Review: Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

Title: Getting Over Garrett Delaney
Author: Abby McDonald
Published: January 24th 2012
Source: Purchased
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

Can a twelve-step program help Sadie kick her unrequited crush for good? Abby McDonald serves up her trademark wit and wisdom in a hilarious new novel.

Seventeen-year-old Sadie is in love: epic, heartfelt, and utterly one-sided. The object of her obsession — ahem, affection — is her best friend, Garrett Delaney, who has been oblivious to Sadie’s feelings ever since he sauntered into her life and wowed her with his passion for Proust (not to mention his deep-blue eyes). For two long, painful years, Sadie has been Garrett’s constant companion, sharing his taste in everything from tragic Russian literature to art films to '80s indie rock — all to no avail. But when Garrett leaves for a summer literary retreat, Sadie is sure that the absence will make his heart grow fonder — until he calls to say he’s fallen in love. With some other girl! A heartbroken Sadie realizes that she’s finally had enough. It’s time for a total Garrett detox! Aided by a barista job, an eclectic crew of new friends (including the hunky chef, Josh), and a customized self-help guide, Sadie embarks on a summer of personal reinvention full of laughter, mortifying meltdowns, and a double shot of love.

My Thoughts:

It's funny how I buy certain books and put them off to the point where I'm not sure if I can get into them. This book was one of the early purchases I made right after I got my Nook. It sounded like a cute story, and it turns out it really was. It was also the kind of story I could relate to more than I expected.

Why could I relate to Sadie? Because I WAS Sadie back in the day. One-sided love. I'm sure we've all been there at some point, but the feelings she had for Garrett, it was almost like reading my own journal from ten years ago. They were real, and the two of them really had a bond. So, to face the fact that he's found someone else, that's excruciating. Sadie putting forth the effort to get over him, that takes a lot of strength. And Sadie WAS strong, and she kept pushing forward to get over him, even though Garrett, sadly, still had a lot of influence on her. I couldn't help but picture myself as her, struggling with feelings, hoping for something more even though you know you shouldn't. Sadie's friends were a major support, keeping her together through it all.

Getting Over Garrett Delaney was a cute read. It wasn't a typical "girl gets kissed and they live happily ever after" kind of story. Sadie experienced a lot of growth that had nothing to do with falling in love. Abby McDonald crafted a true-to-life young adult experience that a lot of girls can learn from. It would have been nice to have this around all those years ago, maybe it would have opened my eyes a little bit!

My Rating:

The 2013 Official Wrap Up Post

I know, right? It's the end of 2013 and I can't believe it! Here's a wrap up on my year at Thoughts with links to all the reviews posted this year and all the books I read.

The Books I Read...

1. Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

2. Nobody But Us by Kristen Halbrook

3. Desire by Kailin Gow

4. Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett

5. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

6. Elixir by Hilary Duff

7. Being Henry David by Cal Armistead

8. Casey Barnes Eponymous by E.A. Rigg

9. Waiting For The Storm by Marie Landry

10. Going Vintage by Lindsay Leavitt

11. Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley

12. Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

13. Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIHM by Robert C. O'Brien

14. Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

15. Snowed Over by Angie Stanton

16. Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

17. Edge Of Disaster by A.M. Hargrove

18. The Authoritative Calvin And Hobbes by Bill Watterson

19. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

20. Shut Out by Kody Kepplinger

21. The Get Fuzzy Experience: Are You Bucksperienced by Darby Conley

22. Suffocate by S.R. Johannes

23. Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram

24. Escape Theory by Margaux Froley

25. Precious Things by Stephanie Parent

26. Addicted To You by Krista Richie & Becca Richie

27. Losing It by Cora Carmack
28. Requiem by Lauren Oliver

29. Green Eyes by Abe Birnbaum

30. Garfield: The Cat Show by Norma Simone

31. Hysteria by Megan Miranda

32. Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

33. Walt Disney's Cinderella by Walt Disney Company

34. A Busy Day For Stegosaurus by Dawn Bentley

35. Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson

36. His Wicked Games by Ember Casey

37. Garfield Out To Lunch by Jim Davis

38. Locked by Maya Cross

39. Foreplay by Sophie Jordan

40. A Thirty-Something Girl by L.M. Stull

41. Fearless by Tawny Weber

42. Words of Lust by Lise Horton

43. Cake by Lauren Dane

44. Truth or Dare by Ember Casey

45. Fanny by Stephen Cosgrove

46. Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

47. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Marie Landry

48. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

49. Northanger Alibi by Jenni James

50. No Strings Attached by Nicolette Day

51. Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

52. After the Kiss by Lauren Layne

53. Wrong Bed, Right Guy by Katee Robert

54. Finding It by Cora Carmack

55. Wicked Heat by Nicola Marsh

56. Undressed by Marie Landry

57. Smoke by Ellen Hopkins

58. Becoming Bryn by Angela Carling

59. Rushing Into Love by Ashelyn Drake

60. Layers Deep by Lacey Silks

61. To Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones

62. Switched by Cassie Mae

63. My First, My Last by Lacey Silks

64. Hard to Handle by Jessica Lemmon

65. The Almost Girl by Amalie Howard
66. Kiss Me Again by Rachel Vail

67. Entwine by Rebecca Berto

68. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

69. Sweet Victory by Ember Casey

70. Down for the Count by Christine Bell

71. No Dress Required by Cari Quinn

72. Sneaking Candy by Lisa Burstein

73. Elevator Heat by B.D. Rowe

74. Bossy Request by Lacey Silks

75. Six Dinner Sid by Inga Moore

The Books I Reviewed...

1). Cummings, E.E.: Complete Poems, 1904-1962 (01/02/2013)
2). Scheidt, Erica Lorraine: Uses For Boys (01/08/2013)
3). Clare, Cassandra: City Of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) (01/10/2013)
4). Madsen, Cindy: All The Broken Pieces (01/15/2013)
5). Halbrook, Kristen: Nobody But Us (01/22/2013)
6). Peterfreund, Diana: Among The Nameless Stars (For Darkness Shows The Stars #0.5) (01/24/2013)
7). Kant, Komal: Impossible (With Me #1) (01/29/2013)
8). Bennett, Cindy C.: Rapunzel Untangled (02/05/2013)
9). Heath, Amanda: This Beautiful Thing (Young Love #1) (02/07/2013)
10). Gow, Kailin: Desire (Desire #1) (02/12/2013)
11). Rowell, Rainbow: Eleanor & Park (02/19/2013)
12). Kacvinski, Katie: Awaken (Awaken #1) (02/21/2013)
13). Armistead, Cal: Being Henry David (02/26/2013)
14). Beagle, Peter S.: The Last Unicorn (The Last Unicorn #1) (03/05/2013)
15). Duff, Hilary: Elixir (Elixir #1) (03/07/2013)
16). Coley, Liz: Pretty Girl-13 (03/12/2013)
17). Leavitt, Lindsey: Going Vintage (03/19/2013)
18). Rigg, E.A.: Casey Barnes Eponymous (04/02/2013)
19). Landry, Marie: Waiting For The Storm (05/07/2013) 
20). Clayton, Alice: Wallbanger (Cocktail #1) (05/21/2013)
21). O'Brien, Robert C.: Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH (05/28/2013)
22). Perkins, Stephanie: Anna And The French Kiss (Anna And The French Kiss #1) (06/04/2013)
23). Stanton, Angie: Snowed Over (06/11/2013)
24). Hopkins, Ellen: Triangles (06/18/2013)
25). Hargrove, A.M.: Edge Of Disaster (An Edge Novel #1) (06/25/2013)
26). Keplinger, Kody: Shut Out (07/02/2013)
27). Forman, Gayle: Just One Day (Just One Day #1) (07/09/2013)
28). Johannes, S.R.: Suffocate (The Breathless #1) (07/15/2013)
29). Oram, Kelly: Serial Hottie (07/23/2013)
30). Froley, Margaux: Escape Theory (Keaton School #1) (07/30/2013)
31). Parent, Stephanie: Precious Things (08/06/2013)
32). Richie, Krista & Richie, Becca: Addicted To You (Addicted #1) (08/14/2013)
33). Carmack, Cora: Losing It (Losing It #1) (08/22/2013)
34). Oliver, Lauren: Requiem (Delirium #3) (08/27/2013)
35). Miranda, Megan: Hysteria (09/03/2013)
36). Horton, Lise: Words Of Lust (09/12/2013)
37). Weber, Tawny: Fearless (09/14/2013)
38). Dane, Lauren: Cake (09/15/2013)
39). Casey, Ember: His Wicked Games (His Wicked Games #1) (09/17/2013)
40). Cross, Maya: Locked (The Alpha Group #1) (09/24/2013)
41). White, E.B.: Charlotte's Web (09/28/2013)
42). Casey, Ember: Truth Or Dare (His Wicked Games #2) (10/01/2013)
43). McDonald, Abby: Getting Over Garrett Delaney (10/15/2013)
44). Stull, L.M.: A Thirty-Something Girl (10/22/2013)
45). Thompson, Alicia: Psych Major Syndrome (10/24/2013)
46). Landry, Marie: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (11/05/2013)
47). Jordan, Sophie: Foreplay (The Ivy Chronicles #1) (11/06/2013)
48). Kenneally, Miranda: Stealing Parker (Hundred Oaks #2) (11/15/2013)
49). James, Jenni: Northanger Alibi (The Jane Austen Diaries #2) (11/20/2013)
50). Drake, Ashelyn: Rushing Into Love (Campus Romance #3) (11/21/2013)
51). Carling, Angela: Becoming Bryn (11/26/2013)
52). Hubbard, Kirsten: Like Mandarin (11/28/2013)
53). Carmack, Cora: Finding It (Losing It #3) (11/29/2013)
54). Mae, Cassie: Switched (12/03/2013)
55). Hopkins, Ellen: Smoke (Burned #2) (12/13/2013)
56). Sones, Sonya: To Be Perfectly Honest: A Novel Based on an Untrue Story (12/16/2013)
57). Vail, Rachel: Kiss Me Again (If We Kiss #2) (12/21/2013)
58). Layne, Lauren: After the Kiss (Sex, Love & Stiletto, #1) (12/23/2013)
59). Day, Nicolette: No Strings Attached (Falling For You #1) (12/27/2013)

