The Laughing Listener
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Karissa Vacker
Length: 10 hours & 45 minutes

Story Rating: 3 Stars
Performance Rating: 4 Stars
Overall Rating: 3 Stars

*Sighs* Is there anything more comforting than a Sarah Dessen novel? I don’t know what it is about her writing that I find so soothing, but for me, reading one of her books is like snuggling in bed with a cup of tea.



Part of this is probably because I grew up with her novels, starting way back in middle school. But I love that I can count on her to write stories that are heartfelt, and Once and for All is no different.

THE GOOD
This was such a cute story and I really loved having the wedding planner business as a backdrop. Hearing the banter between Natalie and William after each wedding was amazing and I secretly loved their cynicism. Plus, hearing all the crazy demands from their clients provided endless entertainment that was great for balancing out the heavier emotions. The same goes for Jilly and she had to be my favorite character out of them all. I liked how bright and happy she was with a great sense of humor. What she does in the end is very uncool, but she’s so awesome that it was hard to be mad at her.

Louna was a great character and I loved watching her progression throughout the story. She seemed a tad dull sometimes, especially in scenes with Jilly who’s just so full of life, but I can also understand why. She’s been through a lot and just trying to get through everyday. It was nice seeing her transformation in the end.

And I don’t want to give too much away, but Sarah Dessen tackles school shootings in this novel, which I thought was a bold move. That’s not something I’ve seen in a lot of in YA books and I was little bit worried when it first pops up in the story because it’s such a delicate and emotional issue. I could tell it was handled with great care though, and I thought Dessen did an excellent job. It gave me an added perspective about it that I really appreciated.

THE UGLY
To be completely honest, I was not a huge Ambrose fan. From the very beginning his cocky attitude and womanizer tendencies grated on me and by the end I still wasn’t completely sold. He falls in love with Louna and claims he’d be satisfied with only her, but where’s the proof? Why should I trust him when he’s done nothing but date around and two-time other girls?? By the end of the book I still wasn’t completely satisfied. It felt like he didn’t grow at all, then we blinked between the last two chapters, and Ambrose was suddenly a completely different stand-up, reliable guy.



Plus, as much as I applaud Dessen for tackling such a heavy issue like school shootings, the love story behind it was C R A Z Y. Louna and Ethan meet for ONE NIGHT and suddenly they're in love and committing to a long distance relationship. I mean, really?? It would have been so easy for to shift the story so Ethan had lived in the same town as her, fallen in love with Louna, AND THEN moved away. It would have been more believable, but instead I ended up shaking my head and rolling my eyes any time Louna remembered their one night together.

And I’m going to level with you all. When I went on here to browse around some of the reviews, it felt like a very mixed bag. Most people either loved or hated this book. Part of me scoffed and raged at ratings that were anything less than three stars. Another larger part of me, however, can completely understand why. Sarah Dessen’s books are always a contemporary, heartfelt journey that end on a high note. This is what I like about her writing. I like that I can count on her novels to be well-written gumdrops of love. It’s like watching romantic comedy movies. However, I can definitely see how this would get old for people fast. There’s a kind of predictability in these books that aren’t for everyone.

FINAL WORD
This was a very cute book that I enjoyed. Even though it’s not my favorite Sarah Dessen novel, she didn’t let me down and gave me a great story with all the feels.