Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    This Lullaby
    Unavailable
    This Lullaby
    Unavailable
    This Lullaby
    Audiobook10 hours

    This Lullaby

    Written by Sarah Dessen

    Narrated by Ali Ahn

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    From the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Once and for All

    She's got it all figured out.

    Or does she? When it comes to relationships, Remy's got a whole set of rules.

    Never get too serious. Never let him break your heart. And never, ever date a musician.

    But then Remy meets Dexter, and the rules don't seem to apply anymore.

    Could it be that she's starting to understand what all those love songs are about?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJun 11, 2009
    ISBN9781101079324
    Unavailable
    This Lullaby
    Author

    Sarah Dessen

    Sarah Dessen is the number one New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen novels for teens, which have received numerous awards and rave reviews. Her books have been published in over thirty countries and have sold millions of copies worldwide. She currently lives in North Carolina with her family.

    More audiobooks from Sarah Dessen

    Related to This Lullaby

    Related audiobooks

    YA Music & Performing Arts For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Q&A

      Nov 14, 2019

      Q&A
      3 min read

    • Article

      Face The Music

      Jun 1, 2015

      Face The Music
      5 min read

    • Article

      Face The Music

      Jul 1, 2015

      Face The Music
      5 min read

    • Article

      Face The Music

      Jun 1, 2015

      Face The Music
      5 min read

    • Article

      Face The Music

      May 1, 2015

      Face The Music
      4 min read

    • Article

      Face The Music

      May 1, 2015

      Face The Music
      5 min read

    • Article

      Face The Music

      Jun 1, 2015

      Face The Music
      5 min read

    • Article

      Marry Melodies

      Jul 3, 2017

      Marry Melodies
      3 min read

    • Article

      Crying By The Pool

      Sep 15, 2021

      Crying By The Pool
      5 min read

    • Article

      Riffing On Classics

      Dec 13, 2022

      Riffing On Classics
      9 min read

    • Article

      Jason Aldean Wants His Music To Speak For Itself

      Apr 11, 2018

      On Rearview Town, his first album since the mass shooting at a festival in Las Vegas while he was on stage, the country singer — one of the genre's definitive stars — isn't changing course.

      8 min read

    • Article

      Zach Witness

      Nov 4, 2021

      Zach Witness
      2 min read

    • Article

      Marry Melodies

      Jan 2, 2017

      Marry Melodies
      3 min read

    • Article

      Q & A

      May 20, 2021

      Q & A
      3 min read

    • Article

      Q&A

      Jul 13, 2023

      Q&A
      3 min read

    • Article

      Face The Music

      May 22, 2017

      Face The Music
      4 min read

    • Article

      Change Of Tune

      Feb 1, 2023

      Change Of Tune
      2 min read

    • Article

      Shamir

      Jan 6, 2020

      Shamir
      8 min read

    • Article

      Face The Music

      Jun 12, 2017

      Face The Music
      4 min read

    • Article

      Channel Tres

      May 23, 2023

      Channel Tres
      9 min read

    • Article

      Going Supernova

      Dec 1, 2020

      Going Supernova
      5 min read

    • Article

      From Pop to Bop

      Dec 15, 2020

      From Pop to Bop
      5 min read

    • Article

      Face The Music

      Jun 26, 2017

      Face The Music
      4 min read

    • Article

      Deerhunter

      Dec 15, 2018

      Deerhunter
      26 min read

    Reviews for This Lullaby

    4/5

    1,113 ratings46 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      This is not the first Sarah Dessen book and it certainly won't be the last. I have learned to fall in love with the characters she introduces and with this book it was no different. I could find myself relating to the main character on a whole new level but I also managed to get very frustrated with her at some points throughout the book. Like all Sarah Dessen books I would solemnly recommend this book to teenage girls or to women who have yet to find their true love. Truly it's an astounding book.
    • 5/5
      I would just like to say that if you read the books you can notice that some of the characters see each other. like in The Moon and More it says that Benji learned the game "Got yah" from his cousins Wes and Bert who are from Dessens other book the truth about forever and in the book just listen the main characters see Wes and, {sorry her name isn't coming to my mind} they see them at "Waffle World".Remys love story is different from most teens she risks loving Dexter and is afraid to admit that she really loves him even though she realizes she never truly love any one until she meets Dexter!!!Any ways this is a good book I really liked it!!! see if you can find anymore characters meeting in the books I know there is a fem more
    • 4/5
      I read it ultra-fast, like all Dessens. This one has the marks of a Dessen classic: charming eccentricities in the characters which serve to illuminate their inner lives, also great scenes of suburban life. The scene in a fictionalized Linens-N-Things was brilliant, and (just like character eccentricities) moved the plot forward in a meaningful way. Loved it!
    • 5/5
      Dexter is my favourite Dessen guy ever, probably because he is the funniest and for once he isn't extremely damaged.

