Breakaway

4 stars — This one was such an easy and compelling read, I started it at bedtime and stayed up to finish it in one shot. I loved the frank and honest discussions about feelings and struggles that Dawn and Logan constantly had. I loved that they didn’t beat around the bush, but were blunt and forthright. I also loved that they truly tried to listen to the other person and try to understand from the other person’s perspective what they were going through. It made for less drawn-out angst for no reason, and I appreciated that. I also appreciated the way Dawn could know when she was being unreasonable, but be unable to pull herself out of it. Because that’s kind of real. Things don’t change on a dime. I loved that she was torn between what she couldn’t help but feel, and not wanting to hurt the guy she had feelings for…being genuinely happy for him at the same time as being super sad for herself. I also appreciated that part of the reason she couldn’t get over it was because she didn’t quite understand what was underlying her feelings, and needed to figure that out first. It was very real. Logan almost bent over backwards for Dawn at times, and I was worried about that, so I was happy when he would get upset with her and understand she wasn’t being fair…but it didn’t stop him trying to find a solution. I appreciated that his Dad was worried about him fixating on things, even if by the end he was still kind of one track minded (or two track as the case may be). I thought their relationship and feelings moved pretty darn fast, and it felt a teensy bit unbelievable…but on the other hand, I don’t know if I actually cared because I really liked them together. I loved their bantering and how adorable they were with their crushes and all of that. It was both unrealistic and realistic, because sometimes those crushes do move quickly through the stages. I kinda forgot about the previous stories and the previous characters, and wished I’d refreshed my memory a bit more. It’s totally readable without that, but it definitely adds more to know the other stories beforehand (particularly Toby and Nat’s). I loved the different kinds of friendships Dawn had with different people, from the totally odd Scott, to the adorable Oliver, to the rest of the Sisterhood of Awesomeness. I forgot about the sisterhood. I loved the way they truly talked through things, and were like sounding boards, trying to encourage one another to be better. I LOVED Mrs. McMann. She was delightful. I loved that even though it was an employer/employee relationship, I could really feel the friendship that developed between Mrs. McMann and Dawn, and I loved how they complemented one another, how she helped Dawn work through her problems. I really love this series. The characters are always sassy, but they also have some very thoughtful conversations about interesting topics. I love that. Kinda sad it’s probably finished.