Books vs Movies: Someone Like You, That Summer, and How to Deal

Halley has always followed in the wake of her best friend, Scarlett. But when Scarlett learns that her boyfriend has been killed in a motorcycle accident, and that she's carrying his baby, she's devastated. For the first time ever, Scarlett really needs Halley. Their friendship may bend under the weight, but it'll never break--because a true friendship is a promise you keep forever.

Someone Like Youis the first book by Sarah Dessen that I read. Several of my friends are huge fans of her novels, so I asked for book suggestions. But then I got to the book store and couldn't remember. So I read all the synopses and picked this one. My friends response? "I said pick any but that one. It's her worst!" Well... if that's her worst, then they must all be amazing. Personally, I loved it.

The main character is Halley. And her best friend, Scarlett, gets pregnant. Scarlett, who's always been the together one. But this time Halley will have to be the strong one. Because not only is her bestie pregnant, but the baby's father is killed in an accident, and Scarlett's mother is anything but supportive. This is the first book I've read that centered around a teen pregnancy. It's something that I can't even imagine. As if life isn't hard enough what with high school, applying to college, and trying to fit in. This was a very sweet story, and I absolutely loved it. It definitely made me want to read more by Sarah Dessen. In fact, I went out and bought everything else of hers that was out at the time.

For fifteen-year-old Haven, life is changing too quickly. She's nearly six feet tall, her father is getting remarried, and her sister—the always perfect Ashley—is planning a wedding of her own. Haven wishes things could just go back to the way they were. Then an old boyfriend of Ashley's reenters the picture, and through him, Haven sees the past for what it really was, and comes to grips with the future.

My next Sarah Dessen book was That Summer.I chose to read this one second because it was the first book she had published. Someone Like You was her second. And even though Sarah's books aren't in a series, I like reading books in the order in which they were published. It's interesting to see the author's progress.

I really enjoyed this one. The main character, Haven, lives at home with her mother and older sister... who's about to get married. Her father is getting married to his new girlfriend. The teen years is a time when a lot of change happens, but Haven has to deal with more than most. I really connected with Haven. While my life was very different, there were enough similarities that I felt like I was right there with her. Being able to connect to a character like this goes a long way to me liking the book. I often have a hard time when I can't connect to a character.

In short, both That Summer and Someone Like You were fantastic contemporary YAs, and I can't wait to read more by Sarah Dessen. They are some of the lighter YA books I've read, but I definitely need that sometimes.

How to Deal (New Line Platinum Series)is the story of Halley, a young high school student who is disillusioned with love after seeing the many dysfunctional relationships around her. Her parents are now divorced and her father has a new young girlfriend she doesn't care for too much. Her mother is now always alone; and her sister is so overwhelmed by her upcoming wedding that she barely leaves the house anymore. On top of that, the shallowness of all the girls and guys at her school convinces Halley that finding true love is impossible. A tragic accident, however, leads her to meeting Macon, and suddenly Halley finds that true love can occur under unusual circumstances.

So when I heard that the movie How to Deal was based on a mash-up of Sarah Dessen's That Summer and Someone Like You, I ran right out to see it. The screenwriters took a bit from both and mixed them together. Both Halley and Haven were fantastic main characters and had a lot in common. This film was cute and fun, and my favorite thing was picking it apart. Finding pieces from That Summer and pieces from Someone Like You. I definitely recommend reading both books and seeing this movie.