Book Blast from the Past Review: That Summer by Sarah Dessen

Originally Published: 1996

Copy Read: Reprinted 2012 edition

Publisher: Speak (An Imprint of Penguin Group USA)

Goodreads Summary:

For fifteen-year-old Haven, life is changing too quickly. She’s nearly six feet tall, her father is getting remarried, and her sister—the always perfect Ashley—is planning a wedding of her own. Haven wishes things could just go back to the way they were. Then an old boyfriend of Ashley’s reenters the picture, and through him, Haven sees the past for what it really was, and comes to grips with the future.

What I liked:

There is something about Sarah Dessen’s writing that I can’t get enough of. It seems to be personal and impersonal at the same time. Haven’s journey throughout the book had a nice pace to it. It did not feel rushed but it also wasn’t slow either. There was a nice balance with flashbacks to the summer where everything was perfect and to the present where everything was in chaos. This book showed a teenage girl’s journey of growing up and seeing that the world isn’t just black and white, and not everything we see is as it seems.

What I disliked:

The ending wasn’t enough for me. I wished I could have seen more resolution in Haven’s life but knowing Sarah Dessen and her style of writing and structure, the ending I got was as much as I would get.

Overall:

That Summer is your typical Sarah Dessen novel. I enjoyed it and it wasn’t as sad as I thought it might me and that was good because I don’t think I could have handled sad. If you guys want to know what Sarah Dessen is all about, read her debut novel. It is not her best work but it is what started it all.

Rating: 5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hated it.

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book.

3/5: I liked it (A fun read).

4/5: I really like it, but something was missing.

5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!