The Truth about Forever
by Sarah Dessen
According to the accompanying publicity information, Sarah Dessen has been dubbed 'the Judy Blume of the iPod generationÕ. ThereÕs nothing about iPods and suchlike in the book itself (presumably the reference to new technology refers to the authorÕs interaction with her 'huge and dedicated online fanbaseÕ), but the comparison to Judy Blume certainly stands up.
It tells the story of Macy Queen, an American teenager whose father has died from a sudden heart attack. Macy saw him die, and she has to deal with this, along with all the normal teenage problems. SheÕs not the only one who has trouble coming to terms with his death; her mother reacts by sealing up her grief inside an apparently impenetrable shell of cool efficiency and self control, and Macy tries, at first successfully, to follow suit. Then she meets a lovably eccentric group of caterers, and begins to see that there are other ways to cope with life and grief. The action takes place over summer Ð as youÕd somehow expect Ð and by the end of it, Macy and her family have found better ways to cope.
I have to admit that at first I felt slightly resistant to this tale of teen America. It seemed so much in the vein, not just of Judy Blume, but of TV series such as The OC, and Buffy without the vampires. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these, particularly Buffy. The writing is smart and funny, but beneath the surface slickness, there is a vein of truth, and a willingness to grapple with emotion in a more upfront way than we commonly employ on this side of the pond. Reading the book, though, there was a bit of a feeling that IÕd seen it all before and knew how things were going to go.
But by the end of The Truth about Forever, it didnÕt matter. I was gripped. I agreed absolutely with Kristy, one of the characters, when she announced to the assembled cast in a terrific climactic scene that it was totally 'tragicalÕ that Macy and the hero, Wes, were not together. (Though I also felt a sneaking fondness for the appalling Jason, MacyÕs ex-boyfriend, who wants to run his relationship like a company initiative!) The book deals with difficult issues in a sensitive and engaging fashion, and the characters are good company. Lots of teenage girls will love it, and find it helpful to see complex emotions explored.