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(I can't re-read something, it's almost impossible for me).This is amazing. Usually, when I read a romance novel, the characters often come and go. (haha pun wasn't intended) I couldn't believe I would ever rate a book 5 stars (too picky), but this was marvelous.Also, I am nit-picky about many books having teenage sex, overuse of drugs, alcohol, but this was just.perfect for me. I can't remember their names anymore after awhile. They aren't developed enough, until I read this book, my FIRST Sarah Dessen novel.I was absolutely and utterly ASTOUNDED by the character development, Macy's mind, the unexpected twists in life, and how I could relate to it to the extent of re-reading.
One morning when she was 16, Macy Queen's dad tried to wake her up for their morning run, but lazy, she just wanted to sleep. I'm not about to sell it or give it away, but I probably won't reread multiple times either. It won't keep me up at night, and I don't have a burning desire to sit down and discuss it with someone. Because when she caught up with her dad, he was dying. (There were times when I got so angry with Macy's mom I wanted to close the book, and yet I felt sorry for her at the same time). Only after he left without her, she couldn't manage to fall back asleep so she got up and started the run late.
I guess for me, it's not quite edgy enough. Sometimes, and a book like this is a case in point, I feel like I'm the last person to get around to reading certain books I should have read a long time ago. And even more than that, I wish YA books like this were around when I was in high school.Because reading about Macy Queen is like reading about myself, with a few exceptions - unfortunately the brilliant hot guy, sensitive artist was one of those exceptions. Each other characters come to life as you read, each of them original and complex, inspiring multiple different emotions at different times.
Surprisingly, it's the chaotic catering job Macy takes and the friends she makes who work there, friends with flaws and friends her mother would rather she not have (including the brilliant, hot, and sensitive artist), that help her face the fact that her dad's gone and help her overcome her grief.Like all of Sarah Dessen's books, there's a balance between humor, depression, anger, and happiness which manages to accurately reflect the real life of a teenager. But the summer before her senior year, when her perfect boyfriend goes to Brain Camp leaving her his job at the info desk at the library with his two perfect condescending counterparts, and her mother starts putting even more hours into working on the new townhomes for the family business, Macy starts to crack. And she handles the topic without the overly emotional, melodramatic angst that's all too easy. It's a feel good book and better than a lot of what's out there, just not completely five stars.
But I didn't love it with the same intensity that I love other books. And later in the hospital when her mother told her the news, that he was gone, everything changed. Some of the most powerful moments in the story are when Macy is just sitting down and talking - either to Wes, to Kristy, or even to Monica, and they're moments that just feel real, that ring with truth, and that make you feel like you are Macy in that moment.With that said, it's obvious I really liked and enjoyed the book. But seriously, having this book when I was in high school might have made my life at home a little more pleasant.
The plot is simple: a summer before senior year, taking a break from a boyfriend, and getting a new job, overcoming the loss of a parent, but because of the intricate and likable characters, it's all too easy to get sucked in.At times, the subject matter is deep: Macy's feelings of loss and guilt over her father's death are not easy things for anyone who hasn't experienced them to relate to, yet somehow through Macy's narration, Dessen manages to convey the feelings well. Her sister, who was in college, cried enough tears for all of them, and Macy did everything she could to try to be perfect and in control. Too late. Her mother cleaned out the house, threw herself into work, and never brought up her father again.
I thought it was well written, but I never grew to care about what happened to the characters. First off, I am not a Sarah Dessen fan. However, I have a lot of friends that like this book, so maybe it just wasn't for me, but if you like Sarah Dessen books, you will probably enjoy "The Truth About Forever." All the characters seemed very cookie cutter and I thought it was slow at certain parts. I read this book because it was recommended to me by a fan. That said, I did not really enjoy this book.
It's what you'd expect to happen in a storyline like this, and even if it is expected, it worked. The things that happened aren't that unexpected, really, like Macy's mom's breakdown or her leaving the job. I can't imagine not having any of them there, even the two snobby girls at the library that Macy hates. Their reactions to the plot felt so real that I felt like I was there with them while reading it. It says a lot about the story, but nothing about the amazing characters.Macy Queen strives to be perfect.
