Is Change of Plans Worth Reading?
by Sarah Dessen
Ada’s Score
Sarah Dessen, the reigning queen of literary YA, returns with the coming-of-age story of Finley, who takes a last-minute trip with her emotionally distant mother. Dessen's trademark strengths are intact: emotionally precise prose, a richly drawn sense of place, and a heroine whose interior growth feels authentic rather than tidy. The mother-daughter dynamic gives the book more substance than a typical summer romance, though the pacing drifts and the romantic subplot feels secondary and underexplored. Longtime Dessen readers will recognize a slightly quieter, more introspective entry in her enduring catalog.
Young Adult Spotlight“Dessen's ear for teenage interiority is intact—the small domestic observations still ring true, the reason her voice has outlasted trends.”
A Road Trip With a Stranger Who's Your Mother
Dessen has been writing the quiet emotional weather of teenage girls for decades, and she knows exactly when to let a silence sit. Here a reluctant road trip forces Finley toward the mother she barely knows, and the changes are small and cumulative rather than dramatic. If you grew up on her books, this will feel like coming home; if you're new, it's a gentle place to start.
Ada Brief
AI reading intelligence“Dessen's ear for teenage interiority is intact—the small domestic observations still ring true, the reason her voice has outlasted trends.”
A Road Trip With a Stranger Who's Your Mother
Dessen has been writing the quiet emotional weather of teenage girls for decades, and she knows exactly when to let a silence sit. Here a reluctant road trip forces Finley toward the mother she barely knows, and the changes are small and cumulative rather than dramatic. If you grew up on her books, this will feel like coming home; if you're new, it's a gentle place to start.
Ada’s reservations
The plot recycles Dessen's own template: summer, family fracture, tidy healing, with less friction than her best. Longtime readers wanting evolution will feel the repetition. Competent, not essential.
Ada’s score reflects both strengths and reservations.
Book Details
- Language
- English
Get This Book
Affiliate linksISBN: 9798347108770
Disclosure: ReadAda earns a commission on purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Ada’s Score
4.1
Ada’s editorial score — not an aggregate of reader reviews.
Common Questions About Change of Plans
- Is Change of Plans worth reading?
- Dessen's ear for teenage interiority is intact—the small domestic observations still ring true, the reason her voice has outlasted trends. Ada rates it 4.1 out of 5.
- What are the main weaknesses of Change of Plans?
- The plot recycles Dessen's own template: summer, family fracture, tidy healing, with less friction than her best. Longtime readers wanting evolution will feel the repetition. Competent, not essential.
Ada also recommends
More from Young Adult
Release Me
Tahereh Mafi
Ada’s Score
Behind Five Willows
June Hur
Ada’s Score
The Escape Game
Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss
Ada’s Score
Us Dark Few
Alexis Patton
Ada’s Score
Fake Skating
Lynn Painter
Ada’s Score