The Truth About Forever

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. Speak Publishing, New York City, 2004. ISBN:978-0142406250

Summary

Sixteen year old Macy Queen has an uneventful summer ahead of her. Sure, she has a boring job at the library, with two of the queen bees at school. And she’ll be busy studying for the SAT’s and her upcoming senior year. But her boyfriend, Jason, will be away at “Brain Camp” all summer. And Macy’s really just doing these mindless things to keep her from thinking about her dad died of a heart attack the day after Christmas. Reminders of her dad and her life before are everywhere, and so are the whispers--that Macy is the girl who was there when her dad died.

But just as Macy is getting used to her quiet, boring summer, her mom asks her for help during one of her catering events. There, she meets the characters of the Wish Catering crew. Between talkative Kristy, quiet Monica, and handsome, introspective Wes, Macy starts to feel something she hasn’t in a while—alive. As she spends more time with the catering crew and with Wes, Macy wonders if it’s finally time for her boring life to become more alive.

Critical Evaluation

As with her other novels, Dessen’s quirky, loveable characters and strong emotional journey take center stage in “The Truth About Forever.” All of the members of the Wish Catering crew jump off the page with their strong personalities and big hearts. As in Dessen’s other works, character growth is also a strong focus point of her writing.  Sullen, quiet Monica, and happy-go-lucky Kristy may be quick for the audience to judge on first appearance.  But by the novel’s end, the characters have shown their weaknesses and their strengths, proving they are more than just one-dimensional creations.

Macy’s journey from by-the-numbers good girl, to taking emotional risks and following her heart is wonderfully portrayed. Dessen takes enough time for her lead character to go through her cycles of grief, without seeming too cold or emotionally withdrawn. Macy’s slow burning revelation that she must move on in order to full live her life happens slowly during the book, but works for the lyrical and beautiful prose.   With relatable characters and an emotional plot,  Dessen yet again creates a touching journey of grief and love.

Reader’s Annotation

Macy hasn’t felt alive since the sudden death of her father. But a loveable catering crew and an understanding boy named Wes may change all of that.

About the Author

 “Hi. I’m Sarah. Writing a bio is always a little weird, if only because it seems completely self-absorbed. I have a standard one that I send out, which lists where I got my degree, the names of my books, all the same boring basic facts. But for this website, I’m supposed to do something more, give a sense of who I really am. So here goes. I was born in 1970 in Illinois, but all the life I remember I’ve spent in Chapel Hill, NC. My parents were both professors at the University

of North Carolina: my mom is a classicist (which means she knows everything you could ever imagine about myths, Latin, and words) and my dad teaches Shakespeare (which means I’d seen As You Like It about five times by the age of 18.)

I’ve been writing, in one way or another, for as long as I can remember. I was always a big reader, mostly because my parents were. I used to get frustrated with my mom because she bought me books for Christmas when what I really wanted were the gift my friends got, things like sweaters and jewelry. But I did love to read. When I was eight or nine my parents gave me an old manual typewriter and a little desk in the corner of our den, and I’d sit there and type up my stories. I was the kind of kid that people always sighed over and said, “She has such a wild imagination,” which usually meant “I wish Sarah would try to stick to the truth.” I have a tendency to embellish: I think it’s just a weakness of fiction writers. Once you learn how to make a story better, it’s hard not to do it all the time.”

 (Bio/Press Kit.    Retrieved October 4th, 2014 from http://sarahdessen.com/press-kit/)

Genres

Romance

Contemporary

Coming of Age

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1: How does Macy’s grieving differ from her mother’s?

2: While Macy would rather grieve on her own, she thrives when she’s around her new friends. Is going outside of your comfort zone good or bad?

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 15+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

N/A

Literary Awards

South Carolina Book Award for Young Adult Book Award (2007)

YALSA Teen’s Top Ten (2005)

Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2006)

Why included?

I included The Truth About Forever as it’s one of my favorite YA novels. I also included it for the loveable characters and the emotional journey.