Written by Teralyn Mitchell
10 / 10
I’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!
The Rest of the Story is available on Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. 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—her grandmother and cousins 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 divided into two people as well. 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 will win out?
