Book Review: THAT SUMMER by Sarah Dessen

Fifteen-year-old Haven’s life is changing too quickly for her comfort. Her father is getting remarried to the local meteorologist—the “Weather Pet,” as Haven’s mom calls her—and her older sister Ashley is about to have a wedding of her own, to a guy Haven believes couldn’t suit her less. He’s straight-laced and boring, nothing like Sumner Lee, Ashley’s first love. When Sumner was around, he always included Haven. Even Ashley was nicer to her, and the five year age gap between the sisters didn’t seem so wide.

When Sumner comes back to town, Haven sees one last thread of her past to cling to. But as the summer goes on, she begins to realize the past might not have been exactly how she remembered it.

THAT SUMMER is Sarah Dessen’s debut, published in 1996. She was around my age when she wrote it, so rereading it as a new MFA graduate was a very different experience than my first time reading it. Sarah’s prose feels different from her later books, longer paragraphs and sharp word choices that remind me of what I saw in my own workshops.

The plot itself is very quiet, more internal than external conflict. It’s about Haven dealing with all the changes around her and beginning to grow up herself. It’s not like the “high concept” (sometimes gimmicky) books that are selling in YA today, but it rings true in a way some of today’s books don’t. And it’s exactly what I want to write.

When I read THAT SUMMER the first time I didn’t use GoodReads yet, but I imagine I would’ve rated it three or four stars. There’s no swoony romance for our protagonist (she watches her sister’s relationships and hears stories about her friend’s new boyfriend) and she’s a bit of a passive character. But now that I’m older and more experienced with storytelling, I appreciate Haven’s story. She’s passive at the beginning because everything is happening to her without her consent: her parents’ divorce, her father’s new marriage, her sister’s wedding. But as she grows throughout the story, she takes ownership of what she can and can’t control. It’s a story about letting go of the past and growing into the future. The book went up to five stars in my eyes this time.

THAT SUMMER is a solid book of Sarah’s and should not be overlooked. 

Book Review: SAINT ANYTHING by Sarah Dessen

Sydney has always felt invisible, always in her charismatic (and increasingly reckless) older brother’s shadow. But when Peyton is involved in a drunk-driving accident that leaves a boy paralyzed, he is sent to jail, upending the family’s world. More than ever, everything becomes All About Peyton. Their mom constantly visits him and talks to lawyers and—in Sydney’s eyes—makes excuses for Peyton’s behavior. Everyone at school is talking about the accident, so Sydney decides to transfer to the local public school for a fresh start. And Peyton’s friend Ames, who has taken on a supporting role in the family since Peyton’s incarceration, gives Sydney the creeps for reasons she can’t identify.

Then Sydney meets the Chathams, a family that welcomes her as one of their own, and she realizes she might not have to remain invisible after all.

Sarah Dessen is back writing what she does best: complex families, inner conflict, and solid friendships. She just did a panel at BookCon with Gayle Forman and Jenny Han (can you say GOLD?) about best friends, and she said Layla (Sydney’s new friend) is the friend she wished she had at the time of writing the book. Layla is one of my favorite parts of the book as well. She’s such a good friend. No agendas, no cattiness, the kind of friend every girl needs. There’s a scene (no spoilers) where Layla sleeps over at Sydney’s, and her loyalty and protectiveness just caught in my chest while I read it. 

An issue Sarah explores both in SAINT ANYTHING and an essay she wrote in Seventeen is the idea of the “nice” girl. The girl who feels she can’t say when she’s uncomfortable out of fear of hurting others. Sarah was very honest in her essay about hanging around an older guy who made her uncomfortable, even though she had no solid evidence or reasons why, just her gut. But your gut, Sarah insists, is enough. Sydney goes through a similar conflict in SAINT ANYTHING with Ames, her brother’s friend. Sarah wrote the subplot SO well, and at times my skin was crawling. It’s an important subject, especially for girls who (like me) worry a lot about being considered "nice."

So read Sarah’s essay and then go grab your copy of SAINT ANYTHING. Warning: you’d better have some pizza and French fries nearby because you will crave them when you read this book!

