Bookanista Review: THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER

Here is the official blurb from the publisher:

THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER

 a long, hot summer… 

That's what Macy has to look forward to while her boyfriend, Jason, is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of Macy's father. 

But sometimes unexpected things can happen—things such as the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things such as meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to wonder, Is it really better to be safe than sorry?

****

"There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment."

I read this book some time ago. It was published in 2004, but it was new to me in 2010 when I read it. I'd heard a lot about Sarah Dessen, and usually it was in reference to her books being sweet and light. So basically, I didn't expect much when I picked up this book. What I discovered was that people underestimate Sarah Dessen because she makes a difficult story look easy.

In THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER, Dessen creates a whole cast of characters that surround Macy. Her real estate-selling mother, Caroline the older sister, Jason the ex, Wes, and the catering crew. These people all impact Macy in various ways. She's grieving for her father and these people crash into her life and help her to find the desire to live again. So much of this book is about control. When people are grieving or scared, they feel like they're spinning out without anything to hold on to. People try to regain control in different ways. I like that several of the characters are holding on to different things – for Caroline it's the desire to move on by redoing the beach house, for the mother it's pouring herself into her career, and for Macy it's trying to be perfect – the perfect daughter and perfect girlfriend. All of this grieving is quiet and pushes them apart. Dessen does a wonderful job of skipping out on the melodrama and letting things take the course of time.

The romance is incredibly sweet, too. Wes and Macy both have significant others. They start out as friends, and their gradual realization of feelings is slow and natural. I loved all of their getting-to-know-each-other scenes. They are imperfect and mess up, but these two genuinely like each other. It's not all sparks and attraction. This book isn't just a romance. It's a full-circle look at a girl's life and none of the characters are alike – not an easy thing to do with a cast this big.

I think the biggest surprise for me in this book was the humor. Monica, with her timely one line answers, had me cracking up at the end. This is a book that goes on my shelf to be reread when I'm in the mood for quiet comfort and a laugh.

***

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