review: What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

pub date: May 10, 2011
publisher: Penguin
pages: 416
source: ALA Midwinter
appeals: contemporary, SARAH DESSEN, family, friendship,
content: um...I don't remember

thoughts:
What Happened to Goodbye is Classic Dessen. Lonely girl with a problem gathers friends by accident, along with a boy who later becomes more than just a friend. Girl successfully conquers problem and makes peace with herself.

Okay, I'm making it sound like Classic Dessen is bad, but it's not. It's really good. Classic Dessen works. I own most all her books and love them.

The thing is, I'm not sure what to write about this particular book. I liked Dave. I liked the friends Mclean accidentally acquires. I liked Mclean's family, especially how first impressions aren't the whole story. I thought her growth as a character was realistic and I really felt for her. After finishing the book, I kept thinking about her and her story for days afterward.

But that is all I have to say about it.  


Except, "hey, I read a book and it was good. You should read it, too! If you like Dessen, you'll like this one. If you like realistic fiction or problem novels or family drama or reading in general, you'll like this one! You should give it a try!"

summary:
Another town. Another school. Another Mclean. Ever since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her father have been fleeing their unhappy past. And Mclean becomes a pro at reinventing herself with each move. But in Lakeview, Mclean finds herself putting down roots and making friends—in part, thanks to Dave, the most real person Mclean's ever met. Dave just may be falling in love with her, but can he see the person she really is? Does Mclean herself know?