Review: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

The Truth About Forever
by Sarah Dessen
Release Date: May 11, 2004
by Speak
Num Pages: 374
Links: Goodreads

Macy's summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined. She will spend her days sitting at the library information desk. She will spend her evenings studying for the SATs. Spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development.
But Macy's plans don't anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or....Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn't fit Macy's life at all--so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So....happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before?

All of Sarah Dessen's books are so, in a word, pure. If I could, I'd read Sarah Dessen's books all day, every day. She has such a voice, and connects with her reader in ways that I can't explain through a review. I'm just so impressed with the way she manages to do this.  I've never really come across an author who can touch me quite the way that Sarah Dessen can.

It's hard to write about these characters because they were just so amazing.  I know that I have no trouble complaining and rambling about characters that I didn't like, but when I come across truly amazing characters, then I'm totally stuck. I find it really hard to write rave reviews, and mostly, my rave reviews suck. But here's a try. I feel like Macy and Wes and Delia and Caroline and Kristy and Bert and pretty much everyone... I feel like they're so 3 dimensional, almost like they're standing right there in front of you. To be honest, it seemed like I was watching a movie, or better, a play, instead of reading a book. And when you feel like this, then, well, you know it's a good book.

Critics say that Sarah Dessen's books are all the same, that they're all just about girls and guys and all of their troubles. I guess that's true, but in the books I've read by her so far, the girls are all different, they're in different situations, they have different lives. Annabell, Ruby, Auden, Nicole, and now Macy are all teenage girls, yet they're all the different shades of what a girl can be. I related to each of them in different ways.  I just connected with Macy. Even though I'm not 17, and won't be for 4 years, she seemed real.
The plot was different than in most books I've read about. Like all of Sarah Dessen's books, the characters hold together the plot.  Without the characters, the plot would be virtually nonexistent. I don't mind this; in fact, I love it. Part of what makes a book good is its characters, and Sarah nails the characters. The plot hung over them, and it created a nice balance.

Personally, Wes **SWOOON** was my favorite character, and Jason was my least favorite. I knew from the minute the story began that there was something off with Jason, and I was write. What kind of boyfriend can't show you affection? If I were Macy, I would've dumped him much earlier than she actually did. And Wes---don't even get me started... He's amazing. Pure. Phenomenal. Honest. I like him almost as much as Owen. Sarah Dessen really does a great job with her guy characters, I think this might be one of her strongest points as a writer.

So if you haven't read one of Sarah Dessen's books yet, I think you might just HAVE to go out and buy one right this minute, because you have not lived your life completely unless you've read a Sarah Dessen book.

More than 5 stars!!!