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Sarah Dessen

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Famous Sarah Dessen Quotes

“"Look," I said, "We knew Jason and Becky would be back, the break would end. This isn't a surprise, it's what's supposed to happen. It's what we wanted. Right?" "Is it?" he asked. "Is it what you want?" Whether he intended it to be or not, this was the final question, the last Truth. If I said what I really thought, I was opening myself up for a hurt bigger than I could even imagine. I didn't have it in me. We changed and altered so many rules, but it was this one, the only one when we'd started, that I would break. "Yes," I said.”

IfsWantLooksSaidEndsHappensWould BeWantedLastsHurtBreakImagineChangedBiggerSurpriseFinalsWhat You WantOpeningAlteredJasonBecky
Author:Sarah Dessen
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“He was not my boyfriend. On the other hand, he wasn't just a friend either. Instead, our relationship was elastic, stretching between those two extremes depending on who else was around, how much either of us had to drink, and other varying factors. This was exactly what I wanted, as commitments had never really been my thing. And it wasn't like it was hard, either. The only trick was never giving more than you were willing to lose.”

GivingTwoHardHandsWantedLosesWillingDrinkCommitmentExtremesTricksFactorsOur RelationshipStretchingMy BoyfriendTwo ExtremesJust FriendsLock And Key
Author:Sarah Dessen
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“But what he didn't understand was that this dreamland was preferable, walking through this life half-sleeping, everything at arm's length or farther away. I understood those mermaids. I didn't care if they sang to me. All I wanted was to block out all the human voices as they called me name again and again, pulling me upward into light, to drown.”

IfsHumansLightCareWantedNamesVoiceSleepHalfArmsWalkingUnderstoodBlockThis LifeLengthAgain And AgainPullingMermaidHuman VoiceDreamland
Author:Sarah Dessen
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“I just stood there, looking at her. My head was spinning, my mouth dry, and all I could think about was that I wanted to go someplace safe, someplace I could be alone and okay, and that this was impossible. My old life had changed and my new one was still in progress, altering by the second. There was nothing, nothing to depend on. And why was I surprised?”

ThinkingStillsWantedProgressImpossibleChangedDependsSafeMouthsOkayDrySpinningOld Life
Book:Lock and Key
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“So say I’m your mom.' 'What?' I said. 'I’m your mom,' he repeated. 'Now tell me you want to quit modeling.' I could feel myself blushing. 'I can’t do that,' I said. 'Why not?' he asked. 'Is it so hard to believe? You think I’m not a good role-player?' 'No,' I said. 'It’s just–' 'Because I am. Everyone wanted me to be their mother in group.' I just looked at him. 'I just… It’s weird.' 'No, it’s hard. But not impossible. Just try it.' A week earlier, I hadn’t even known what color his eyes were. Now, we were family. At least temporarily.”

ThinkingWantFeelsTryingBelieveSaidI CanHardEyeWantedMotherKnownRolesPlayerImpossibleGroupsWeekColorMomQuittingHis EyesWhy NotModelingYour MomHard To BelieveBlushing
Author:Sarah Dessen
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“Once she'd loved my filet mignon, my carnivore inklings, but now she was a vegan princess, living off of beans. She'd given up the cheese and bacon, sworn off Burger King, and when I wouldn't do the same she gave me back my ring. I stood there by the romaine lettuce, feeling my heart pine. Wishing that this meatless beauty still would be all mine. She turned around to go to checkout, fifteen items or less. And I knew this was the last go-round, so this is what I said. ... "Don't you ever give me no rotten tomato, 'cause all I ever wanted was your sweet potato.”

GivingHeartSaidStillsFeelingsWould BeWantedLastsGivenWishCausesMinesSweetKingsMy HeartGive MeRoundsRingsVeganPrincessCheeseFifteenItemsPotatoesGiven UpRottenBeansTomatoesBurgersLettuceCarnivoresBurger KingCheckoutsSweet PotatoesFilet MignonRotten Tomatoes
Author:Sarah Dessen
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“She was so emotional, on the verge of tears. This was what I'd wanted to prevent with all those quick disappearances, the tangledness of farewells and all the baggage they brought with them. But now, looking at Deb, I realized what else I'd given up: knowing for sure that someone was going to miss me. What happened to goodbye, Michael in Westcott had written on my Ume.com page. I was pretty sure I knew, now. It had been packed away in a box of its own, trying to be forgotten, until I really needed it. Until now.”

TryingWantedGivenKnowingWrittenHappenedMissingTearsEmotionalNeededPagesForgottenBoxesI RealizedGoodbyeFarewellGiven UpBaggageVergeDisappearanceMiss MeWhat Happened To Goodbye
Book:What Happened to Goodbye
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“And I felt comfort. Finally. All I'd wanted for so long was for someone to explain everything that had happened to me in this same way. To label it neatly on a page: this leads to this leads to this. I knew, deep down, it was more complicated than that, but watching Jason, I was hopeful. He took the mess that was Macbeth and fixed it, and I had to wonder if he might, in some small way, be able to do the same for me. So I moved myself closer to him, and I'd been there ever since.”

IfsWayLongMightAbleWantedFeltWonderHappenedComfortPagesMovedComplicatedMessLabelsFixedHopefulDeep DownJason
Author:Sarah Dessen
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“Maybe if I'd agreed to do the debutante thing like she wanted. Or taken up pageants instead of riding jump bikes with a bunch of grungy boys. I'd always tell her, why can't I do both? Who says you have to be either smart or pretty, or into girly stuff or sports? Life shouldn't be about the either/or. We're capable of more than that, you know?”

IfsKnowsWantedStuffSportsBoysTakenCapableSmartBunchRidingBikeGirlyPageantEither OrDebutantes
Book:Along for the Ride
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