 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
What Happened to Goodbye
- By Sarah Dessen
- Genre: Coming of Age
Common Sense Media says
Thoughtful look at teen finding self after parents' divorce.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this story is about a family torn apart by an affair. The heroine’s parents divorced after her mother began an affair with a well-known basketball coach, resulting in a very public scandal. The teens have a very casual attitude toward drinking alcohol. One boy is under close supervision by his parents after getting arrested for drinking at a party, and his friends contend his parents’ response is draconian. The capable protagonist Mclean has problems but she realizes that connecting with other people -- family and friends -- makes her feel at home in the world. As her relationships deepen, she realizes how people can be much more complex and surprising than they first seem.
What's the story?
Mclean and her dad set up house in a new town every few months, rootless and adrift in the wake of her mother’s affair with the coach of their favorite basketball team. While her mother starts a new life with a wealthy husband and two babies, Mclean struggles to find her own path. She feels protective of her father, pulled and pushed by her mother, and wary of feeling tied down by anyone as college gets closer and closer. With each move, she adopts a new persona: cheerleader, student organizer, drama kid -- until she arrives in Lakeview, where she finds herself making friends who really matter to her. As Mclean begins to lower her defenses, she starts to rediscover herself.
Is it any good?
Older tween readers will appreciate the authentic voice and realistic characters in this rambling but touching story. There’s much for them to connect with, including out-of-touch parents distracted by their own drama who leave their daughter to stumble along more or less on her own. This is familiar territory for Sarah Dessen, who again skillfully taps into the emotional life of teens. The characters are both eccentric and familiar, defying easy stereotypes. The storytelling is sometimes convoluted -- Dessen often skips backward and forward in the narrative, drawing unnecessary circles -- but on the whole it’s a well-told character study with a strong supporting cast.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about what drew them to this book. Have you read Sarah Dessen's other novels? If so, how does this one compare? Why do you think her work resonates so well with teen audiences?
Also, this book portrays alcohol use by teens as a minor, normal, no-big-deal issue. Do you think that's accurate, and a way of giving the story some authenticity? Is YA media at all responsible for shaping teen behavior?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
Nice Book
This book is great! The bad things are not very extreme. Only kissing and flirting. But, alcohal is very casual. All these kids (underage) get together and drink. Theres this one kid, who's parents are really protective about drinking. He is a good role model because it shows that he is very smart and got into very good universities. So, it can make a good path for kids.
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AGE
Not as good as other Sarah Dessen books
I am reading this book for a report and it is very good, but I read Someone Like You and This Lullaby. This book just does not compare.
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Kid, 11 years old
July 10, 2011
AGE
What Happened to Greatness?!?!
Very touching, her mom reaches out for Mclean, only she doesn't hold on, only in the end they are better. The only thing that might be not good for children is that a certain boy in the story got arrested for drinking and his friends feel bad for him. (May be a bad influence for children.)
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AGE
Great read
What happened to goodbye is a great read, so much so thatI couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend it!
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AGE
Really good book
First Sarah Dessen book of hers that I have read, can't wait to read the next :) Very sweet story, and also finds herself again along the way.
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AGE
pretty good
the book is pretty good, there actually is a chapter about a party with drinking, drugs and smoking. there is also a mention about a sluty lady. most of it is probably catering more towards 12+
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| Author: | Sarah Dessen |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Coming of Age |
| Publisher: | Viking |
| Publication date: | May 10, 2011 |
| Number of pages: | 402 |
| Hardcover price: | $19.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 17 |
| Read aloud: | 12 |
| Read alone: | 12 |
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