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A review by romanaromana
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars.
(Here are some trigger warnings. Will mention a parents death in this review, but nothing in depth).
I asked for a light, easy, breezy summer romance. I got much more than that.
Macy has a plan for summer, which mainly involves studying hard for her SATs, picking up her boyfriend's library job whilst he's away at Brain Camp, and staying fine-just-fine - an art she has perfected ever since her dad died. But this perfect plan begins to crumble after Macy's boyfriend decides that their relationship should take a break whilst he is away. However, as much as Macy might resist this unexpected change in her life, she realises it is something she has needed for a long time. So begins her summer of new friendships, new love, and newfound freedom. No longer holding back from being truly alive, this could find be Macy's new forever, if only she could trust herself.
Long story short, this novel was amazing, and just what I needed right now - even if that was something I didn't quite expect when I first picked up The Truth About Forever.
I'd first like to praise Sarah Dessen's incredible characters. I loved every single one, and was seriously impressed by the amount of in-depth and meaningful characterisation that was packed into this novel. Macy herself was a wonderful lead who I could empathise with easily, and who I was pleased to embody for the narrative. Her supporting cast were also such a joy to read and I loved how much they all contributed to her overall character arc and the plot as a whole.
Speaking of plot, this is where The Truth About Forever surprised me the most. I expected this novel to be pretty heavy on the romance based on its paratexts, but actually, Dessen built her story around much heavier subject matter. Most notably: grief. The aftermath of Macy's father's death plays a huge role in this story, but I thought Dessen treated this topic with admirable sensitivity and time. The messages and themes never felt forced, and yet they felt ever-present and always relevant. Again, this is a credit to Dessen's characterisation, as their grief shaped so much of their individual personalities. It also influenced the plot, which would have been slightly aimless without this essential focus.
Romance, however, was not completely absent from this novel - another thing I am glad about, since I would have been very sad to see no sign of Dessen's fabulous romance writing. Macy's relationship with Wes is a slow-burn, for sure, but I loved reading it build from strangers, to friends and onwards with such effortless elegance. I think it's really difficult to take a relationship from the ground up and make it convincing and interesting throughout, but I was truly invested in Macy and Wes and cared about them as a pair, which is a huge testament to Dessen's writing. It was also a pleasure to read a young pair whose relationship was founded on honesty and support and kindness. I really got the sense that they were good for each other, and so I was rooting for them the whole way. Again, the relationship tied into Macy's character development too, which was a massive bonus.
I have knocked off half a star for a couple of small complaints. Firstly, I would have liked a slightly quicker pace for the first quarter or so - it really picked up after this, but the opening could have done with a little push. Secondly, this novel had a tendency to be a tad repetitive at times. I mean this in a detail sense - there were literal phrases, observations, comments, which were repeated a noticeable amount without seeming to have much relevance. I think these could have been easily picked out with some more careful micro-editing. But hey, that didn't have much influence on my overall reading experience.
This book took me by surprise with how much it managed to engross me. I really did have the best time with it, and I can't wait to read more Sarah Dessen novels now that she has officially earned a stamp of approval.
(Here are some trigger warnings. Will mention a parents death in this review, but nothing in depth).
I asked for a light, easy, breezy summer romance. I got much more than that.
Macy has a plan for summer, which mainly involves studying hard for her SATs, picking up her boyfriend's library job whilst he's away at Brain Camp, and staying fine-just-fine - an art she has perfected ever since her dad died. But this perfect plan begins to crumble after Macy's boyfriend decides that their relationship should take a break whilst he is away. However, as much as Macy might resist this unexpected change in her life, she realises it is something she has needed for a long time. So begins her summer of new friendships, new love, and newfound freedom. No longer holding back from being truly alive, this could find be Macy's new forever, if only she could trust herself.
Long story short, this novel was amazing, and just what I needed right now - even if that was something I didn't quite expect when I first picked up The Truth About Forever.
I'd first like to praise Sarah Dessen's incredible characters. I loved every single one, and was seriously impressed by the amount of in-depth and meaningful characterisation that was packed into this novel. Macy herself was a wonderful lead who I could empathise with easily, and who I was pleased to embody for the narrative. Her supporting cast were also such a joy to read and I loved how much they all contributed to her overall character arc and the plot as a whole.
Speaking of plot, this is where The Truth About Forever surprised me the most. I expected this novel to be pretty heavy on the romance based on its paratexts, but actually, Dessen built her story around much heavier subject matter. Most notably: grief. The aftermath of Macy's father's death plays a huge role in this story, but I thought Dessen treated this topic with admirable sensitivity and time. The messages and themes never felt forced, and yet they felt ever-present and always relevant. Again, this is a credit to Dessen's characterisation, as their grief shaped so much of their individual personalities. It also influenced the plot, which would have been slightly aimless without this essential focus.
Romance, however, was not completely absent from this novel - another thing I am glad about, since I would have been very sad to see no sign of Dessen's fabulous romance writing. Macy's relationship with Wes is a slow-burn, for sure, but I loved reading it build from strangers, to friends and onwards with such effortless elegance. I think it's really difficult to take a relationship from the ground up and make it convincing and interesting throughout, but I was truly invested in Macy and Wes and cared about them as a pair, which is a huge testament to Dessen's writing. It was also a pleasure to read a young pair whose relationship was founded on honesty and support and kindness. I really got the sense that they were good for each other, and so I was rooting for them the whole way. Again, the relationship tied into Macy's character development too, which was a massive bonus.
I have knocked off half a star for a couple of small complaints. Firstly, I would have liked a slightly quicker pace for the first quarter or so - it really picked up after this, but the opening could have done with a little push. Secondly, this novel had a tendency to be a tad repetitive at times. I mean this in a detail sense - there were literal phrases, observations, comments, which were repeated a noticeable amount without seeming to have much relevance. I think these could have been easily picked out with some more careful micro-editing. But hey, that didn't have much influence on my overall reading experience.
This book took me by surprise with how much it managed to engross me. I really did have the best time with it, and I can't wait to read more Sarah Dessen novels now that she has officially earned a stamp of approval.