- Sarah Dessen is one of my guilty pleasure reads – my teenage sister loves her books and now I have to read them too.
I also recommend:
- Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
- Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Summary from GoodReads:
Since her parents’ bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother’s new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out.
My Review:
Oh Sarah Dessen, how accurately you capture what is going on in the mind of today’s teenage girl. It’s frightening how accurate this book is!
Mclean is suffering in What Happened to Goodbye, of that I am very, very certain. Her parents have suffered a huge break-up and in the process, one of the biggest things in life that bonds Mclean to her father has been compromised, painfully so. Sarah Dessen very accurately portrays the hurt and pain Mclean is dealing with and her coping mechanisms to try to get it all to work out.
It’s strange reading these books as an adult, because you see all sides of the equation, whereas a teenager would feel as if Mclean is being so hardily abused by both parents for not being able to just live her life as she pleases. It’s important to remember, however, that Mclean is a teenage girl – and as much as we all wished we knew everything at 17, we really didn’t.
Yes, her parents act selfishly, but so does Mclean and that’s what makes this story so very, very real. My emotions were tugged left, right and then ripped up and thrown all over the place before being haphazardly put back together. And folks, that’s what Sarah Dessen does best.
Highly recommend this book, especially for people dealing with 17 year old girls. Great insights into just how their minds work.
Check these reviews!
Excellent review! Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite YA authors. I agree with you that she does seem to understand the mindset of teenage girls. I also agree that reading these books as an adult gives us a different perspective on the characters. I liked that Dessen didn’t make the parents the “villains” but instead presented balanced characters.
Thank you! You’re exactly right about Dessen.