Another Sarah Dessen allstar, no surprise there ( )

Wonderful. Splendid.
A terrific book.
Identity crisis at its finest. And a long hard climb towards Yourself.
Taking chances.
Looking forward.
Reaching towards the horizon. ( )

This was a nice read for a day when it was snowing and the schoolwork was unattractive and frightful.
I found Mclean nice, and the kind of person who I'd like to be friends with. Most of the characters were good, but you could see the seams where Dessen tried to make them pop out of the stereotype boxes. Most of them were ordinary except for a strange or lucky trait or skill. My favorite character was Deb, who was completely unexpected after the beginning. She's also not socially like any of the others, so I related to that.
Some of the plot was entirely predictable, however. I knew who Opal would end up with almost as soon as she was introduced, and Dave and Mclean's romance seemed to be rather predictable after their characters were revealed. ( )

Since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move - four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, Mclean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, Mclean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself - whoever that is. Perhaps her neighbor Dave, an academic superstar trying to be just a regular guy, can help her find out. ( )

Review from 2012

It was good, but not Sarah Dessen's best. It didn't grip me as much as I had hoped it would, but it was enjoyable all the same. The characters and plot were realistic and I cared about what happened. ( )