Third Quarter Outside Reading Review

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen. Penguin Group, 2004

In the book someone like you the protagonist Halley is called home from summer camp because her best friend Scarlett's boyfriend has died in a motorcycle accident. It is Halley and Scarlett's junior year in high school and Scarlett finds out that she is pregnant. She is pregnant with the boy Micheal Sherwood, who died in the accident. Scarlett has all types of problems she must face after becoming pregnant including being at school where everyone is talking about her. Not only does Scarlett have this problem but Halley is also facing her first real relationship. Halley's mother, who is very protective and is the author of many books on how to raise a teenager, thinks she knows everything but Halley hides most of the things she does from her mother, including her new boyfriend Macon who her parents are not thrilled about.

"Dessen has a perfect ear for the immediate daily details of a middle-class teenager's home, school, job, party scene.... Many teenage girls will find themselves in this story."- Booklist, boxed review.

This author reminds me of the author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Both authors do a great job with incorperating the daily struggles of teenagers into their books. I ave not read any other books by Sarah Dessen but this is one of my favorite books I have read and I plan to read more books by her. I can easily connect to the way she tells her story.

"So I reached over and pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her, and held my best friend close, returning so many favors all at once...." (page 21.)

Reading this book has affected me because it shows that things such as death and teen pregnancy can happen to the people you would least expect it from but you have to deal with it and just be there for the ones who need you the most. Life has very unexpected things but everyone has to face them and you can't ignore them. I have expierienced a few deaths in my life and also a teen pregnancy and I know that both are major challenges and are hard for everyone.