The Truth About Forever

Dessen, Sarah. 2004. THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER. New York: Viking. ISBN 0670036390.

Grieving the death of her father, Macy Queen buries her emotions behind a mask of perfection not even allowing her friends and family to see her real self. However, what Macy learns in THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER is that "even the smallest fragments can't help but make a whole" (129). When Macy lets go of her need to be perfect and to always be in control, she learns what it means to be free. She learns to just be. "When I was with him I didn't have to be perfect, or even try for perfect. He already knew my secrets, the things I'd kept hidden from everyone else, so I could just be myself. Which shouldn't have been such a big deal. But it was" (187).

THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER is an honest examination of one girl's reaction to the death of her father. Through the character of Macy, Dessen shows that there are many aspects to the grieving process. The novel shows the key role open communication plays in the healing process.

http://www.sarahdessen.com/