The Rest of the Story: A Coming-of-Age YA Novel of Family Secrets, Identity, and Magical Summer Romance - Hardcover

Dessen, Sarah

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062933620 ISBN 13: 9780062933621

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2019

Synopsis

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen comes a big-hearted, sweeping novel about a girl who reconnects with a part of her family she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl—and falls in love, all over the course of a magical summer.

Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when Emma was twelve. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.

Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family that she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is also divided into two people. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.

Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.

For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her—Emma or Saylor—will win out?

• Childhood Friends to Lovers: Roo was her best friend when they were little, and now he holds the key to her mother’s past. As they piece together her family history, Saylor finds herself falling for him all over again.
• A Coming of Age Story: At home, she’s Emma. At the lake, she’s Saylor. Torn between two worlds and two names, she must decide who she truly is before the summer ends.
• Reconnecting with Family: Sent to spend the summer with her estranged mother’s family, Emma—now Saylor—discovers a whole new side of herself and the working-class world her mother came from.
• Grief and Healing: Emma doesn’t remember much about the mother she lost. This summer at North Lake offers a chance to not only uncover her mother’s story but also to find peace with her own past.

About this title

About the Author

Sarah Dessen is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen novels for teens, including Once and for All, Saint Anything, This Lullaby, The Truth About Forever, Just Listen, and Along for the Ride. Her books have been published in over thirty countries and have sold millions of copies worldwide. That Summer and Someone Like You were made into the movie How to Deal. She is the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association for outstanding contribution to young adult literature. A North Carolina native, Sarah currently lives in Chapel Hill with her family. Visit Sarah at www.sarahdessen.com.

Reviews

Gr 8 Up–Emma Saylor's sheltered life is jostled when her summer plans are canceled last minute and her father scrambles to find her lodging before heading out of the country. With no options left, Emma crashes with Mimi, her maternal grandmother, whom she last saw years earlier at her mother's funeral. Vacationing at Mimi's lakeside motel with unfamiliar family leads Emma to reconnect with relatives who may be the key to discovering how her mom's life, and addiction, impacted the whole family's history as much as her own. Dessen has a vivid way of exploring a character's features, feelings, and flaws that leaves readers wanting more. Emma's a deceptively simple narrator whose complex reality is revealed slowly as she uncovers a new side of her family tree. Emma collects stories of her mom's childhood and her parents' relationship, leading her to reevaluate all the ways a person can love someone. At the same time, her realistic struggle of how she deals with anxiety is undeniably relatable for teens today. Ultimately, it's the budding friendship with local boy Roo that pushes Emma to see that understanding your family's past can make all the difference in accepting the memories and identity of those you hold dear. VERDICT A beautiful addition to Dessen's repertoire, and an examination of conflicting social classes, strained familial relationships, and delightfully evolving romance that is unforgettable.—Emily Walker, Lisle Library District, IL

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062933620
• ISBN 13: 9780062933621
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 448