We are counting down to Sarah Dessen's new release. Different blogs are featuring different books as we work our way through the the collection. You can also enter for a chance to win your own collection of Sarah Dessen Books!!
Title: This Lullaby
Published: June 2012 by Speak (first published May 27th 2002)
Buy: Amazon Goodreads
She's got it all figured out.
Or does she? When it comes to relationships, Remy's got a whole set of rules.
Never get too serious. Never let him break your heart. And never, ever date a musician.
But then Remy meets Dexter, and the rules don't seem to apply anymore.
Could it be that she's starting to understand what all those love songs are about?
I figured the #Readadessen event was the perfect time to read my first Sarah Dessen book. Being the way the weeks fell it turned out to be This Lullaby. I have to say it was not what I was expecting, in a good way. I was really impressed with the characters and the story. I can’t wait to read my next Dessen!
When I first started reading This Lullaby, I couldn’t decide how I felt about Remy and her friends. I kept thinking in my head, I don’t really like these girls or maybe disappointed in their actions. I have to say I love MC’s that I feel iffy about because that gives themselves to not only redeem themselves story wise but also to me as the reader. I also started think about myself in high school. The publication of this book is originally 2002, and I graduated in 2000. I think there is a difference if you think about teenagers now and then. Now I’m like, eww how gross they smoke. In high school there were bathrooms you knew to stay clear of because they always stunk like smoke. So the things that made me dislike Remy were actually things that weren’t uncommon in high school. I did not sleep around but I know people who did and a particularly incident Remy describes was treated a lot differently back then than it is now. By the end of the book I ended up really liking Remy and her friends. You could see that they genuinely cared about each other. Not saying they don’t have their squabbles or frustrations but when push comes to shove they are there to pick you up. She actually has a great squad.
I really liked the story. Remy’s mother is in love with love as a romance writer. She is on her fifth marriage and acts as though everyone is the one but it always ends in flames. From Remy’s perspective this is an example that love is fleeting and unkind. She has found a way to close off her heart and protect herself. Pretty much becoming a cold bitter bitch, at least that’s what she gets called on one occasion. I love how the story takes Remy through this journey that makes her realize it’s all in how you see things. Really giving her clarity.
I loved Dexter. He was such a fun and awkward main guy. He didn’t have the cool swagger or the cold but heart of gold thing going for him. He was just silly, fun and carefree. The complete opposite of Remy’s need to have everything in her life in these neat little boxes. I loved the way he changed Remy and the way she changed him. It wasn’t it a trying to make the other person something they are not. It was a natural growth between the two. I loved loved him so much.
I really loved the relationship between Remy, Chris and their mom. You might think of their Mom as being flaky but she truly loves her children. I also really loved the talk she has with Remy towards the end.
I really enjoyed the book. Like I said it was not what I was expecting. You see contemporary and think how of course the adorably wonderful MC who doesn’t know she is wonderful. Instead you get hard ass Remy. I loved how different the characters are. I think this was a great book to start my Sarah Dessen reading experience with.
In This Lullaby Dexter loves a good challenge. He throws them down often. Some examples are;Giveaway
I bet a quarter the next car that passes is blue or green
How many states can you name before the lady come back out of the dry cleaner
Can you eat 9 ½ bananas in one sitting
So going along with the Challenges theme I have a couple for you. You can play them with your friends or just put your answers in the comments.
How many Sarah Dessen books can you name in 15 seconds?
How many Sarah Dessen characters can you name in 30 seconds?
How many times can you say Hate Spinnerbait in 1 minute?
Can you write a potato opus to top all Potato Opuses?
Enter for a chance to win one (1) set of Sarah Dessen’s books in paperback (ARV: $132.00).
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on April 17, 2017 and 12:00 AM on May 29, 2017. Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about June 1, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
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