The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Title: The Truth About Forever

Author: Sarah Dessen

Published: 2004

Source: the library

Synopsis from bn.com:

Macy's summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined. She will spend her days sitting at the library information desk. She will spend her evenings studying for the SATs. Spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development.

But Macy's plans don't anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or . . . Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn't fit Macy's life at all so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So . . . happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before?

Sarah Dessen delivers a page-turning novel that carries readers on a roller coaster of denial, grief, comfort, and love as we watch a broken but resilient girl pick up the pieces of her life and fit them back together. 

I'm just going to start by telling you that this is a reread. Yes, I've read it before. "Then why are you reviewing it?" you may ask. Well, when I read it last it was at least three years ago, so consequently I remembered next to nothing about it. Is it weird that I'm happy about that? Because I am, I'm really really happy that I could read this book again like I was reading it for the first time.

I love Sarah Dessen. She is one of my favorite authors, and now this is one of my favorite books by her, next to This Lullaby. The way she writes is just spectacular. One passage in particular stood out to me:
               
            We Just sat there for a second, none of us talking. In the middle of the clearing, someone was playing with a flashlight, the beam moving across the tree overhead, showing bits and pieces of branches and leaves, a glimpse her and there, then darkness again. I knew that in the last few minutes everything had changed. I'd tried to hold myself apart, showing only what I wanted, doling out bits and pieces of who I was. But that only works for so long. Eventually, even the smallest fragments can't help but make a whole.

When I read it I just thought that it was beautiful. The imagery especially. I could never write something like that, something so perfect. Which is why her books blow mind mind. They not only have a good story, but good writing to match, something that's hard to find.

Anyway, on to this story in particular. Macy was a good protagonist. At times I wanted to smack some sense in to her, or her mother, but that's just part of the experience. Wes was...wow. What do I say about Wes? Basically he's everything that you could ever want in a guy. Ever. Smart, nice, caring, an artist, sa-woon worthy. What more is there to ask for? All of the other characters were awesome too, and so three dimensional. All of them had TONS of personality and they weren't just there doing nothing. That's another thing that I like about Sarah Dessen books.

The story line was, of course, great. Macy's dad died about a year and a half before the book starts. She and her mother really haven't gotten over it, just pushed it aside and only focused on work and school. Macy's "perfect" boyfriend Jason is going away to Brain Camp for the summer and Macy takes over his job at the library. Just another boring summer. Until she meets the workers of Wish Catering and Jason breaks up with her because she's getting too attached. Then her summer's not so boring anymore, and she learns a lot about herself along the way.

Basically this book was spectacular. I'm happy that I read it again.

Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Originality: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall: 50/50 A+++
Title/Cover: 5/5 The title is perfect, and the cover is nice too.
Hooked: Immediately
Recommend to: Everyone!