustice I felt for Annabel and all she was going through alone with the revelation of her much guarded secret.
I loved the relationship between Owen and Annabel. I really liked Nate from Dessen's book "Lock and Key" but at this point I have to say, no one beats Owen Armstrong. Funny, gentle, passionate, strong and supportive, Owen is pretty close to the perfect guy even with this flaws! I loved the way Owen and Annabel's relationship flourished. One things I continue to appreciate in Dessen's books is the way she constructs relationships built on great friendships. The romance is always slow to build, but what always makes it perfect in the end is the very really friendship full of depth and emotion that the two main characters bring to the story. Annabel and Owen were great accompaniments for one another as they each supported and leaned on one another is different ways. I really enjoyed Owen's penchant for honesty at all costs. Owen, who has had issue with Anger Management as has since gone to classes to resolve the way he expresses his anger has a strict honestly policy. In his own words "I might be saying you're fat, but at least I'm not punching you in the face." Annabel, a sweet-tempered, pleaser type harbours a horrible secret that has traumatized her into silence in order to protect herself. She believes that it is better sometimes, to keep silent rather than say the things that would potentially hurt someone else. Through her friendship with Owen, though she comes to realize that secrets can weigh you down in very destructive ways, and that sometimes no matter what you're saying, keeping silent can hurt more than speaking out.
I admired Annabel as much as I was sometimes (not very often, though) was annoyed with her. I wanted so badly for her to be able to reveal the pain she was keeping inside, to reach out to someone with such an important matter, but I could also understand her fear and rational for staying quiet. In the end though, everything came together and Annabel found her voice.
As always, Dessen groups together a great supporting cast. From Annabel's parents, not large characters, but still fun to read, to her two distinctly different sisters Kirsten and Whitney, each on their own soul-searching journeys to Owen's little sister Mallory - a fashion obsessed, Annabel-obsessed, precocious young girl. Her exuberance and zeal really reminded me of my little cousin which only made Mallory's scenes that much more enjoyable.
A great read with many thought provoking scenes and insights. 5
5 stars hands-down.
Skvělý dívčí román, Sarah Dessen rozhodně umí psát a já si celou knížku užila. Doporučuju, pokud si chcete na chvíli odpočinout od akcí nabitých dystopií, fantasy románů apod. a chcete si prostě oddechnout a přečíst si trochu něco jiného. Kniha má dobrý příběh a možná si z ní i něco odnesete... :)
I couldn't put this book down!! I love Sarah Dessen's work and so far this is one of my most favorites!
Though I liked "This Lullaby" by Sarah Dessen better, this book does have some redeeming qualities.
This is about a girl who is dealing with all of the typical teenage problems (loss of best friend, sexual assault, sister with eating disorder, emotionally unstable mother, etc.) The book starts out slow and is predictable for about the first 50 pages.
However, then Sarah Dessen's charm kicks in. Enter: the boy music snob we've all learned to love, a strong moral on how best to deal with pent up feelings, a lot of anger management terminology, and a love-it-or-hate it soundtrack. Voila, now you have a "good read."
My favorite parts are the scenes with Owen (music snob), Annabel (emotional wreck) and Owen's little sister (model wannabe, bubble gum pop girl with lots of spunk.) Owen's use of terms such as "placecard", "R & R", and "I-lang" are wonderfully funny/sarcastic.
(placecard = words like fine, thing, stuff)
(r & r = rephrase and redirect = rephrasing an insult and redirecting it to what you're really angry about. Example: "Don't be a label whore." R&R: "What I meant to say, is that your focus on labels and material goods troubles me.")
(I-lang = inflammatory language)
This is about a girl who is dealing with all of the typical teenage problems (loss of best friend, sexual assault, sister with eating disorder, emotionally unstable mother, etc.) The book starts out slow and is predictable for about the first 50 pages.
However, then Sarah Dessen's charm kicks in. Enter: the boy music snob we've all learned to love, a strong moral on how best to deal with pent up feelings, a lot of anger management terminology, and a love-it-or-hate it soundtrack. Voila, now you have a "good read."
My favorite parts are the scenes with Owen (music snob), Annabel (emotional wreck) and Owen's little sister (model wannabe, bubble gum pop girl with lots of spunk.) Owen's use of terms such as "placecard", "R & R", and "I-lang" are wonderfully funny/sarcastic.
(placecard = words like fine, thing, stuff)
(r & r = rephrase and redirect = rephrasing an insult and redirecting it to what you're really angry about. Example: "Don't be a label whore." R&R: "What I meant to say, is that your focus on labels and material goods troubles me.")
(I-lang = inflammatory language)