When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

Sara: Decent grades, two best friends, senior year in high school applying for her dream college. All that is missing now is a boyfriend to make her life complete.

The new boy, Dave, has everything she wants in a guy: looks, popularity, sincerity... Or so she thought.

But when Sara finds herself daydreaming more about a different guy than Dave, she needs to rethink about why she wants to be with Dave, or if she should be with Tobey instead...

Tobey: Ever since junior year, Tobey has been secretly crushing on Sara. However, he doesn't think he's good enough with his average grades, his band, and he's not going to college next year.

At the beginning of senior year, though, Tobey makes a goal for him to talk to Sara and see if they could have a real beginning together.

Even when Sara starts to see Dave, Tobey creates plans and scenarios between Sara and Tobey to see if they could have a shot, or if they just weren't meant to be together.

Want to know what happens with Tobey and Sara? Read When It Happens by Susane Colasanti to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This was a cute novel. Takes me back to senior year when applying for colleges and sticking to my own "clique" at school.

This is the first novel of Susane Colasanti's that I've read, and I loved how she did alternating narration between Tobey and Sara. The reader got a chance to see inside of both characters and their insecurities/thoughts throughout their senior year.

I was also really glad to see character development in this novel. Many authors do that during series, but Colasanti was able to develop both characters within this book and learn from one another.

Tobey learned how to be studious and Sara learned to live a little.

I think many high school readers would enjoy this novel. They would be able to relate to either Sara or Tobey and they could relate to the pressure of senior year and college applications.

The only thing that I wish was different was the cover. Because this is in alternating gender narrations, I think teen guys would like this novel, but the cover is definitely for a female audience.

I don't foresee too many guy readers picking this up, which is unfortunate because Tobey's story is really compelling, especially for aspiring musicians.

I might have to pick up another novel by Colasanti and see if she's the next "Sarah Dessen" or "Maureen Johnson"!