Arters AP Literature 2016-17 discussion
What Happened to Goodbye
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I am enjoying this book so far. Although I am not that far into it, its plot has intrigued me. I believe I will enjoy this book very much.
So far, I like the book a lot. It seems like a plot I have read before about a teenage girl moving around a lot because of her fathers job. She despises her mother for sleeping with the Defrise University basketball coach. Since her dad is moving around a lot, she tells the reader that it gives her a chance to keep starting over and having a fresh start. I think I will like this book very much.
I enjoy this book so far. It is about a girl named Mclean, who moves around a lot due to her fathers job. She does not like her mother due to the affair she has with the Defrise U basketball coach. Overall based on what I have read so far I feel like I will enjoy this book.
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hi beth jenna & denny i agree with you on the interesting plot line. I am on page 67 and I like the personality of Mclean. She is funny but sincere with her thoughts. Because of this, I believe it will make me attached to her throughout the book. I am excited to see what happens. What are your thoughts?
I feel as if Mclean is like any other teenage girl trying to find her way through high school and life. However, Mclean, to me, has mountains of burdens on her shoulders from moving all the time. She is never in one place long enough to get to really know people. I personally she this as both an opportunity and a disappointment. But as I continue to keep reading I am finding out Mclean takes advantage of starting over all the time. Its like a new beginning of her. Do you guys agree??
Hi Jenna, Katie, and Denny! I didn't like Mclean much in the beginning of the book because I thought it was strange how she pretended to be a completely different person multiple times. Do you agree or do you think the fact that she's an insecure person, makes her a more relatable person?
Jenna, I agree that is has its advantages and disadvantages. I think it's inspiring how Mclean tries to make the best of her situation.
Katie, at first I wasn't very fond of Mclean. As the book went on, I became more attached because I found her to be a relatable character.
One of my favorite aspects of this book is the fact that it is realistic fiction. I liked the fact that many of things the characters were going through were relatable and possible. Have you guys read any other books in this genre?
Another book series that I think is really similar to this is called The Islanders. The author has a really similar writing style as Sarah Dessen and the female protagonist has a similar personality to Mclean.
The character in this book that frustrates me the most would have to be Mclean's mother. She just seems oblivious to how much her actions have hurt her daughter and her family. Her actions are the ultimate betrayal. Do you all agree?
Denny, did you like the book despite the fact that there is a female protagonist? I find that it is harder to relate to male protagonists in other books. What do you think?
Although Mclean likes Jackson High and ends up staying there in the end of the book, I wish she would've found new adventures in Hawaii. I personally would love to move to Hawaii so I feel like she's missing out on another really cool opportunity.
I wish the author, Sarah Dessen, would've gone into more detail about the character Opal. While Opal does end up being a major character towards the end of the story, I wish we could've learned more about her in the beginning.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. This is the second Sarah Dessen book that I have read. It was an extremely challenging book to read, but is a great book to read on the beach or for leaisurley reading.
Beth, I somewhat agree with you. But on another note everyone has insecurities whether they want to admit them or not. One of Mclean's insecurities could be that she has never lived somewhere long enough to actually find out who she really is. And as a teenager I am sure that is hard enough not including all the other obstacles a teenage girl has to face.
Beth I agree with your comment about how we can relate to this book. Some other books I have read that are realistic fiction are The Thirteen Reasons by Jay Asher and The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder. Denny and Katie, what is your favorite realistic fiction book?
I feel as if the author, Sarah Dessen, is trying to prove a message. When Mclean moves she picks up a new name, mixing middle name together. However, throughout the book Sarah defines her, never as those names, but as Mclean. I think Dessen is trying to show that even though Mclean may try and be all these different types of people, she will always be Mclean within. Do you guys possibly think this could be?
The problems between Mclean and her mother are heartbreaking. All Mclean wants is the mother who would take her to the beach and stay in a motel together, not the mom who is now rich and wealthy living in a beach house of her own. In the book you can feel Mclean's emotions of wanting to let her mom in and talk like they use to but her mom hurt her too badly to ever forgive her. Do you guys agree that she is conflicted between wanting to let her mom in again and not?
Katie, do you think Mclean has changed throughout the book? Do you think she has become more mature and has had to grow up early due to all the moving around?
Beth, Opal confuses me in the beginning. She comes off as this bitch to Mclean's dad. However, she just really cares for the restaurant business and sees it as a huge part of her community. And by the end she becomes close with Mclean and her father. I agree I wish we knew more about her in the beginning and why the restaurant is so important to her.
Denny, do you think it is right how Mclean just cuts off her mom completely? And how she takes her dad's side all the time? Does her mom deserve another chance?
I think this book is easily relatable to high school teenagers trying to find their ways in high school and their life. What Mclean has gone through is not easy and it shows true character for her. The whole theme of What Happened to Goodbye reminds me of change and how change it out of ones control. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking or wanting change in their own life.
