The Truth About Forever

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2004

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-11

Chapters 12-17

Chapters 18-22

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Background

Authorial Context: Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, particularly in the young adult romance genre. Dessen’s first novel, That Summer, was published in 1996. At the time, there was no identifiable young adult section in bookstores, so her books struggled to find a classification and location that fit their subject and content. Since then, Dessen has experienced the young adult genre transformation. She’s the author of over a dozen young adult novels, her most popular being The Truth About Forever (2004), Just Listen (2006), and Along for the Ride (2009). Her novels have been published in over 30 countries, and millions of copies have sold worldwide.

Dessen is an American novelist born in Illinois but currently resides in North Carolina. Her passion for writing began early, as she was inspired by her parents, both English professors at the University of North Carolina. She graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in English and creative writing.

Many of Dessen’s novels are set in the same fictional universe and interconnected in minor ways. The allusions that occur in The Truth About Forever are as follows:

When Macy watches the news, Lorna McPhail—Haven’s stepmother from That Summer—is mentioned.
Macy’s father owns a beach house in Colby, the town where Auden spends the summer in Along for the Ride and the primary setting in Keeping the Moon and The Moon and More.
Macy attends Jackson High, like Caitlin from Dreamland, Annabel and Owen from Just Listen, Ruby from Lock and Key, Sydney from Saint Anything, Mclean from What Happened to Goodbye, and Auden from Along for the Ride.
When Macy meets Kristy and Monica’s grandmother, Stella, she’s reading a book by Remy’s mother from This Lullaby.
Wes and Macy go to World of Waffles, which makes appearances in This Lullaby, Just Listen, and Along for the Ride.

Other Dessen novels also allude back to The Truth About Forever:

In This Lullaby, Owen and Annabel to go World of Waffles, where they glimpse Wes and Macy.
In Lock and Key, Ruby moves to Wildflower Ridge, the neighborhood Deborah is busy developing. While at work, Ruby also overhears Kristy and Bert discussing the end of the world. Additionally, Nate puts baskets together for Queen Homes, Deborah’s company.
In Along for the Ride, Auden has a temporary crush on Jason Talbot. In his brief appearance, Jason mentions and insults Wes, calling him a juvenile delinquent. Auden also goes to World of Waffles, where she sees Wes and Macy.
In What Happened to Goodbye, Jason appears as a prep cook.
In The Moon and More, Luke—Emmaline’s boyfriend at the beginning of the novel—is the cousin of Wes and Bert.

Cultural Context: American Teen Culture

Sarah Dessen’s novels are told from the first-person perspectives of female teenagers as they navigate various relationships, whether they be familial, romantic, or platonic. Dessen’s novels are coming-of-age stories, as they explore the complexities and struggles within contemporary American teen culture. Though her novels repeat many of the same lessons, they explore conflicts and issues common among American teens.

Dessen’s novels are highly character driven, as they explore the personal changes that take place after experiences of tragedy or loss and the protagonist’s struggles to cope with the expectations, societal pressures, and identity crises of American teens. Key themes Dessen explores in her novels include isolation, personal and interpersonal change, quests for confidence and identity, and emotional distance from family members and friends. Dessen usually explores a teenage girl with a life or identity defining conflict who meets a male romantic lead who struggles with a similar or intersecting issue. As their romance develops, the characters usually grow and learn a major life lesson that impacts the way they look at the world and themselves.

In The Truth About Forever, Macy struggles with the grief over the death of a parent, self-confidence, rebellion, romantic codependency, and the pressure to be perfect. Whether it’s living up to the expectations of her mother or Jason, Macy can’t escape the feeling of failure when she doesn’t attain the perfection that she believes society expects from her. Macy’s issues with attaining perfection in The Truth About Forever are inspired by Dessen’s interactions with her own female students from when she taught at the University of North Carolina. She noticed her female students were aiming tirelessly for effortless perfection, struggling to be an amazing student and incredible friend and maintain a flawless appearance and organized personal life. The impossibility of it caused her students major stress and unattainable expectations under which they eventually buckled.