Because I will post this picture every day for the rest of eternity.
At Sarah's signing in Princeton, NJ

Read my recap of Sarah's signing here!

Meeting Sarah Dessen!

If you've read my blog at all, you probably already know I'm CRAZY for Sarah Dessen. She's my favorite author and the reason I write about girls and their families. Her books taught me how to tell stories. Basically, she's my writing role model, and I would LOVE to have a career like hers.

She's been on tour for her newest book, SAINT ANYTHING (read my review here!), for the past month. When I saw she was coming to Pennsylvania, my heart leapt and then immediately fell. The day of her event I'd be traveling in South Africa with Chatham. 

I was so upset, but my mom went to the signing for me. She got some of my books signed and gave Sarah a letter I'd written. I remember waking up in Cape Town the following morning to tons of Facebook pictures from my mom of the event. 

That same day, I was scrolling through Sarah's Twitter feed and saw she'd just added an event in Princeton, NJ, less than two hours from my house. I immediately messaged my mom (although she was 6 hours behind me and still sleeping at the time), and over the next day we made tentative plans to go to this signing as well. 

And on May 28, we drove to NJ for the event! We got there super early to get a line number and then hung out at the mall where the Barnes and Noble was. The store was so relaxed and we got seats in the front row for Sarah's discussion. 

GUYS. Sarah is EXACTLY like I hoped she'd be. Friendly, funny, normal, and adorable! She immediately started joking about the traffic (she was a couple minutes late because she came from NYC) and told us how her grandparents used to live in Princeton. Then she talked about SAINT ANYTHING and the book she put aside before writing it. She also read the first few pages and said she wrote them on January 1st because she heard that whatever you do on the first of the year, you'll do every day after that ("I'm superstitious, and whatever anyone else believes, I automatically believe too."). 

She took a few questions before starting the signing line. I asked her about the essay she wrote for Seventeen about how she hung out with an older guy in high school who made her uncomfortable. It's a great essay about being "nice" vs. sticking up for yourself...definitely check it out! She said it was weird to write nonfiction and she was nervous when it was published, but the response has been super positive. But she said she probably won't write more nonfiction for a while after this!

Then it was on to the signing line! I was fourth in line, and as soon as I walked up, she said she loved my dress. I told her I loved hers, too, then went on and talked about missing her signing in Haverford and sending my mom instead. She remembered my mom and hearing about me and went, "You're the girl from Africa!" :p We chatted about that for a minute, took a picture, and then I told her that her books started me on my serious writing path. 

She thanked me and said, "Keep writing!" and then I went "You--" and rapped my hand against the stack of her books in my arms. She laughed and said, "I'm trying!" She is the sweetest! THE. SWEETEST. 

I've wanted to meet Sarah for YEARS but never thought she'd have an event close to me. Thursday night was so wonderful! Thank you Sarah! And thanks to my mom, who rode along and hung out with me all day and navigating when I got lost in the parking lot! :)

Book Review: JUST LISTEN by Sarah Dessen

Annabel, according to the department store commercial she shot months ago: The Girl Who Has Everything. Cheerleader, homecoming queen, great student with tons of friends.

Annabel, in reality: the girl who sits alone at lunch. Her parents are preoccupied with her sister’s eating disorder, so Annabel doesn’t want to burden them what really happened at that party over the summer, the one that ended her friendship with Sophie. So she lies by omission, insisting she’s fine, everything’s fine.  

Then Annabel meets Owen, the loner who supposedly got arrested for beating up a guy last year. He’s always listening to his iPod and has his own radio show, where he plays the strangest assortment of music (including sea shanties and techno. LOTS of techno). Owen always tells the truth, which is mind-blowing to Annabel, the girl who lies to protect the feelings of others. Through her new friendship with Owen, Annabel learns to voice her opinions (first, by telling him what she really thinks of the music he plays on his radio show, song by song) and realizes people will not crumple to pieces when she tells the truth.

