Review: Once and For All

Title: Once and For All
Author: Sarah Dessen
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All, Sarah Dessen’s thirteenth novel, is set in the world of wedding planning, where crises are routine. 

Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that’s why she’s cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm’s length. But Ambrose isn’t about to be discouraged, now that he’s met the one girl he really wants. 

Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.

Review:

This is my first Sarah Dessen book and I loved it!

There were a lot of weddings in this story. Louna’s mother is a wedding planner, which looked like so much fun! This was a great setting for the novel. It made for some funny stories when things went wrong, such as a demanding mother of the bride who kept tissues in her bra!

One character was affected by a school shooting. I won’t give the details, since that is part of the suspense of the novel and I don’t want to spoil it. I was surprised that this is one of the first times I’ve read about this in a novel. Unfortunately, school shootings are a real part of life now, so I think they will be in many young adult novels in the future. It was heartbreaking to read about the way it affected a character in the novel.

I loved this book! I can’t wait to read more Sarah Dessen books!

What to read next:

Have you read Once and For All? What did you think of it?