The Truth about Forever

The Truth about Forever

by Sarah Dessen

SYNOPSIS:

Sixteen-year-old Macy Queen is looking forward to a long, boring summer. Her boyfriend is going away. She’s stuck with a dull-as-dishwater job at the library. And she’ll spend all of her free time studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father’s recent unexpected death. But everything changes when Macy is corralled into helping out at one of her mother’s open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew. Before long, Macy joins the Wish team. She loves everything about the work and the people. But the best thing about Wish is Wes—artistic, insightful, and understanding Wes—who gets Macy to look at life in a whole new way, and really start living it.

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5

I might need to change my rating system for this book to be given only 5 stars..
Also i need some time to sort out my feelings (between both overwhelming joy and sadness) and come up with a proper review, because i have lots of “wow”s in my mind right now, but i fear that it might not be enough to express how beautiful this book really is.
This story really touched a soft spot in my heart.

“It’s all in the view. That’s what I mean about forever, too. For any one of us our forever could end in an hour, or a hundred years from now. You never know for sure, so you’d better make every second count.”

Full Review:

This book was so beautiful that I felt the urge to cry so many times, but not just for sadness, but because of all those strong emotions that this story has brought out of my heart.

Truth being said, I think I’ve felt in love that night, while reading it.. not only with Wes but with all the crew members from Wish. I have a big heart in my tiny body, so maybe even Caroline can squeeze in there, also I have a lot of affection for Macy’s father, and – if she wasn’t so damn stubborn – Macy’s mother could’ve won a little spot too.. just a tiny one.

I haven’t enjoy the side characters this much since maybe On the Jellicoe Road , I haven’t cheered as much for the main characters since Anna and the French Kiss, I haven’t cared this much for someone’s (as a character) death since Winter Longing or The Hunger Games as a matter of fact.. Oh God, I simply love it!

This is a story about loss, and I understand it;
This is a story about first love, and I remember it;
This is a story about beginnings, and I am already there;
This is a story about real life, and I am living it…
This is one of those beautiful books that I will grab some other time and read it again, and I really hope that I will be able to feel the same emotions, that I am going to love it even more..

boy-bubble-couple-girl-grass-light-Favim.com-84561I liked the way every character in the story handled the loss in their life (and how different their choices were):

– Macy’s mother and Wes found refugee in their work (the same path but in such a different way)
– Macy kept all the pain inside, waiting for it to just disappear in time, but in fact it only got stronger until it became unbearable. I understood her friendship with Wes, how good it felt for her to talk to someone that could understand her and her fears, someone who could take the pain away with only an embrace, or a word, or an understanding smile.
– Delia was a mixture between them all. She knew how strong her pain was, and she learned how to live with it (I liked the comparison with the hole in the road, I could understand her better)
– Macy’s sister was probably more like me. She was the one crying her heart out at the beginning, and after that she was the one trying to put the pieces of her life (and even theirs) back together.

hearts

Now about the love story, oh, it was precious.
Macy and Wes are adorable, too adorable for words.
It was such a slow development, in the best possible way, it made me feel like a teenager again, falling in love for the first time.. I loved their truth game and the way they kept finding out things about each other, it was nice to see how perfectly they fit together, how close they became day by day.
There are few couples in the YA literature that made me feel so much joy and sadness for them.

It’s just crazy how beautiful this book really is.

And now I’m at a loss for words, so go read the book and then tell the world how much you love it, because I bet you will, with all your heart.

“…the truth about forever is that it is happening right now…”

Happy midnight reading!

ro Note: The Romanian version of the review can be found here.

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19 responses to “The Truth about Forever”

  1. Anonymous says:

    I love books and all, but I have a couple that are just PRECIOUS. Perfect Chemistry, it has it all. Two-Way Street, so damn funny. Going Too Far, also just as funny. Blue-Eyed Devil, an adult romance book that I cuddle to sleep and two Sarah Dessen books. The Truth About Forever and Just Listen, they are beyond words♥ Like you said, I loved all the characters and how they all had a form of self-journey and the painfully slow yet amazing progression of the romance. It was the best, how all romances should be instead of love at first chapter. I travel quite a lot but I always make sure to have this in the suitcase with me no matter where am gone. Where I go, it goes! To be honest though, for a long time even after I read Just Listen, if you put a gun to my head I would say between TTAF and JL, TTAF is my favorite. But now, I would have to go with Just Listen, which I see you haven’t read. I don’t want to over hype the book for you, but Owen from JL, he is one of the a kind. The emperor of all male fiction characters. I can even say he is even better then dear o’ Alex from Perfect Chemistry. He’s that fantastic. So when you do read Just Listen (I kind of want to just teleport the book to you!) you’re gonna have to let me know because I will be sitting on hot coals waiting to see your reaction!

    -thank you&come again.

    • Ari says:

      I really, really loved this book. It was full of emotions – the saddest and the happiest and all others that end with -est LOL. It was one of the few books that almost made me cry of happiness when I finished it.

