Review: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Title: The Truth About Forever
Author: Sarah Dessen
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: May 11th, 2004
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A long, hot summer...

That's what Macy has to look forward to while her boyfriend, Jason, is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of Macy's father.

But sometimes, unexpected things can happen—things such as the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things such as meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to question her sheltered life.

Is it really always better to be safe than sorry?

Sometimes I have trouble getting into books. It's not always the books fault, it's usually me. I'll be in a reading rut, or I'll just have too much going on at the time to be interested in a story. In cases like these, I drop everything I'm trying to read, and pick up a Dessen. I can almost always count on getting sucked in, but it's mellow enough that I don't have to think too much.

I was having some difficulty getting into a few books the end of July, with Aubrey being sick and the threat/promise of surgery being scheduled, so I thought.. I'm gonna finally read this one.

I tried the Audio a while back. It was horrible. The narrator was trash, so I almost immediately returned it and got the kindle version instead. Glad I did, because I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on this one.

The Truth About Forever still wasn't my favorite from her, but I still loved it. Really loved it. :)

Macy's character was very likable. Her boyfriend.. not so much. But he soon shows his true colors and in steps Wes. Now I wan't to mention that I thought from the description that Macy's boyfriend heads to his nerdy camp and she meets another guy... leading to me thinking it might be a cheating situation. I know, a lot to assume from such a vague blurb, but I really thought that's how it was gonna play out.

Cheater haters.. have no fear. It's not like that at all..

I just really love watching Macy grow into the girl she wants to be and not the person everyone around her has been trying to make her. Oh and I love Macy's sister too. Not only do you have Macy trying to grow up, you have her and her family grieving the loss of their father. And each one grieves differently, which is so true to real life. No one grieves the same.

Overall, this was a classic Dessen that no one should miss out on. I'm kind of sad, because I've almost read them all, and then what am I gonna do? I guess wait for her next book. :)

About the author:

Sarah Dessen grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and attended UNC-Chapel Hill, graduating with highest honors in Creative Writing. She is the author of several novels, including Someone Like You, Just Listen and Along for the Ride. A motion picture based on her first two books, entitled How to Deal, was released in 2003. Her eleventh novel, The Moon and More, will be published in June 2013. She lives in North Carolina.

Find Sarah:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Labels: contemporary, grieving, penguin, reviews, sarah dessen, the truth about forever