Synopsis: Last year, Annabel was “the girl who has everything”—at least that’s the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf’s Department Store.This year, she’s the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen’s help,maybe Annabel can face what happened
the night she and Sophie stopped being friends. –Goodreads

Mild spoilers in this one guys… I got a little on the ranty side.

Review: This was my first Sarah Dessen book. I had been hearing so much hype that I was really looking forward to reading one of her books that I just picked at random, I’ve got to say, I was disappointed. Maybe it had something to do with all the hype but this book just didn’t do it for me.

It felt like nothing really happened. Yes, the budding relationship was adorable as budding relationships always are, but in terms of plot there really wasn’t much going on. It’s hard to go into details without giving spoilers (and I don’t dislike this book enough to rant about it in a discussion, I mean it was okay just nothing special) but most of the book focuses on things that have happened in the past, either to Anabel or her sister. Too much happens in flash backs and I get that they were needed for the story but it just didn’t seem to drive anything forward.

I liked the characters, especially the sisters Kirsten and Whitney, they were both really well fleshed out. But on the other hand there is a raving b*tch character who there was zero closure with. Maybe the message is that it’s best to just forget people like that, but I’m really more a fan of karma in situations like this. Maybe that’s just me? Owen was a pretty fun love interest, a little different from the usual heart-throb but definitely still likable and I did believe the friendship between him and Annabel.

Anyways, I can see how some people would love this book, no question. It just didn’t leave me with any kind of warm and fuzzies or anything to think about.

Rating

Second Opinions
@ G Reads
@ Anime Girl’s Bookshelf
@ Reading Teen