Genre: Young Adult, Social Situations, Social Issues, Emotions & Feelings
Order Online: Amazon.com
Author Info: Website | Goodreads
Rating: 4 stars
Borrowed from the library.
In A Nutshell:
I loved this book. I want to meet all of the people in the book, take a ride in the white van, and hear a live rendition of the Potato Song.
Review:
Remy Starr has a song--a legacy left to her by her father whom she never met. The father who left her mother and her brother to pursue his music career. A father who did not come back once after she was born to meet her. A father who promised in This Lullaby to let her down.
Understandably, Remy has some strong feelings about her father and her song. These feelings, combined with the experience she has had with her mother's many marriages, have shaped her view of the world and her view of relationships. Throughout the story, I found that I did not always agree with Remy and her view on situations but I respected her. She was strong and determined. She was not afraid to stand up for herself, her friends, her beliefs. But I sometimes felt that she went out of her way to protect herself--to make sure that no one would have the opportunity to let her down again.
But as I think more about it--it is hard to say that definitively because of the masterful way Sarah Dessen handles character development. As the story unfolds, we not only learn what is happening in the present but we also learn a lot about the character's past. How did they get to be the person we meet in the book? What events brought them to this place and to these relationships? But the mastery comes from the fact that it never feels forced--the past intertwines naturally with the present, the characters develop right in front of readers. They start to feel like they are our friends or our neighbors or at least I wanted Remy as a friend.
The only thing that I really could not buy into was the Potato Song--and that is part of why I put it down as something I really want to see live. Could a band really write more than one song about potatoes? Would a crowd really get excited about that? I had a really hard time buying into that.
Recommendations:
I got myself another Sarah Dessen book for my birthday...and now I am sure it has moved to the top of my TBR pile:
Hello,
ReplyDeleteNew Follower:D
I haven't read any Sarah Dessen yet, I have seen her books around a bit , glad you enjoyed.
Michelle
I definitely recommend her. I have read two so far--and I can't read more. :)
ReplyDeleteGREAT review! Thank you so much for sharing the link with me. This Lullaby was the 3rd or 4th Dessen book I've read, and it immediately stood out because Remy is not like the other mc's in her books. She's pretty flawed, and jaded,and not so nice. And those are the kind of people I like to read about! Plus, how awesome is Dexter? Loved him. Oh, and I would love to hear any version of the Potato Song! Oh and if you read Just Listen, there is very small scene with Remy, Dexter and his band in it:)
ReplyDeleteThank you Heather! I did read Just Listen next and did a review it at: http://thebookaddictnet.blogspot.com/2011/12/book-addict-reviews-just-listen-by.html
ReplyDeleteOne thing I really love that Sarah Dessen puts little parts of her other books in other books. It is like a little present to reward those people who have read more than one of her books. :)