Goodreads Synopsis: Since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move--four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, Mclean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new places gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, Mclean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out.
My Confession: Sarah Dessen is another one of those authors who I read incessantly as an adolescent. She certainly has a style, and many of her stories have similar themes of abandonment, loss, hesitant love, and a struggle to "fit in." I've always admired her ability to keep coming up with fresh stories of teens who didn't magically transform into vampires or discover superhuman powers on their sixteenth birthday. Her books are meant to be about real kids facing real problems in the real world. With an extra dose of drama, of course. And even though sometimes her stories feel a little too similar, I still read everything she writes.
There was a lot about this story that I liked. I always admire how Sarah never makes the budding romance (in this case, between Mclean and Dave) the center of the story. This time, all the issues between Mclean and her mother, as well as the troubles at her father's new restaurant, stole the show. The focus was placed solely on Mclean's inner struggles as she tries to figure out who to be in this new town; being herself was never an option before, usually because her and her father leave town after a few months. But this time, she meets people she cares about, and wants to be her true self. But even that comes with baggage, and Mclean is certainly in her own head enough of the time to clue the reader in to her inner turmoil. I really enjoyed climbing inside her head, mainly because I think it's hard to write a character that readers of all backgrounds can identify with. However, does this inner voice start sounding a little too repetitive at times? Yes. Mclean comes off a little too wounded, and while I can understand--to an extent--why she feels that way, the sing-songy nature of her melodrama and self put-downs get a little old.
Recommendation: I totally get (and appreciate!) the fact that Sarah writes characters who form strong identities by the end of her books. But, I need those characters to show some semblance of identity at some point throughout the story. Dave is a great character, and I think he was under-utilized. As usual, the writing is great, and the cast of supporting characters steals the show again. In the future, I'd like to see Sarah go out on a limb and write something a little different than what she's used to. Throw out that old blueprint and create something totally off-the-wall. I'll always read her stuff, but I'd like to not be able to always predict where everything is going.
Rating: 3/5
402 pages, published by Penguin Young Readers Group
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