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A review by writervid
What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
3.0
3.5/5
Sarah Dessen's books, at least in the order I'm reading them, just keep getting better.
What Happened to Goodbye is much better than the other Dessen novels I've read. I'm at the point where I'm noticing tropes within her writing that are always there (the friend group at the new school, food as a plot point, everything is tied up way too neat with side characters coupled up by the end, that kind of thing), which is a little annoying, because it feels like it's often different ideas from the same book. But here, there was less emphasis on the swoon and sigh than on the identity and the character arc of the main character, as well as her relationship with her parents. I loved how her familial relationships played a bigger role in her life than almost anything, and I loved how that was instrumental to her character arc. Do I read Sarah Dessen novels for the romance? I mean, yeah, but I'll drop that at a hat if there's a character that feels like a high schooler. It's all about figuring out who you are and trying to like that person, and that's a message I'll take over swooning any day. There are points off for not always building up emotion super well, the recycling of tropes, not the most developed side characters, and not always having the most active character--Mclean felt very reactive, even if that was the point--but I enjoyed the main character thoroughly and I'm happy I'm on an upward spin!
Sarah Dessen's books, at least in the order I'm reading them, just keep getting better.
What Happened to Goodbye is much better than the other Dessen novels I've read. I'm at the point where I'm noticing tropes within her writing that are always there (the friend group at the new school, food as a plot point, everything is tied up way too neat with side characters coupled up by the end, that kind of thing), which is a little annoying, because it feels like it's often different ideas from the same book. But here, there was less emphasis on the swoon and sigh than on the identity and the character arc of the main character, as well as her relationship with her parents. I loved how her familial relationships played a bigger role in her life than almost anything, and I loved how that was instrumental to her character arc. Do I read Sarah Dessen novels for the romance? I mean, yeah, but I'll drop that at a hat if there's a character that feels like a high schooler. It's all about figuring out who you are and trying to like that person, and that's a message I'll take over swooning any day. There are points off for not always building up emotion super well, the recycling of tropes, not the most developed side characters, and not always having the most active character--Mclean felt very reactive, even if that was the point--but I enjoyed the main character thoroughly and I'm happy I'm on an upward spin!