Perfect Fifths

I devoured this book in the span of an afternoon, having spent this previous week re-reading the first four books in the Jessica Darling series. As fair warning, this is a big departure from the previous volumes, but in many ways, a welcome one. Gone are the journals that first introduced us to JD, and in comes a third-person omniscient narrator (a literary device discussed in detail at several points in the book) that provides insight into both Jessica and Marcus' lives after they coincidentally run into one another at the airport. The entire book is literally just about Marcus and Jessica as they have a very surreal reality check about their pasts with one another, their present feelings, and their futures - with or without one another. The other characters you've come to know and love are all given a namecheck or two throughout the book, but are basically non-factors other than a few well-placed phone calls. Only one new character joins the cast, a girl named Sunny who is weighing heavily on Jessica's demeanor when she has her Marcus encounter. That's not to say the book is flawless - knocking on Canadians is just totally uncalled for! - but it was a welcome conclusion to a series that has forced readers to really analyze 'happily ever afters' and what they mean at different ages in a young woman's life. The intricacies of this novel may not be appreciated on a first reading, but in many ways I felt that McCafferty composed her final tome at the same level as say, JK Rowling did with the final Harry Potter book - by interweaving the tiniest and biggest pieces of the series' history with a very realistic sense of 'now'. In some ways, this book did what Emily Giffin's "Love The One You're With" couldn't - it captured the likely awkwardness and tenderness of two ex-lovers part of a long-running star-crossed epic love story for the everyday ages and included as much realism as it did the occasional nod to whimsy. Although I did miss a bit of the old Jessica Darling - and the way the series was written - ultimately I couldn't imagine this conclusion to my favourite girly series (me and Jessica have indeed grown up together) being written - or completed - any other way.

She has indeed. A great conclusion to a wonderful series. I am so pleased. Jessica Darling, you will be missed.

*SPOILERS* I have been anxiously awaiting the final installment of Jessica Darling's story for two years now, and it was worth the wait. This is the perfect ending to Jessica and Marcus's story and I loved every minute of it. The perfect imperfection of Jessica and Marcus's love story is what makes it so appealing. There are plenty of stories out there chronicling epic love stories that always end happily and have zero flaws. Anyone who has read this series knows that Jessica and Marcus's relationship is riddled with flaws, but in the most endearing of ways. This novel made me love them even more, and had me laughing, gasping, sighing from the moment Marcus hears the name "Jessica Darling" over the loud speaker to the very last word. I loved the switch to Marcus's point of view. For the whole series, he has been an enigma. The reader has been able to figure out just who Marcus Flutie really is. By FINALLY allowing us to see into his head for a while, we have finally begun to understand his motives and his true devotion to Jessica. That was an amazing addition to the series. One of my favorite things about this installment...along with the Marcus Flutie shower scene. BEAUTIFUL. Another favorite? Sunny Dae. At first I was unsure about her involvement because I was worried that she wouldn't make it and it would change Jessica's snarky personality. But as the story progressed, the importance of the character made itself known and I loved the character (and how much she reminded me of the high school Jessica Darling.) I also loved the section consisted entirely of haikus IMMENSELY. It was one of my favorite parts, and such an interesting way to hold a conversation, but so beautiful. I loved that Marcus and Jessica could hold a conversation that said so much in a 5-7-5 syllable structure. Also, the pages containing phrases from the entire series had me on the verge of tears. I'm a sucker for nostalgia. The only thing I was a little disappointed about was the absence of Bridget, Percy, and Hope as major characters. They, of course, made their appearances, but not as much as I would have liked. That is my only complaint, however, and I don't think the novel suffered as a result. The focus was meant to be on Jessica and Marcus for these final hours of the series - they were meant to have that time for just them. Overall, this book was a beautiful ending to a fantastic series. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. The story is so smart and funny that it can be enjoyed by anyone, even those averse to "young adult fiction." I can honestly say that this series affected me in a huge way and I am so thankful for Jessica Darling, Marcus Flutie, and every other character in these beautiful books.

This is final book in the Jessica Darling series. It is the only one to be told from a third-person POV (the previous four books were told from jessica's POV). And while it took getting used to, this new story-telling way allowed the readers to get inside the mind of Marcus Flutie. And I have to say, there probably isn't a Jessica Darling fan out there that wasn't uber-excited for that part of the book. From teh beginning where Marcus was acting like a stalker (Natty was total comic relief, which was annoying but enjoyable at the same time) to the middle where it was complete dialogue (where I had little or no trouble keeping up with when Jessica was talking and Marcus was talking) to the end, which was just the perfect way to end our favorite two people. While the entire book took place in the Newark airport, it was nice to hear how every one else (Bridget, Pepe...er, Percy, Hope, Sara, Scotty, Bethany, Marin, etc) were doing, it was nice that the book consisted mostly of just Jessica and Marcus. The Marcus shower scene made my jaw hit the floor, but it was much appreciated in understanding the effect that Jessica had on Marcus ever after three years of zero contact. And the end of the book, all those one-liners that will now (no doubt) start to appear EVERYWHERE just made the ending better. It was nice to read through them and remember their parts in the series. Jessica's moment of epiphany (after her conversation with Marin) realizing that yes, she actually did love Marcus was probably the biggest DUH! part of the book for me. I will, no doubt, be reading and re-reading this book (with the rest of the series) for years to come.

this was the perfect touch to end a novel series. megan mccafferty delivered another valuable chapter to the jessica darling and marcus flutie fans. it's a must read that will have you laughing and crying, and everything in between!!