Rating: 
(196 reviews)
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Puffin
Product Description
When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn’t mess around. After all, she’s learned all there is to know from her mother, who’s currently working on husband number five. But there’s something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy’s rules. He certainly doesn’t seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can’t seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy’s starting to understand what those love songs are all about? From acclaimed author Sarah Dessen, this is a captivating novel about a tough-as-nails girl and the unexpectedly charming boy who’s determined to soften her up. Amazon.com Review
“I had no illusions about love… It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn’t. People weren’t meant to be together forever, regardless of what the songs say.” Remy doesn’t believe in love. And why should she? Her romance novelist mother is working on her fifth marriage, and her father, a ’70s hippie singer, left her with only a one-hit wonder song to remember him by. Every time Remy hears “This Lullaby,” it feels like “a bruise that never quite healed right.” “Wherever you may go / I will let you down / But this lullaby plays on…” Never without a boyfriend, Remy is a compulsive dater, but before a guy can go all “Ken” on her (as in “ultra boyfriend behavior”) she cuts him off, without ever getting close or getting hurt. That’s why she’s stunned when klutzy, quirky, alterna-band boy Dexter inserts himself into her life and refuses to leave. Remy’s been accepted to Stanford, and she plans on having her usual summer fling before tying up the loose ends of her pre-college life and heading for the coast. Except Dexter’s not following Remy’s tried-and-true rules of break-up protocol. And for the first time, Remy’s questioning whether or not she wants him to.
Author Sarah Dessen’s ability to write novels that are both crowd pleasers and literary masterpieces of YA fiction is showcased beautifully in This Lullaby. Subtle yet completely absorbing, Lullaby is peopled with breathtakingly believable, three-dimensional characters, the very best of which is the bitter, broken Remy herself. An original love story about learning to love yourself first. (Ages 12 and older) –Jennifer Hubert
5 Comments
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Sarah Dessen just keeps getting better and better with each novel I read by her. The characters are so gripping and wonderful that you want to find out what happens to them, but you never want the book to end. It was no different with This Lullaby.n
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Remy knows relationships. Each time they begin to get too serious, she gives him “the talk”. And she’s given that talk many times. But one day she meets Dexter, clumsy, sweet, and-not-willing-to-give-up Dexter. They soon begin to grow closer and finally they start dating. But Remy can’t figure out why she doesn’t feel the need to dump him. Is it possible that she’s finally figuring out what love really means?n
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This book was impossible to put down. I just had to keep reading to find out what would happen with Remy and Dexter. What’s so great about this book (and all of Sarah’s books, for that matter) is that they have to do with real life. Her books are real and true, and they will leave an impression on you. If you’re looking for a book about a real teenage girl’s life and the happiness, heartache, sorrow, joy, and drama that goes along with it, then pick up this one. You will love it.
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the synopsis of the story at first spiked my interest. however, my opinion of it got slowly lower, and lower, first with all the drinking, smoking and sex mentioned in the book. but that didn’t bother me as much as how BORING it was. the story progressed so slowly, i had to put down the book at almost every chapter to occupy myself with something else more interesting. also, i kept waiting for some good substance to make up for the slow wait, but it never came and though the ending was predictable, it was extremely dissatisfying. overall, slow and boring, though i do have to say Dexter was my favorite character, i liked his personality very much.
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Remy doesn’t believe in love. After all, if your mom has divorced and remarried about five times, how could she? And why does her mom suddenly think this new guy is “the one?” Remy’s got all her relationship rules all laid out. After she gets too close to a guy, she dumps him.n
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But then she meets Dexter, and something about him is different. He just won’t let her push him away, and soon a real relationship develops between them. Of course, there are always the complications: Remy is only looking for a summer relationship before heading off to college, Dexter isn’t.n
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This Lullaby follows Remy through her ups and downs in her relationships with her friends, her mom, Dexter, and the song her dead father wrote. Remy’s struggles are very realistic and easy to follow. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, like I enjoyed Sarah Dessen’s other books, and I am eagerly awaiting the release of Lock and Key, another novel by Sarah Dessen. I would highly recommend this book and Sarah Dessen’s other books to everyone, especially fans of Dab Caletti.
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My 7th grader got a hold of this book in her Advanced Language Arts class in school. Since it was the beginning of the year, I thought I’d go ahead and read it to see what kind of books the teacher had in her classroom library. Boy was I in for a shocker! This book would be a rated R film with it’s language and sex alone. But what bothered me most was the flashback to a rape — it was truly unnecessary to the story. I get that it was a catalyst for Remy’s promiscuity, but a Jr. HS reader would not understand that. n
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Remy is really very funny in a dark, cynical way. And Dexter is a fun, lovable character. I just do not see how this scene, or the constant drinking and strong language are necessary to make this a good book. My daughter was shocked. Unfortunately, she had to learn how a girl can be hurt by sex when she is just learning what sex is and why she gets a period. It could be a good first romance without the rape scene. n
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She won’t be reading any more of Sarah’s books any time soon — and that is what SHE said. I just happen to like her decision! n
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On one hand, I did enjoy certain parts of this book, for example “Hate Spinnerbait” is forever lodged in my brain. On the other hand, I couldn’t really feel the connection between Remy and Dexter and for some reason throughout the entire book I kept thinking how he deserves better. Not that Remy wasn’t a likeably enough character, it’s just that he always seemed so sincere and she never had her heart in it. n
To sum up: After reading the book, I was left with kind of a blah feeling, but upon further review I keep going back to the funny momments and they make me feel that I didn’t waste the time reading it.
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