📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖
by Sarah Dessen
With her mother’s numerous marriages,
Remy has never believed in love and long-term relationships, instead only
having non-committal short-term ones. Now it’s the summer after her senior year
and Remy finds herself helping her mother plan yet another wedding; number 5 to
be exact. While waiting in the lobby of her soon-to-be step-father’s car
dealership, Dexter comes literally crashing into her life. There are numerous
reasons why Remy shouldn’t’ get involved with Dexter, with number one being he
is a musician and Remy does not date those. But she is also going to college in
the fall, so what’s a little summer fling? Over the course of the summer Remy
finds that being with Dexter is starting to change her and how she feels about
relationships.
Despite coming out in 2002, this
book is definitely worth the read. Remy is an intriguing, cynical, and
realistic character that makes a wonderful narrator. Dexter is unquestionably
loveable and readers will yearn for more of him. The story is also filled with
other delightfully realistic characters such as Remy’s trio of friends, her
co-workers, and Dexter’s bandmates. This book will have readers feeling all the
feels throughout the story.
📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖
by Sarah Dessen
After witnessing her father’s death,
Macy’s way of mourning is to take control of whatever she can in her life.
While her “perfect” boyfriend Jason is away at brain-camp, Macy plans to spend
the summer taking over for him at his library job and studying for the SATs.
Then one night, after getting an e-mail from Jason about putting their
relationship on hold, she finds herself following the Wish catering van who
recently catered an event for her mother. She ends up landing herself a job
with them and now in the orbit of those who work for it. There is vibrant
Kristy, Monica who is accurately nicknamed “monotone”, Bert who is preparing
for Armegeddon, and Wes who has his own secrets and whom Macy finds herself
drawn to. As she spends more time with the people from Wish, and Wes in
particular, Macy finds herself growing and changing as well as figuring out
what she may just really need.
Bittersweet and moving, this book
will have readers turning the page for more. Macy is a delightful character and
wonderful narrator. Dessen has filled this book with characters readers will
love and love to hate. While the relationship between Macy and Wes is a big and
important part of the story, the book is ultimately about Macy herself and her
growth.
📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖
by Sarah Dessen
Ruby was doing just fine after her
mother left, sure the sink in the kitchen doesn’t work and the power got cut
off but she is making it work. That is, until the landlords make a surprise
visit and call social services. Now Ruby finds herself living with her
estranged sister Cora and wealthy brother-in-law Jamie in a large house and
attending a fancy private school. She plans to just make it work until she
turns 18 and can go back to being on her own. As she spends more time with Cora
and Jamie, gets to know neighbor Nate, and just all around begins to develop a
new life for herself, all while keeping the key to her old home close to her
heart, Ruby may just discover what family really is and what it means to be a
part of one.
Wonderfully written and fast paced
readers will not be disappointed by this Sarah Dessen novel. Ruby and Cora’s
strained relationship and their story over time is remarkably realistic and well
done. Jamie is seemly the most unrealistic of characters as he seems a little
too good to be true. This book deals with some tough stuff such as child abuse,
and those sensitive to the topic should be aware and possibly skip this read.
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