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natalie_j's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol
betti's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Fatphobia and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent
kat_rowlen's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I am a Sarah Dessen fan but this book was difficult to get through. All of the characters were annoying and overall not good people
Dexter started out as a stalker almost who couldn’t take a hint, so it was hard to root for him. Remy was cynical and just a bitch for no reason, so I honestly didn’t care what happened to her. Also the whole ending of the book revolved around a miscommunication. Her friends are TERRIBLE. They’re judgmental, and unsupportive. I mean they knew she was getting cheated on at one point, and didn’t tell her. to be completely honest if she’d killed off every character in this book I wouldn’t have cared
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Toxic friendship
enchantedsleeper's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism and Infidelity
valpyre's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
[audiobook]
probably the first time ive re-read this book since high school i think. i remember everyone around me being hype around sarah dessen and i tried my hand with this book and wasn't sure if i was sold on her at the time, which is fine.
i do love a good breakup/makeup, although remy was so in denial about her own feelings i didn't really get to enjoy any pining, haha. i appreciated her growth over the course of the summer, but i do think the book dragged a bit bc of the stagnant nature of her point of view. not a bad listen but it didn't blow me away.
also jess is queer
probably the first time ive re-read this book since high school i think. i remember everyone around me being hype around sarah dessen and i tried my hand with this book and wasn't sure if i was sold on her at the time, which is fine.
i do love a good breakup/makeup, although remy was so in denial about her own feelings i didn't really get to enjoy any pining, haha. i appreciated her growth over the course of the summer, but i do think the book dragged a bit bc of the stagnant nature of her point of view. not a bad listen but it didn't blow me away.
also jess is queer
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming and Infidelity
tinysierra's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This Lullaby is so nostalgic for me.
I love Remy and Dexter’s grump x sunshine vibe.
My favorite thing about This Lullaby is that it truly feels like a summer montage. We get little snippets of Remy and Dexter’s relationship, the band members banter, Remy and her friend group hanging out in their last summer together.
I love the quirkiness of it. I love the imagery of the yellow house and the tangerines, the silly photographs, the lizards, the beaded curtain and typewriter. The Spot. Dexter’s untied shoelaces. Fountain drinks.
There is so much teen drinking and smoking in this book. Like… as a tween, I’m sure I read it and thought, “yeah, that’s how all teenagers are. They party, drink and smoke.” I know this book was written in the early 2000s and I know the sad truth is that for many teenagers drinking and smoking is how you have a good time, even now. I just hate the casualness of it. The characters are always drinking or buying beer. It’s possible to spend your teen years sober, I promise.
This book also doesn’t have any diversity in it, and has a lot of casual fatphobia. Still, I have a soft spot for This Lullaby.
I love Remy and Dexter’s grump x sunshine vibe.
My favorite thing about This Lullaby is that it truly feels like a summer montage. We get little snippets of Remy and Dexter’s relationship, the band members banter, Remy and her friend group hanging out in their last summer together.
I love the quirkiness of it. I love the imagery of the yellow house and the tangerines, the silly photographs, the lizards, the beaded curtain and typewriter. The Spot. Dexter’s untied shoelaces. Fountain drinks.
There is so much teen drinking and smoking in this book. Like… as a tween, I’m sure I read it and thought, “yeah, that’s how all teenagers are. They party, drink and smoke.” I know this book was written in the early 2000s and I know the sad truth is that for many teenagers drinking and smoking is how you have a good time, even now. I just hate the casualness of it. The characters are always drinking or buying beer. It’s possible to spend your teen years sober, I promise.
This book also doesn’t have any diversity in it, and has a lot of casual fatphobia. Still, I have a soft spot for This Lullaby.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
jackiepreston's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent
katsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
“Love is needing someone. Love is putting up with someone's bad qualities because they somehow complete you.”
“I am coming to terms with the fact that loving someone requires a leap of faith, and that a soft landing is never guaranteed.”
“Love is so unpredictable. That's what makes it so great.”