I read JUST LISTEN years ago and enjoyed it, but after this reread I appreciate it even more. Like Sarah Dessen’s other books, this one has a strong focus on family. Annabel’s sisters, Kirsten and Whitney, are well-written, and I was immediately invested in their tumultuous relationship. Maybe because I’m closer to their age now than I was the first time I read it, I was able to appreciate them even more as characters. Kirsten warned her family about Whitney’s troublesome eating habits, but the issue is brushed aside until Whitney is finally hospitalized for her disorder. Annabel’s relationship with Whitney felt real to me, too. Annabel tiptoes around her sister, who has just moved back home to begin her recovery. Slowly but surely, though, they begin to find common ground.

The heart of the book is the idea of listening (obviously, it’s the title). But it’s not just about listening to music or making others hear you. It’s about listening to yourself. Annabel grows so much as a person through this story, and it was wonderful to watch.

I’m rereading a bunch of Sarah Dessen’s books in celebration of her new book, SAINT ANYTHING, which will be released on May 5^th. I talk a lot about Sarah on this blog but haven’t reviewed all her books yet, so I might share my thoughts about them as the month goes on. 

My Auto-Buy Authors

You know those authors. They announce they’re publishing a new book and, without even knowing what it’s about, you count down the days until you can run to Barnes and Noble and buy it. No matter the story, you MUST have that book. These are the authors you trust.

Here are my auto-buy authors:

1. Sarah Dessen (The Moon and More, This Lullaby, The Truth About Forever). I can count on her for solid female narrators, secondary characters with colorful personalities, and plots I can reach out and touch. They feel real. Much of what I know about writing internal conflict, I learned from reading Sarah's books. I own all of them, and SAINT ANYTHING is my most anticipated book of 2015! 

2. John Green (The Fault in Our Stars, Looking For Alaska). Snarky humor and stories that make me think, question, and reevaluate my point of view. So far, he's published a great mix of funny books and sad ones. I can't wait to read whatever he comes up with next!

3. Jandy Nelson (I'll Give You The Sun, The Sky is Everywhere). New to my auto-buy list. After I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN, I would read that woman’s grocery lists. Any piece of paper her words touch, gimmie! Lush prose and imagery, complex and well thought out characters, emotional resonance. I read I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN twice in four months while writing my thesis. It never ceases to inspire me! 

4. Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire). I’ll be testing my auto-buy tendency with her in May, when her new series A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES launches. I’m so enthralled by THRONE OF GLASS, and I can’t wait for more well-developed high fantasy with action and delicious character development. I used to consider myself someone who was easily overwhelmed by high fantasy, but after reading Sarah's books, I've learned that I love it!

5. Cassandra Clare (City of Bones, Clockwork Angel). This is cheating a little bit, because she has a few books I haven’t bought (like THE IRON TRIAL, which she co-wrote with Holly Black), but I’m game for anything set in her Shadowhunter world like THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS and THE INFERNAL DEVICES. I love her humor and talent for world building in the urban fantasy subgenre. I've been reading her books since high school, and every time I pick up CITY OF BONES, I'm eighteen again (in a good way).  

How about you? Whose books do you automatically buy?

THE MOON AND MORE by Sarah Dessen (review)

I’ve been meaning to write this for a while, and FINALLY, here it is. My review of Sarah Dessen’s eleventh book, THE MOON AND MORE.

 

Emmaline has spent her entire life in the small beach town of Colby. She spends her summers working at her family’s realty company, renting beach homes to tourists, and wondering what life would be like if she wasn’t a permanent Colby resident, just another visitor. Would she have the Classic Summer Romance that many girls come to the beach searching for? Would everything change in one summer?

When her relationship with her boyfriend hits a rocky spot and the guy staying in one of Colby Realty’s rentals takes notice of her, Emmaline begins to see new possibilities. There will be no shortage of drama this summer, especially once her biological father and her half-brother, Benji, announce they’re coming to visit. Emmaline has to face her father and his shortcomings, like his broken promise to fund her college education at Columbia, forcing her to choose a less expensive, local university instead. She finds herself caught between the town she’s grown up loving and her desire to find new adventures.

