Sarah Dessen Review, Keeping the Moon

I've been a huge Sarah Dessen fan ever since I read Someone Like You, way back when. But all my feelings towards her as an author were confirmed as I read this great book.


Colie has never fit in. She was fat, but even after her mom becomes the world renowned Kiki Sparks and they both shed the weight, Colie is still an outcast with a reputation she doesn't deserve. So when her mom decides to ship her out to Colby, North Carolina for the summer, Colie's mindset is no different than the one she holds for her hometown. She has no high expectations as she arrives in Colby, meets hippie Norman at the train station and comes in the the crazy world of Mira, the aunt with whom she's staying. And then she somehow finds herself with a job at the Last Chance, a small restaurant where Morgan, and even Isabel seem to take Colie in, to show her true self and potential.


I mean, this book has exactly what you need a summer novel. A model friendship, an eccentric aunt, and a nice, artistic hippie. Ms. Dessen has this great thing she always does, she pushes you directly into the book, so much that you actually start to believe that you are there with all those incredible people. I really didn't want it to end. I would have been completely content living in the little world of Colby forever. But that does bring up one thing that Sarah Dessen always seems to do: she ends her stories in a somewhat abrupt manner. I was left thinking, that's it? A nice epilogue would have been sufficient. The sudden ending aside, I loved this book. It really focuses on friendship and self image, a refreshing read that just really goes over being a girl and feeling comfortable in your own skin. Confidence starts with you.

And it was really refreshing that it didn't solely focus on boys and romance. Don't get me wrong, I love romance. It was just a nice change from the normal I-think-he-loves-me-but-maybe-not-summer-novel.

Something that every girl must read, no matter your age.