What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Mclean Sweet isn't who she thinks she is. Or rather, she doesn't know who to believe she is. While growing up in the back of a restaurant with a die-hard basketball-loving dad & a beach-tripping manager mother, she knew that she was Mclean Sweet, daughter of college sweethearts & an all-around fun-loving girl. After a bitter and very public divorce, Mclean hits the road with her dad chasing jobs rehabbing restaurants. In the 2 years since the meltdown, Mclean & her dad have moved 4 times allowing 4 alter-egos to crop up.

In each of the 4 towns they lived in, Mclean was always responsible for setting up home & managing a fine balance of cut-and-run technique. Each town gave birth to a new girl & a persona to go with it. She's been a cheerleader, a drama queen & a joiner, but the last thing she expected to become in this new town was herself. With the help of a stellar cast of friends, Mclean Sweet might just rediscover the part of her that never really left.

This was different...and I'm not sure how I really feel about it. I am definitely sure that I've liked her other stuff better, but this wasn't a bad book. Mclean really pulls at that part of everyone who (at least once in their life) wants to pack up & become someone new. Unfortunately I couldn't really relate to that part of her or the fact that she hid it from her family. Her secrecy felt very deceitful & selfish in a way that my brain just couldn't keep up with. Each girl was so radically different.

The new friends she makes & what she discovers about herself as a result are what make the book a really great read. Dave is such a mysterious & quirky guy that you can't help but love. The other teens are all over the place allowing for a real breadth as well as depth to the group dynamics. The most entertaining part though was the kitchen staff at the new restaurant. They were by far the life & light of the story. I could almost see each teen becoming one of the staff members in a way that allowed for fascinating dynamics.

If you're in the mood for a relatively light read, go ahead & pick this one up. I will have to warn you though, if you have issues with improper grammar & errors in a finished book, then this is dangerous territory. I think the editing step was rushed because there are far too many noticeable errors. Other than that it was peachy!

Are you planning on reading it? If you've already read it, how do you react to it? Let's hear your thoughts!

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Waiting on Wednesday: What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I am anxiously awaiting the newest novel by Sarah Dessen: What Happened to Goodbye. It is scheduled for release in just 2 short weeks on May 10! The synopsis is rather mysterious.

Another town. Another school. Another Mclean. Ever since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her father have been fleeing their unhappy past. And Mclean's become a pro at reinventing herself with each move. But in Lakeview, Mclean finds herself putting down roots and making friends—in part, thanks to Dave, the most real person Mclean's ever met. Dave just may be falling in love with her, but can he see the person she really is? Does Mclean herself know?

From Goodreads

I have to admit that not long ago, I was an anti-Sarah Dessen reader. Her books sounded very flippant & far too romantic for my tastes. I am obviously proof that our reading habits change. The first novel of Sarah's I ever read is still by far one of my favorites. Along for the Ride was deeper than I thought it would be & so much more than I expected! This newest book seems to have some of the same qualities. Mclean sounds like a very self-sufficient kind of gal with a "let's make this work" attitude. I'm quite anxious to see it live up to my hopes!

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Ruby can take care of herself. At least that was the ruse she kept up for a few months after her mother disappeared, again. Only this time her mother was gone longer than usual. So Ruby decided that she would continue her existence as if nothing was wrong. Well, that only lasted so long. Now she finds herself being forced to live with her older sister Cora that Ruby had pretty much forgotten all about.

Ruby moves to Cora's house, a.k.a. mini-mansion, from the foster facility and is astonished to discover what her sister has been up to in Ruby's absence. Cora has obtained a college degree, gotten married, and is living the life that Ruby always dreamed about; but she feels out of place. So as soon as she believes the happy couple to be asleep, Ruby slips out of the house and tries to make a daring escape over the fence into the neighbor's yard. To her utter surprise though, she winds up face to face with Nate, the swimming phenomenon hottie. Now it doesn't seem like such a terrible idea to stick around.

While she begins adjusting to life in a new private school and attempting to rekindle her relationship with her sister, Ruby is constantly returning to her old habits and clinging to her independence fiercely. Over time, she learns the hard way that sometimes in order to gain that which you most desire, you have to let others help you.

A charming, captivating novel, Lock and Key is par for the course for Sarah Dessen. Ruby is tough young woman who I found very easy to relate to throughout her story. Many teens go through a stage of rebellion, especially when an authority figure is attempting to tell them what is best. I found Cora, and to an extent her husband Jamie, to be prime examples of those who really do want the very best for their loved one. Even though I found the "love story" aspect a little overdone (I seem to be reading a lot of next-door-love stories), the character of Nate was a spot-on reminder of a teen boy. This was a really great, fun read and I'm hoping to read more of her in the near future!

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen book signing

I was fortunate enough to meet three absolutely amazing women writers at Tuesday's signing. Marianne Gingher, Sarah Dessen, and Courtney Jones Mitchell all came to a local Barnes and Noble to discuss their new works and give advice to writers.

Marianne Gingher just edited and released a collection of short stories by 65 North Carolina authors, including Dessen and Mitchell, entitled Long Story Short. The stories range in length from a paragraph to a few pages and also run the subject gamut.

Sarah Dessen spoke about her newest novel Along for the Ride, which came out this June. Check out my thoughts about it here.

Courtney Jones Mitchell is a soon-to-be published author who just finished her first novel.

The ladies took turns explaining how they go about writing. Some prefer to outline each chapter, while others prefer to have just the skeleton laid out. All agree that the first few pages were the easiest with increased difficulty as the page count got higher. They also advised that if you really want to be a writer, then you have to do just that, every day. Make it a point to write something, anything, every single day.

Getting published the first time takes a lot of work and you receive many rejections, but these ladies encouraged the audience to continue their search because the perfect agent/publisher is out there somewhere. Also, they strongly suggested surrounding yourself with other aspiring authors; sometimes they are the only ones who truly understand what you're going through.

After they gave their wonderful advice, we all got to line up to get our books signed. I chose to have Sarah sign my copy of Along for the Ride even though I own most of her books. All in all, despite the torrential downpour, it was well worth the trip.

Sarah Dessen book signing

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Doesn't everyone know how to ride a bike? Somehow Auden managed to miss that lesson as a child. The single, insomniac off-spring of a notable professor mother and a one-book-wonder author father, she is raised in a world of school hard work, perfection, and deadlines. The summer before she goes off to college, Auden decides to take refuge from her demanding mother at her father's house. With a new, young wife, a brand new baby girl, and a book deadline, Auden's father has little to no time for her at all.

While roaming the streets for a late-night dive with good coffee, Auden stumbles upon a lone guy on a bike named Eli. They don't hit it off right from the beginning, but she can tell that there is something different about him. Over time, as they start to see each other more and more, Auden and Eli try to make up for all the things that she has missed out on. Riding bikes, dancing, bowling, and general "firsts" are being enjoyed.

Although they are spending all this time together, these two barely know anything about one another; but they are falling for one another. When the truth about Eli's past comes out, things change for everyone.

A very sweet read and one that should be considered for a perfect ending to the summer, Along for the Ride was a romantic coming of age story, but one that those of us who don't enjoy mushy-gushy can definitely enjoy. Keep an eye out for her other books as they are just as well written and definitely just as delectable!

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen