Meeting Sarah Dessen

Hey guys! I filmed this video way back in May, but had trouble uploading until now! Now that I finally have more time, I will be posting more videos and reviews more frequently.


 

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Saint Anything 

by Sarah Dessen

Released: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Page Amount: 432, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Sydney)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-18/20
Characters-19/20

Creativity-18/20

Writing-19/20

Pace-8/10

Ending-8/10

=90/100 A

★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident? Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time. -Goodreads.com

REViEW:
Sarah Dessen is the queen of Young Adult Contemporary novels. She has written 12 books so far and each one is better than those preceding it. Saint Anything is by far my favorite Sarah Dessen book. This book has a depth to it while still maintaining a light mood. Dealing with the repercussions of Sydney's older brother, Peyton, being in prison from alcohol abuse, Sydney has to figure out how to move past the guilt that she feels. To do this, Sydney changes schools and makes new friends. She finally has a new beginning. The plot of Saint Anything is very intriguing. There are many aspects to the plot which ensures that no page is dull. Not only are there issues of substance abuse, but also family drama, illness, guilt, friendships, unhealthy relationships, love, and last but not least: food. Sydney is faced with so many hardships during these 400 pages, but continues to focus on the good things of life. This book is extremely heartfelt and interesting. Although I was not able to relate entirely to Sydney's position, I think we all can relate to Sydney's feeling of being invisible. No matter if you're a super popular person or a nerd sitting at home reviewing books, I'm sure everyone has felt invisible if even for just a moment. This books perfectly captures that feeling and provides hope.

The characters in this book are amazing. Sydney, in all honesty, is a pretty bland character on her own. She doesn't have a dynamic personality and stays hidden in her brother's shadow. However, this was intentional. Once Sydney meets the Chathams, she begins to open up and have some fun. As a reader, I was able to see Sydney grow and become who she was supposed to be: a good daughter as well as an amazing friend. Her new friend, Layla, was another driving character of this book. She is bubbly and is a connoisseur of food and relationships. Her brother, Mac, is always there. He is a loyal companion and also a brainiac. He wasn't as dynamic of a character as Dessen's boys typically are, but I believe his character was perfect for this book and for Sydney. His relationship with Sydney was not at all the focal point of this novel. On the contrary, there is barely any romance in this book. However, the few romantic scenes that were included were so simple and so eloquent that they still made me swoon. It was also very interesting to see the stark differences between Sydney's parents and the Chatham's. Sydney's mom annoyed me to no end because she wanted to control everything both of her children did and did not take time to realize that Sydney is not her brother Peyton. I personally know a mother like this and that was probably why I had such a emotional response to this character. I am glad that Dessen included a character like her though because there are sadly a lot of parents who are very controlling, which is difficult for a teenager to handle. All in all, each and every character blew me away. Even the smallest of the small secondary characters had a distinct personality and an intricate backstory.

The ending was good. I understand why Dessen ended the book there, but personally I wish she would have continued for just one more page. I am curious to find out how the final issue resolved itself, but I guess now that is up to my imagination. Well played, Dessen. Honestly, I just wish this book was longer. It was a long book, but there was so much to it that it could go on for another whole book. I'm still not ready to say goodbye to Sydney, Layla, and Mac. This book is definitely one of the best of 2015. 

My Favorite Part: The pillow fight scene. I'm laughing just thinking about it.


ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes! This is an amazing book, and it is a perfect read for summer! 

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Released: June 16, 2009
Publisher: Speak
Page Amount: 383, US Paperback
POV: 1st Person (Auden)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-20/20
Characters-20/20
Creativity-19/20
Writing-17/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-9/10
=94/100 A
★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

Up all night. Nights have always been Auden's time, her chance to escape everything that's going on around her. Then she meets Eli, a fellow insomniac, and he becomes her nocturnal tour guide. Now, with an endless supply of summer nights between them, almost anything can happen...-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
Sarah Dessen has done it once again. She has wowed me with her beautiful tales of summer. I absolutely loved Keeping the Moon and That Summer was okay, but Along for the Ride is probably my favorite one of her summer books. This book perfectly captured the carefree nature of summer along with how much a few months can change a person. Change mixed with summer always makes for an interesting read. The plot did seem a little loose to me, but I did enjoy this book to be just a character, emotion heavy book rather than a detailed, fixated plot. My only complaint about this book is something that I noticed about the dialogue. Almost every single character in every single conversation says "Really." Not even a "Really?" but a "Really." Every single conversation, I'm not even kidding. I didn't even know that people said really as a statement. If only one person said it I'd have no issue, but everyone said it. Now I realize how much one of my friends says "Really" and everytime I hear it I have a sudden urge to punch a wall. Really.   

The characters did not make me grind my teeth together as much as their words did. Auden is an amazing narrator. Sure, most kids aren't as sheltered as her, but it was believable to me. Auden has spent her life trying to get her mother's attention by getting stellar grades. She gave up her childhood and never even had the rite of passage of a child to learn how to ride a bike. It may seem a little far-fetched, but I just found out that one of my friends missed out on riding a bike too. I really enjoyed reading from Auden's perspective and loved seeing her grow up and learn how to live. She is a really fun girl and I'm glad she finally found out who she really, truly is. Eli is a pretty sweet boyfriend. I like me a fellow insomniac. He had a lot of depth to his character and I liked learning about his past. All the other characters, including baby Thisbe, were amazing. Each of them brought something to the plot and really made this book come alive.  

The ending the book was very simple, but I loved it. It was predictable, but I thought that it was the beginning of a changed, and improved, Auden. That alone made this ending beautiful and I really think all of the characters in this book grew up and changed by the ending. All in all, this is a character heavy book that will capture your heart and make you reflect on your summers.

My Favorite Part: Auden learning how to ride a book.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's a great romance with amazing characters.

Thanks for reading! Are you getting your Sarah Dessen reading done this summer?

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Released: May 14, 2009
Publisher: Speak (Penguin Group)
Page Amount: 223, US Paperback
POV:1st Person (Ruby)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:
Plot-20/20
Characters-19/20
Creativity-20/20
Writing-18/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-9/10
=95/100  A
★★★★★/5






SUMMARY:
“Ruby, where is your mother?”

Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she’s been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.

That’s how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn’t seen in ten years, and Cora’s husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future—it’s a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?

Best-selling author Sarah Dessen explores the heart of a gutsy, complex girl dealing with unforeseen circumstances and learning to trust again. -Goodreads.com

REViEW:
The plot was very fresh and unique. I enjoyed how much family played a role in this book. I felt that this book was well written and had a lot of depth to it. I'm not going to lie, this book is very long, but I can honestly say that I enjoyed every minute of it. Once you get into the plot and are absorbed by Ruby's world, you cannot stop reading. This is now my favorite book by Sarah Dessen because the entire book was beautifully written.

This book had a lot more of the amazing Dessen characters. Every character had a distinct personality and attitude towards family and life. The main character, Ruby, although faced with many difficult situations, was still very relatable. I love how her experiences are so different from mine yet I still have a connection to her. She had a difficult time adjusting to her new life and had to make some huge decisions. I loved how she started out hating her new environment and that I was able to see Ruby grow up and learn to love it. I also liked Nate. He's the perfect neighbor. I really enjoyed watching him grow through his struggles. Nate reminded me that everyone has struggles, even if they act like they don't. He was very realistic because through everything he went through he still put on a smile and acted as if everything was perfect. 

The ending was very simple and beautiful. It really touched my heart. I was really sad when this book ended because I went on this amazing journey with Ruby and Nate and it made me sad to see it end.

My Favorite Part: The theme of this novel, family. It was fresh and very heartwarming. It made me think about my family and what family even means. 

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's super good. 

Thank you for reading! I would love to hear your comments on the book or any comments in general! Here's a random question that you can answer in the comments, if you have read any Dessen books, let me know who is your favorite love interest. Right now I think mine is Dexter from This Lullaby.

That Summer by Sarah Dessen

That Summer by Sarah Dessen


Released: October 1, 1996
Publisher: Speak (Penguin Group)
Page Amount:198, US Paperback
POV:1st Person (Haven)
Buy That Summer here: Borders•Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:
Plot-18/20
Characters-19/20
Creativity-19/20
Writing-18/20
Pace-8/10
Ending-8/10
=90/100  A
★★★★★/5


SUMMARY:
For fifteen-year-old Haven, life is changing too quickly. She's nearly six feet tall, her father is getting remarried, and her sister—the always perfect Ashley—is planning a wedding of her own. Haven wishes things could just go back to the way they were. Then an old boyfriend of Ashley's reenters the picture, and through him, Haven sees the past for what it really was, and comes to grips with the future. -Goodreads.com


REViEW:
The plot of That Summer was pretty unique. I liked the incorporation of two weddings and constant changes for Haven. It took on more of a family story than a romance. Some descriptions were very lengthy and I found myself thinking "Is this really necessary?" It took awhile to get to the whole point of the novel. The plot was really good but something was missing for me. 


I really liked all of Ms. Dessen's characters. There were an array of different personalities and I really enjoyed that. I was able to relate with each in a special way. I loved Sumner's part of the story, he added fun and really surprised me. The characters were all very realistic and relatable. 


I really liked the ending.  It was simple but really warmed my heart.  The sisterly love was enough to make this book great. I really enjoyed this book. It had some disadvantages, but overall it was great.  The characters alone are a reason to read this book.


My Favorite Part: Sumner.  He lightened the mood, gave Haven a friend, and sounds incredibly handsome.  


ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's a relaxing summer read.
This was the second book by Sarah Dessen that I read (the first was This Lullaby). I recommend checking out some other Dessen books because the others that I have read were amazing.  I would have to say this is one of my least favorites by her.

Thank you all for reading! I would love to hear your comments on the book or any comments in general!