Original post One More PageI've been trying to think of the best way to review this book, because I feel like the first review I wrote for The Truth About Forever did not do it any justice. The thing is, I don't know how to write a proper review for this book without squealing or "sa-woon"-ing so much. Because believe me, I know I did that so many times when I was rereading this book.But let me try again. Sarah Dessen's The Truth About Forever is one of my favorite books of all time. It's not my first Dessen, but it's the book that made me love Dessen and made her one of my auto-buy authors. It's one book I've reread multiple times and still get all swoony and happy and wishing for a romance like Macy and Wes did. Yes, even with their drama, because it made the ending so much satisfying in the end. The Truth About Forever is about Macy Queen, whose life spun out of control when her dad died in front of her. Macy tried to hold it together for the sake of her family, hiding her grief and seeking perfection, thinking that this would help her mother who seeks perfection in everything she does as well, her own way of dealing with loss. The story starts with Macy's boyfriend, Jason, leaving for Brain Camp and Macy facing a long summer with her strict schedule and routine. She's okay, she always thought. Until one day, she meets the Wish Catering crew. One bad afternoon at her summer job, with a bad email to boot, she joins Wish, makes new friends, and meets Wes -- the seemingly perfect guy with his own not-so-clean past, who likes flaws. Things turn interesting for Macy as she gets to know these people, and as she realizes that maybe it's not so bad if her strictly-scheduled life unravels and she lets chaos in bit by bit.Ah, this book. I think what makes me love this book more than I loved This Lullaby is how much I could relate to Macy. I'm fortunate enough to have my parents here with me so I can't relate to Macy at that front, but the schedules? The need to be as perfect as I can be (sometimes, anyway)? Oh, I've been there. At the next rereads, I found that I wanted to shake Macy so hard -- she needs to cry! She needs to snap out of the illusion that she needs to be perfect to hold things together. She needs to let go and reach for her mom so they could grieve together! Ah Macy, why do you frustrate me so much?But it served as a good starting point. If there was anything that Sarah Dessen really knows, it's how to write a story that seeps into you and hooks you, pulling you in up until the last page. There's no need for magic or any supernatural creatures -- just plain everyday things magnified, with added significance. The conversations could be just any normal conversation, but somehow they pack a punch. For example:"Honestly," I said."What?""Come on. You have to admit it's sort of ridiculous.""What is?"Now that I had to define it, I found myself struggling for the right words. "You know," I said, then figured Kristy had really summed it up best. "The sa-woon.""The what?""Wes, come on," I said. "Are you seriously not aware of how girls stare at you?"How cute is that?There's really nothing new with the story, but thanks to the writing and the vivid characters, it becomes a little bit extraordinary. This book is one of the reasons I appreciate characters more, why I believe that even the most common storyline can be interesting when the roles are played by strong, well-developed characters.And then there's Wes. Dessen boys are well known among readers, and Wes is definitely my favorite. He just seems so...perfect. Strange to see a seemingly perfect guy in a book that tells the main character that perfection isn't everything, don't you think? Believe me, I'm still trying to find some kind of flaw in Wes. But I guess that's what crushes are -- it's so hard to find a flaw in them. I think I'm not that infatuated with Wes that I'd try and look for someone exactly like him (but hey, I wouldn't mind, haha), but I would like to have the same kind of development that Macy and Wes had. Their relationship is one of the most authentic ones I've read -- built on shared experiences and conversations. Now where is that guy I could play a game of Truth with?So yeah, even on my third reread, I still loved The Truth About Forever. It reminds me of why I started reading YA and why I like the contemporary genre. If you're looking for a good contemporary YA novel you can sink your teeth into, or if you're looking for a good Sarah Dessen novel to start with, I highly recommend The Truth About Forever. Read it and sa-woon. :)
I thank this book for giving me an important insight on what could be going on in the mind of a 16-year old girl in today's world.You see, I am a father of a girl of that same age. The age of the Macy, the narrator-main protagonist of this book. My daughter is my only child. For the past 16 years, I have been trying to be a good father. But what is a good father? Since there is no school in good parenting, most of my styles come from what I thought were the good points my father showed me or what I thought he should have done or showed to me but he did not. This could be wrong. Reasons: (1) Those experiences were for a father-son relationship; (2) I grew up with 3 other siblings; (3) I was 16, 31 years ago - almost 1 generation in between. So, times, indeed changed already.Macy loves his father. They run together every morning. The father dies of heart attack one morning when Macy is too lazy getting up from bed. So, Macy thinks that her father would still be alive if she was not lazy that morning. She blames herself but she doesn't tell this to anyone. As an outlet for this guilt, she tries to excel in everything she does: in school, in the library where she works or in her occasional job at Wish Catering. She thinks that by being excellent, she will be able to please her dead father and that somehow will ease up her guilt.Since the birth of my daughter, I've been trying to be a hands-on dad. When I was growing up, my father was almost always at home because he was a plantation owner so he did not have to work at all. So, in a way, he was there when I needed him but just like many "traditional" fathers: he was distant especially when he was busy playing chess, drinking with his friends or reading newspaper. He stayed seven years in college but was not a diligent (my impression) student and I could not remember an instance when he helped me with my homework except to correct my grammar or pronunciation when I read aloud my speeches prepared as required by my teachers. I knew that my father was proud of us when we got good grades, medals or distinctions for excellent performance in school but he did not show any emotion in front of us. I thought that I would have been happier as a child if he jumped up and down when I bought home medals from school or when it was announced that I was in the top 4 of my graduating clss in high school.So, when I became a father, I was like that. Always jumping up and down and really appreciative of whatever good news my daughter told me. Each day. Each school report card. Each school year. I always tried attending her school events. I was always eager listening to whatever news she brought home from school. Pre-school. Elementary. High school.Little did I know that she was feeling the pressure. She thought that I was expecting too much from her. She thought that I would like her to achieve what I achieved. I knew this not even from my wife but from my wife's older sister who was closed to my daughter.So, where did I go wrong? Where is that balance between too little and too much?That was the dilemma of Macy in this book, The Truth About Forever. Where is that point to strike and the seesaw will stand still? She thinks that Jason does not love her despite her trying to do her best in her work in the library. She feels the pressure that she has brought to herself. She assumes so many things that the unnecessary emotions have bottled up and so the seesaw is not balanced and her feelings are all mixed up and her life is in turmoil.I'm too old to appreciate her romance with the tattooed Wes and I did not really care about his dark past. Maybe my daughter would love this book. But for me, I still liked this but not for that reason, that same reason why my Goodreads friends, liked this. I read this as a father and I liked it. Thank you, Tina, for recommending this book. Thank you, Sheryl for lending me this copy! Thank you, Maria for being my reading buddy. I struggled finishing this book. I felt the pressure but it was worth it! Thank you! Thank you!