      21/11/2013 **EDIT**

      Okay so I reread the book not that long ago and I think it's only fair that I give the book a full review while it's still fresh in my mind.

      Remy is easily my favourite Dessen girl. Hard as nails, independent, a nice balance of bitchy and practicle...well, damn, she's everything I aspire to be.

      Dexter: Perfection wrapped up in imperfections, 'nuff said.

      The other characters? Nicely deveolped with real growth and purpose in the story. You could see the individual problems of her friends and brother, and they weren't just brushed over. I especially like her mothers marriage storyline.

      While of course the story had to go through that awkward "ahhhhh relationship breakdown oh noes" stage, Dessen managed to pull it off with a considerable amount of finesse. Obviously it was one of the only real comlications that she could add to the story so I'm not annoyed or rolling my eyes at all.

      With a huge amount of humour and heartfelt moments, this is certainly one of Dessen's better efforts.
    • 5/5
      I orginally read this book when I was in high school and was in love with this book, it was one of my favorites, turning me towards Sarah Dessen's books. For me even re-reading this book years later I still enjoyed the book. I think for me the book still had the appeal because of the main character Remy. My cynical side can relate to her, I understand her distrust in love for her it is the failure after failure marriage. For me in high school I just was a cynical mind on love, and now years later not so much, understanding from relationship issues. Sarah Dessen has fun cluster of characters including Sarah Dessen's famous male leads with Dexter. It is good to read a person, let alone a guy who is more accident prone then me. He is seriously sweet and amazing to read. A second reading and still get to feel all warm and fuzzy at the end.
    • 4/5


      It was a pretty good book. This is my second Sarah Dessen book. I like her writing but she's not my favorite author. I liked Lock and Key better. I am still gonna read other books from her though.
    • 4/5
      This Lullaby by Sarah DessenRemy's mother has been married 5 times and is a romance writer.She has been just dumping her lovers, like her mother. She is her mothers manager and helps with the wedding, house renovations, etc. She has a breakup line for every season! All except Dexter who she wants to get rid of just before she heads to college, so will spend the summer with him and his band.Not sure I like how the title came about-what it means to her and her father...She has a heart of stone and maybe somebody will melt it, in time.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
    • 4/5
      I read it ultra-fast, like all Dessens. This one has the marks of a Dessen classic: charming eccentricities in the characters which serve to illuminate their inner lives, also great scenes of suburban life. The scene in a fictionalized Linens-N-Things was brilliant, and (just like character eccentricities) moved the plot forward in a meaningful way. Loved it!
    • 3/5
      Remy thinks that she has love all figured out. She basically has a time line that she uses to figure out when to sleep with them and when to bail. She has figured this out in an attempt to learn from what she feels are her romance novel writing mothers "mistakes", her four failed marriages. Then Remy meets Dexter, a musician, like her father. He doesn't fit into what she typically dates and he's not following her set of rules.
    • 3/5
      Not my favorite Dessen, but a good book nonetheless.
    • 5/5
      I’m going to be honest, I didn’t expect much from this. It was literally the only book scribd would let me listen to. BUT I ended up loving it, who knew? It wasn’t so silly and unbelievable like some books about love. It had real problems. It’s a lovely read for a cold night cuddled up with a blanket.
    • 4/5
      Believe it or not, this was the first Sarah Dessen book I’ve ever read. I actually won this book awhile ago with a couple of others. I just kept putting it off since I didn’t know what to expect going into it but I can honestly say that I enjoyed it so much that now I want to read all of Sarah Dessens books.This Lullaby was a fantastic read. It was also a fast read. I flew right through it needing to know how it would end. I just couldn’t put it down. I kept telling myself that I would take a break after one more chapter but that never happened. I read the whole thing in one sitting.The main character, Remy, was hard to like at times but for me that just made her seem more real. She actually had flaws which is pretty unique. Usually if a main character has flaws it’s something that can be looked at as kind of cute and not much of an actual flaw. So as much as I wanted to smack Remy sometimes, it was also refreshing to have a character that seemed so real.Dexter was just plain awesome. I wanted to be friends with him from the start. He is so funny and just impossible to not like. He had me laughing so hard at times. Even weeks after reading This Lullaby I wanted Dexter to be real and not a fictional character so I could hang out with himOverall, this was a great book, with an interesting plot and it was well written. I am now a Sarah Dessen fan and I will definitely be picking up more of her books in the future.
    • 4/5
      Eighteen-year-old Remy has a hard time believing in a love that can last. This isn’t a surprise when you see the examples she has had throughout her life. When the book begins Remy is helping her mother plan her fifth wedding. She was never able to meet her father and has to create an image of who he was via her mother and a song he wrote specifically for Remy. This song even talks about how he will let her down. As a result she has come to expect that people, especially men, will not be sticking around for very long and she has built up a wall to protect herself from getting in too deep. That wall remains impenetrable until Dexter shows up and starts chipping away to her heart.

