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Ten years ago I couldn’t have conceived that I would be reading a young adult book dealing with teenage angst after living through my own. Once was enough! However, after reading a review on this site of a Sarah Dessen book that intrigued my interest, I found that great characterization and storytelling such as what I found in What Happened to Goodbye were enough to make me go back again.
McLean Sweet has her father to thank for her unusual first name. From kindergarten to the actual fourteen minutes he spent playing rather than sitting on the Defriese University basketball team bench, her father has lived and breathed basketball, along with idolizing McLean Rich, the school’s most winning coach. Her mother bowed to the inevitable and capitulated stipulating only that her daughter have a normal middle name. McLean Elizabeth shared her father’s passion so when McLean Rich retired, and the new coach Peter Hamilton started dropping by their family restaurant, both were excited. Then her mother fell in love with Peter, became pregnant, divorced her father, and remarried, causing a media sensation and heartbreak for McLean.
After her father sells the family restaurant, and goes to work for a college buddy at Eat Inc. a restaurant conglomerate that revitalizes failing restaurants, McLean decides she wants to live with her father instead of her mother. After months of court appearances and lawyers, the court agrees that McLean has the right to choose. Now after two years on the road, McLean is making her fourth move.
She doesn’t have a problem with changing schools because with each new move she can try on a different persona and reinvent herself. With the first move, she is Eliza, popular, confident and fitting in with the jocks and in crowd. The next move, she calls herself Lizbet, becoming dramatic and exotic, and on the subsequent move she is Beth, student council secretary, debate team, Spanish club, school paper. This move she has her new name all picked out, but after a bit of a fright and a chance meeting with the guy from next door, she gives out her real name. Hiding behind her different names and personalities has allowed her to bury most of her doubts and hurts but with using her real name she must now face them head on. McLean is an extremely appealing character. Disillusioned and angry with her mother and protective of her father, she had to deal with some hard knocks but still is able to connect with others
McLean’s bond with her mother seems irrefutably broken. She doesn’t know this woman that now lives behind a gated community with her new husband and children. Maybe she got the idea of trying on new identities from her mother, since Katie Sweet disappeared and in her place is Katherine Hamilton. Can I just say that I haven’t before had such a visceral reaction to a character as I had to Katherine Hamilton? As a definite nod to this author’s talent, my emotions were in sync with McLean’s in every meeting, phone call, and interaction with her mother. How dare Katherine betray the family that way, and then try to ignore that she did anything wrong?
As the neighbor next door, Dave Wade is perfect. With a near genius IQ, he has put the brakes on his parents’ accelerated plans for his education and persuaded them that he needs the chance for a normal life. After convincing them he is not ready for college, even though he had enough credits to graduate after ninth grade, he is allowed to attend the local high school and get a job. But after being caught at a teen party with a beer, he is now on probation and doing community service. When McLean makes the same mistake he did, he saves her from his own fate by hiding her in a storm shelter. With his simple goodness, McLean has to be honest with him, opening the door for true friendship.
Along with Dave, McLean finds that Heather, Riley, and Deb wedge their way into her life. McLean’s entry into a new high school and into an already formed clique plus adding a “spazzer freak” to the group seems both almost too easy and too problematic to accept. But since the main story arc is McLean’s search for herself, and dealing with her mother, one can overlook it.
What makes Ms. Dessen’s books so great is the wonderful characterization and realistic conflicts. She is perfect at writing shades of gray situations and experiences, although in this situation the adulteress mother is closer to dark gray. Though I do embrace forgiveness, I needed more of an explanation and apology from Katherine to her daughter than what the author provided.
Even with the slight problems I had with this book, it is very much an insightful look into family dynamics and friendships and a very compelling and gripping read. Adultery typically is a hot issue for me and I still enjoyed this book, so I have to say that this novel has near universal appeal.
Grade: B
Book Type: Young Adult
Sensuality: N/A
Review Date: 31/08/11
Publication Date: 2011
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.