Home Sweet Own Challenge Book 13

For Teen I read What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen. She’s a really good teen writer. I saw her speak at the National Book Festival last year. I’ve always liked her stuff. She handles issues you don’t see enough of in teen fiction: abusive relationships, sexual assault, and death of a parent.

This book dealt with a spectacularly messy divorce and the impact on Mclean, the teenage daughter. She opted to travel with her father instead of move into her mother’s new perfect life. In the four towns in two years, Mclean has been someone else. Anyone but herself. In her latest hometown, her past is catching up with her and Mclean’s not sure how to feel about it.

Since it’s teen fiction, the metaphors are always overt and obvious. Dessen is a good writer but as an adult, you get tired of having it spelled out for you. This story was interesting and likeable but it wasn’t her best. I think because Mclean was fractured, the story felt a little fractured.

I liked it, I didn’t love it. If you like Dessen’s other stuff, you’ll enjoy this. If you haven’t read her at all, start with one of her other books and come back to Goodbye.

1) Fiction 

2) Nonfiction – The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett

3) Sci-Fi – Redshirts by John Scalzi

4) Fantasy 

5) Mystery 

6) Horror 

7) Memoir/Biography – Data, A Love Story by Amy Webb

8) Chick Lit – Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter

9) Feminist 

10) Teen – What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

11) Holiday 

12) Essays – What Was I Thinking? ed. by Barbara Davilman & Liz Dubelman

13) Short Stories 

14) Library 

15) Animal 

16) Book about Books – Judging a Book By Its Lover by Lauren Leto

17) New – Pitch Perfect by Mickey Rapkin

18) Old – Dark and Stormy Knights edited by P. N. Elrod

19) Pop Science 

20) Near 

21) Far 

22) Graphic Novel – Love and Capes: Do You Want to Know a Secret? by Thomas F. Zahler

23) Reread – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

24) Wild Card 

25) Otherworldly Creature 

26) Free – Point Your Face at This by Demetri Martin

27) Noteworthy 

28) Bestseller 

29) Themed Anthology 

30) Steampunk 

31) Movie-Book 

32) Media  

33) Travel 

34) Food 

35) Classic 

36) Humor 

37) Poetry 

38) Past – Stasiland by Anna Funder

39) Future 

40) Dystopia/Post-Apocalyptic 

41) Zombie 

42) Sports

Music: Something I Need by OneRepublic