Once and for All

Once and for All

by Sarah Dessen

Narrated by Karissa Vacker

Unabridged — 10 hours, 41 minutes

Once and for All

Once and for All

by Sarah Dessen

Narrated by Karissa Vacker

Unabridged — 10 hours, 41 minutes

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Overview

From Sarah Dessen, the beloved New York Times bestselling author of SAINT ANYTHING and JUST LISTEN, comes a new novel set in the world of wedding planning!

Is it really better to have loved and lost? Louna's summer job is to help brides plan their perfect day, even though she stopped believing in happily-ever-after when her first love ended tragically. But charming girl-magnet Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged now that he's met the one he really wants. Maybe Louna's second chance is standing right in front of her.

Sarah Dessen's many fans will adore this latest novel, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story with humor, romance, and an ending that is so much more than happily-ever-after.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Audio

09/04/2017
Actor Vacker captures both humor and tragedy in Dessen’s latest YA novel, about a 17-year-old whose summer job is assisting her mother in her high-end wedding-planning business. Surrounded by a clientele of couples in love at work, Louna is constantly reminded of the love she lost when her long-distance boyfriend, Ethan, was killed in a school shooting. Over the years, she has become increasingly skeptical about the nature of love after seeing several extravagant weddings end in divorce. Enter Ambrose, the handsome-but-unpredictable son of a client whom Louna’s mother has hired to help out for the summer as well. At first, Louna and Ambrose clash on the job, but their thorny relationship slowly evolves to friendship with a hint of romance over the course of the novel, which includes intermittent flashbacks to Louna’s relationship with Ethan. Reader Vacker convincingly enacts the range of emotions and array of attitudes experienced by the teenage protagonist, including love, heartbreak, grief, cynicism, longing, and admiration for her mother. She provides unique voices for the other characters. The adolescent boys—Ethan and Ambrose—are consistently distinguishable, and Louna’s mother gets the mature air of a successful business owner, who, like her daughter, is steeled against love after a brief first marriage to Louna’s father but is nevertheless dedicated her work. Vacker’s skilled performance draws attention to the changes in the characters and their relationships in this satisfying audiobook. Ages 12–up. A Viking hardcover. (June)

Publishers Weekly

04/24/2017
Seventeen-year-old Louna was in love once, but it ended in tragedy when her long-distance boyfriend, Ethan, was killed in a school shooting. Louna has since stopped believing she will find love again, though she is surrounded by constant reminders of it: she works for her mother’s successful, high-end wedding-planning business. When Louna’s mother temporarily hires Ambrose, the gorgeous but unpredictable son of a client, Louna is charged with making sure that Ambrose doesn’t make their summer weddings any more difficult. Dessen’s fans will revel in the familiarity of her steady, empathic writing, as well as her attention to detail—particularly the painstaking care Louna and her mother devote to every aspect of a wedding, including their nervous and tightly wound clients—and the emotionally layered characters that populate her story. Dessen (Saint Anything) include a hint of romance between Louna and Ambrose, but this novel is more about grief and recovery. Flashbacks of Louna’s relationship with Ethan, interspersed among the present-day chapters, movingly juxtapose her loss with her tentative efforts to move forward from it. Ages 12–up. Agent: Leigh Feldman, Leigh Feldman Literary. (June)

From the Publisher

Praise for Once and For All:

"Dessen’s expertise at creating a character faced with change is once again on display in this book that reminds readers that love is measured ‘not in minutes but in moments.’” —VOYA 

"Romance, humor, kindhearted characters, and a touch of painful reality make this another sure bet for Dessen fans." —Kirkus Review

"There is no question that this title will be popular with Dessen fans and romance lovers." —School Library Journal

"Dessen delivers a contemplative and satisfyingpleasure-read that speaks to the power of opening oneself up to love, perfector otherwise." —The Horn Book

Praise for Sarah Dessen's writing:


"Is there anyone who can write about what matters most to teens as well as Dessen can?  I sincerely doubt it." —Jodi PicoultNew York Times bestselling novelist of Leaving Time and My Sister’s Keeper 

"Sarah Dessen is something of a rock star in young adult fiction. Her bestselling coming-of-age novels are warmly written explorations of teens in transition that are, by turns, questioning, humorous and hopeful." —Los Angeles Times

