What Happened to Goodbye

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Rating: 4/5 stars

Overview: After a scandal involving her mother and a famous college basketball coach rocked her family and her old hometown, McClean decided to live with her dad. His job as a restaurant consultant requires they pick up often, and at each new place she carefully selects who she’ll be—Eliza, Beth, or someone else with a new name and different interests. It’s easier this way for McClean, who is reluctant to form any true attachments. Then at their latest stop, McClean does something she’s not done in a long while—reveal her real name. But who is this McClean and is she ready to forgive her mother, fall for the boy next door, and finally stick around?

My Review: Oh how I love Sarah Dessen, seriously, not only is she my favorite author, but I love her so much that a trampling would occur if I ever met her. Maybe some crying, ok a lot of crying. Kate, my friend, actually met her! Met her! Teasing me with photos. I cried on the inside, but thats another post. So I'm sure you lovely people have pulled yourself to this blog to hear me talk about What Happened to Goodbye instead of blubbering about meeting the author herself. So here you go, might I add, you have been warned: I love Sarah Dessen books, the first one I ever picked up was The Truth about Forever, and to this day that book still remains my favorite. I thought, (personal opinion here) that this book was, good. It took my awhile to respond to this book, because at first, I had mixed feelings. I read it about three months ago, it was burned through in the first two days. But I wasn't quite sure how to respond to it, although now I think I'm ready to give it a proper response, now that everything has sunk in: Not fantastic, not amazingly awesome, just good. Now please dont take this for me saying I dont like Sarah Dessen books, because I do! I really do! But this one, was mildly okay. I have always had a thing for Dessen boys, they are my dream men, and it wasnt like Dave wasnt! But from beginning to end I had respected the fact that McClean's story wasnt a love story. It was a story about family, and what that does and doesnt mean. Dont get me wrong, I love family stories, but I'm not one of those girls who has a major problem with my home life. So I felt like this book was geared more toward the crowd that has some home issues. All the same though, I loved her characters, Deb was one of my favorites. Dessen has always had a knack for creating characters that are 3D and easily relatable. She didnt fail to do that. 

One of my favorite parts of the whole novels was near the end. (SPOILER) When Dave had written STAY on the top of the miniature roof, my heart melted and I found a little part of her book to fall in love with. There were scenes here and there that I liked, and some I didnt. When she introduced Jason again I nearly clapped, although I never really liked Jason, in this novel he seemed to fit a little closer to my heart. I loved the moral, and the plot idea, much like Dessens other books, there is something to be learned. Something to teach you a little more about growing up, and that instead of becoming something you arent, becoming the person you were always meant to be. 

I adored this book, although there were some flaws and I got bored a couple times, I still loved it. I would have given this a three, but it's a Dessen book and I dont want to scare people off. It was beautiful, and I hope each and every one of you pick up a copy.