I was going to rate this 2 stars and then I was reading through some other reviews and was reminded of something I apparently blocked out during my reread and I couldn't help but lower it a star. I would also like to start off by saying that I rarely dislike a book. I've only DNFed one book all year for context.
So let's start with the okay stuff. All of Dessen's novels feature a coming-of-age, usually over the summer. When I first read her stuff, as a kid, I saw myself in these characters and it made me feel less alone. That nostalgia is still there and I still think Dessen does a decent job of developing characters. There are always some cliched, quotable lines that somehow still get me and that happened a few times with this novel, too.
Now the stuff I struggled with. First things first, Dexter was WAY too much. In the first three chapters alone, Remy, the main character, told him to get lost in as many ways as humanly possible yet he STILL pursued her. He saw her as a "challenge." That's the word used in the novel but the idea of women being conquests who don't get a say in their own life is incredibly antiquated and, quite frankly, disgusting. Dexter had some redeeming qualities but I couldn't get past how he couldn't even respect basic boundaries.
Secondly, (and this is the thing another reviewer reminded me of) Remy lost her virginity in a very tramautic way and it is NEVER discussed. Based on the description, it sounded like borderline rape and we just move right past it and never came back to it. Like, excuse me, what? Young girls are supposed to be reading this? And what are they supposed to glean from that? That being blackout drunk and scared is normal for your first time? I get that this book came out damn near 20 years ago but it wasn't the Stone Age!
And lastly, there was just little nuggets of fatphobia sprinkled all over the place in this story. Every character who is described even slightly overweight is some kind of stereotype with very little characterization. The shitty stepdad is a giant, chubby man baby. The bigger-but-not-in-a-bad-way friend never has a romantic interest and is the constant caregiver of the group. The salon owner is over-the-top, a bit trashy and basically comic relief.
Read at your own risk, I know some people still love it, but it just wasn't for me. Trigger warnings for fatphobia, alcohol use and potential rape.
“I am coming to terms with the fact that loving someone requires a leap of faith, and that a soft landing is never guaranteed.”
“Love is so unpredictable. That's what makes it so great.”
I was going to rate this 2 stars and then I was reading through some other reviews and was reminded of something I apparently blocked out during my reread and I couldn't help but lower it a star. I would also like to start off by saying that I rarely dislike a book. I've only DNFed one book all year for context.
So let's start with the okay stuff. All of Dessen's novels feature a coming-of-age, usually over the summer. When I first read her stuff, as a kid, I saw myself in these characters and it made me feel less alone. That nostalgia is still there and I still think Dessen does a decent job of developing characters. There are always some cliched, quotable lines that somehow still get me and that happened a few times with this novel, too.
Now the stuff I struggled with. First things first, Dexter was WAY too much. In the first three chapters alone, Remy, the main character, told him to get lost in as many ways as humanly possible yet he STILL pursued her. He saw her as a "challenge." That's the word used in the novel but the idea of women being conquests who don't get a say in their own life is incredibly antiquated and, quite frankly, disgusting. Dexter had some redeeming qualities but I couldn't get past how he couldn't even respect basic boundaries.
Secondly, (and this is the thing another reviewer reminded me of) Remy lost her virginity in a very tramautic way and it is NEVER discussed. Based on the description, it sounded like borderline rape and we just move right past it and never came back to it. Like, excuse me, what? Young girls are supposed to be reading this? And what are they supposed to glean from that? That being blackout drunk and scared is normal for your first time? I get that this book came out damn near 20 years ago but it wasn't the Stone Age!
And lastly, there was just little nuggets of fatphobia sprinkled all over the place in this story. Every character who is described even slightly overweight is some kind of stereotype with very little characterization. The shitty stepdad is a giant, chubby man baby. The bigger-but-not-in-a-bad-way friend never has a romantic interest and is the constant caregiver of the group. The salon owner is over-the-top, a bit trashy and basically comic relief.
Read at your own risk, I know some people still love it, but it just wasn't for me. Trigger warnings for fatphobia, alcohol use and potential rape.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction and Infidelity