Do you know the Sarah Dessen formula? An everygirl with an unusual name; a strained parent-daughter relationship full of misunderstandings; narration that at many times has its typical, literal meaning, along with a larger thematic one; and a nice-boy love interest. Despite the predictability of the elements, however, Dessen never, ever, ever fails to deliver a poignant and teen-pleasing read. Her tenth novel, WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE, will satisfy old and new fans.
There is probably no other contemporary YA author that I read as consistently as Sarah Dessen. I was thinking about why this is. Anyone can take the aforementioned elements of the formula and write a novel containing those, but Dessens attention to typically overlooked human details is unmatched, and is what makes her books stand out. The narration effortlessly makes note of the quirks that make characters human: the funny way they move their hands before they speak, for example, or their habit of turning on all the lights in the house when they come home. I think it was a passage about doing laundry in WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE that made me realize Dessens gift of writing about these details. For most people, laundry is such a part of their lifes routine that we dont stop to think about how ones particular attitude towards and approach to doing laundry is very telling of their personality. But Dessen notes this, as well as other details about everyday life, bringing her novels several rungs above other comparable books.
There is little I find that I can say about characterization, plot, pacing, themes, or writing style that is specific to WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE and not just generalizable to all of Dessens novels. Instead, let me just list all the things about this book that struck me. The lovable chaos at Mcleans dads restaurant. The community model of the town project that the characters work on. Daves charming sense of humor. Deb. (Deb, Deb, Deb! Can there be a story focusing on her, pretty please?) The college basketball lifestyle, and Rileys parents.
Okay, so obviously part of me wishes this story had been more about some of the secondary characters instead of Mcleans pretty typical Dessen-esque bildungsroman, but hey, thats not going to stop WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE from becoming a bestseller. Read it if youre a decade-old Dessen fan like I am. If youre new to Sarah Dessens writings, Id probably recommend starting with one of her older books, such as This Lullaby or The Truth About Forever, but either way you spin your approach to reading this book, you will finish it feeling very happy and content.
There is probably no other contemporary YA author that I read as consistently as Sarah Dessen. I was thinking about why this is. Anyone can take the aforementioned elements of the formula and write a novel containing those, but Dessens attention to typically overlooked human details is unmatched, and is what makes her books stand out. The narration effortlessly makes note of the quirks that make characters human: the funny way they move their hands before they speak, for example, or their habit of turning on all the lights in the house when they come home. I think it was a passage about doing laundry in WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE that made me realize Dessens gift of writing about these details. For most people, laundry is such a part of their lifes routine that we dont stop to think about how ones particular attitude towards and approach to doing laundry is very telling of their personality. But Dessen notes this, as well as other details about everyday life, bringing her novels several rungs above other comparable books.
There is little I find that I can say about characterization, plot, pacing, themes, or writing style that is specific to WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE and not just generalizable to all of Dessens novels. Instead, let me just list all the things about this book that struck me. The lovable chaos at Mcleans dads restaurant. The community model of the town project that the characters work on. Daves charming sense of humor. Deb. (Deb, Deb, Deb! Can there be a story focusing on her, pretty please?) The college basketball lifestyle, and Rileys parents.
Okay, so obviously part of me wishes this story had been more about some of the secondary characters instead of Mcleans pretty typical Dessen-esque bildungsroman, but hey, thats not going to stop WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE from becoming a bestseller. Read it if youre a decade-old Dessen fan like I am. If youre new to Sarah Dessens writings, Id probably recommend starting with one of her older books, such as This Lullaby or The Truth About Forever, but either way you spin your approach to reading this book, you will finish it feeling very happy and content.
