CHANGE OF PLANS, by Sarah Dessen, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May 5, 2026, Hardcover, $21.99 (young adult)
Sarah Dessen returns to the YA scene after 7 years away in Change of Plans, a romance that follows a girl whose life changes during an unexpected summer.
Finley has always felt most comfortable in someone else’s shadow. Fortunately, she’s got Colin, her magnetic boyfriend, who sweeps her along for activities, friendships, and future plans. Then she goes on a last-minute trip with her distant mom to a family vacation house that Finley didn’t know existed and is now about to be sold.
Her mom was estranged from her own parents and siblings since leaving home for college, and it’s a novelty for Finley to see her aunts and cousins. There’s also the handful of teens who work at the Egg, her aunt’s diner, and make up a found family of their own—including undeniably handsome guitarist Ben.
Then her relationship with Colin goes into freefall, and Finley’s roadmap for life after high school is gone. She has no choice but to live, for the first time, without plans. The longer Finley stays, the closer she gets to the truth about why her mother stayed away—and why she’s brought Finley here now.
And the closer she grows to new friends at the Egg, the more she starts to fall for charmingly awkward, soulful Ben and to realize how much of herself she’s been missing. By the end of the summer, nothing will be the same—for this community or for Finley herself. —Synopsis provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
There’s something about Sarah Dessen’s writing that feels nostalgic. Even in a contemporary setting, there’s a glow to it that’s hard to put your finger on.
Change of Plans follows Finley, a nondescript girl who has never really stood out or made waves. Finley, who has had little interaction with her mother up until now, finds herself dropped at her family’s lake house, surrounded by people she’s hardly heard of.
It’s a setup perfect for a summer romance — a small lake town, a cute boy, new friends, extended family, and family secrets. And it works. For the most part.
Change of Plans is a story of relationships. And while most pan out in satisfying ways, I finished wishing there was more between Finley and her mom, especially because of how that relationship starts to evolve.
The romance between Finley and Colin is sweet. And all the action at the Egg adds a nice dynamic to this heartfelt read. It’s not Dessen’s best novel, but it’s an enjoyable one nonetheless.
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