YA book review: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

The Truth About Forever
by Sarah Dessen

YA contemporary
Paperback, 374 pages
Published May 11th 2004 by Penguin Group Inc.

A long, hot summer...
That's what Macy has to look forward to while her boyfriend, Jason, is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of Macy's father.

But sometimes, unexpected things can happen—things such as the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things such as meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to wonder, Is it really better to be safe than sorry?

Rating: 5 LOVED it!

Cover comment: I'm not crazy about the new covers. They are boring and don't really express anything about the story.

Book source: I own it.

In preparation for receiving my pre-ordered copy of Dessen's latest book, Saint Anything, I went back and reread the first book I ever read by this author which opened my eyes to the wonderful world of YA contemporary. Macy. Wes. The game of Truth. Has catering ever been so much fun and utter craziness? Has falling in love ever caught someone off guard and made life seem so worthwhile?

The answers is yes, yes and yes. I've read The Truth About Forever about five times now. I don't like Macy's boyfriend Jason. He tells her via email they need to cool things off this summer all because she told him she loved him in her last message. All I can say is if someone can't handle another person expressing their feelings for them, they don't deserve it. Anyway, Macy finds something so much better that summer. And then some. He is named Wes, part of the catering company Macy finds herself drawn to and soon is employed with. He's the type of guy who isn't aware of the power and pull his natural good looks have on females. With everything Macy's dealing with that summer from an egotistical boyfriend to coping with her dad's death to living with her workaholic mother, falling for a hot guy is not on her list. But sometimes things have a way of happening.

The cast of secondary characters in Dessen's books frequently overshadow her main characters and here Kristy is all heart, good guidance, and cool fashion sense. She imbues this natural light which Macy sees and wishes she had, but she'll settle for simply being her friend. The entire Wish catering family offers Macy a home from her frequently empty one, friendships, guidance when needed, and they accept her for who she is. Through playing the Truth game with Wes during work and whenever they hang out together, these two learn a lot about the other in a gentle, often humorous, way. Wes has always been my favorite Dessen guy. He's quiet, introspective, loyal, talented (wouldn't you want one of his angel statues too?), funny, and plays a mean game of Gotcha! He also gets Macy to see the person she's always been and the person she wants to be have always been there inside her and she's beautiful and worth loving. 

From their moments together to the party scene when Wes reaches out for her to the final scene when Macy realizes the symbolism of new statue on her lawn and the guy walking away is all she ever wanted, The Truth About Forever will probably be my forever favorite Dessen book. I read it at a time when it touched my heart and left its mark. After every reading, I may seem the chinks below its surface, and that's okay. No book is perfect, but some are magical, and for me, this is one of those books.