Getting Over Garrett Delaney

by Abby McDonald
Published: Candlewick, 2012
Pages: 336

Sadie realizes that her best friend, Garrett, will never return her unrequited love, she sets out determined to detox herself from him.  The problem is she wants to be his friend so it's trickier than she imagined.  Lucky for her, Garrett runs off to writing camp and she rekindles a friendship with childhood best friend, Kayla.  Getting over Garrett Delaney will be tough, but with some moral support Sadie realizes she just might be able to find out who she truly is.


Abby McDonald has written a genuinely fun book.  Her comical over the top character Sadie, has me laughing and smiling at her absurd rules and friends. One of my favorite characters is LuAnn.  Her impeccable style and perky attitude has her on my list of fictional characters I would like to be friends with.  There is so much sass in this book it's hard to keep up with it.  The entire Totally Wired crew is full of surprises and entertainment that could last ages.

 Leave it to Sadie to have you liking her and hating her, but ultimately understanding her emotions.  Most people say things they don't mean when they are being picked apart, even if it's by friends that are just trying to help.  That defensive nature is so strong, especially for Sadie.  She has to figure out who she is and learn to trust herself.  Abby McDonald successfully conveys this particular emotion in her characters.  I felt very sympathetic towards Sadie, but at the same time I knew she was going to regret some of her choice words.  That's just the way friendships go though, highs and lows.

This book started off just right with the perfect about of literature talk and desperate love for a certain Garrett Delaney.  They discussed of the classics I've been meaning to read myself.  However, it seems that the lesson in this book is not only for the character.  By the end of it, I was wondering just why I had to read some of the classics that feel a more like a daunting task than an exciting adventure.  Abby McDonald made me think about my life and whether or not I'm being truthful with myself.  It's surprising who/what can affect you without your realizing it.  As Aiko, barista of Totally Wired, said, "Just because people say something's great, it doesn't mean you have to agree, not if you don't actually enjoy it" (162.)  I can now guarantee that most of the books I read will be because I want to, not because I think I should be reading them.  After all, I'm still in school so there will be some I actually have to read. 
 
Well done, Abby McDonald, well done.  I look forward to reading more of her books in the future. 

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"Charming and poignant - perfect for anyone who's ever had to mend a broken heart."
              - the Fug Girls, authors of Spoiled

"In this entertaining anti-romance, McDonald turns the tragedy of unrequited love on its head as she traces her heroine's determined and often comical efforts to find herself and become more independent."
                 —Publishers Weekly