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rekadarnb 's review for:
That Summer
by Sarah Dessen
Everyone talks about how AMAZING Sarah Dessen's novels are so, of course, I figured I absolutely had to read one. Boy, was I disappointed. This book had no plot whatsoever. I also felt the characters were rather boring. This girl basically just talks about all the changes in her life and then, it's over. Where was the development? What was the purpose? Was it so that the reader understands that life goes on? I guess. I didn't need this novel to tell me that. I will say that it was refreshing to see a book involving a girl needing a boy for more than romantic purposes. The whole sister dynamic wasn't clearly displayed as much as would've liked because Ashley's personality was always tied to a different boy, but we never got to actually see the different side; we were always told about them. I also realized this book was a bit outdated cause of the word "retarded." It was used maliciously, but as a technical term; that lead me to look at the publishing date: 1996. Book is damn near twenty years old and that's what showed it for me. I also found it sad that Haven didn't have any other friends because Casey was certainly a poor excuse for one. I don't know, but after this one I'm not convinced of Ms. Dessen's writing ability. I think I'll try to give another one a shot before I completely give up all hope, though. I do know that I won't recommend this one, nor will I re-read it.