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A review by tinysierra
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This Lullaby is so nostalgic for me.
I love Remy and Dexter’s grump x sunshine vibe.
My favorite thing about This Lullaby is that it truly feels like a summer montage. We get little snippets of Remy and Dexter’s relationship, the band members banter, Remy and her friend group hanging out in their last summer together.
I love the quirkiness of it. I love the imagery of the yellow house and the tangerines, the silly photographs, the lizards, the beaded curtain and typewriter. The Spot. Dexter’s untied shoelaces. Fountain drinks.
There is so much teen drinking and smoking in this book. Like… as a tween, I’m sure I read it and thought, “yeah, that’s how all teenagers are. They party, drink and smoke.” I know this book was written in the early 2000s and I know the sad truth is that for many teenagers drinking and smoking is how you have a good time, even now. I just hate the casualness of it. The characters are always drinking or buying beer. It’s possible to spend your teen years sober, I promise.
This book also doesn’t have any diversity in it, and has a lot of casual fatphobia. Still, I have a soft spot for This Lullaby.
I love Remy and Dexter’s grump x sunshine vibe.
My favorite thing about This Lullaby is that it truly feels like a summer montage. We get little snippets of Remy and Dexter’s relationship, the band members banter, Remy and her friend group hanging out in their last summer together.
I love the quirkiness of it. I love the imagery of the yellow house and the tangerines, the silly photographs, the lizards, the beaded curtain and typewriter. The Spot. Dexter’s untied shoelaces. Fountain drinks.
There is so much teen drinking and smoking in this book. Like… as a tween, I’m sure I read it and thought, “yeah, that’s how all teenagers are. They party, drink and smoke.” I know this book was written in the early 2000s and I know the sad truth is that for many teenagers drinking and smoking is how you have a good time, even now. I just hate the casualness of it. The characters are always drinking or buying beer. It’s possible to spend your teen years sober, I promise.
This book also doesn’t have any diversity in it, and has a lot of casual fatphobia. Still, I have a soft spot for This Lullaby.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual assault, and Infidelity
Minor: Body shaming, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment