As cliché as the title seems, it is the accurate description of Sarah Dessen’s new novel, What Happened to Goodbye. Dessen’s tenth novel tells the story of seventeen-year-old Mclean, a girl who after her parents’ very public and bitter divorce, decides to move from town to town with her father, a restaurant consultant, and changes her identity in every new town they move into. Now, with three identities shed and a new one in mind, Mclean finds herself in Lakeview, where she discovers that it may not be so easy to assume a new identity this time. Mix in quirky minor characters, a charming love interest in the form of Dave Wade, and an obsession with basketball, and readers have a wonderful, thought provoking novel.
Many readers have complained that in the last few books, Dessen has taken to following a formula, and this reader would have to agree. Dessen does follow a formula, but, really, is that such a bad thing if the formula works? Of course, it would be a treat to see her step out of her comfort zone (she is a talented enough writer to succeed at it) but for the time being, her stories and her characters are endearing. Dessen’s style of writing is almost hypnotic; readers devour her books, as she makes her novels impossible to put down. Dessen’s characters, however, are the driving force in What Happened to Goodbye. Every character has a distinctive voice, so much so, the readers feel like they know them. The real winner of this novel, in this reader’s opinion, is Dave Wade, and it is a shame that he is pushed to the side, more so than most of Dessen’s other male protagonists. Dave is an interesting character, and he tends to outshine Mclean in some parts of the novel.
As to be expected with Dessen, the plot is solid and the ending is satisfying. Dessen’s writing, as always, is top-notch. The dialogue is natural and seamless; the description is vivid, and the constant use of metaphors present all add to the excellence and allure of the piece. Readers experienced with Dessen’s work may be a bit disappointed with What Happened to Goodbye because it is formulaic, but it works, and it should not be missed by readers old and new alike.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Sarah Dessen’s New Novel is a Slam Dunk - Atlantic City Young Adult Fiction | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/young-adult-fiction-in-atlantic-city/sarah-dessen-s-new-novel-is-a-slam-dunk-review#ixzz1RvZO2NVd
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