What Happened to Goodbye - Sarah Dessen (Review)

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen (Goodreads)
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (an imprint of Penguin)
Publication Date: May 10, 2011
Source/Format: Bought/Hardcover

Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out. (from Goodreads)

Before I share my thoughts on this book, I’m going to preface it by saying that this may be a little biased because I love Sarah Dessen. I’ve been a loyal fan since I first read The Truth about Forever, and she’s my original go-to author for contemporary YA. What Happened to Goodbye is the quintessential Sarah Dessen book, with the perfect blend of family issues, new friendships and a hint of romance.

One of the things I’ve always loved about Dessen books are the wonderful, real characters that she manages to create. McLean is no different, as I ended up really loving her character. Because her dad’s job forces them to move around a lot, McLean has taken it upon herself to create a new identity everywhere she goes. The roots for her actions lie a lot deeper than just self-exploration; McLean is trying to become someone other than the girl who has divorced parents with a scandal attached to their family’s name. She appears to be in a constant state of flux, worried and unable to look back at her past. While it’s interesting to be able to try new things, it’s also a bit sad that she felt like she couldn’t really be herself in any of these places they formerly lived.

Out of all the personalities she donned, it is the real McLean I enjoyed best. She’s laidback and kind, and tries so very hard to do the right thing. She enjoyed what seemed like simple things, and she was capable of taking on responsibilities. I like that McLean, apart from her strengths, also had her real flaws and grievances. She basically shuts out her mother, because she feels like the divorce is her fault. And she is overprotective of her father, because she feels like he’s the victim. Obviously, she also has trust issues and isn’t sure if she can believe that relationships are long-lasting. All these traits just brought her to life as a character, and I totally would want to be her friend.

Apart from McLean, there’s the boy in this book – Dave. He makes my heart flutter, because he’s the Dessen boy who’s the closest to my type. He’s a bit of a nerd, what with his genius mind and his interest in his studies, and perhaps a bit awkward, but he’s also incredibly sweet and attuned to other people’s emotions. I loved a lot of the quiet moments he shared with McLean, because the things he said and did were just wonderful.

 I know that I just swooned about the love interest (and their moments together were adorable), but this book is truly about family. McLean and her parents obviously have a bunch of issues that they work out in this book – the unresolved tension between McLean and her mother, the fact that she tiptoes around her father when it comes to her mom and trying to find a new balance between her old family and her new, unconventional one. If you’ve been reading this blog a while, you know that I love books that focus on family and familial relationships – this book is a great example of that.

What Happened to Goodbye is certainly written with Sarah Dessen’s trademark style, but it was just the kind of contemporary I was craving at the time. Sarah Dessen has, yet again, written a wonderful story, with characters that I can love and root for and want to befriend. If you’re a Dessen fan, you’ll definitely want to read this. And if you’re not or haven’t read a book by her yet, I would highly recommend this one.