THE MOON AND MORE is a little different than Sarah’s other books, especially in the relationship aspect. There are two boys in Emmaline’s life (instead of Dessen’s usual one-dreamy-boy-per-book habit): Luke, her long-time boyfriend and fellow Colby resident, and Theo, the New Yorker in town to work on a documentary. Dessen has said that the ending is slightly different than in her past books, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It felt real.

There are also several references and cameo appearances by characters from past Dessen books, a fun treasure hunt that her faithful readers have come to count on. Some of my favorite ALONG FOR THE RIDE characters popped up in a scene, as well as one of my all-time favorite quotes (“No, no, no to Tallyho!”). Also, my allegiance to one of Emmaline’s boys was solidified after it was revealed he is related to Wes, my FAVORITE Dessen boy.

All in all, a great read. It didn’t top my favorite Sarah Dessen books, but it’s a solid story all the same. The cover is stunning and has a glossy book jacket (a new style for Dessen’s books). But be warned: this book will make you want to reread her other books. After I finished reading it, I reread THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER, and I’m fighting the urge to reread her entire collection.

 

Did you read THE MOON AND MORE? What did you think?

SARAH DESSEN RETWEETED MY TWEET.

Most of the time, I try really hard not to present myself online as a squealing, overemotional tween (because I'm a pretty calm twenty-two year old adult). But last night when I looked at Twitter on my phone and saw that Sarah Dessen, my favorite author EVER (see: ALL blog posts and ALL tweets between Sunday and today), retweeted a tweet I'd posted about her book, I let out a few oh-em-gees. And by a few, I mean fifty million.

And then I took a screenshot of the retweet. And I Instagramed it. And tweeted it. And posted it on Facebook. And Tumblr.

Seriously, though, it's a BIG DEAL. My FACE is on Sarah's Twitter! And, of course, it's the picture of me getting hit in the face with my graduation tassel. :p Because of Sarah's retweet, 49 people have favorited it so far, 16 have retweeted it, and I have 4 new followers! :)

This whole thing honestly has made my mood skyrocket, and I'm super cheerful today. :) I've been having a really hard time since graduating, and this made things a little better.









*In case you were wondering, the tweet was in regards to a funny quote from ALONG FOR THE RIDE, one of Sarah's other books. Some of her characters make appearances in other books, which was the case in THE MOON AND MORE, and the character said the same thing she had in ALONG FOR THE RIDE.
**Tallyho is a club that none of the characters ever want to go to, so they always say "No, no, no to Tallyho."

Why I Love Sarah Dessen

I’ve been reading Sarah Dessen’s books since I was fifteen (quick math: seven years!), and every time she releases a new one, I still get ridiculously excited. Her latest book, THE MOON AND MORE, comes out today, two years after the release of her last book. In honor of her pub day, I thought I’d write a post about why I still obsess over her books even though I’m not sixteen and living in a beach town.

 

1.   I’m not sixteen and living in a beach town: I like living vicariously through the main characters. We all want that fun summer to remember at the beach (at least I do). And even though I’m only three years removed from teenager-dom, I already miss the lack of responsibility and the endless possibilities of the three months in between school years.

2.   Her stories are comforting: As a reader, I’ve grown to trust Sarah and her stories. I know that when I finish the story, I’m going to be happy and so are the characters (even if it’s not 100% in the way I initially expected). Plus, the girl usually gets the guy, which is always nice!   

3.   THE BOYS: Enough said. And there are TWO boys in the new book!

4.   The quirky situations and secondary characters: When I started writing, I unintentionally modeled my plots after Sarah’s. She puts her characters in unique situations (moving around and changing your name in every new town, working for a hectic catering company, not being able to sleep at night), situations I’d never been in but suddenly wanted to understand. I’ve tried to do the same with my own characters, and I’ve gotten praise in workshop classes for my ideas (People said they’d never read stories with the same plots/situations as some of mine: hot air balloon crews, beauty pageant consultants, mothers/daughters living in trailer parks).

5.   She made me want to be a writer: Sarah creates the stories I’ve always wanted to write. When I read her books at fifteen, I realized, “Wait…THIS is what I want to do!” Her books are the reason I sat down at a computer and typed out hundreds of pages of a “book” that will never see the light of day. But it was a start, and I haven’t stopped since. Now I have a Bachelor’s in creative writing and am going for my Master’s. And Sarah Dessen is one of the reasons why.

