Once and for All
By Darienne Stewart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Grieving girl learns to love again in sweet romance.
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Based on 1 parent review
Cute!
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What's the Story?
Louna has no illusions about love in ONCE AND FOR ALL. She's seen too much while helping her wedding-organizer mother and godfather handle every nuptial drama imaginable -- and a personal tragedy has left her emotionally raw. She's immediately annoyed by Ambrose, the quirky girl-magnet brother of an important client. She's even more irritated when her mother hires him and assigns Louna to keep him out of trouble. Louna finds Ambrose exasperating but is surprised by his enthusiasm and kindness. The pair make a bet: Ambrose is challenged to settle down with one girl, and Louna is challenged to start casually dating. As the summer goes on, what began as a lighthearted bet begins to feel much more important -- and confusing.
Is It Any Good?
Prolific author Sarah Dessen delivers another solid, charming romance with this story of a grieving girl learning to embrace life -- and love -- again after being shattered by a shocking tragedy. Set against a busy summer of wedding planning, Once and for All confronts cynicism over true love and arrives at a gentle conclusion: Worrying too much about how things could end means you risk missing out on all the wonderful moments possible along the way.
Louna is a smart, grounded teen, which makes her struggle all the more touching. Dessen portrays Ambrose with classic romantic charm without exploring why he's struggling to get along in the world. Despite the heavy backstory, this proves to be a warm and light romance -- perfect summer reading.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the depiction of marriage and long-term relationships in Once and for All. Do you think the book winds up being optimistic or pessimistic about long-lasting love?
Why do you think romance is such a popular genre? Do you find these stories illuminating and helpful, or are they just engaging fantasies?
How have you worked through grief? What helped you? How did it change you?
Book Details
- Author: Sarah Dessen
- Genre: Romance
- Topics: Friendship , Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: June 6, 2017
- Number of pages: 368
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: March 20, 2019
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