Tough-O-Meter

We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)

(4) Base Camp

As always, Sarah Dessen's writing is crisp, simple, and easy-to-read, which makes What Happened to Goodbye a pretty straightforward read for teenage readers. The subject matter, however, makes the book a little bit tougher—we're dealing with divorce, the search for identity, and a whole lot of inner turmoil from Mclean. This stuff is pretty relatable, though, so it never gets too hard to make your way through the pages of this book.