Sarah Dessen Reviews

I read a total of 6 Sarah Dessen books in 2024. I would like to talk about each book from my least favorite to my favorite based on my feelings for each one. This may have spoilers for each book so if you haven't read any of the following, I suggest reading them and forming your own opinion. This authors growth was so exciting and I want to pick up more from her in the future but at different times. Since these books mostly take place in the same area it was repetitive sometimes for me but if I hadn't read these back to back, it might not have stuck out to me as much as it did.

• That Summer

• Someone Like You

• Once and For All

• Just Listen

• Along For The Ride

• The Truth About Forever

Also there is mild language, hard topics, and talks of adult content within these books but not heavy so if you pick these up be warned!

6. That Summer

This was my least favorite book out of all of them and probably one of my least favorites this year. Granted it was her first book so it really shows me how she grew within her style of writing. I could not stand Haven as a character; she was insufferable. I know this book was supposed to show how teenagers may have it hard due to the changes of growing up, But that doesn’t give her the right to try and get your sister back with an ex when you don’t know the full story about their past relationship. She only saw the good parts and she didn’t realize that it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. I’m glad that he turned out to be a jerk in the end because she needed to be taught a lesson honestly. I did feel bad about her fathers remarriage but her feelings towards her sister's fiance made me upset. Haven was all in for Sumner (which is the ex) and I was baffled by her actions toward her sister, like please grow up. Overall, this book just wasn’t it for me, I gave it a 1.5/5 stars 

5. Someone Like you

This was her second book she had ever written and this was a step up since the first one and I applaud her for growing. I loved the friendship between Halley and Scarlett in the beginning. The way Halley was there for Scarlett during that time of grief when her best friend's boyfriend died in a car accident. Scarlett also found out she was pregnant with his baby so Halley was there for her during that difficult time. In the middle though, Halley starts to get on my nerves. Not only did she distance herself partially from Scarlett, she did things with a boy named Macon that she was not ready for. The sex and the drinking I believe was partially a way to numb the situation she was in but also I think to get back at her mom. I hated the way she treated her mom throughout this story. I would never read this book again but I love the growth of the writing I saw from Sarah.  I gave this book a 2.5/5 stars. 

4. Once and For All

This is one of her recent books back in 2017. I really enjoyed this book and it gave the feels of a Hallmark spring movie. Louna is the main character and she helps her mom with the wedding business. Because of everything she has seen at every kind of wedding you can imagine, she has a hard time believing in happily ever after. Her mom is also divorced and has drowned herself in so much work, I think it influences the way her daughter looks at love. I loved when she met Ambrose because he was really what she needed. After the death of her first love, Louna really needed someone who could bring the same spark to her life as Ethan had before he passed away. Ambrose was the brother of a client who was planning her wedding and it was honestly to keep him out of trouble. He was fun for her and I know he was good for her and I think it helped her heal. In the end this was a sweet romance and I gave it 4/5 stars. 

3. Along For The Ride

This was such a cute story! It follows a girl named Auden who struggles with insomnia after trying to chase academics pleasing her mom and dad who are divorced. When she gets there she decides to explore at night and meets our mmc Eli who also struggles with insomnia. As the book goes on she works at a boutique, makes friends, and grows close to her stepmom and baby sister. Auden not only stepping up for her stepmom and trying to discover what she really wants, The growth of Auden was so fun to read but I loved the growth of Eli more. He had an accident in his past that really affected him and his growth overcoming that grief was a beautiful thing to experience. I also really want to shop at the boutique. It sounds so freaking cute. I gave this book a 4/5 stars and would recommend picking this up.

2. Just Listen

This was the first book I read from her. I had not read the back and I didn’t really know what this book was about and I’ve gotta say, it broke me a little. Reading about Annabel’s life and what her family as well as herself was going through was really hard. As a person who has dealt with body image issues and still does, finding out about her sister's eating disorder broke my heart. I loved the bond that Owen and Annabel developed. He encouraged her in so many ways to be more herself than she had ever been. Her ex bestie Sophia got on me nerves for the way she treated her. You find out that Sophia is dating a boy named Will and Sofia suspects they slept together but no one knows what happened. Annabel doesn’t even tell anyone what actually happened until closer to the end. Will sucks and he will get what he deserves. I gave this book a 4/5! I think this book has a strong message of self discovery, self worth, healing within family, and learning to stand up for yourself using your voice. I highly recommend this book but there are things that can be triggering for some so make sure to look that up before reading it. 

1.The Truth About Forever

This was my favorite one by far and one of the main reasons for this is Wes’s character. His character really brought Macy out of her shell after her father passing and having a boyfriend away at camp that I felt was emotionally unavailable. Wes also was an artist with some baggage and also has a girlfriend but we find out she is in jail. I loved the slow burn between the Macy and Wes's characters realizing the relationships they are in are not fulfilling and they deserved so much more than what they were settling for. Also, when she decided to take the catering job, it almost felt like a found family situation and I believe it truly was the start of healing for Macy. Macys relationship with her mother and sister sometimes was hard to take in but they were grieving the loss of a father and husband. It had funny moments and also got me in my feelings so ultimately I gave this book a 5/5 stars. Even though there are serious moments and topics, it comes off light hearted and show us that no matter the bad things that happen in life, you can heal from your struggle.