The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Finally! This book became available at Fullybooked (my favorite bookstore)  after a long stretch of time bothering them about this request. I first came across The Truth About Forever right here in this blogosphere from two gals, Summer and Erika. When I first virtually met Summer, I remembered our conversation mostly circulated on this book ad how great it is. Erika, on the other hand, has this as an entry on most of her Top 10 Tuesday posts. And so a couple of months later, here I am with hearts on eyes, swooning over Wes.

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AUTHOR: Sarah Dessen

PUBLISHER: Penguin Books

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2004

NUMBER OF PAGES: 374

RATING:   4 out 5

SYNOPSIS (from Goodreads): 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 question her sheltered life.

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This is my first time to try a Sarah Dessen book and I have to say I’m definitely picking up another of hers. Her writing style sort of reminded me of Jenny Han’s which is so easy to get into like there’s no actual struggle needed to get properly immersed. Some authors would flaunt their freshly-browsed-from-the-thesaurus vocabulary bank and end up as a reader’s frustration. I like how on Sarah Dessen’s style, there’s no pretense but just transparency on what words and sentence construction she’ll come up with.

Okay, I’d stop before I become so much of a word choice Nazi here and chat about the characters. You can see a variety of personalities in this story and at one point or two, you can relate to their lives’ dramas. Macy was so obsessed at being perfect due to the expectations set by the people around her. She seemed not to have her own identity living behind the shadows of Jason, her jerktastic boyfriend. Wes was a talented sculptor who had a history in a rehabilitation center. My mental picture of him speaks out an image of someone that looks like Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl, handsome and mysterious. *sigh* *sigh again* Let’s talk about the plot. Macy just came from an unofficial break-up from her boyfriend, Jason, that she went out to give her mind some wandering. She met Wes and the rest of the Wish catering crew and eventually sauntered into new exciting territories she never expected would make her happy. The pacing of the story was a little slow but I liked how the love formula between Macy and Wes were being cooked up in a steady fashion. There’s no love-at-first-sight stuff that happened but more of a crush-at-first-sight thing which, in real life, is more likely to happen. However, the multiple instances when Macy had to literally cease to move and get weakened by Wes’s presence became a pet peeve for me. I get that he’s a striking young lad and boy, was I a victim but being largely and blatantly emphasized he was made him be a little less.

One funny scene. When Bert got his new baby aka ambulance/car, somebody asked if it has a CD player. A CD player?!! Are you kidding me? Having one is like having a precious fossil from the Jurassic period! Well, the CD player is not so long ago but you get the picture. This is the age of selfie and Bluetooth and data stored in microchips. Reading it and recognizing what it was just made me feel so old! Good thing, his car doesn’t have a stereo. Anyway, I would highly recommend this book both for teens and parents. The Truth About Forever touched topics which are extremely visible in a family setting but which the members turn blind about. Parents wanted the best for their kids not knowing that by doing so, they’re ironically giving the opposite. On another note, teens could learn the value of an open interaction with their folks and lessen the trouble or pressure they get into.

When I first laid my eyes on this book, I instantly fell in love with the cover. There’s something about it that emanates both  elegance and simplicity. Probably it’s the minimalist style and the absence of clutter and any element that suggests violence that made it bear such kind of impression. I looked at other book covers of Sarah Dessen’s works and I knew I had to buy them all and marvel at the glory of looking at those cutesy items on my bookshelf. These are the next ones of hers on my reading list:

1. Just Listen
2. Saint Anything
3. Along for the Ride

These are based on Goodreads rating. Have you guys taken on any of Sarah Dessen’s story world? Which ones have gotten you smitten? I appreciate all your recommendations. Til next time!

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