Macy tries to get perfect grades, gets the perfect (and smart) boyfriend, and is prepared to face the long summer with the things expected of her.But with anyone who tries to avoid the proper stages of grieving in losing a loved one, it always catches up on you. There's Delia, the very pregnant owner of the business; Kristy, the fashionable girl who befriends Macy and gets her to go to the parties they go to; Monica, Kristy's sister who barely utters a word (and probably can't say a word about weight loss pill); Bert, the Armageddon-obsessed dorky guy who drives an ambulance; and finally, Wes, the guy with the past (as the blurb mentioned), and probably the hottest fictional guy I've ever read about. :) This is certainly one of the best YA books I've ever read. A boy who likes flaws, who sees potential in everything. It's just waiting to be incarnated, to begin as something new, again.Now who wouldn't fall for a guy like that.
The things that happened aren't that unexpected, really, like Macy's mom's breakdown or her leaving the job. After the death of her father, she started hiding inside herself, convinced that her mother needed her to be strong. I don't think there's any catering company that has as many disasters as the Wish catering crew did, but it's that chaos that makes them who they are.Story wise, it's pretty straightforward. :P Seriously, there's something about how Dessen wrote about Wes that makes me crush on him. :P Seriously, there's something about how Dessen wrote about Wes that makes me crush on him. The blurb does not do justice with the whole book.
That summer, Macy's world turns upside down when she meets the Wish Catering crew. I don't think there's any catering company that has as many disasters as the Wish catering crew did, but it's that chaos that makes them who they are.Story wise, it's pretty straightforward. That summer, Macy's world turns upside down when she meets the Wish Catering crew. There's Delia, the very pregnant owner of the business; Kristy, the fashionable girl who befriends Macy and gets her to go to the parties they go to; Monica, Kristy's sister who barely utters a word (and probably can't say a word about weight loss pill); Bert, the Armageddon-obsessed dorky guy who drives an ambulance; and finally, Wes, the guy with the past (as the blurb mentioned), and probably the hottest fictional guy I've ever read about. It says a lot about the story, but nothing about the amazing characters.Macy Queen strives to be perfect. Not because she wanted to, but she felt like she needed to.
The characters managed to carry the whole book through and leave an important lesson about grieving and imperfection.And again, on Wes: I agree with what Sarah Dessen wrote in her book info:I think that in a lot of ways, he was the kind of guy I was always looking for: one who wasn't so interested in the "perfect," girl, whoever she might be. After the death of her father, she started hiding inside herself, convinced that her mother needed her to be strong. I can't imagine not having any of them there, even the two snobby girls at the library that Macy hates. :PThe cast of characters is one of the things that make this book interesting. It's what you'd expect to happen in a storyline like this, and even if it is expected, it worked. :PThis is the type of book that I will re-read every year, just to get that tingling and fluttery feeling whenever Macy and Wes would start getting close.
To him, nothing is ever finished, or broken. And if you're into YA, I suggest you read it too. While Delia's company may represent chaos, Wes to me is hope. Macy tries to get perfect grades, gets the perfect (and smart) boyfriend, and is prepared to face the long summer with the things expected of her.But with anyone who tries to avoid the proper stages of grieving in losing a loved one, it always catches up on you. Their reactions to the plot felt so real that I felt like I was there with them while reading it. Not because she wanted to, but she felt like she needed to.
:PThe cast of characters is one of the things that make this book interesting. The characters managed to carry the whole book through and leave an important lesson about grieving and imperfection.And again, on Wes: I agree with what Sarah Dessen wrote in her book info: "The blurb does not do justice with the whole book.
I loved everything about this book. This is the second Sarah Dessen book I've read in two days. I felt like I was there. The characeters, the plot. I read Just Listen yesterday and loved it, but this. this was fantastic.
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