Sarah Dessen Deluxe Gift Set Book

Why I disliked the book:

1. Lauren was too boy-crazy. Every thought she had was Evan Evan Evan Dave Evan Evan Evan Evan. I get sick of the realllll fast. And the book is 231 pages of this nonstop…

2. She thought her relationship with Dave was 'boring' and 'safe' because Dave didn't want to 'take it to the next level'. Do some role reversing, does this sound right? And she kind threw her virginity in Evan's direction… This whole sex debocle didn't sit right with me.

3. I don't get how she could befriend Gail in the matter of days, and then spill all her dirty little secrets to her. That whole Gail-Lauren friendship didn't work very well, Gail was only there when Lauren/the plot needed her, and then she disappeared into the backdrop.

4.

"This is where I should say I break up with Dave. Or that I stop seeing Evan. But there's nothing to say because I don't do anything. I think about it, tell myself I will figure everything out. That I will do something.

But I don't."

Gaahh, exactly. The quote like that explained perfectly why she made me want to tear my hair out. She doesn't do anything! Just feels guilty but keeps doing what makes her happy.

5. She complained about how she doesn't fit in with Dave's friends, yet she only tried once or twice to extend her friendship. Then she was content to sit back and go on about how they're not nice to her.

6. She constantly tells us how scared she is of everything. Grow a backbone and do something about it. Do anything. I found Lauren to be a very weak character.

7. Her cheating in general, and how it is portrayed in the book. Lauren just cheats and cheats, feels guilty, leads Dave on some more by trying to act perfect, then goes back to cheating because 'Evan makes her happy'. Ughh. You know what? If you are so freaking unhappy with your boyfriend Dave, break up with him!!! You're just hurting him more.

8. She was a terrible friend to Katie. Exception is the very end, but it shouldn't take you 220 pages to figure out Katie is your best friend for a reason.

9. She's worried about turning into her mother, and hurting those around her. I don't know what brand of rose-coloured glasses she is wearing, but does the thought cross her mind that the longer she cheats on Dave, the more hurt he will be? Does it cross her mind how she hurts everyone around her with her selfish actions?

10. The whole absent parent thing is over-glorified. Wow, are there no normal families? It's either the picture perfect Dave family, the absentee parent Lauren family, or the dysfunctional/depressing Katie family. Way to not feed the stereotypes, guys.

11. Does Evan really not care at all about anyone but himself and Lauren? Isn't there some guy-code where you.. uhm, lay off other guys' girlfriends? Also, why the heck does he like Lauren? Is it because of the way-back-when story? I don't see the connection (apart from when Lauren goes on and on about how much she thinks about Evan...), nor much personality from Evan. So Evan in general was unappealing.

12. I'm curious why Lauren doesn't seem to care about what other people think of her. I'm a high-schooler, trust me, I know. Despite what you say, there's a part of you that is always concerned about what others will think of you. Lauren's actions, to most people at her school will probably calleed b*tchy and sl*tty, but she never mentions her fears of this (I find that unrealistic).

13. Minor characters in general were very flat. They had their own issues, but there wasn't any character growth. I like character growth.

14. The plot itself was lacked originality and really any spark. Very much missing the oomf-factor.

14. The ending is too ideal, not to mention predictable. The heart-to-heart with daddy, the fact that fifteen minutes after breaking up with a very inconsolable Dave, she was holding hands and making out with Evan in the halls, the fact that she believed she had finally kinda 'figured out who she was"… all very meh.