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A review by andye_reads
Once and for All by Sarah Dessen
3.0
This was my first Sarah Dessen book. I know. I'm such a poser. I listened to this on audio, more on that below.
I feel like I should give this book two different ratings, one for Ethan's part and another for Ambrose's. I think I just don't like books that have in depth flashbacks about a previous relationship. I realize that's a personal preference, but I just could not care less about Ethan and I found the flashbacks boring. I also thought their relationship was complete insta-love and had me rolling my eyes constantly. They were "in love" with each other after knowing each other less than 12 hours. They slept together the night they met, and even though she'd never had sex before, somehow it was the most wonderful, magical experience and I just didn't buy it. Also, I wish there had been some realization from her that their relationship was "perfect" because it was never tested. They literally only saw each other one night. That's it. But it's what she uses to base the rest of her romantic experiences on. It just didn't work for me.
Anyway, that being said, I really did enjoy the storyline with Ambrose. He was such a cocky little punk who definitely needed to be put in his place, but he had me laughing and their interactions were very fun. The tension between them built over the course of the book, frustrating me in such a good way. I also enjoyed the dynamics between Louna and her mom, and the friendships they had, as well as the backdrop of their wedding planning business.
Overall I'd give the story a 2 (Ethan) and a 4 (Ambrose), so I split the difference with 3 stars. I'll definitely be giving Sarah Dessen another shot soon. Which one should I read?
*Audiobook
I thought the reader did a fairly good job. Some of her voices were a little "valley girl" annoying, but none of the main characters, so it wasn't too bad. She did well with guy and girl voices, and gave them a distinctness that helped to tell them apart. If you want to read this book, I'd definitely recommend giving this audiobook a shot!
I feel like I should give this book two different ratings, one for Ethan's part and another for Ambrose's. I think I just don't like books that have in depth flashbacks about a previous relationship. I realize that's a personal preference, but I just could not care less about Ethan and I found the flashbacks boring. I also thought their relationship was complete insta-love and had me rolling my eyes constantly. They were "in love" with each other after knowing each other less than 12 hours. They slept together the night they met, and even though she'd never had sex before, somehow it was the most wonderful, magical experience and I just didn't buy it. Also, I wish there had been some realization from her that their relationship was "perfect" because it was never tested. They literally only saw each other one night. That's it. But it's what she uses to base the rest of her romantic experiences on. It just didn't work for me.
Anyway, that being said, I really did enjoy the storyline with Ambrose. He was such a cocky little punk who definitely needed to be put in his place, but he had me laughing and their interactions were very fun. The tension between them built over the course of the book, frustrating me in such a good way. I also enjoyed the dynamics between Louna and her mom, and the friendships they had, as well as the backdrop of their wedding planning business.
Overall I'd give the story a 2 (Ethan) and a 4 (Ambrose), so I split the difference with 3 stars. I'll definitely be giving Sarah Dessen another shot soon. Which one should I read?
*Audiobook
I thought the reader did a fairly good job. Some of her voices were a little "valley girl" annoying, but none of the main characters, so it wasn't too bad. She did well with guy and girl voices, and gave them a distinctness that helped to tell them apart. If you want to read this book, I'd definitely recommend giving this audiobook a shot!