      I’m beginning to realize that I love almost every Dessen novel for very different reasons. It seems to me that each novel brings something so different and complex to the table that I’m just not sure that I can solidify one as my favorite. I do love just how completely opposite Dexter and Remy seem at the surface. Upon closer examination you realize that they share so many of the same fears and similar experiences. It makes me think more about the people I interact with who may initially appear to be so very different from me. Perhaps at the core we have more in common than I could have ever thought.

      As always I love Dessen’s writing style. In this particular novel I really loved the voice of Remy. She is truly very different from many of Dessen’s other narrators in that she doesn’t hold anything back in her dialogue or her narration. As a reader I really appreciate that insight because it feels as if Remy is one of your closest friends. You learn so much about her that eventually you can see through what she is saying to what she really means and feels.

      I love the group of girl friends in this book! It is just so true to life. I feel like in any group you will find that some people just click and there are at least two who don’t really like each other but will still be there for each other when needed. Reading about these girls throwing the drink at Lissa’s ex and then throwing their drinks at Don’s car made me want to practice and perfect my aim. I just love the solidarity found there.

      I think my only issue with characters had to do with the band. I knew there were three additional guys in the group, but I really didn’t know who was who and I kind of wish they would have been a little bit more distinguishable from one another. Although, I tend to have a hard time keeping characters straight so maybe a better reader wouldn’t have this complaint.

      Initially I thought that Dexter would be too much for me as he is messy, doesn’t really have a plan and seems to be so very flighty. Somehow despite all of those irritating qualities he becomes appealing and lovable. He is like an adorable puppy that messes up your entire house and then looks up at you with those big eyes and you just can’t help but love him anyway. I understand why Remy would have a hard time letting this one go.

      I really love that there is just something so natural about Remy and Dexter’s relationship. They never really have to try too hard when they decide to be together. Nothing about their relationship is toxic. The only problem is found within themselves and their baggage and their unwillingness to really let go and give into what it is that they have. (I keep saying they because while Remy was the one to struggle with the relationship, Dexter admits when they are having issues that given time he could be just as likely to struggle the way that Remy struggles.) I just love seeing these kids overcome their issues and grow together.

      This is yet another fantastic book by Sarah Dessen. It’s incredibly well written with complex, interesting characters that keep you interested. I would highly recommend you read it. Seriously, stop reading this and go get that. NOW!
    • 4/5
       This book is crammed with a summer full of excitement. Remy Starr is a daughter of a women who has divorced and remarried multiple times. This has caused her to not believe in love. Dexter is also a son of someone who has divorced and remarried multiple times, however, that made his belief in true love even stronger. Dexter is a musician with qualities that goes against all of Remy's rules. They end up dating. This book was your traditional teenage book. That's the type of book aI like though. I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars because it was a little boring at a little too many parts of the book. If you like the ordinary teenage love story books I would recommend this book to you.
    • 4/5
      My first book by Sarah Dressen, I believe. Great writing, outstanding, brilliant characterization, and a lead character I couldn't relate to. Nonetheless Remy is as real as anyone I know, and Dexter ditto, as well as being appealing enough to be convincing as the young man who sneaks into Remy's heart despite all her resistance. Excellent, realistic plot and 'This Lullaby' is a wonderful premise, beautifully executed. Their story is sweet but honest and, again, true to life. I may not have liked Remy, but I'm very impressed by Sarah Dressen.
    • 5/5
      As always Mma takes on the forces in Botswana and comes thru them wiser and in better shape. These books make me wish to visit Botswana one day and love it as much as the author does.

