A long, hot summer…That’s what Macy has to look forward to while her boyfriend, Jason, is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of Macy’s father.
But sometimes, unexpected things can happen—things such as the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister’s project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things such as meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl’s world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to question her sheltered life.
Is it really always better to be safe than sorry?
The Truth About Forever centers around themes of friendship, family, grief, loss, letting go, romance, and learning. It’s about Macy finding herself through her experiences, and learning to truly cope with the loss of her dad. It’s about knowing what’s she’s worth, and how to determine when enough is enough. More than that, it’s about embracing the family you’ve been given, and treasuring the ones that you’ve found along the way.
I think my favorite character in this novel has to be Caroline, who is always at the sidelines, but actually was the one who worked hard for their family to grow and become better. She worked hard to get the beach house looking like new, and really was not afraid to show her emotions or speak her mind. She saw potential in what others saw as junk. Although people may judge her for it, she stood firm in her relationship with Wally. Even though Caroline is not the main character, I feel like there would be no story without her.
I also fell in love with each of the people from Wish, of course. It’s hard not to. I feel like I could really thrive in their chaos, and I love their dynamics within the group. Despite having varying personalities, you could just see that they are a family – getting annoyed with each other at times, but knowing each other more than themselves, and loving each other unconditionally. It’s really amazing that Macy found them, and how they all welcomed her with open arms.
The Truth About Forever is a romance novel, but it didn’t really center around the romance, which I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I really liked it that way. I was expecting romance and swoon and all the feels going in, but I was not at all disappointed with the way the story turned out to be. It’s really more about growth, and not only Macy’s growth at that.
I really enjoyed reading this, and I recommend this for a quick read. It’s not exactly a light summer read, but it’s not exactly dark either. It tackles life issues but not in a heavy manner. I think my only complaint is I hope they were able to talk more about the heart in hand, but other than that I think that this book is really amazing!
