Honestly, I can guarantee this book will have very mixed reviews because it does elicit mixed emotions. It's very different from the previous Sarah Dessen books. So the question at the end of the day is, why do you like Sarah Dessen?Emeline( I'm sorry but this name, really?)is probably my least favourite heroine from Dessen's books. She made such bad choices and I never really connected or sympathised with her. Probably because we never really knew her. We never truly got into her mind, she had to have a lot of her feelings or reactions dictated to her by other characters. She is supposedly smart, but she didn't show it 3/4 of the time. There was no epic love in this book. As someone who still thinks about Dexter, Nate, Wes etc, I was very disappointed. I admit, one of the reasons I enjoy Sarah Dessen's books is because of the romance and the guys she writes. So when we met Theo and I wasn't swooning for him, then Luke did something that was very OOC, and Emeline made the situation worse(I could go on a long rant about this but bottom line is, you don't build three years of something just to throw it away within hours), I knew this book wouldn't be my favourite. I liked the side characters. Especially Morris. He was intriguing and I almost wish this book was written from Daisy's point of view. Yes, there is the absence of cute romance, but there is also a lot of focus on family dynamics. If you're a fan of that, you will love this book. It's always a theme in Sarah Dessen's books of course, but this time it's more prevalent unlike her previous work.This is a long but quick read and there are pages and pages of nothing really happening. But that fits the setting. It is summer after all. Through us knowing Emeline's monotonous days, we at least get to feel part of that world. I got to know the side characters well through that, and they are the only reason I liked this book. I hate the ending though. It was too rushed and it was too open for me.If it isn't clear, I have mixed feelings about this book. I would still recommend it because the writing is great however I can assure you if, like me, you don't usually go for "chick lit" but make an exception for this author because you love the guys and how the stories are usually poignant, this won't be your favourite. But that doesn't mean you won't like it.
