The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

I love anything that Sarah Dessen writes.  They are such great books to dive into.  This weekend I was struggling to get into a book, and then I noticed The Rest of the Story on my 'to-be-read' shelf.  I knew it was destined to be the first book of summer!

True to form, this book was easy to jump right into with characters who are believable and interesting.  The story is about Emma Saylor, for her whole life, her father and friends have always called her Emma- she has a nice life at home living with her grandma and dad.  Her dad has recently been married and when they set off on their honeymoon, Emma has to have a place to stay for a few weeks.  She ends up at the lake where her parents met and where her deceased mom's family still lives.  Emma knows nothing about the lake, or any of her family.  At the lake, everyone knows her as Saylor, the name her mom always called her.   As Saylor gets to know her family, she starts discovering things about her past and her mother's past that finally answer some questions she didn't even know she had.   

This setting of this story was perfect for me, there were so many connections between living on the lake, working for a living while others vacationed, boating, partying etc. I could picture everything that was happening.   Saylor, her new friends and family were wonderfully rich, flawed characters.  Unlike many Dessen books, these teens weren't 'Disney versions'.  They were more typical teenagers who drank, partied, stayed out late, broke curfew, got their hearts broken, etc. But in a very respectful, realistic way.

I'd highly recommend this book.  It would be great for any classroom after grade 7.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

There are some authors who you pick up and are immediately swept away into the story.  Since I've been away from reading YA books for a few years, it is so great to be able to order books by some of these authors.  Sarah Dessen is one of those authors for me.  I love her books! 

Saint Anything is the story of Sydney whose whole world turned upside down when her brother her someone in an accident.  Now, her parents lives revolve around him and his needs.  But Sydney feels guilt, anger, and lonely now.  When Sydney starts at a new school for a fresh start, she meets a whole new group of friends.  She is a great kid, but her parents are very worried she will follow the path her brother took and so they keep her on a very short leash.  Sydney needs to learn how to live with the results of her brothers actions, and figure out how she can move forward. 

This story, like so many of Sarah Dessen's books are so great for students.  This one has a few mature bits in it, references to drinking, but nothing that is too extreme.  I would not hesitate to have this book on my grade 7 shelf for kids to read. 

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

There is nothing better than reading a Sarah Dessen book in the summer. Something about her books just seem right for sitting by the pool and devouring her books (of course sitting by the ocean would be even better, but you've got to deal with what you have) The Moon and More is about a young girl named Emaline who is facing many changes in the future. She is heading off to college in September, has to deal with her high school boyfriend and a father that says he wants big things for her, but can't seem to help her get there. When a film director comes to her small beach town to film a documentary about a local artist, she brings with her an assistant who Emaline keeps getting thrown together with. As Theo and Emaline start spending more time together, she gets swept up into his ambitions and dreams. Emaline needs to balance what she wants, and what she can get. This is a true story of growing up and making decisions to be happy and content with your life. It's a great read!

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen has long been a favourite author of mine. She writes such interesting stories about young girls who are discovering who they are and their place in the world. There is romance, but not enough to turn someone off. Her books are mostly about growing up and she always deals with very real situations.
What Happened to Goodbye is exactly that. Mclean has been on the move with her dad every since her parents split up. In each town, Mclean picks a new personality and a new name. She fits in well with whatever group she decides to belong to. When her and her dad move to Lakeview, Mclean suddenly finds herself using her real name and remembering who she really is- even though that wasn't her plan. Coming back to her true self is painful, because she is forced to remember what her life was like before her parents divorce.
What I really liked about this story is how Mclean deals with her anger towards her parents divorce. I think many young girls will see themselves in Mclean and connect with her anger towards her mother. Even though she is angry at her mom, it is obvious that she misses her and their relationship. Even kids whose parents aren't divorced can relate to that. I also really like how Sarah Dessen's characters are so real. They aren't perfect. They are sarcastic, loud, rebellious- typical teenagers. I think the fact that Sarah Dessen can create such real characters is what is so appealing about her books. I know there will be lots of girls waiting to read this one on Monday.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

After a few false starts with some books for kids- two books that were highly recommended but I didn't like them- and one huge adult book- I sat down today and read Sarah Dessen's newest book Along for the Ride. I'm a huge Dessen fan. She writes so well for teen girls- her characters have so much depth to them, and the story is so engaging that you cannot put her books down.
In Along for the Ride, Auden has just finished high school and is heading off to college. Her whole school career has been focussed on studying and working hard. She hasn't had time for things like friends, dates and proms. Her parents are divorced and while she lives with her mom, it is expected that she fends for herself most of the time.
The summer before she heads off to college, Auden makes the unexpected decision to spend the summer with her father, his new wife and new baby sister. Auden figures she will just spend the summer studying and getting ready for the new school year. However, things don't turn out the way she plans. She quickly gets drawn into the lives of the other kids living in the small town. Auden learns about what she has been missing, but it is hard for her to change. Watching Auden struggle to become a more rounded person is a very interesting journey to say the least!

Check out her website here: http://www.sarahdessen.com/ and - you can download Chapter one of her book here:
http://www.sarahdessen.com/files/excerpts/along-for-the-ride.pdf

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

I am on a bit of a Sarah Dessen kick, this is one I had read before, but it was just as good the second time through.

In Just Listen, we meet the Greene family. A normal family with 3 girls, 3 girls who fight, laugh and all of whom are involved in modelling. From the outside, their family looks like a perfect family. Yet, from the inside, things are much different. One of Annabel's older sisters is recovering from an eating disorder that really rocked the family and the oldest sister is off at University and seems to really be changing as well.

Then, there is Annabel- whose friendship with Sophie ended in the most terrible way and Sophie works very hard to make her life miserable at school. The only way Annabel knows how to deal with this is to retreat into her own silent world. But, then she meets Owen- a boy who never lies- even when it makes others uncomfortable. As Annabel and Owen grow closer, she is forced to deal with the issue that split her and Sophie up- something Annabel is trying desperately to forget.

I think of Sarah Dessen as the Jodi Picoult for young adults, she deals with such great topics. I think all girls should read her books!

Check out her website here: http://writergrl.livejournal.com/

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

I have always like Sarah Dessen books. I think she writes about some really interesting topics that have a large appeal for girls.

This book, deals with two sisters who had to work together to survive their mother's drinking, drugs and other inappropriate behaviour. They basically had to not only raise themselves, but also look after their mother. There is ten year between Ruby and Cora, and when Cora goes off to college, Ruby is left alone with her mother and looses touch with Cora. Now, ten years later, Ruby's mother has taken off and while she tries to keep things going at home, but it is tough to hold it all together. Suddenly, Cora and her husband Jamie are there insisting that she come and live with them. Ruby finds herself living in a beautiful home, going to a private school and surrounded by 'perfect' people. But all of this is hard for Ruby, it is hard for her to trust or get close to anyone. Ruby learns about friendship, trust and family through all the people she meets.

I really loved this story!