★ "Dessen is as skilled as ever at turning out steady, satisfying stories about teens that are easy to fall for." —Publishers Weeklystarred review for The Moon and More

"Readers can count of Dessen; she's a pro at creating characters caught at a nexus of change, who have broken relationships and who need to make decisions . . . Readers will enjoy every minute they spend with her." —Kirkus Reviews on What Happened to Goodbye

"Realistic teen dialogue, authentic girl friendships, and a complex underlying question: Can people really change?" —Kirkus Reviews on Along for the Ride

"Good story, real characters, happy ending . . . another must-read." —VOYA on Lock and Key

"The romance which forms the core of the story is everything a romance should be." —Horn Book on Just Listen

School Library Journal

05/01/2017
Gr 9 Up—Louna's broken heart and her mother's cynical views on love and marriage have soured her on the idea of everlasting love. While working at her mother's wedding planning business, she meets Ambrose, whom she had to drag away from a girl so that he could escort his mother down the aisle. Louna is not thrilled when her mother hires Ambrose for the summer, but he is charming and spices up her usual summer routine. Louna prefers to date only when forced to by her best friend Jilly, while Ambrose plays the field nightly. Louna's disdain for Ambrose's escapades leads to a friendly wager—for the next seven weeks she will date around and he will commit to one person; the winner will choose the loser's next date. As the story unfolds, the truth of Louna's heartbreak is revealed one piece at a time, just as she admits her real feelings for Ambrose. Can she open her heart to love again? The answer is obvious, but nevertheless it is an enjoyable journey getting there. Secondary characters, such as Louna's mother, Jilly, and William, her mother's best friend and business partner, are well developed and add depth to the protagonist's past and present. However, an attempt at racial diversity falls flat with three separate descriptions of peripheral characters as black, while there is no other mention of race or ethnicity for any other character. VERDICT There is no question that this title will be popular with Dessen fans and romance lovers.—Kefira Phillipe, Nichols Middle School, Evanston, IL

MAY 2017 - AudioFile

Author Sarah Dessen is top-notch at fast-moving teen dialogue, and narrator Karissa Vacker is wonderful at delivering it. Vacker captures the witty sarcasm of Louna, who believes that the possibility of love is limited. Vacker nails the jaded attitude of an 18-year-old who’s been raised by a busy, problem-solving mother, a wedding planner extraordinaire. Vacker also reveals the deeper side of the hurt that underlies Louna’s views of love’s limitations. As Louna quickly rejects the romantic overtures of the wealthy, spoiled Ambrose, Vacker lets his genuine affection for her shine through despite Louna’s distain. The emotions that play out in this Dessen romance will captivate fans new and old. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2017-03-29
Louna finds her cynicism about romance challenged when her family's wedding business hires Ambrose.After years facing brides with cold feet and badly behaved wedding guests, Louna has become skeptical about romance and plans on remaining single during her last summer before college. Luckily, the busy wedding schedule provides plenty of legitimate excuses for Louna to avoid opportunities to meet potential dates. That changes when satisfying a particularly fussy bridal party requires hiring the bride's brother, Ambrose. He's a lady's man who typically charms more than one potential date during every social gathering. But he professes honesty about his dating motivations, expresses genuine interest in his dates, and displays a sort of oddly enchanting "aw, shucks" dismissal of his ability to reel in girls. Louna's outwardly dismayed by his antics, but his clichéd (but adorable) gestures, such as impulsively adopting a rescue dog, begin to win her over. However, Louna's still tormented by the unexpected death of her first love. Flashbacks to their relationship combined with the way she reluctantly accepts the need to move forward too provide a bittersweet counterpoint to the traditional rom-com storyline. Louna's lovingly depicted gay godfather provides a bit of diversity in the otherwise apparently straight, white cast. Romance, humor, kindhearted characters, and a touch of painful reality make this another sure bet for Dessen fans. (Romance. 12-16)

Product Details

BN ID: 2940169062731
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Publication date: 06/06/2017
Edition description: Unabridged
Sales rank: 478,839
Age Range: 10 - 13 Years

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1
(Continues…)



Excerpted from "Once and for All"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Sarah Dessen.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Young Readers Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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