      I liked the whole story, but refuse to give away plot points. All of them are jewels.
    • 3/5
      Remy lives her life by a very particular set of rules. If her mother's five marriages have taught her anything, it's that you don't make yourself vulnerable when it comes to realtionships. Then she meets Dexter, who seems to break all her rules, and she has to decide whether to stay with him or not. It's the details that got this book to three stars: The entire houseful of musicians that only own one fork between them. The fact that Dexter takes it as a declaration of love when Remy buys them plastic silverware, and that really pisses her off so she chases him around threatening him.
    • 5/5
      This Lullaby is a beautiful book. The characters are all wonderful, and the storyline is captivating. Dessen's writing is gorgeous in this, and the words seem to just flow so well. I adored this one.
    • 4/5
      Believe it or not, this was the first Sarah Dessen book I’ve ever read. I actually won this book awhile ago with a couple of others. I just kept putting it off since I didn’t know what to expect going into it but I can honestly say that I enjoyed it so much that now I want to read all of Sarah Dessens books.This Lullaby was a fantastic read. It was also a fast read. I flew right through it needing to know how it would end. I just couldn’t put it down. I kept telling myself that I would take a break after one more chapter but that never happened. I read the whole thing in one sitting.The main character, Remy, was hard to like at times but for me that just made her seem more real. She actually had flaws which is pretty unique. Usually if a main character has flaws it’s something that can be looked at as kind of cute and not much of an actual flaw. So as much as I wanted to smack Remy sometimes, it was also refreshing to have a character that seemed so real.Dexter was just plain awesome. I wanted to be friends with him from the start. He is so funny and just impossible to not like. He had me laughing so hard at times. Even weeks after reading This Lullaby I wanted Dexter to be real and not a fictional character so I could hang out with himOverall, this was a great book, with an interesting plot and it was well written. I am now a Sarah Dessen fan and I will definitely be picking up more of her books in the future.
    • 1/5
      Checking out this author to see what all my eighth-graders are gushing about. UPDATE 5/25/12:Dropping this book like a hot potato! Horrible language, out of control teenagers exhibiting dangerous and immoral behaviors, stupid adults who are hopeless parents. Yuck, yuck, yuck. I will never recommend this book or author to my students. In fact, I wish it wasn't in my library.
    • 5/5
      My favorite book in the history of books.
    • 5/5
      I cannot express how much i Loved this book!! I still have chill bumps from the ending!! In this sweet nostalgic story Remy thinks she has relationships all figured out, right down to the type of hair she is looking for in a summer fling, but when Dexter literally crashes into her she finds out she doesn't really know anything! This is the first one of Ms. Dessens books I have read and definitely will not be the last!!
    • 5/5
      I love Sarah Dessen, have since I picked up The Truth About Forever. And as normal for me, when I find an author I like; I search out just about every book they have written. This Lullaby has been sitting in my TBR pile for a few months now, and I figured since there were no need to read books waiting, now would be a perfect time to read it. I loved Remy and Dexter, I knew from the first moment they met in her soon to be step-father's dealership that he would be the one she tossed all her rules out the window for. And truthfully; I never did trust Don as far as I could throw him, lol. He just seemed almost too good to be true, and you all know those types. The story behind Remy's distrust of love is one that I am sure a lot of teenagers and even adults can relate to. I know that for me, it was hard to trust in real love for the longest time, just because I had step-mothers coming in and out of my life at an amazing rate when I was younger, but like Remy I found that one person who made me see things in a different light.I would have liked to see more of what Dexter was thinking throughout the book, but seeing as this was all from Remy's point of view I understand. And Ted, was just too much for me, though I am sure that is one of him in just about every band. Overall this was a great book, one that I am sure I will come back to again and again.
    • 5/5