      I should definitely check “Just Listen” if you say that you liked it that much. I’ve seen the title before but I don’t know why my brain thought it was the same as “This lullaby” (listen, lullaby – both related to hearing, maybe that’s why) and I never checked twice, LOL
      … And better than Alex ?! you know how to get e interested :p
      Thanks for the recommendation 😀

      • Anonymous says:

        It really is, it’s one of those I can re-read over and over again<3

        Don't worry, I always used to get two mixed up before I became obsessed with Just Listen. This Lullaby is good & worth the reading but it's not my favorite because it has to much telling & not enough showing. Don't get me wrong, Just Listen has some flaws and but Owen just makes up for everything, He's such an amazing character! I hope you will love it as much as I do:D

        -thank you&come again,

        • Ari says:

          I wasn’t a fan of “This Lullaby” either (not that I remember why, because I read it a long time ago), but I can’t not wait to read “Just Listen”. I might start it really really soon.. I need another cute guy to fall for ;))

  2. I came upon this review through your Favorites of 2011 post, and I just had to read it! The Truth About Forever is my favorite YA book of all time. I have read it thirteen times, and I try to re-read it at least once a year. There’s so much depth to it, yet it doesn’t drag you down; quite the opposite, really. ♥ I tend to fangirl over every single thing in this book. Wes is my love, and I want to work at Wish and be best friends with everyone there. Anyway! I can ramble on forever about TTAF, but I suppose I will stop now. Your review made me smile, and I’m glad you enjoyed this book so much! 🙂

    • Ari says:

      Thanks, Sharon.
      I have many favorite books but this is one of the best 🙂
      I remember that it made me cry off happiness by the ending. It’s sweet and deep, it makes me dream, and hope, and smile, and I really need to read it again.
      I want to work at Wish too, and let me tell you this: you have a hell of a competition here, because Wes is my love as well, LOL

      • It is such a great one! 🙂 I am really wanting to re-read right now, actually, but I left it at school. I’ll be back in a few days, though, so it will happen soon!

        LOL! My best friend read it last year and told me the same thing. I maintain that the two of you are delusional; clearly, Wes is mine. But there’s always the possibility that he’s fictional, and all of us are delusional. But I’m okay with that. 😉

        • Ari says:

          Oh well, luckily, with some help from the time zone, we can share Wes without even noticing 😀
          And please don’t tell me that he is fictional, the next thing you might say is that there is no Santa or Easter bunny, LOL!

  3. stephlikesbooks says:

    I’m ashamed to say I haven’t read a Sarah Dessen book yet!! Great review, thanks! I really want to read this one, it sounds so good! 🙂

    • Ari says:

      This was my first Sarah Dessen book (and last week I’ve read another one from her), so don’t worry, you are not the only one. I really liked “The Truth about Forever”, so I hope you will enjoy it as well. Please let me know if you get to read it, I want to know what you think of it as well 😉

  4. Wiktoria Portka says:

    This was my first Sarah Dessen book and I loved it! It’s great I also really liked Just Listen, Along for the Ride and What Happened to Goodbye

  5. Wiktoria Portka says:

    I loved the quote:

    “God! You’ll do anything to avoid it.’

    Avoid what?’ my mother said.

    The past,’ Caroline said. ‘Our past. I’m tired of acting like nothing ever happened, of pretending he was never here, of not seeing his pictures in the house, or his things Just because you’re not able to let yourself grieve.’

    Don’t,’ my mother said, her voice low, ‘talk to me about grief. You have no idea.’

    I do, though.’ Caroline’s voice caught, and she swallowed. ‘I’m not trying to hide that I’m sad. I’m not trying to forget. You hide here behind all these plans for houses and townhouses because they’re new and perfect and don’t remind you of anything.’

    Stop it,’ my mother said.

    And look at Macy,’ Caroline continued, ignoring this.’ Do you even know what you’re doing to her?’

    My mother looked at me, and I shrank back, trying to stay out of this. ‘Macy is fine,’ my mother said.

    No, she’s not. God you always say that, but she’s not.’ Caroline looked at me, as if she wanted me to jump in, but I just sat there. ‘Have you even been paying the least bit of attention to what’s going on with her? She’s been miserable since Dad died, pushing herself so hard to please you. And then, this summer, she finally finds some friends and something she likes to do. But then one tiny slipup, and you take it all away from her.’

    That has nothing to do with what we’re talking about,’ my mother said.

    It has everything to do with it,’ Caroline shot back. ‘She was finally getting over what happened. Couldn’t you see the change in her? I could, and I was berely here. She was different.’

    Exactly,’ my mother said. ‘She was-‘

    Happy,’ Caroline finished for her. ‘She was starting to live her life again, and it scared you. Just like me redoing the beach house scares you. You think you’re so strong becasue you never talk about Dad. Anyone can hide. Facing up to things, working through them, that’s what makes you strong.”

    • Ari says:

      I know, I like it too. And I loved Macy and Wes, their moments were my favorites as well 🙂 One of these days I will reread this story 🙂

      • Wiktoria Portka says:

        I love them too! I’ve reread this story like 5 times and actually wrote this whole thing down (it took me like an hour!)

  6. fartun says:

    Nice book

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