Sarah Dessen

The Truth About Forever

Year: 2004

Number of Pages: 374

Reading Level: 7th grade

Review:
     Let's start by laying it all out there: this is my favorite book, and Sarah Dessen is my favorite author. I have read The Truth About Forever approximately a dozen times, and I'm not sick of it yet. Sarah Dessen creates some of my favorite characters of all time. Every time she releases a new book, I jump for joy and buy it right away, trying to stop myself from devouring it all in one day because once I'm finished, I know I have a long time to wait before another one will be published. I will likely eventually include all of her books on here, but for now I'll just focus on my favorite.
     I love the themes presented in this book. Most prominently: you don't have to be perfect. No one expects you to be perfect, and it's not all it's cracked up to be. Watching Macy's wall of perfection crumble as she opens up to her new friends and to her family is so heartwarming, and reminds me to try to be as open and honest with those I love as possible. The characters in The Truth About Forever are incredibly believable, and by the end of the book, I feel as if I know them. Character development is one of the biggest things I look for when I pick up a book, which is why Sarah Dessen sits right at the top of my list!


Questionable Themes:
None

Books Like The Truth About Forever:
Wild Roses by Deb Caletti
Icing on the Lake by Catherine Clark
Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
24 Girls in 7 Days by Alex Bradley

Summary:
     A long dull summer stretches ahead of Macy while her boyfriend Jason is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the loss of her father.
     But sometimes unexpected things can happen -- things like the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things like meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to wonder if it really is better to be safe than sorry.