The Rest of the Story audiobook

what can i say about a sarah dessen novel that i havent already said before? nothing, because she is the queen of consistency. i could literally copy and paste my review from any of her other books and it would apply to this one. i love how her stories are always so family focused. there is no perfect family - each come in different shapes, sizes, and situations - and i love how this story represents that with saylor getting to know her distant relatives. i also really enjoy how SD tackles hard and serious topics (this one talks about addiction) and yet the story doesnt feel like a downer. it has that quintessential summertime feeling that is light and fun. the only downside to the dessens consistency is her MCs feel like carbon copies of each other. just like i could swap out my reviews, i could swap out saylor with any other MC and they would fit. not a deal breaker, but i guess that is dessens charm - you know exactly what you are going to get when you pick up one of her books!↠ 3.5 stars

Not going to lie, the sole reason I picked up this audiobook was because Rebecca Soler was the narrator and she’s my audiobook queen. However, what kept me reading was Sarah Dessens addictive writing style. Anything she writes, I will fly through. My current ranked Sarah Dessen list 1. Just listen 2. Saint anything 3. The rest of the story 4. Along for the ride 5. Once and for all This book was simply quintessential Sarah Dessen. If you have enjoyed her other stuff, you’ll like this. If not... this might not be your cup of tea. Something I always love in her novels is the family. They aren’t picture perfect, but they are realistic. Every family has their own issues, but that doesn’t make them lesser. Sarah Dessen does a good job at showing this in this particular book through showing the complicated relationship the MC and her dad had with her mum struggling with addiction. I loved Roo, our love interest- despite being categorically against him because of that name. You could name him anything, and you decide on Roo. Yes, it came from Kangaroo. Anyway. I was admittedly name-biased, but ended up loving him. Shocker. So yes, while this isn’t objectively a perfect book- it was exactly what I was looking for at the time. Sweet, Summery and Sarah Dessen. What more could a girl want?

Does it count as a reading slump if it only lasts for like, four days? I spent most of the last week anxiously watching the days I still have on the library hold go down instead of actually reading this book, even though I knew I would probably end up enjoying it. This is my way of segueing into how I found Emma Saylor incredibly relatable because of how her anxiety is portrayed. I was initially worried that this book would have the whole, “love can cure everything,” aspect, and there are some shades of this, but I think the way it’s presented is mostly accurate and respectful. The story got surprisingly heavy with the family drama and I appreciated how it balanced tackling more serious topics without it being overbearing. Other than that, it reminded me a little of Dan in Real Life (anybody remember that movie?), in that there are like a million extended family members to keep track of. That’s actually the part I didn’t relate to as much; because of the large family and the fact that a lot of them had similar sounding names, I couldn’t really make heads or tails of who’s who until about 60% into the book. I’d still have a hard time naming some of the characters right now, so definitely don’t ask me tomorrow. Also, spending a whole summer with my extended family? Nightmare fuel, really.(Oh, and also Emma Saylor’s dad is a tool. I know I say that about every YA book dad, but like, he is, and they are!)

The Rest of the StorySarah DessenIt's no secret that I'm 56 years old and love to read young adult stories! Sarah Dessen was one of the first YA authors I felt a connection to with her characters. THE REST OF THE STORY is not the first book I've ever read by Sarah Dessen and it definitely won't be the last. The twists and turns keep coming and I had to know how it was going to end! Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, a few pages later, Ms. Dessen threw me for a loop and I knew I was wrong! I'm kicking myself for not reading this wonderful novel sooner. I knew I was going to love this story just by the description. Don't forget your tissues!! Plan on not getting much sleep until you finish this suspenseful story! THE REST OF THE STORY is a quick read and unputdownable! Emma Saylor doesn't remember her mother very well. She died when Emma was ten years old. Emma's dad has just remarried and Emma finds herself spending part of the summer with her mother's family. She hardly knows them but as the story goes on, she can't imagine being anywhere else. If you are looking for a great story with lots of mystery and heart to pull you out of your book slump, you can’t go wrong with THE REST OF THE STORY. I’m so excited to read more by Sarah Dessen as I have a few of her older books to still read.The twists and turns in THE REST OF THE STORY are going to keep you up late into the night trying to figure out how this perfect story is going to end. Once you start reading, trust me, you aren't going to be able to stop! If you haven't read Sarah Dessen, you are really missing out! Every single time Sarah Dessen publishes something new, I want to have a celebration. I've read the majority of her books and fell in love with every single word and all of her characters. THE REST OF THE STORY is no different. Hang on tight as you are reading! It's a crazy and thrilling ride. When everything is finally revealed, well, you won't believe it!I thoroughly enjoyed reading THE REST OF THE STORY. As Roo begins explaining things to Emma, things seem to make more sense to her and have her questioning what really happened to her mom and Roo's dad. There is so much going on in this story, but Ms. Dessen does a wonderful job of weaving all the pieces together. All of the characters will have you feeling sad, then happy, and then yelling on the same page. More than once I wanted to be in North Lake with my new found friends! Once you finish devouring this story, you are going to want to tell everyone you know about this emotional and heartbreaking story!

