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When It Happens, by Susane Colasanti

In When it Happens by Susane Colasanti, Sara is starting senior year of high school and only wishes to get into a good college and experience true love. There is a boy named Tobey who is starting senior year as well, and he only wants to win a band competition and to make Sara fall in love with him. However, another boy named Dave interacts with Sara first, which is what Sara had originally wanted. On the other hand, Sara and Tobey come to be much more alike and understanding of one another, Sara is stuck between the two boys to choose the truest and most suited one of the two for her.

This book is put together exceptionally, and it deeply explains the story of high school seniors' search for happiness and true love. The story is also quite exciting and entertaining. All in all, it is very captivating and urges one to continue reading until the end. I would especially recommend this book to high school students because I think that it will be very fascinating and relatable for them.


Reviewed by Emily K., grade 12
Montrose Library
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Anonymous said…
It's senior year for Sara and Tobey, and they have very different views on how their year will go. Sara knows exactly what she wants. She's desperate to get into NYC and plans on dating the boy of her dreams. Tobey, however, has the exact opposite planned, well he has nothing planned at all. As he's done for the past three years, he slacks off, all year. Tobey's main focus is his band, and he dreams of them becoming famous. Where love is involved, these are looking for the same thing: "something real". Tobey has been in love with Sara for years. Sara has been in love with Dave, who's cute and popular, and she might get her chance. But Tobey knows he and Sara are meant to be together. When will Sara realize?


I had never read one of Susane Colasanti's books before and to be completely honest, it wasn't the most amazing book I've read. I enjoyed it because it wasn't part of a lengthy series, and it was a nice "on the side" book. It is an average, good book, but nothing too special. I think "When It Happens" is just a simple story about average high school seniors with dreams of college and love. I am not very excited to read more of Susane Colasanti's books, for her writing was generic and plain. I would only recommend this as a side read, something to keep yourself occupied.

Reviewed By: Kristine K
July 18, 2013 at 1:30 PM
Anonymous said…
It's senior year for Sara and Tobey, and they have very different views on how their year will go. Sara knows exactly what she wants. She's desperate to get into NYC and plans on dating the boy of her dreams. Tobey, however, has the exact opposite planned, well he has nothing planned at all. As he's done for the past three years, he slacks off, all year. Tobey's main focus is his band, and he dreams of them becoming famous. Where love is involved, these are looking for the same thing: "something real". Tobey has been in love with Sara for years. Sara has been in love with Dave, who's cute and popular, and she might get her chance. But Tobey knows he and Sara are meant to be together. When will Sara realize?

I had never read one of Susane Colasanti's books before and to be completely honest, it wasn't the most amazing book I've read. I enjoyed it because it wasn't part of a lengthy series, and it was a nice "on the side" book. It is an average, good book, but nothing too special. I think "When It Happens" is just a simple story about average high school seniors with dreams of college and love. I am not very excited to read more of Susane Colasanti's books, for her writing was generic and plain. I would only recommend this as a side read, something to keep yourself occupied.

Reviewed By: Kristine K, Grade 10
Casa Verdugo Branch Library
July 18, 2013 at 4:39 PM
Teen Speak said…
Sara starts out her senior year in high school yearning for true love and to get into a top-ranking university. On the other hand, Tobey is also in search of two things: to make Sara fall for him and to win Battle of the Bands. Alas, Dave, the epitome of a popular jock, makes his moves on Sara first. Yet, it becomes hard for Sara to disregard Tobey's reliability, humor and piercing, blue eyes. This hilarious story follows two young voices searching for their soul mates. However, will the heart of gorgeous and genius Sara be won over by a slacker and amateur rocker?

This novel beings on an incredibly awkward tone. Colasanti tries to use "teen lingo" which fails in vain and ends up an utterly, grammatically incorrect piece. As a reader you are constantly thinking about what the sentence structure should have been than focusing on the story. Remember in elementary school when you were given three sentences that you were supposed to merge into one? This story has quite a few times when those three sentences are left as is. This took conversational storytelling to a new place. The distracting wording makes it a task for the reader to push through the plot. In any case, I did so and was pleasantly satisfied. Things started to fall into place halfway through the book and a real plot began to emerge. Maybe by then I was used to the "I was like" and "so I go." At that point When It Happens is just another sweet book of a nice guy trying to get an ambitious girl.

Reviewed by Alexis K., Grade 11
Montrose Library
September 1, 2016 at 3:03 PM
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