Bonus reason: She's obsessed with Good Morning America and so am I! :)

 

HAPPY PUB DAY, SARAH! Everyone should go buy a copy of THE MOON AND MORE. I’m at work until five, and it’s killing me that I can’t run to the bookstore until 5:01!

 

 

Check out another post where I talk about my two favorite Sarah books!

A Year in Books: What Happened to Goodbye

One thing, however, was clear: there was no escaping Mclean now. I was her, I was here, and it looked like we'd be sticking around. Nothing left to do but bail, and rise.

Sarah Dessen’s first book in two years, WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE, follows a girl who creates a new persona in each town she and her father move to. Mclean has been the popular cheerleader, drama diva, and all-around joiner, complete with different names. But when she comes to Lakeview, she doesn’t have a chance to establish her newest self; instead of the clear cut roles of her past, she attempts to discover the real her, messy emotions included. Once she meets Dave, the self-proclaimed “weird kid” next door, she finds herself rethinking her cut and run attitude.

In the past, whenever her dad is transferred to a new city—he resuscitates dying restaurants, changing menus and décor in hopes of making them successes—Mclean cuts herself off from the friends she’d made, not even bothering to say goodbye. But what happens when her time in Lakeview is up? She knows it’s inevitable; Luna Bleu, the poorly staffed train wreck of a restaurant her dad is trying to save, is going under. Will she be able to leave as easily as she did when she was Eliza or Lizbet or Beth in those other towns? Or will this role—herself—be too much to leave behind?

In true Dessen style, Sarah weaves thought-provoking tidbits into the story of an average girl dealing with normal problems: divorced parents, adjusting to a new town, a clingy mother. Mclean struggles to discover who she really is, something that any high school girl can relate to.

As a longtime fan of Sarah’s novels, WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE did not disappoint me. A relatable heroine, entertaining conversations and restaurant-speak, and a boy so loveable that girls will start searching the world for him. You don’t want to miss this one.  

Celebrating Sarah (or why Sarah Dessen's books are amazing)

Today is the release date of Sarah Dessen’s tenth novel, WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE. A review will come once I’ve finished the book, but I thought I’d take a minute to talk about why Sarah is a remarkable author. She’s a New York Times bestseller, and rightfully so. Her books tackle real-life issues, from divorce to abuse to striving for perfection. There is a character or plot point that everyone can relate to in some form. I started reading her novels during my sophomore year of high school, and since then she has become my favorite author.

My first—and favorite—Sarah Dessen book is THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER. Hands down. It’s a story about a girl’s desire to be perfect and how she comes to realize that perfection isn’t everything. The novel has Sarah’s trademark quirky characters—Bert, a teenage boy obsessed with Armageddon; Kristy, who wears outrageous outfits and always speaks her mind; and Wes. Oh, Wes. He is my favorite Sarah Dessen character of all time. He finds flaws endearing, which Macy—the main character—has a hard time grasping at first. But the more time she spends around Wes, she begins to embrace her imperfections and learns to live.  

ALONG FOR THE RIDE was the last novel Sarah released before WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE. I was intrigued immediately by the first line on the book’s inside flap: "It’s been so long since Auden slept at night.” Auden first stopped sleeping because she believed her parents wouldn’t fight if they knew she was awake and listening. After her parents’ divorce, she couldn’t shake the habit and became an insomniac. While she’s spending time with her dad and his new wife at the beach, she meets Eli, another insomniac. Together they explore the beach town at night, experiencing everything that most people sleep through.

That’s one of my favorite aspects of Sarah’s books. She gives her characters unique circumstances, yet makes them relatable to all readers. Even if your mom isn’t a famous exercise instructor or you aren’t a member of a quirky catering company, you know how the characters feel. Sarah’s characters are so real, I half-expect to run into them on the street.

The new promotional tagline for Sarah’s books is “Sarah Dessen: Read her once and fall in love.” If you are or have ever been a teenage girl, and you haven’t read one of her books yet, what are you waiting for? You’ll fall in love.