My Review
Okay, so this is the first book by Sarah Dessen that I’ve read, despite the fact that I’ve been reading young adult books for like 15 years now and the sheer amount of books that I’ve torn through in that time is probably enough to go to the moon and back like seventeen times.
But yes, this is my very first Sarah Dessen book, and I absolutely loved it. In fact, I loved it so much, I’m in the process of collecting and reading all of her books, because I think I may have found a new favorite author.
The first thing that I love about this book is the absolutely beautiful cover. I know some of Sarah Dessen’s books have had several cover makeovers through the years, but I think this is probably my favorite for this book. The colors and the simplicity are great touches!
The story between the beautiful pages is one of loss, love, and friendship, and it is told in such a gorgeously emotional way that made me hold onto this book and read through until the end, and then I found myself desperately wanting to read it again right away.
Someone Like You is like that comfortable T-shirt that you want to wear when you’re feeling down or a favorite movie that you watch when you want to feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy inside. For me, this book was the equivalent of wrapping myself up in a blanket on a cold and snowy day with a cup of hot chocolate with extra marshmallows.
Halley, who was named after her grandmother, is currently at summer camp (that she hates and was forced there by her mother) when she gets an important phone call late one night. Her best friend, Scarlett, is calling to ask her to come home, because her boyfriend has died in a motorcycle accident, and she isn’t sure she can handle it by herself. So Halley calls her mother, who is very displeased about making the trip to come and pick her up, and heads home to be there for the person she cares about most.
Almost the end of summer, Halley comforts Scarlett as much as she can before school starts back up, the two of them spending afternoons together and trying to make the most of things, despite the depressing situation. While Scarlett and her boyfriend, Michael, hadn’t been together long (only for the summer), Scarlett had loved him, and nothing has been the same without him.
And then Scarlett finds out she’s pregnant, and things get even more complicated for her.
While Scarlett fights with her mother about what she should do about the pregnancy, she struggles to hold onto the piece of Michael that she still has left. Halley informs Scarlett that she will be there for her no matter what, even if she does decide to keep the baby. So when Scarlett’s mom makes her an appointment for an abortion and Halley gets the call that Scarlett needs to be picked up because she didn’t go through with it, Halley and her new boyfriend, Macon, cut school and help her out.
While Scarlett goes through her pregnancy, missing Michael and trying to figure things out for herself and her child, Halley starts spending more and more time with Macon, joining him in his scene of going to parties, staying out late, and not caring about what anyone thinks. Except Halley’s parents care – they dislike Macon from the beginning, and when Halley starts lying to them, sneaking out, and spending more and more time with someone who they believe to be dangerous to her, they try to put a stop to it.
As Halley drifts away from the things that were once the center of her life – such as Scarlett, and starts spending more time with Macon, whom she believes she is falling in love with, despite the feelings that don’t seem to be returned, she has to figure out what is most important to her.
This book is such a beautiful story about friendship, love, and loss, and the writing is perfect – it flows nicely from one part of the story to the next (the book is told from Halley’s point of view and in three parts), and it’s so easy to love the characters, because they are so deep and have personalities that make them really come to life.
Someone Like You even deals with teen pregnancy in a realistic light, and the bond that Scarlett and Halley have (for instance, Halley goes to all of Scarlett’s classes with her) is one of the most beautiful friendships that I’ve seen in a YA novel yet.
I simply can’t believe that I haven’t read this gem before now – it’s become one of my favorite novels and I honestly loved everything about it.
About the Author
Sarah Dessen is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen novels for teens, which have received numerous awards and rave reviews. Her books have been published in over thirty countries and have sold millions of copies worldwide. She is the recipient of the 2017 Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association for outstanding contribution to young adult literature for her novels: Keeping the Moon, Dreamland, This Lullaby, The Truth about Forever, Just Listen, Along for the Ride, and What Happened to Goodbye. Her newest novel, Once and for All, will be released in June 2017. An NC native, she currently lives in Chapel Hill with her family.
And coming soon…
Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that’s why she’s cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm’s length. But Ambrose isn’t about to be discouraged, now that he’s met the one girl he really wants.
Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.
Enter for a chance to win one (1) set of Sarah Dessen’s books in paperback (ARV: $132.00).
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on April 17, 2017 and 12:00 AM on May 29, 2017. Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about June 1, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
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