Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Nian

Auden is given an oppurtunity to get away from all the bad air when she gets to spend the summer with her dad and his new family. There, she is introduced to a new world filled with all the things she'd missed out while playing to her mother's demands. She also meets Eli, a boy who shows her a whole new world at night, and together, they start a new chapter of their lives.

Dessen's books never disappoint, and this was no different. Like many of her previous books, I love how much of a role friendship plays in these protagonist's life. In a typical YA book, you usually have some guya love interest, no doubthelp the protagonist find her way. But those YA books fail to include the importance of both friend and family support, too. But Dessen has the perfect balance of that. She'll conjure up a love interest with an equally touching background, a bunch of quirky but lovable friends for laughter and support, and the intricate webs of family drama that always followed. It's really hard not to fall head over heels in love with a Dessen bookthere's just so much stuff to grasp, to learn, and to relate to. Because it's not just a story, it's also life lessons packed into one novel. And you could tell this one was especially dear to Dessen herselfafter all, the featured baby, Thisbe, must have been the inspiration from the author's own baby.