Full Review on The Candid CoverThe Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen is a book that I had been eagerly anticipating as I am a big fan of her realistic contemporaries. This one has an interesting setting as well as a realistic main character, albeit the plot is quite slow paced. Even so, I really enjoyed this one, and it is classic Sarah Dessen.This book tells the story of a girl who finds herself in her mother’s hometown for the summer. The town is divided in two: North Lake and the upper-class Lake North, and Emma belongs to both. During her stay, she is reunited with old friends but is torn between the identity of Saylor, the name her mom used to call her, or Emma, her newer self. I enjoyed the setting in the book as the idea of the town being divided creates contrast. As well, Dessen’s classic themes of identity and family are present, and it is interesting how Emma learns more about both herself and her mother while staying in North Lake. My only issue with the plot is that it feels a bit slow paced and drawn-out, and I don’t think the book needed to be as long as it is (440 pages!).❀ REALISTIC MAIN CHARACTEREmma is a realistic main character, and she deals with a lot during her summer. On top of her coping with anxiety and the loss of her mother, she struggles to figure out who she really is. I found Emma to be respectable as she offers to help out at the resort instead of enjoying the relaxing vacation everyone was told to provide her with, and she has a real desire to learn her family’s history. This curiosity and willingness to learn about the past create an interesting character to take the reader around North Lake. Throughout the story, Emma truly transforms and starts to piece together her real self, and by the end of the book, she feels like a well-developed character who I could easily imagine.❀ CLASSIC DESSENThe Rest of the Story is a contemporary about identity and family. I loved the divided lake setting as well as the believable main character. As far as Sarah Dessen’s books go, this one is up there with my favourites.

Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Teralyn MitchellI’ve been a big fan of Sarah Dessen for years now so I was happy that I got the chance to read The Rest of the Story and it was the perfect summer read. It takes place on a lake in the summer, surrounded by family. It’s a coming-of-age story for Emma Saylor who has always been neurotic and cautions about everything and it seemed to escalate after her mother died. She never knew her mother’s side of the family since she hadn’t seen them since she visited for a week when she was four years old. When Emma’s summer plans fall through, she is whisked back to North Lake. It’s awkward and Emma feels out of place at first since it seems all of them know of her but she knows nothing about them. But slowly as the days turn into weeks, Emma starts to relax. She spends her time at her grandmother’s helping clean the motel rooms, hanging with her cousins, getting to know the guy who was her best friend when she was a kid, Roo, and learning about her mother and the past that’s been closed off to her all these years. Emma came into her own as the story progressed and by the end, she had gotten the rest of the story and had her family back.Emma Saylor was wonderfully awkward and neurotic. I liked how she’d say what she thought most of the time. Her relationship with her dad, Nana, and Tracy, her stepmother, was good. It was nice that she did not have any problems with her father remarrying. She cared for her family and friends. She was such a strong character that I could relate to. I loved Roo as well. He was sweet, considerate, and funny. I thought he and Emma were perfect together and their chemistry was immediate and I loved seeing those two together. Those scenes were some of my favorite along with Emma and Trinity. Trinity could be harsh and complained so much about being pregnant. You could not say anything around her in the complaint without her bringing up the fact that she was a house or had been pregnant for a million years. She cracked me up and her honesty was refreshing. This book had some strong characters—even the side characters, because there was nothing minor about them—and an amazing plot. Bailey was sometimes hard to like because of her obsession with Lake North, the wealthier half of the community, and the people there. She was willing to give a jerk the time of day just because of where he came from but not someone who was clearly into her. Throughout I wanted her to snap out of it because besides that she was a strong character who became good friends with Emma. I adored Gordon, Mimi, Oxford, Jack, Nana, Tracy, Matthew, Ryan, Bridget, April, Taylor, and Vincent. The characters made this story feel so real and I loved the family dynamic.I come from a big, close-knit family so it’s always nice to see this dynamic in stories. Dessen did a good job of showing how chaotic being in a big family could be. I loved the morning scenes when everyone was waking up and getting ready for work and the day. I could relate to those scenes perfectly. This story delved into more than just family but the importance of knowing where you came from. Emma grew up not knowing much about North Lake, her mother’s family, or really her mother’s childhood. Once she made it to North Lake, stories started coming out that helped Emma understand her mother and her mother’s addictions more. By knowing her past and getting to know her family better, Emma was able to feel more comfortable in her own skin and her quirks weren’t as pronounced. She felt better about herself and seeing her journey to get the rest of the story was inspiring and I loved that aspect of this story.The Rest of the Story was an endearing story and the perfect read to kick off summer. It was a powerful story about a girl who needed to learn the rest of her story to find out where she belonged. This was another top read for me this year and really pulls on the heartstrings!

