Review: What Happened to Goodbye

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Sarah Dessen has been blessed over the years with fantastic covers. They call out to me, teasing me and telling me that I'll love what's inside. I rarely listen. Years ago, I did read two of her books, That Summer and Someone Like You, packaged together in the omnibus How to Deal. At the time, I thought they were ok but not deserving of the huge fan following Dessen has built. In the time since then, her covers have continued to call to me. However, I've remembered my prior disappointment and walked away.



This book called my name louder than any of her others. Something about the model's stance on the cover caught my eye. Was she defiant or merely weary? Intrigued, i read the cover copy. What was going on with girl, McLean? Why did she change her name and persona at every school? Why did she travel so much? Was her father doing something illegal? Was she a hostage in a custody battle?



Once I found myself coming up with that many questions, I knew I needed answers. Most of my theories were off-base. McLean's parents did have a messy divorce, but her dad had not stolen her. He was not a con man. Instead, he was a consultant, moving from town to town doing business.



While the plot wasn't as exciting as my fantasy of it, McLean's problems were real. She was deeply unhappy with herself and used each move to create another temporary self. Having seen the breakdown of her parents' marriage, she doubts that true long term relationships exist. Her policy of leaving each town abruptly, without goodbyes, reinforces her worldview. Except now, in Lakeview, McLean doesn't get the chance to create an identity. Instead, she's living as herself for the first time in two years. Taking up her true name and identity forces McLean to confront all of the issues she's been dodging. And it also gives her a real chance to connect with others.



I enjoyed this book, but I still don't see what makes her fans love her so much. McLean was a very real character, and she was someone I could sympathize with. At various points in my own life, I flirted with the idea of creating a new self. My user name at GoodReads, Nan, is an outgrowth of that desire. When I started my freshman year of college in 1994, I dropped my full name, Nancy, and gave myself a nickname. Nan was much more than a persona; freed from the baggage of high school, I was able to be myself (still geeky, just more social and willing to take risks). McLean's personas were much different. They were a way for her to hide.



McLean's new friends--Deb, Riley, Dave, Ellis, Heather, and even Opal--are what made this book. Their steadfast devotion to each other and to McLean proved her wrong. Relationships--friendship and romantic--can be real. Unfortunately, the world doesn't revolve around McLean and the lessons she needed to learn. She's unaware that events are moving around her and may snatch her away from these people that have come to mean so much.



I still can't quite decide if I like Dessen or not. I do think this was a sweet novel about finding oneself, but I'm not too likely to revisit it. Dave and the rest of the supporting cast were superb, but I don't feel a strong connection to them. Overall, I do think think this is a good book, and it's likely to appeal to a wide audience.



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