What do You think about The Truth About Forever (2004)?
I never, ever would have read Sarah Dessen if it weren't for my GoodReads friends. I'm not much on chick lit and I only occasionally come across realistic YA fiction that I truly enjoy, so I was extremely wary of what lay behind those pretty book covers, even though most of the reviews were positively gushing.I fell for this book really hard, really fast, however. I expected a light, hopefully somewhat amusing read but what I got instead was a quiet, deep story that I absolutely loved reading from beginning to end. I felt so much empathy for Macy, who struggles to be the perfect daughter but feels small and unimportant in so many aspects of her life. The author also wrote incredibly touching examples of how people process grief in different ways, especially in how Macy witnessed her father's death as well as the funny and bittersweet packages that continue to arrive for him. I also found Macy's relationships with her mom and her sister to be painfully familiar as well as believably awkward and flawed.This isn't a doom and gloom Message Book, however; it's surprisingly sweet and warm and grounded in a way that so many of these types of books are not. I loved the way Macy's friendships with Kristy and Monica and Delia and Bert, as well as her more-than-friends relationship with Wes, are portrayed. (view spoiler)[Lamest ex-boyfriend ever, though. But the uppity mean girls at the library were totally believable. (hide spoiler)]
—Wendy Darling
I feel like this is going to be a huge love fest, but I will try to control myself.I LOVE this book! Ooops, failed already. :) I loved the world, all the characters, themes, and messages. Truth be told I loved it all. I’m trying to come up with one criticism, but I just can’t.The story revolves around Macy Queen, whose life has become routines, silence and “fine-just-fine” smiles, since the death of her father. Her life changes in a whirlwind of chaos, warmth, truths and meatballs after bumping into the Wish catering crew.Macy’s life soon becomes divided into two completely different worlds. One filled with silence and safe discussion topics and one where she can talk, open up, and tell the truth about her loss, family, and just about anything and everything. Eventually though the two worlds have to collide. They always do in fiction and life.Wes. What can I say about Wes? ** Sigh**…pretty much says it. Again, Sarah Dessen, you have written an “extraordinary” boy. Wes and Macy’s Truth game sessions are some of my favorite parts of the book and the most emotional ones for me. The game went from emotional and healing to fun and flirty. It was a wonderful way for Wes and Macy to get to know each other.It was all the characters though that made this story work for me. Kristy’s in-your-face, over the top show-it-all style, Bert’s cologne, Delia’s warmth, and Monica’s hilarious expressions all brought another layer, laugh, and smile to the table.I could have stayed in these pages forever.It was a wonderful read that made me want to open up, leap, and run into life.
—Laura
I’m a little hesitant to write a less than glowing review, given how beloved Dessen’s novels are, but I just don’t think this is an author for me. That’s not to say Dessen isn’t a good writer – I finished The Truth About Forever in about 4 hours and was compelled to keep reading through to the end. I just found the whole story pretty underwhelming.I should point out contemporary fiction is not something I read a lot of, mainly because I don’t usually find it that interesting – unless it is very hard-hitting and gritty – so perhaps I’m not the best person to judge these particular books. I would define Dessen’s novels as a light summer read with more weight than most. To be fair – I think she tackles subjects like grief well, while at the same time not allowing the story to become depressing – a difficult balance to maintain.Unfortunately, I found the characters pretty forgettable, especially Macy. I know she was numb as a way to coping with her father’s death but I have to admit I found her very dull as a consequence and found her justification of Jason’s behaviour frustrating. I did like Kristy and Bert but for a book of this length I would have liked to have explored the other characters in a lot more depth. Wes was nice enough, but didn’t leave much of an impression and I never felt any sort of spark or chemistry between him and Macy. Their relationship just sort of… happened. This is a very character driven book with very little plot – and sadly I just didn’t connect with Macy.Ultimately, Dessen’s writing just doesn’t have enough impact for me. If an author is tackling a difficult subject – like the loss of a parent – I prefer a raw, powerful novel. The Truth About Forever was just too sedate for me – and though I was intrigued to see Macy finally confront the loss of her father and assert herself – it was a long time coming and in the end, somewhat anti-climatic. While I doubt I will be picking up any of Dessen’s other books anytime soon – I would certainly recommend her. Dessen is a talented writer, whose stories often contain an important message for teenagers – and there aren’t any other YA books quite like hers. Definitely worth a read.
—Amy (Turn the Page)
