When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

Synopsis

Seniors in high school Sara and Tobey couldn’t be more different. She wants to get into her first-choice college; he wants to win Battle of the Bands. Sara’s other goal is to find true love, so when popular Dave asks her out, she’s thrilled. But Tobey always creeps into her thoughts. Lucky for Sara, one of Tobey’s goals is to make her fall in love with him.

My review

“When it Happens” is a book about growing up, the uncertainty of the future and finding a real relationship.

Sara Tyler is a senior in high school. Her goals for the last year in school: Get into NYU and find something real. She’s a good student and working very hard to make sure at least one of her goals comes true.

Tobey’s only goal is it to win the Battle of the Bands and on his way to do that, win Sara’s heart.

Right before the summer holidays, the new guy, Dave, asks for Sara’s number and the whole time she wonders why he’s not calling her. Together with her two best friends, she analyses the whole situation until he finally asks her out, the first day back at school. It couldn’t be better for Sara. People are recognising her and she doesn’t mind the attention. Through Brian she has a new circle of friends but doesn’t feel quite comfortable. The relationship with Brian turns out not to be what she thought it would be.

Meanwhile Tobey has an eye on Sara but does he have a chance against Brian? He tries everything to win Sara’s heart and in the end he can’t believe he did it.
Now that she’s with him what else could he want? Everyone around him is applying for college or at least has a clue what to do after school but Tobey never thought about it. Thanks to Sara and his music teacher Tobey soon realises that he wants more than just live from day to day and that his decision might affect Sara’s and his future.

“When it Happens” is a really easy and quick read. It tells the story of Sara and Tobey in such a lovely, a fresh way that you’ll finish it in no time.
Though, you shouldn’t take it too seriously because clearly it’s meant to be for the younger readers. The characters in the book are around 17-18 years old but they certainly don’t act like that. They have a naïve way of handling things and sometimes their thoughts made me laugh.

The main point of the book is the relationship between Tobey and Sara and how they find their way together and make their relationship work even though they’re so different. During the book they find out that they actually have a lot in common, it got more ridiculous each time they found something new. In my opinion it was a little too much!

I couldn’t be too disappointed because I knew what kind of book this would be but there are still a few things that bothered me.
For example the fact that Tobey changed so much throughout the relationship and Sara just stayed the same to me. She often mentioned that “my old me” would never do that, or “in my earlier days I would’ve thought about it twice..”, but you never get to know her “old-self” so you don’t get the feeling she changed much.

Nothing really happens in the book but you swallow it page by page. You don’t have to think too much while reading it and you can just enjoy it.
If you’re looking for something cheerful to read for a holiday or a long journey, you’ve found the right book.