      Remy is a control freak. She likes to organize everything from clothes to her car to relationships. She wants to know where everything stands so that she knows where to go to fix something if a problem arises. Her stoicism comes from having to take care of her whimsical mother and watching said mother go through several failed marriages. That’s why Dexter perplexes her so much from the beginning. He’s her polar opposite—chaotic and optimistic—past guys.Dessen builds Remy three-dimensionally as with her other main characters. While we know that Dexter is going to change Remy’s pessimistic view on love, Remy doesn’t hang around with him all the time or spend her time day-dreaming about him. She has a life away from Dexter, and Dessen details it just as much as her time with Dexter, if not more. As such, we really get a feel for her as a person throughout the book. We learn that Remy isn’t as much of a bitch as she thinks she is; sure, she’s pessimistic about love, but it’s because she hasn’t had a stable familial life. She has motivation for acting the way she does.I really like Dexter. If it were another guy, the whole instant attraction deal would have seemed absurd. With Dexter, his easygoing attitude and optimistic take on life and love made it sweet and adorable. I can’t imagine how he’s forever tripping all over the place, but considering how it’s Dexter I find it believable—and endearing. He may have had a hard time making his way into Remy’s heart, but he won me from day one.Remy’s friends and family are a delightful cast of characters. Her friends are very realistic and engaging people that suit Remy’s character. Her brother’s a cool guy with an interesting hobby of raising monitor lizards, and her mom is a whimsical woman that you can’t help liking. I love how big Remy is on family and how protective she is of them. As for Dexter’s band, they’re pretty cool guys, though it’s pretty obvious that Remy isn’t too fond of them, especially Ted and his strong opinions on his craft.I also love how Dessen starts off each section telling us which month it is. Not only does it reflect how time passes in Remy’s mind, it shows us just how long it takes Remy to change. It shows us that it takes time for Remy to open up to Dexter, to finally open herself to love. Such changes don’t take place in a couple weeks. It takes timing, an important concept that Remy grows to recognize over the course of the book.If it was any other writer, perhaps I would have liked the book. Perhaps I wouldn’t have. But with Dessen behind the book, I can relate to Remy. I don’t hate her. I love her and her down-to-earth attitude. This Lullaby is about learning how to open yourself to the goods and bads of a relationship. It is about learning to let go of your fears and to learn how to love. I recommend this story to those look for a contemporary read filled with laughs and tears.
    • 5/5
      Another fantastic book from Sarah Dessen. Remy is a character who has flaws, and as irritating as they can be, she's lovable anyway. Dexter, the boy hero in this novel, is different enough from his counterparts in Dessen's other novels to not be repetitive, but still be that stand up guy you know he is. Though the book follows the same pattern as her others, faithful readers will find this comforting and will enjoy Remy and Dexter's saga.
    • 4/5
      YA, romance, trust, family relationships
    • 5/5
      This book was interesting and it kept my interest. I thought the book had a lot of details and told a good, realistic story. It was pretty long, but worth it.
    • 3/5
      Based on all the great reviews, and being my first "Sarah Dessen book, I'm gonna say I was expecting a bit more. The beginning was okay, introduced the characters just fine. But after that, in my opinion everything went downhill. Before I'd read through half the book, I'd already known the ending, and, what do ya know, I was right. Not only was it extremely predictable, but the middle just dragged on FOREVER. I was very tempted to just put the book down because it seemed to drone on about useless events for chapters on end. And then the ending, while not only predictable, was not written the way that I'd have preferred. Maybe it's just me, though I'm sure it's not, but the book seemed to end having a lot of "loose ends", as Remi put it. Was it a good read? Eh. Could have been much better. I guess a proper word to describe this book is "cute". Something you wouldn't mind reading, but that you definetly wouldn't want to read again.
    • 3/5
      A nice story of a girl who gains the confidence to take a chance for love.
    • 5/5
      "I had no illusions about love...People weren't meant to be together forever." Remy, fresh out of high school, is the ultimate cynic - her mother has been married and divorced 4 times and is getting married for the fifth. Remy is sure to break things off with the boyfriends in her life before they can get to close - until messy, disorganized band boy Dexter worms his way into her life and her heart. Sarah Dessen, the master of modern teen romance, writes characters that are funny, flawed, and dysfunctional and that give life to the story. Remy is dark, cynical, controlling, and a perfectionist, while Dexter is irresponsible, messy, and irritating. The characters are believable and realistic.