What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Title: What Happened to Goodbye
Author: Sarah Dessen

Release Date: 30th May 2011

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:
Mclean never lets herself get too attached...

After the scandal of her mother's affair, Mclean and her dad chose life on the road. But since losing her family and home, Mclean has lost herself too; she's been Eliza, then Lizbet, then Beth - changing her name as often as she changes towns.

Until now. Her neighbour, Dave, is like no one she's met before. It's as if she's always known him, and just like that, she becomes Mclean again. Is it finally time to stop reinventing? Or will Mclean turn her back on the new life she loves, without even saying goodbye...

My Review:
What Happened to Goodbye has a subtle storyline, one where the true point of the plot develops over time and I felt quite content sitting back and reading how Mclean's life would unfold. There were no massive revelations that shock Mclean to the core. Instead, the story starts two years after a major revelation and focuses on Mclean as she continues to struggle with the outcome of her mothers infidelity and her new family.

Mclean thinks she is fine. Sure her relationship with her mother is still rocky, but in general, she is happy living with her dad and moving around to different cities, being able to reinvent herself each time. She just floats through life, going through the motions. I felt watching Mclean struggle with her emotions towards her mother was very well written and realistic as well as how she is torn as to how attached she should get to her new friends. When Mclean finally realises that maybe she hasn't actually been happy and she finally lets herself feel at home, she realises that who she wants/needs to be, is actually herself.

Mclean and her mother really struggle with their relationship, with her mother constantly hounding her, only leading to Mclean pulling away more. Mclean struggles with the fact that so many circumstances are beyond her control. Her whole way of life and anonymity, disappeared and she is hugely frustrated that things can't just go back to the way they were. And even now, after everything is over, she still can't have control of her life the way she would like. It's frustrating and something a lot of teens can relate to.

I really enjoyed all the quirky, oddball characters, especially Deb and Jason. I thought they really made the story and I just felt at home reading about them. Unlike in other Dessen books, romance kind of took a backseat with it very slowly creeping up on Mclean. Dave didn't appeal to me as much as some of Dessen's other male leads have as just like the whole story, Dave is subtle. This said, all of Mcleans new friends are lovable and enjoyable to read about.

Before picking up What Happened to Goodbye, I had read four Dessen books, and enjoyed them all, with one being an all time favourite of mine. So starting a new book I felt very excited and all warm and happy inside. I enjoyed WHTG and I think Dessen fans will be super excited to get their hands on another title. This said, I think some might be disappointed due to the lack of major romance or plot turn-arounds but to me, this story wasn't supposed to be like that and I like its subtle approach.

If you are a first time Sarah Dessen reader I would recommend either The Truth About Forever, Along For The Ride, or my favourite, Just Listen. While WHTG is not my favourite Dessen novel, it does slot in nicely beside her other books and fulfills the hunger that fans have had since Along for the Ride was released in 2009.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Title: Just Listen
Author: Sarah Dessen

Release Date: 2nd July 2007

My Rating: 5/5

Blurb:
I'm Annabel. I'm the girl who has it all.Model looks, confidence, a great social life.I'm one of the lucky ones. Aren't I?

My Review:
This is the second time I have re-read Just Listen and I still love it as much as when I first read it a few years ago. I've read a couple of other Dessen books but I didn't connect with them as much as I did with Just Listen.

Annabel used to be the girl everyone envied, until something happened at the beginning of the summer. Her best friend stopped talking to her and now slanders her every chance she gets. Annabel spent the summer in solitude, hoping that once school started again, everything would go back to normal. No such luck. What happened is one of the many secrets that unfolds throughout Just Listen.

Annabel is the kind of person who holds everything in to protect others. She hides her own wants and feelings to protect her broken family. She holds back her desire to quit modelling to protect her mother who once again shows signs of life after having a breakdown. She holds back how she feels towards her sisters and the position she has in the family. She hides what is really going on at school. And she definitely hides what happened at the beginning of the summer. She is on an emotional roller-coaster and what she doesn't realise, is that sometimes, she just has to open up and let others help her, before everything explodes.