I do not think she is right to completely cut off her mother. I do understand where she is coming from though, and get why she is so upset. She is a little bias towards her father. Her mom definitely deserved another chance.
I do think it is a little bit difficult for a male to 100% relate to a female protagonist. The problems she faces throughout the book are relatable to many teens though.
Hey I felt the same way about Mclean. She always felt like she had to be someone she wasn't. It may have been because she was insecure. or shes just weird!!!
Jenna, did your feelings change about Mclean throughout the book? If so how did you feel about her transformation.
Yea I wish she would have went into more detail as well Beth.
I really liked how relatable this book was. It takes a bunch of realistic scenarios and put them together to create a plot that catches the attention of many high school students.
Jenna wrote: "I feel as if the author, Sarah Dessen, is trying to prove a message. When Mclean moves she picks up a new name, mixing middle name together. However, throughout the book Sarah defines her, never as..."I agree with this Jenna. It's evident that despite her moving 6 different times she will always be Mclean at heart. She may change geographically, but she does not change emotionally. One of the themes of this book is self-identity and throughout the book she realizes it's not the location and people your surround yourself that defines you, but your attitude.
Jenna wrote: "Katie, do you think Mclean has changed throughout the book? Do you think she has become more mature and has had to grow up early due to all the moving around?"Jenna, I do believe she has changed. Not only have her friends changed, but she has with them. McClean went from comfortably hanging out with Riley, her childhood best friend; to hanging out with people like Deb and Heather, who are more peppy and outgoing. Every move has made her a mor mature version of herself. She started out despising her family, and by the end, valued them more than anything in the world.
Denny wrote: "How did you guys feel about it?"Overall, I go back and forth with this book. On one aspect I enjoy the easy and relatable plot. Other times, I get annoyed at the lack of detail the book gives. I would like to know about more characters like Opal. It makes me a tad confused and want to know more.
Denny, she seems likes the beach but I am confused why. Why is the beach so important to Mclean and her mother? Why does she end up running away to the Poseidon?
Hey guys what's the significance of the model of the town? I was a little confused about this part
Denny wrote: "Hey guys what's the significance of the model of the town? I was a little confused about this part"I believe putting together a model of the town was a daunting task, but not as daunting as McClean letting her guard down. She moved so much, she knew so much about different towns, but she never knew how to open up to others.
My review - “Home is where the heart is” is a well-known quote relatable to all ages of the world. For Mclean Sweet, this quote could not be farther than the truth. After moving four different times, she found each move got a tad bit harder. Nothing was ever consistent when constantly having to make new friends, in a new school, in a new state. She questioned herself and the people around her as an outlet for the buildup of anger and rage inside of her. The first person point of view portrays Mclean’s daily thoughts through imagery and teenage girl lingo. For some, her anger and emotions could be expressed as “daily teenage behavior”, but diving into this intriguing read, one can find these emotions are telling a true story of their own.
Sarah Lessin’s “What Happened to Goodbye” followed Mclean Sweet, a 17 year old girl and her whirlwind of a life. What was the “perfect family” had been chewed up and spit all across the country. Her loving parents now do not speak, her new step-siblings steal all the attention, and her dad, her reliable, charismatic dad, is the only stable relationship Mclean has ever had. With every move comes a new name with a new story. On her first move, as “Beth”, she meets Misty and other girls, whom all are nice, but “Beth” has already moved on before actually getting to know them. When she leaves, she receives a letter from these old friends with the simple phrase “what happened to goodbye.” Not only is this phrase the title, but it becomes inscripted in the reader's mind as it is evident Mclean and her dad struggle with holding onto relationships from here on out.
As a reader, one did not have to move several times to be able to relate to Mclean Sweet. Her unpredictable, imperfect teenage moments made any teenage reader giggle and nod along to the ongoing plot. What made Mclean so captivating was her willingness to change for the better of her own life. Throughout each move, she learned more about herself and the important necessities of her life. It was not as much that she became older, and happier, but wiser at the end of each day. With her new found wisdom, she realized how important the one stable relationship was in her life. By the end of her story, she knew her father was the reason she still had hope and longing for her own happy ending.
Fight after fight with her mother supplied her with more anger to handle. She resented her mother for splitting their family up, which opened up another key to Mclean's personality-- her passion. Through hatred or love, Mclean gave it her all. Whether she was afraid to hold anything back because of the lack of time she had in between moves, or she knew it was essential to her happiness, Mclean expressed herself better than the normal teenager. She liked her neighbor, so she kissed him; she hated her mother, so she yelled at her; she loved her father, so she stayed with him. She made moments and memories, both good and bad, for herself that she could hold onto them without anyone interrupting them. She took her unstable life into her own hands, and made it as stable as possible. She had full control of her surroundings,
No matter if Mclean eventually settled or not, Mclean learned, “Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go.”
"What Happened to Goodbye" by Sarah Dessen