It has been SO busy for me the past few months and I'm finally getting to catch my breath a little bit! :)
I just finished reading What Happened to Goodbye which is Sarah Dessen's newest novel that will be released May 10, 2011. Ten days!!
Okay I have a confession, I've never read a Sarah Dessen book before! And now that I have, I absolutely LOVE her as an author! I'm definitely going to check out some of her earlier books! My friend recommended that I read The Truth About Forever which she thinks is Sarah's best book. I'm so excited!
TFP: What Happened to Goodbye
- This book realistically portrays the life of a teenage girl and the struggles of discovering yourself and loving others. I felt as if I could really relate to Mclean's story. Also Mclean has moved multiple times due to her father's job and I've moved a huge distance in my life. This helped me relate to Mclean because she recognizes that you are given a chance to "reinvent" yourself, but it's hard to tell if you'll be happy "reinvented".
- The book makes you question family ethics once you learn Mclean's story. Her parents are divorced and I kept flip-flopping back and forth as to whether her mom is the good guy or not. I'm even still a bit undecided!
- One of the only really confusing things for me in this book was I wasn't really able to tell where all the different places were. Mclean would talk about visiting her mom in one town, living in another town, and I had no mental image of where these places were in relation to each other.
- Deb has to be one of my favorite characters in the book. You meet her once Mclean goes to Jackson High. Deb is full of so many surprises and she's a prime example for "not judging a book by it's cover" because she's so much more under her outer layer as are many people!
- I really liked the tie-in of sports in this book. I'm not an athletic person, I don't play sports, but I love watching sports! Don't get me wrong, this book is not all about sports, but basketball is a big part of Mclean's life. I really liked how they dropped in some sports to add to the realistic-ness of the story. It wasn't just a cheesy, feel-good story.
5-Book Rating System
I give What Happened to Goodbye:
5 out of 5 books!
Who Should Read This?
- Fans of Sarah Dessen
- People who enjoy a realistic story about life, love, and loss
- People who have moved will relate to Mclean
- Anyone can read this book, but it would be absolutely perfect for a teenage girl!
I'm so glad I finally read a Sarah Dessen book! At the bookstore where I work I always recommend them to teenage girls because my friends have always enjoyed them. Now I can finally speak from experience!! (:
Also, Sarah Dessen is kicking off the release of her new book with a "What Happened to Goodbye Tour"! Check out her website to see if she's coming to a bookstore near you! Click!
Sadly she won't be coming to a bookstore near me. :(
Anyways, next on my reading list is Water for Elephants! I really want to read the book before I go see the movie!
Till next time!
Photo Credit:
Book cover from Amazon
Book animated images from photobucket.com