HOLY CHEESE AND CRACKERS THIS WAS GOOD!!the character growth in this story, the self discovery in this story and just all the characters!! emma saylor goes from a relatively dumb, entitled brat to a more self-aware and kind girl. i liked her friendship// relationship with Roo because they did have some history and it was cute how he remembered her (and called her as a window sales person). I also loved the lake vibes and the summer feeling. And saylors relationship with her cousins and her self discovery of her family made me happy. honestly, the worst part was her father. understandably, he didn’t want saylor going down the same path as her mother, but her father kind of prevented her from growing and kept her in a bubble of privilege.also, i was kind of confused with the random mentionings of her friends in the book i wish it came full circle so her friends saw her growth. and, my life motto is never trust a book without an epilogue, yet i tried this one, and it was good — just wish there was an epilogue!but that’s just me being picky because i really did enjoy this book!!!!

3.5/5 starsThis was a fun and entertaining coming-of-age story filled with family, friends and finding yourself.The Rest of the Story follows Emma Saylor as she reconnects with her estrange relatives from her mother's side, and navigates the tight-knit community of North Lake. An unplanned vacation with family she never knew she had may just be what she needs to rekindle the memories of her mother and find the courage to be the driver in her life. First off, I had a great time listening to the story and it made for a great summer read. Emma was an anxious teen who was content with just being an observer. She cared deeply for her family and was a dependable and responsible person. She reminds me of me in those aspects. I really enjoyed seeing her become more active in her life and really be more assertive. I enjoyed her friends-to-lovers romance and overall felt satisfied with the ending. These are things that I enjoy from Sarah Dessen's books; the familial centric nature of her stories, the gradual development of relationships and the fact that in the end they are not just a love story. Though, I have to say I had some pacing/time jump issues. There were parts where the story jumped around in parts in that there were scenes where Emma was recalling something and then we're back in the present. This left me rewinding those moments to get my bearings straight again. I just wished there were smoother transitions from one scene to another or a more linear story arc. Moreover, I feel like we didn't get to really spend enough time with her lake family which is what I was really looking forward to when I picked it up. I kinda wish it just focused solely on that side of the family. Lastly, I would love it if there was more diversity to her stories such as, more POC, LGBT+ and disability representation, and they don't have to be the main characters. I just want more contemporaries to be reflective of our diverse world.Overall, I enjoyed the story but it definitely has some areas to improve. The familial relationships were great and healthy, and the romance was sweet and I'm biased when it comes to the friends-to-lovers trope. I'd still recommend this as a quick summer read since we all need that once and a while.

What a charming book! Very standard, quintessential Sarah Dessen. Definitely focuses more on the characters than anything else, which I always like! It’s a slower moving story, but I enjoyed getting to know Emma Saylor’s extended family & the differences between North Lake and Lake North. Despite a couple plot inconsistencies, I definitely liked this book more than her last novel, Once and For All, which depicted one of the worst cases of instalove I’ve ever had to bear witness to 🥴. But the love interest in this book, Roo, was such a sweetheart, and so responsible for being a seventeen year-old kid! I envy his work ethic 😅Oddly enough, I feel like this is a book I don’t think I would’ve appreciated if I’d read this as a teenager. It’s light on the romance (it’s still there though!), and mainly revolves around Emma learning more about her mom, who died five years before the story takes place. I liked that Emma was so eager to get to know her family, most of them she’d never met/didn’t remember ever meeting. Would recommend, obvi 💁🏼

This is a light, contemporary young adult novel with themes of family and belonging. It is an enjoyable summer read with believable teen characters, a family crisis, a moral dilemma, a summer setting, and a budding romance, a typical Sarah Dessen novel.