This Lullaby Author: Sarah Dessen"I had no illusions about love... It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn't. People weren't meant to be together forever, regardless of what the songs say." Remy doesn't believe in love. And why should she? Her romance novelist mother is working on her fifth marriage, and her father, a '70s hippie singer, left her with only a one-hit wonder song to remember him by. Every time Remy hears "This Lullaby," it feels like "a bruise that never quite healed right." "Wherever you may go / I will let you down / But this lullaby plays on..." Never without a boyfriend, Remy is a compulsive dater, but before a guy can go all "Ken" on her (as in "ultra boyfriend behavior") she cuts him off, without ever getting close or getting hurt. That's why she's stunned when klutzy, quirky, alterna-band boy Dexter inserts himself into her life and refuses to leave. Remy's been accepted to Stanford, and she plans on having her usual summer fling before tying up the loose ends of her pre-college life and heading for the coast. Except Dexter's not following Remy's tried-and-true rules of break-up protocol. And for the first time, Remy's questioning whether or not she wants him to.

Author Sarah Dessen's ability to write novels that are both crowd pleasers and literary masterpieces of YA fiction is showcased beautifully in This Lullaby. Subtle yet completely absorbing, Lullaby is peopled with breathtakingly believable, three-dimensional characters, the very best of which is the bitter, broken Remy herself. An original love story about learning to love yourself first. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer HubertA gifted writer doing what she does bestThis book is about a girl's emotional and physical journey as she battles her doubts about true love, due to her mother's currently fifth fiancee. Because of the many divorces she has lived through, she has begun to withdraw herself from the world. But she learns about believing in herself, and using her family to get through the hardest of situations.There's no setting for 4.5 Stars...This book is unique for a teen read, but very enjoyable. The characters are not what you would expect, the events are not what you would expect, in a normal teen novel. I was pleasantly surprised by the unusual character of Dexter, but fell in love with him, and I was further surprised by the changes that occur in the main character, Remy. Though not as brilliant as Dessen's "The Truth About Forever," this book is a great read that looks into the heart of a cynical teenage girl and how the most unlikely person can change her forever. Some mature content. 16 and up.Sarah Dessen Does it AgainMonkey see, Monkey don't, or at least that is what Remy does when she looks at all of her mom's relationships. It is husband number five for the constant bride, and about the millionth boyfriend for Remy. Remy is what I would call the master at breaking up, partly because she does it every time she thinks she could fall for a guy. Unlike her mom , who, has fallen in "love" 5 times.

Something different happens this summer, and there is one word for it: Dexter. He is the total opposite of Remy and what she is looking for(a rock star and a sloppy mess), but yet she can't help and stay with him. Could this boyfriend be different, or will Remy's fear of love ruin her chances with Mr. Perfect?

Since Sarah Dessen has written so many other great teen fiction books that I enjoyed, such as Someone Like you and That Summer, I was not surprised about how well she wrote this one. She made the characters alive and real by putting so much feeling and emotion behind them. I mean you almost just want to tell Remy to stop being so stubborn and just show affection. An example of that would be in the beginning when she wouldn't go out on a date with Dexter and even when she knew she liked him, she didn't show it. Usually, whenever I find myself wishing that I could just get into a characters head and tell him/her to do something, it is a sign that like the book. Another thing I love about this book is that it is so easy to relate to. I am almost positive when you read this book you will think that one of the characters remind you of one of your friends or family members. So if you like books that you can relate to, that make you laugh out loud, or that just will make you keep reading, this is the book for you. Overall, this book was probably one of my favorites from Sarah Dessen and took teen fiction to the next best level. The pages won't stop turning so, go, right now and get a copy! more...


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