Thoughts Weekly Update (32)

Welcome to the Weekly Update here on Thoughts! This is where I will share what books I finished, what I am currently reading, the current word count on my WIP, links from the posts from the last week, and maybe a little something on what's going on in my life.

Finished

Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald (-Goodreads-)

Currently Reading

Above by Leah Bobet (-Goodreads-)
Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson (-Goodreads-)
Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard (-Goodreads-)
A Thirty-Something Girl by L.M. Stull (-Goodreads-)

Up Next

Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Black (-Goodreads-)
Northanger Alibi by Jenni Jones (-Goodreads-)

Word Count 

If Only We ~ 57,556
Check out my writer blog for the latest.

On The Blog This Week

• Stacking The Shelves #16: July Edition
• Cover Reveal For My Debut Novel If Only We!
• Review: Precious Things by Stephanie Parent
• Oh, How Pinteresting! (3)

The Latest With Me

AHHHH. Okay, so I keep trying to type this out and keep getting distracted. It's been a LONG week. I don't know what it was, if it was just work or just that the days dragged on forever or what, but it's been a long week. It's over now, and it's the weekend, and that's just awesome. I'm pretty exhausted, so the idea of sleeping in tomorrow sounds quite amazing if I do say so myself.

Hope you have a great weekend!!!

Thoughts Weekly Update (26)

Welcome to the Weekly Update here on Thoughts! This is where I will share what books I finished, what I am currently reading, the current word count on my WIP, links from the posts from the last week, and maybe a little something on what's going on in my life.

Finished

~~NONE~~

Currently Reading

Precious Things by Stephanie Parent (-Goodreads-)
Escape Theory by Margaux Froley (-Goodreads-)
Requiem by Lauren Oliver (-Goodreads-)
Hysteria by Megan Miranda (-Goodreads-)
Addicted To You by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie (-Goodreads-)

Up Next

Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Black (-Goodreads-)
Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson (-Goodreads-)
Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald (-Goodreads-)

Word Count 

If Only We ~ 57,556
Check out my writer blog for the latest.

On The Blog This Week

•  Choke, Book #2 in the Breathless Novelette Series by S.R. Johannes is now available!
• Gilmore Girls Mondays (2)
• Review: Edge Of Disaster by A.M. Hargrove
• On the writing blog: Listening to the bands and music we love

The Latest With Me

So, this last week was kind of a fail for me. I don't even know how it happened either! I had all these good intentions to finish two books and to get caught up on writing, but... nada. Hmm... I think I may need to reevaluate a few things so that I can get a better routine going. I have been spending way too much time online on blogs and Twitter, and while I love to do this, I may need to cut back a little bit and use that time for writing and reading more. Sorry to my blogging buddies! It's not like I'll be absent... I'll probably be tweeting complaints about the revisions and whatnot, so you'll hear from me plenty. I also need to take some time over the weekend to schedule as many posts as possible for next month so I can focus better on writing and reading.

Last week I mentioned having a photo shoot with a couple friends. SO MUCH FUN. I have the pictures uploaded and may be sharing some of them with you guys soon. I'm still working out the details as to what I want to do with them (some I want to make photo prints to sell in my Etsy shop, others I might be uploading to Dreamstime). Once I get that figured out, I'll try to share at least a couple of them!

