Happy Wednesday Everyone :)
I hope you're all getting more and more into the Christmas spirit as we move further into December.
Today I'd like to share with you all my review of the first book I read for the Magical Readathon Winter 2019.
My first prompt was:
"Read a contemporary (a book, comic, short story etc) set in the read (muggle) world."
Since I had yet to read Sarah Dessen's newest release, I figured it would be the perfect read for this prompt.
The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen:
Source: Bought For Myself
Publisher: Balzer and Bray
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Young Adult Contemporary
Synopsis:
Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.
Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family—her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.
When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is divided into two people as well. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.
Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.
For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her will win out?
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
Every single time I pick up a new Sarah Dessen title, I'm reminded of when I first starting reading her books in my early teens. Ever since I read That Summer for the first time, I've looked forward to getting to read each of her titles, and The Rest of the Story was no exception.
Probably one of my favorite things about reading any Sarah Dessen title is the way she so effortlessly blends in real issues teens are facing with her quirky characters and adorable romances. In this particular title, we're treated to a story about our main character, Emma Saylor, who's visiting her mom's side of the family for the first time in many many years. Her mother was an addict, and ended up passing away years prior. This has obviously had an impact on Emma's life, and the unexpected visit to the lake resort her mom grew up at showcases just how little she actually knew of her mom's life growing up.
Emma's used to everything being neat and orderly, and that's definitely not how this side of the family does things. Everything at the lake is pure chaos, but it might just be what Emma needs to come to terms with everything in her life. Plus, it doesn't help that her cousin's best friend is giving her all the feels. It's hard for her to come to terms with the side of herself she's seeing emerge while in her mom's hometown, and soon she's struggling to to figure out who exactly it is that she truly wants to be.
Every time I pick up a new Sarah Dessen title, I can guarantee I'm in for a heart wrenching story that will leave me with all the feels. I really enjoyed Emma Saylor as a character, and how much of the story revolves around her coming to know the truth behind her family's vast and varied history. Emma and Roo's relationship is adorable; and I'm always a fan of romances that first start out as a friendship before growing into something more. It was especially heartwarming to read about how close Emma and Roo were as children; especially since they've had no contact since.
All in all, I really enjoyed this one, and only wish it hadn't included cussing, and so many references to teen drinking and partying. It's not my favorite novel from Sarah's to date, but it's definitely up there on the list.
Final Rating 4/5
As always, I will be much looking forward to her next book release.
Quotables:
"Maybe there was a middle ground between living too hard and living at all. Maybe, here, I was finding it."
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day!
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
I hope you're all getting more and more into the Christmas spirit as we move further into December.
Today I'd like to share with you all my review of the first book I read for the Magical Readathon Winter 2019.
My first prompt was:
"Read a contemporary (a book, comic, short story etc) set in the read (muggle) world."
Since I had yet to read Sarah Dessen's newest release, I figured it would be the perfect read for this prompt.
The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen:
Source: Bought For Myself
Publisher: Balzer and Bray
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Young Adult Contemporary
Synopsis:
Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.
Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family—her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.
When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is divided into two people as well. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.
Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.
For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her will win out?
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
Every single time I pick up a new Sarah Dessen title, I'm reminded of when I first starting reading her books in my early teens. Ever since I read That Summer for the first time, I've looked forward to getting to read each of her titles, and The Rest of the Story was no exception.
Probably one of my favorite things about reading any Sarah Dessen title is the way she so effortlessly blends in real issues teens are facing with her quirky characters and adorable romances. In this particular title, we're treated to a story about our main character, Emma Saylor, who's visiting her mom's side of the family for the first time in many many years. Her mother was an addict, and ended up passing away years prior. This has obviously had an impact on Emma's life, and the unexpected visit to the lake resort her mom grew up at showcases just how little she actually knew of her mom's life growing up.
Emma's used to everything being neat and orderly, and that's definitely not how this side of the family does things. Everything at the lake is pure chaos, but it might just be what Emma needs to come to terms with everything in her life. Plus, it doesn't help that her cousin's best friend is giving her all the feels. It's hard for her to come to terms with the side of herself she's seeing emerge while in her mom's hometown, and soon she's struggling to to figure out who exactly it is that she truly wants to be.
Every time I pick up a new Sarah Dessen title, I can guarantee I'm in for a heart wrenching story that will leave me with all the feels. I really enjoyed Emma Saylor as a character, and how much of the story revolves around her coming to know the truth behind her family's vast and varied history. Emma and Roo's relationship is adorable; and I'm always a fan of romances that first start out as a friendship before growing into something more. It was especially heartwarming to read about how close Emma and Roo were as children; especially since they've had no contact since.
All in all, I really enjoyed this one, and only wish it hadn't included cussing, and so many references to teen drinking and partying. It's not my favorite novel from Sarah's to date, but it's definitely up there on the list.
Final Rating 4/5
As always, I will be much looking forward to her next book release.
Quotables:
"Maybe there was a middle ground between living too hard and living at all. Maybe, here, I was finding it."
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day!
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
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