The Truth About Forever

The Truth About Forever
by Sarah Dessen
Puffin books
374 pages

Reviewed by Heather F.

I really needed a break from review books and this one sounded good. I’ve been meaning to try Sarah Dessen’s writing for a long time. Little did I know; this one hit a little close to home.

Macy is like most regular 17-year-olds. She has a boyfriend. She makes good grades. She’s on the student council. She has a summer job. Only difference, she witnessed her father’s death and hasn’t figured out how to mourn. But she’s fine, just fine.

She does what everyone tells her to do so that they will be happy. She takes over her boyfriend’s library job for the summer, while he goes to Brain Camp. She comes home every night and studies for the SATS. She fixes the salad to her mother’s chicken for supper. She covers for her sister when she sneaks out at night. She gives everything she’s got, just to be perfect.

But then she meets the Wish Catering crew, her boyfriend decides he wants a "break" and her life is turned upside down. Suddenly, it’s okay to go to a party of Friday night. It’s okay to see her friends and spend the night. It’s okay to be human. And then Wes, gorgeous, compassionate Wes, teaches her how to mourn.

My mom took off when I was about 3 and my dad died when I was 8. I was raised by my grandparents and I never really learned how to mourn for my dad. Even at 8, I felt I had to be, maybe not perfect, but *fine*. So you can see where this book hit a little close to home.

So, what was so great about this book? All of it! The characters were amazing. I felt a little bereft when I read the last page. They are still in my mind, days later and it’s made it somewhat hard to read another book. Dessen is a great writer who seems more than capable of writing for the Young Adult audience. The dialogue feels natural and honest. The story rings with humor and some of the more lighthearted moments serve as a nice contrast to the darker subjects of death, fear and loss. Macy’s shift from fragile perfection to poignant grief and renewal is nothing short of mastery.

There were a few problems. A few of the characters were barely two dimensional. Monotone Monica has a repertoire of, maybe 5 words. She has like 2 complete sentences throughout the book. Her sister Kristy has a tendancy to wear the loudest, most colorful outfits and their descriptions can get tiresome. And, yes, while everyone isn't perfect, sometimes it felt like Dessen was trying a little too hard to make sure every-single-character had a very pronounced fault.

All in all though, a must read for anyone who appreciates a good story with good, well-written and honest characters. I can’t wait to get my hands on more by this author.

A few favorite quotes:

"There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment."

"It's all in the view. That's what I mean about forever, too. For any one of us our forever could end in an hour, or a hundred years from now. You never know for sure, so you'd better make every second count."


"It's just that...I just think that some things are meant to be broken. Imperfect. Chaotic. It's the universe's way of providing contrast, you know? There have to be a few holes in the road. It's how life is."


"I knew, in the silence that followed, that anything could happen here. It might be too late: again, I might have missed my chance. But I would at least know I tried, that I took my heart and extended my hand, whatever the outcome.

"Okay," he said. He took a breath. "What would you do, if you could do anything?"

I took a step toward him, closing the space between us. "This," I said. And then I kissed him."

You can find more out about Sarah Dessen at herwebsite or blog.

Galway Bay

by Mary Pat Kelly

Grand Central Publishing
576 pages
Reviewed by Heather F.

My grandmother was among other things a big reader and a history buff. She loved history. She knew all kinds of stuff, random stuff, stuff no one else seemed to know. She collected facts like some collect bottle caps or stamps. She knew her stuff. And she knew where she came from and made sure that I did too.

I am a mutt, like most Americans I expect. Among many, many different ethnicities, I am Irish. My grandmother was a Moore, descended from the O’Mores or O’Mordha. I still have her family crest, framed and hanging on the wall. Best I can tell, the Moores came over well before the potato famine, but the famine did not go ignored by them. Although she was born after the famine, Mama knew all about that as well. And she had a healthy, shall we say, ‘non-appreciation,’ for the English.

So I came to Galway Bay with an excitement to learn more about my history and with the expectation to put a human face on the tragedy I had heard so much about. Mary Pat Kelly delivered that and so much more.

Galway Bay is the fictionalized story of Mary Pat Kelly’s great-great grandparents and their struggle to survive not only the Irish potato famine, but also the move from their beloved Ireland to America. We meet the young Honora Keeley and Michael Kelly by the shores of Galway Bay. It’s love at first sight. They wed and start a family and their farm. They find solace from the troubles of their world in each other, their children, their faith, songs and stories of Ireland. These stories are shared, passed down generation by generation; and remains a theme throughout the book – the passing down of history by the ones who came before. Years of famine and abuse by the English government wear down on the family until; finally, they make the heart wrenching decision to move to America.

I won’t tell you any more. I don’t want to give too much away. But this tale to two sisters, their amazing strength, perseverance and faith is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and inspiring. The author did an amazing job of telling these stories of her ancestors and of Ireland. I highly recommend it. Even if you aren’t Irish, I think you’ll enjoy it.

If' you'd like to read more books that are in this vein, I also highly (HIGHLY) recommend Frank Delaney's Ireland. It is wonderful. He also has books out called Shannon and Tipperary; which I eened to read.

The Porcupine Year by Louise Erdrich

The Porcupine Year by Louise Erdrich
HarperCollins
Historical Middle Grade Fiction (ages 8-12)
208 pages
Reviewed by Nancy Horner

There was no thinking. All went dark. They were rushing through the night on water they couldn’t navigate, past invisible rocks, between black shores. All they could do was swallow their screams and paddle for their lives. Paddle with a wild strength they never knew they had between them. Omakayas felt the cold breath of the rocks as their canoe swept inches from a jagged edge, a monstrous jutting lip, a pointing finger of rough stone. As she paddled she cried out for the rocks, the asiniig, to guide them. Asked them in her mind and then called out again. They seemed to hear her. Even in the dark, she could see the rocks suddenly, areas of greater density and weight. Now she flew past them with a flick of her paddle.

The Porcupine Year is the third in a series of books about Omakayas, a young Ojibwe girl whose family has been exiled from Madeline Island, their home in Minnesota. I haven’t read the first two books in the series, although I definitely will. In this installment, the family continues its search for a new home. Omakayas is 14 and on the verge of womanhood but still a child in many ways. The book begins with Omakayas and her brother Pinch hunting deer from their canoe. Darkness has fallen and they’re a little too far from camp but both are determined to do their part for the family. As they attempt to navigate the river after accidentally frightening away the deer, they’re unexpectedly caught in a current, pulled into rapids and forced to fight for their lives. What an exciting scene and a great way to begin a book.

The Porcupine Year is compelling, touching, heartbreaking and beautiful. As Erdrich weaves the tale of time spent wandering toward another island where Omakayas’ family hopes to find relatives, Erdrich deftly blends action with quiet everyday life, happiness and laughter with horror and betrayal, death with young life. Omakayas is sometimes heroic and occasionally foolish. Eventually, Omakayas begins to fall in love and the reader understands that Omakayas’ childhood is truly over.

I was particularly amazed at the descriptions of agonizing hunger and weakness when the family was hunkered down for winter, short on food and supplies after losing a brief battle with an unexpected enemy. I felt deeply for the characters and found their tale of survival and their daily challenges imbued with truth and meaning. Her brother’s pet porcupine adds a touch of humor and a bit of dilemma but the main thrust of the story is the sense of everyone doing their part under horrible circumstances in order to survive and reach their destination, a tight and loving little family.

My only difficulty with this book was the quantity of native terms and occasional confusion over the characters. I flipped to the back of the book early on, hoping to find a glossary, and was unable to locate one. As it turned out, there was a glossary and pronunciation guide, but I flipped too close to the end papers, saw the “book notes” and made an irrational assumption that a glossary was absent. Even though most of the native terms seemed to make sense in context, I was never 100% sure I was guessing their meanings, so if you read this series be sure to hunt down that glossary and mark the page, before you get going on the reading.

I loved reading this book and getting to know Omakayas. But, wow, do I wish I’d found that glossary. I had a terrible time trying to figure out the characters and eventually just decided to make some assumptions. With the right amount of information at your fingertips, the book stands beautifully on its own and makes complete sense. The series is probably best read in order, however, because Omakayas is a continuing character and the books are chronological.

Highly recommended for those who love historical fiction, tales of Native Americans, folklore, or beautiful storytelling in general.