Sarah Dessen
Speak
March 2004
5/5
Quotes:
"Love is needing someone. Love is putting up with someone's bad qualities because they somehow complete you."
“Some things don't last forever, but some things do. Like a good song, or a good book, or a good memory you can take out and unfold in your darkest times, pressing down on the corners and peering in close, hoping you still recognize the person you see there.”
"You know, when it works, love is pretty amazing. It's not overrated. There's a reason for all those songs."
"I am coming to terms with the fact that loving someone requires a leap of faith, and that a soft landing is never guaranteed."
"No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain something greater...The love we have for each other is bigger than these small differences. And that's the key. It's like a big pie chart, and the love in a relationship has to be the biggest piece. Love can make up for a lot.”
A new feature that I'm adding is Throwback Thursday. I wanted to do this because it gives me a chance to review older books that I absolutely love. My main requirement here is that all the books I feature are at least 10 years old. With that being said, the first book I have picked is Sarah Dessen's book This Lullaby.
This Lullaby is a charming and light summer read from one of my favorite authors Sarah Dessen. Dessen is typically known for her books featuring main characters who live on the beach and their experiences during the summer. However, this book does happen during the summer, but there's no beach element to it. People tend to think that all Sarah Dessen's books follow that formula, so I like that this one broke that particular trend. I can't recommend this book enough, it's definitely my favorite Dessen book.
Remy Starr has just graduated from high school and instead of having the typical carefree post-high school summer, she's busy planning her mom's fifth wedding. Due to how many men she's watched go in and out of her mother's life, Remy doesn't believe in love. In general, she's a structured, clean, and organized person. Her biggest rule is no musicians: a rule she placed because of her father, who she never knew was one and his only hit song was one he wrote about her called This Lullaby. Her musician rule is totally thrown out the window when she meets Dexter, who's the lead singer of a band. Despite her constant objections to letting Dexter near her, he seems to be everywhere.
The characters are a big part of what makes the book so incredible. All of the supporting characters have their own backgrounds and little quirks that make you want to know even more about them. We have Remy's mom Barbara who is a romance novel writer who has been married five times but remains optimistic as ever about love. She's got her own wisdom when it comes to love, which she shares with Remy in one of my favorite parts of the book. I also love Remy's friends Chloe, Lissa, and Jess. But my favorites were Dexter's bandmates: John Miller, Ted, and Lucas. The Potato Opus that Truth Squad is most known for made for hilarious moments.
Remy and Dexter are one of my favorite book couples. They are total and complete opposites, which is what instantly drew me in to them. Dexter is messy and awkward, Remy is clean and balanced. Dexter is unpredictable, while Remy has everything planned out. Dexter is an optimist about love despite the fact that his own mother has been married six times, Remy has given up on love after seeing all her mom's marriages. Somehow though, this relationship works and you can't help but love them together.
I could go on and on about how great this book is, but I'll spare you those ramblings. I think this is the perfect book to start reading this author if you've never read anything by her before. Anyway, this is a beautiful book about summer, weddings, love and lots of music. I love how Dessen works in music and bands into this novel. Be sure to check this out if you've somehow missed it!
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