This weekend, aside from blog writing, reading, and revising, I'll be going to the ZOO. And seeing my lovely little lemurs and their new BABIES. Ahhhhh!!!! <3 So excited. I'm going with a friend and her 2 year old son. Oh, it will be a blast, I just know it!

Hope you have a great weekend!!!

Thoughts Weekly Update (42)

Welcome to the Weekly Update here on Thoughts! This is where I will share what books I finished, what I am currently reading, the current word count on my WIP, links from the posts from the last week, and maybe a little something on what's going on in my life.

Finished

Finding It by Cora Carmack (-Goodreads-)
Wicked Heat by Nicola Marsh (-Goodreads-)

Currently Reading

Becoming Bryn by Angela Carling (-Goodreads-)

To Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones (-Goodreads-)
Smoke by Ellen Hopkins (-Goodreads-)
Rushing Into Love by Ashelyn Drake (-Goodreads-)

Word Count 

If Only We ~ 59,390
Check out my writer blog for the latest.

On The Blog This Week

• Review: Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald
• Waiting On Wednesday (16): Allegiant by Veronica Roth

The Latest With Me

So. OMG. If Only We has been formatted and is up on Smashwords. Hopefully it will be available on retailers for preorder by the end of the weekend. Once it is, I will be sure to link you guys to it. I'm currently spending almost all of my free time getting the blog tour together for release week (October 27th through November 2nd). If you would be able to participate with a spotlight or feature one of my playlists, that would be so super awesome and I could love you forever. Please send me an email at impulsivities@gmail.com and I will be in touch.

Something else new and exciting is happening in my life... I GOT A NEW JOB. It's actually going to be pretty awesome. I've spent 9 years working in retail as a pharmacy tech and I found a job that is all data entry and no retail. I will be starting the job a week after If Only We comes out. Talk about insanity. I always seem to have huge things happen in my life all at once. At least this time it's two amazing things. ^_^

Hope you have a great weekend!!!

Young Adult Giveaway Hop!!! Enter to win bookish things...

Welcome to the Young Adult Giveaway Hop! Brought to you by the wonderful I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and also hosted by Down the Rabbit Hole. The dates for this hop run from January 27th through January 31st (technically it is a day early, BUT, the host prefers it to happen early).

Click here to check out the rest of the participating blogs!!!

What do you have the chance to win? You may choose ONE book among the following books (shipped from The Book Depository*):

*The Book Depository must ship to your country for you to enter.

1. Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

2. The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols

3. Love And Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

4. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

5. Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

6. Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti

7. Virals by Kathy Reichs

8. The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

9. Tempest by Julie Cross

Sound good? Good! Here's the official rules/guidelines for the giveaway:

1. You must be a follower.

2. You must be over 15 years old.

3. This is open to international followers. (Only if The Book Depository will ship to you; please check this link to see if you are eligible.)

4. This contest runs from January 27th to 31st.

5. You can gain extra entries by "liking" my Facebook page &/or following me on Twitter @onlyminordetail.

6. Winner will be selected at 12:01 a.m. on February 1st via Rafflecopter random selection.

Thanks to everyone following and entering!

Thoughts Weekly Update (28)

Welcome to the Weekly Update here on Thoughts! This is where I will share what books I finished, what I am currently reading, the current word count on my WIP, links from the posts from the last week, and maybe a little something on what's going on in my life.

Finished

Precious Things by Stephanie Parent (-Goodreads-)

Currently Reading

Requiem by Lauren Oliver (-Goodreads-)
Hysteria by Megan Miranda (-Goodreads-)
Addicted To You by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie (-Goodreads-)

Up Next

Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Black (-Goodreads-)
Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson (-Goodreads-)
Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald (-Goodreads-)

Word Count 

If Only We ~ 57,556
Check out my writer blog for the latest.

On The Blog This Week

• For The Love Of Books Giveaway Hop Sign Ups!
• Stacking The Shelves #15: June Edition
• Presenting... Secrets In The Blood by Kymber C. Hawke: Cover Reveal!
• Gilmore Girls Mondays (3)
• Great Summer Reads Giveaway Hop!
• Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman
• Oh, How Pinteresting! (1)

The Latest With Me

Whirlwind week as usual! Mostly work and boring stuff around my place. Tomorrow I'll be going to my county's fair, which is located ACROSS THE STREET from me. I know, awesome, RIGHT? I plan on riding as many rides as possible and crossing my fingers I don't get myself sick. I got a little dizzy last year after a couple of them, but that may have been more the heat getting to me than the ride itself. Also, I want cotton candy. Note to self: Don't forget to buy cotton candy. Okay, noted!

Hope you have a great weekend!!!