Just Listen is not solely about Annabel. While she is the main character, the troubles of the rest of her family and those around her are also heavily highlighted. And each character is amazing, with so much depth, pain, fear, love, confidence and hopelessness.

Kirsten and Whitney are Annabel's two older sisters and I love their complex relationship. Whitney struggles with an eating disorder but Kirsten is the only one in the family that can see what is really happening behind Whitney's lies. One of the most powerful moments in the book, to me, is when Kirsten tells her family that she has warned them but they are choosing not to listen to her. As Whitney's eating disorder really comes to light in one shocking scene with Annabel, everything she has tried to keep hidden is uncovered and we slowly become witness to all of her internal battles.

There are many influential scenes featuring Whitney. Some that stick in my mind include Whitney's concentration as she tends to her herbs, Annabel spying Whitney watching her model from afar and, when Whitney takes part in the open-mike night. It never fails to bring a tear to my eye. Kirsten, the biggest drama queen of all, actually turns out to have her life sorted out the most. You will find that in the book, Kirsten makes a short film about a memory she has. I love that everyone who views it takes something different from it, that is the way art should be, but that it also helps mend Whitney and Kirsten's fragile relationship.

Owen is an outsider. And we all know what happens when the dark and mysterious outsider meets the messed up beautiful girl. I love Owen and his crazy obsession with music. He is so sweet and honest. He believes in honesty above anything else, except music. He introduces Annabel to his "placeholder" way of thinking and teaches her that bad choices and dishonesty can haunt you if you don't do something about them. He is absolutely one of my literary crushes. And his best mate Rolly is like a faithful puppy dog and totally loveable.

"silence is so freaking loud"

Just Listen really gets down to the core of how appearances can be deceiving. I love the symbolism of the family home being made of glass and that what is seen through the glass is very different to the words spoken, and not spoken, on the other side. No one's life is perfect and the myth that someone could have it all is just that, a myth. Sarah Dessen does well to point that out to her readers, that people and families are not always as they seem.

Also, I loved the car wash scene and it really resonated with me. The first time I went in a car wash when I was little, I thought it was scary but I always felt safe because my parents were with me. Even though I thought it was scary, I loved the darkness and the sight of the water and soap suds running down the windows and the sound of the brushes hitting the sides of the car. Just like our characters, I now view them as a magical, relaxing place and I love to sit in the dark while the water swirls around outside.

A fantastic read that deals with real life issues such as friendship, family life, relationships, eating disorders, sexual assault and personal discovery.

Oh boy, I want to read it again *sigh*

Infinity By Sarah Dessen

Title: Infinity
Author: Sarah Dessen

Release Date: 7th June 2010

My Rating: 3/5

Blurb:
'Lately, I don't dream about Anthony. I dream about the roundabout...'

Sometimes it's hard to make choices and decisions, and to know which way to go.

My Review:
Puffin, the children's branch of Penguin Books, turns 70 this year. In celebration of this, amongst other things, they are releasing 10 short stories by well-known children's authors. These are known as Pocket Money Puffins and consist of a short story by an author, plus one or two extracts from previously released titles by that author. They are a great size and price. As the name suggests they are both pocket-sized and only $7.95 (Australian $$)

In this case, Sarah Dessen has written a short story (only 33 pages) about the choices in life, something that, as young adults grow up, they are constantly having to do. While this story focuses on a 16-year-old girl who tries to conquer her fears on the road, as well as put up with a pushy boyfriend, the end message is something that applies to all; when making a choice or decision, as long as it is your own, it doesn't matter how long it takes you to do so. Make your own choices in life. They may not always be the right ones, but they will be yours.

I love Sarah Dessen. One of her novels, Just Listen, is one of my all time favourite books. While Infinity wasn't long enough to satisfy me, it makes a great taste-tester for those new to her writing. The two extracts included are from Just Listen and That Summer.

For more titles in the Pocket Money Puffins series click here.