The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

Summary from Goodreads:

Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.

Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family—her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is divided into two people as well. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.

Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.

For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her will win out?

Review:

It takes Sarah Dessen way too long to write books. I wish she did one a year. Or two even…Reading her books feels like reconnecting with an old friend from high school. I have to spend a little time getting reacquainted with her style, and then I am lost in memories and stories. Just lost. Her books suck you up in a way that is both amazing and disorienting. I end up thinking about her characters more than I think about myself. And that’s why her books feel like old friends. Her characters are just real.

This book was no exception. I read it in about 2 days (and that’s only because I was working). It’s the perfect book to read on vacation, when you don’t have to put it down for work and normal life things. I’ve always been a sucker for summer books, and a Sarah Dessen summer book is like the golden ticket. This one is filled with family drama, friendship stories, first love, and growing up. What else do you need?

I was fascinated by the setting too. The economical divide of North Lake/Lake North felt so believable. It reminded me of the economical divide of Neptune (on Veronica Mars). And it reminded me of the moment I realized not everyone in the world was as lucky as I was. I learned what Emma learned (maybe a few years earlier), but in a similar way. And it’s such a life-changing, important thing to learn.

I love how good Emma is. She helps out cleaning motel rooms during her vacation! She puts up with a very snotty cousin who bosses her around. She takes on the sudden important role of role model to her younger cousin with no complaint. Instead of going on a fancy date, she prepped days for, she leaves her date behind to comfort her dumped cousin. She makes so many right decisions, that it was almost impossible for me understand her when she makes some wrong ones.

And then I have to remember, oh yeah, she’s still a kid. Sometimes you have to make these mistakes to learn how bad the consequences are. I love that this book was about Emma growing up as much as it was about her learning about her mother. She got to finish “the rest of the story” of her mother’s that her father wasn’t so forthcoming with. But, she also started to realize what she wanted and who she wanted to be.

And then there’s Roo, every girl’s dream come true. Who doesn’t have that childhood friend they used to dream about re-meeting as an adult and having some crazy romance with? I love that he never pushes Emma in any direction, but lets her come to it on her own time. I also love their easy friendship and how he tells her the stories behind the photo album. I shipped them from the moment they first reunited. He may be my favorite Sarah Dessen boy of all time.

And just when I thought I had this book entirely figured out, there’s a hurricane! The book goes from summery and fun to suspenseful and kind of scary in the turn of a page. And I loved every second of it. Dessen can write suspense too!

This book was great. It was hard to put down. There were classic Sarah Dessen story points covered, but also some new added suspenseful moments too. The characters were amazing. Emma was amazing. Roo was just the best. I give this one a 10/10. I really hope it doesn’t take Dessen too long for her next one.