#28 This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
It's the summer after her senior year of high school, and college can't come fast enough for Remy. She's sick of being the 
responsible one in her family, as she finds herself in charge of planning her mother's fifth wedding. Things get complicated when she gets involved with Dexter, an outgoing musician who intrigues her one moment, and drives her crazy the next. Her plan is to break up with him by the summer's end so she can go on to college unburdened by inessential attachments, but she finds that she can't. Remy's been in plenty of relationships before, and she knows just when to break things off. Why are things different with Dexter?
After recently reading and enjoying Lock and Key, I decided to try out some more works by Sarah Dessen. This Lullaby initially appealed to me because of the main character's interesting back story. Her estranged father was a musician who wrote a song for her (also called "This Lullaby") on the day that she was born. The song went on to become a hit and beloved classic by many, but not for Remy who interprets it as a message that men will always let her down. This Lullaby is ultimately a satisfying work of contemporary fiction. From my experience with Sarah Dessen so far, her greatest strength appears to be crafting characters that feel true to life, and relationships that are complex. Remy is a really interesting protagonist and her relationships (whether they be her romance with Dexter, her friendships, or her connections to her family) are satisfying nuanced. Even though at times her actions may have been unlikable, I always understood why she made these decisions.
Unfortunately, This Lullaby didn't quite appeal to me as much as Lock and Key. The main reason is that novel is so similar to Lock and Key, that it feels like very little new territory is covered. I realize that I am being a little unfair in my criticism, as This Lullaby was actually written first, I just happened to read it second. Still, I often had a feeling of deja vu while reading This Lullaby. Both books feature guarded, wise beyond their years protagonists who are looking forward to escaping their their current lives (for Remy escape is college, for Ruby from Lock and Key escape is turning 18). They are wooed by cheerful, well meaning boys, but each girl must work her way through her own personal problems before their relationships will be successful. I'm not saying that Sarah Dessen necessarily does a poor job with this storyline, but I would have preferred to see a little more variety.
Despite my issues with the repetitiveness of the plot, I have to admit that This Lullaby was pretty enjoyable. The book reads fast without feeling rushed, and it has a surprising amount of humor in it. As someone who has lived in a house with many boys, I can confirm that the messy unorganized life at The Yellow House is pretty accurate. This Lullaby also ends up sidestepping a lot of problems that I find with young adult romances. For example, Remy does not gush about Dexter's attractiveness for lines on end. Actually, part of the point of this book was pointing out the difference between genuine emotional attachment and more shallow connections. I plan on reading more works by Sarah Dessen in the future as a result of enjoying both This Lullaby and Lock and Key.
Rating: four stars
Length: 345 pages
Source: library booksale
Other books I've read by this author: Dreamland, Lock and Key
Next I will be reviewing Bossypants by Tina Fey
xposted to temporaryworlds, bookish, and goodreads
responsible one in her family, as she finds herself in charge of planning her mother's fifth wedding. Things get complicated when she gets involved with Dexter, an outgoing musician who intrigues her one moment, and drives her crazy the next. Her plan is to break up with him by the summer's end so she can go on to college unburdened by inessential attachments, but she finds that she can't. Remy's been in plenty of relationships before, and she knows just when to break things off. Why are things different with Dexter?
After recently reading and enjoying Lock and Key, I decided to try out some more works by Sarah Dessen. This Lullaby initially appealed to me because of the main character's interesting back story. Her estranged father was a musician who wrote a song for her (also called "This Lullaby") on the day that she was born. The song went on to become a hit and beloved classic by many, but not for Remy who interprets it as a message that men will always let her down. This Lullaby is ultimately a satisfying work of contemporary fiction. From my experience with Sarah Dessen so far, her greatest strength appears to be crafting characters that feel true to life, and relationships that are complex. Remy is a really interesting protagonist and her relationships (whether they be her romance with Dexter, her friendships, or her connections to her family) are satisfying nuanced. Even though at times her actions may have been unlikable, I always understood why she made these decisions.
Unfortunately, This Lullaby didn't quite appeal to me as much as Lock and Key. The main reason is that novel is so similar to Lock and Key, that it feels like very little new territory is covered. I realize that I am being a little unfair in my criticism, as This Lullaby was actually written first, I just happened to read it second. Still, I often had a feeling of deja vu while reading This Lullaby. Both books feature guarded, wise beyond their years protagonists who are looking forward to escaping their their current lives (for Remy escape is college, for Ruby from Lock and Key escape is turning 18). They are wooed by cheerful, well meaning boys, but each girl must work her way through her own personal problems before their relationships will be successful. I'm not saying that Sarah Dessen necessarily does a poor job with this storyline, but I would have preferred to see a little more variety.
Despite my issues with the repetitiveness of the plot, I have to admit that This Lullaby was pretty enjoyable. The book reads fast without feeling rushed, and it has a surprising amount of humor in it. As someone who has lived in a house with many boys, I can confirm that the messy unorganized life at The Yellow House is pretty accurate. This Lullaby also ends up sidestepping a lot of problems that I find with young adult romances. For example, Remy does not gush about Dexter's attractiveness for lines on end. Actually, part of the point of this book was pointing out the difference between genuine emotional attachment and more shallow connections. I plan on reading more works by Sarah Dessen in the future as a result of enjoying both This Lullaby and Lock and Key.
Rating: four stars
Length: 345 pages
Source: library booksale
Other books I've read by this author: Dreamland, Lock and Key
Next I will be reviewing Bossypants by Tina Fey
xposted to temporaryworlds, bookish, and goodreads