Dreamland by: Sarah Dessen

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: May 11, 2004 by: Speak
Pages: 250
Rating: 2/5 stars

Caitlin O' Koren has been lost ever since her sister mysteriously disappeared. Her mother is disconnected from the world, her father is over protective of her, and Caitlin is stuck in the middle. The enters Rogerson, a cocky and seductive senior who takes Caitlin under his wing and shows her how to mask her feelings. Caitlin feels like she's floating in a dream, under Rogerson's spell. That is, until Rogerson starts acting different, more violent. Will Caitlin be able to bring herself back to reality?

All I can say about this book is: dark. It is EXTREMELY emotional, it is deep, and it is devastating. The book ultimately deals with abuse, with the main protagonist stuck in a dangerous relationship that she has emotionally bonded herself too. Caitlin feels alone and isolated, and so she enters the relationship so she can share her feelings with someone who relates to her. This book was so emotionally frusturating, with me many times wanting to hurl the book at the wall. It is sad :(

The characters were so real, so very, very real. Caitlin felt like a real person, that I was hearing her story and I couldn't do anything about it. Rogerson seemed exactly like a teenager who could do this in real life: broken himself, struggles with drug abuse, and so many terrible, horrible things. I understand exactly what Dessen was going for, she hit the realistic spot on, and it hit me hard.

I guess the reason that I didn't enjoy this book that much is because there was nothing happy about it. It is definitely to an aquired taste, and it hit hard after the humorous and lighter books that I have read from her previously. I would say that she did dark well, but it just wasn't for me.

There isn't that much left to say about this book, quite honestly. It wasn't what I expected at all, I thought that it would have been a fluffier romance quite honestly, but that just goes to show to not judge a book by it's cover. I sympathized with Caitlin so much, and it was so terrible to see her suffer.

So overall I guess, if you're into very dark, dreary and upsetting books, then this would be one for you. If you like to cry, but not in a good way, then this would be one for you. But it wasn't for me, and gosh darn I needed to read something happier after this one.

Have you read Dreamland? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Saint Anything by: Sarah Dessen

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: May 5, 2015 by: Viking Juvenile
Pages: 417
Rating: 2/5 stars

In Sarah Dessen's most moving and deep book, we follow Sydney, a quiet girl who has always lived in her rebellious brother Peyton's shadow. But when Peyton's actions land him in jail, Sydney thinks that all hope for her family is lost. Then enters the Catham family, a quirky and imperfect group that take Sydney under their wing, and show her that a family must stick together, even in their darkest times.

I was looking forward to starting this book, but to be honest, it kind of disappointed me. I loved the concept and the lessons of the book, but I didn't find it all that interesting.

To start with the positives, I really loved how beautifully flawed the characters were. Each character had their own characteristics that made them unique, and each one could be relatable and realistic. I especially loved how the eldest Catham brother, Mack, was so kind and caring to the ones he loved, even if he may have been broken inside. Every character was not cliche in the slightest.

I also loved the lesson in this book. I usually view Dessen's books to be fluffy and feel-good, but I actually found a much deeper meaning in this book. It was insightful and thoughtful, and right up my alley.

To the negatives now, I didn't find this book to be that intriguing or captivating, The plot was kind of boring, and I just couldn't find myself dying to turn the page. I even found myself to be confused at times as to what even was going on. I think it could have been structured better.

I just found it to be quite boring. Nothing was quite climactic, and nothing left me awestruck. I thought that the book could have used some more descriptive words. It was just dull and bland.

Overall, I was disappointed by this book. While I loved the message the author was trying to convey, and all the characters, I found it fell flat with plot.

Have you read Saint Anything? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Just Listen by: Sarah Dessen

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: April 6, 2006 by: Viking Books
Pages: 383
Rating: 2/5 stars

Annabel used to have it all. A model for Kopf's department store, her life was a series of glitz, glam and popularity. That is, until a tragic lie makes her best friend turn on her, her sister cripples under an eating disorder, and Annabel is stuck friendless and hopeless. That is, until she meets Owen, and music-loving boy who is willing to help her be happy again. Can he do it?

This book was okay. I found it to be not very climactic, and I was kind of bored. There were some aspects that I liked, but cons outweighed the pros.

I did love the character development of this book. We start off with a sad and lonely Annabel, but by the end of the book she is able to blossom out of her shell, reveal the secret that's been haunting her, and start loving life again. I felt for her, in how sad she must have been and how horrible people were to her. Owen was such an amazing male lead. He was kind, thoughtful and protective over Annabel. I loved how he had a strong interest in music, and he was so cute.

The plot of this book was pretty much non-existent. I didn't find much interest in it until the end, when everything got better. I just found a lot of the book to be pointless, uneventful and not go anywhere. I couldn't connect, and I didn't think this book was anything special.

This is only the second Sarah Dessen book I've read, and I am looking forward to reading more from her, but this one was a disappointment. It just didn't have enough rising action for me.

Overall, I loved the characters, but the plot left me wanting a bit more. That is why this book got 2 stars.

Have you read Just Listen? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

The Truth About Forever by: Sarah Dessen

Genre: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Romance

The Truth About Forever is a heartwarming story about love,loss and the future. The story takes place during the summertime, where a teenage girl named Macy is trying to figure her life out. She is recovering from the sudden loss of her father, a bad breakup, and her future. Macy used to be a star runner, but she gave up everything, even a social life, after her father died. She starts a summer job at a library, where her co-workers torment her. However, her life changes when she meets Delia, a young mother with a catering company. Macy helps Delia and her struggling company, get back on track. She also meets new friends, and learns to be herself. For the first time in her life, she learns to live.

I really enjoyed this book. The book was a great coming of age novel, because of this young girl trying to come to terms with her life. She is not perfect, and she is struggling with who she wants to be. She also has to deal with sudden tragedy, and how to move on. I think that anyone going through loss of any kind, could relate to Macy, and benefit from this book.

I liked this book because even though it was dealing with tragedy, it wasn't too "heavy" of a novel. Anyone could relate to this book in their own way, and the beauty is that this book could help anyone. The book was kept humorous and interesting, and also included some romance, which I always like.

This book was a great summer novel because it was a motivation for teens struggling with the up coming year. Most teens could relate to Macy in the sense that she worries about college, summer jobs, etc. Throughout this book, readers can learn the lesson that even if times are tough, opportunities will come, and it is important to never give up.

Overall, this book was beautiful. I liked the lesson learned , and I loved the relatable characters. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Bye for Now!
Paperback Princess