This Lullaby (2002)

This Lullaby (2002) is a young adult novel written by Sarah Dessen.

Plot summary

Remy is an eighteen-year-old who is about to leave for college. Her father, a musician, wrote his one and only hit song the day she was born. The song, called "This Lullaby," became extremely popular, but he died soon after its release. Now, Remy's mother is getting married for the fifth time. After her mother's previous failed marriages, love is something that Remy doesn't believe exists.

One day, she randomly meets Dexter at a car dealership that her mother's fiancé owns. He claims to feel a connection with her the second he saw her. He is messy and a musician, two of her least favorite traits. But he is persistent. She slowly finds herself falling for him. She doesn't want to care about him, but somehow she just can't bring herself to get rid of him. Eventually, they start dating and she is surprised by how open and honest and caring he is. When Dexter overhears Remy saying that she only wants him to be a summer fling, they break up. Remy begins to date another guy, but she finds herself always thinking about Dexter. Meanwhile, her brother is getting engaged, her mother's new husband is cheating with his secretary, and her friends are all having problems of their own. But in the end, Remy realizes that she truly does love Dexter, and they get back together. Remy still leaves for college but in Just Listen it is revealed that Remy and Dexter are together because Remy is shown with Dexter while Remy is on fall break from college.

"This Lullaby" lyrics

This lullaby is only a few words

A simple run of chords

Quiet here in this spare room

But you can hear it, hear it

Wherever you may go

I will let you down

But this lullaby plays on...

Note: When Truth Squad does a cover of "This Lullaby", Dexter sings the 6th line as "Even if I let you down" instead.

Characters

Remy Starr – Remy is the protagonist of This Lullaby and is cool, calm, and cynical. After seeing her mother's failed marriages, she proclaims that she doesn't believe in love. She believes that she has the upper hand in all of her relationships. She is also obsessive about cleanliness and does not allow anyone to eat or smoke in her car. Remy is named after an expensive brand of cognac that her mother saw in Harper's Bazaar. She is emotionally scarred by her past, as her father – whom she never knew – wrote her the song "This Lullaby" the day she was born, and then left soon after. The song becomes a one-hit wonder, and Remy constantly hears it in her life. She claims to have relationships all figured out, in logical, mathematical terms. She used to be known for sleeping around and partying.

Dexter Jones – Dexter is the lead singer of a band called Truth Squad (also known by their wedding persona, the G-Flats). Gangly and sociable, he bumps (literally) into Remy at her stepfather-to-be's car dealership, claiming to have sensed a special bond with her. It is later revealed he dropped out of college for music, "breaking his mother's heart", as Remy's stepfather Don says at the Fourth of July barbecue. Don's sister is Dexter's aunt, but Don is not Dexter's uncle. Dexter's dog is named Monkey because he wanted a monkey when he was ten, but got a dog instead. He is carefree, kindhearted, and funny; he loves to throw down ridiculous challenges at every given opportunity, as shown when he dares John Miller to eat ten bananas (later changed to 9 and a half due to Remy's judging abilities), and also when he dares Chloe to stand on her head for 20 minutes. During the novel, he works at a one-hour photo place where he saves funny pictures. One of these photos is evidence of Remy's stepfather's affair, and Remy mistakenly believes Dexter shows it to her on purpose to hurt her. Also, Dexter hates English muffins.

Barbara Starr – Barbara is Remy's mother, who also happens to be a famous author. Her books are the romantic type, all about exotic locations and women who have everything yet nothing. Her latest book is 'The Choice'. She has been married numerous times, each time changing her outward personality to match her newest husband, yet still believes in love despite her failed relationships, in direct contrast to Remy's view on love.

Christopher Starr – Chris is Remy's brother. He used to be a juvenile delinquent, before he met his girlfriend, Jennifer Anne, whom he met at his job at Jiffy Lube. Since then, he's shaped up considerably. He breeds lizards in his room. He is named after his mother's favorite saint and he is very close to Remy because of their shared childhood. Towards the end of the book, he and Jennifer Anne state that they are engaged to get married.

Jennifer Anne Baker – Jennifer Anne is Chris's girlfriend, who is described as being small with big blond hair, and whip smart. She is seen as an uptight, annoying perfectionist in Remy's eyes only, and is the only one who refers to Chris as "Christopher". Later in the book, she and Chris become engaged. Remy often cannot tolerate Jennifer Anne; however, she means well. Jennifer Anne reads many self-help books and greatly dislikes Chris's obsession with his lizards.

Don Davis – Don is Barbara's fifth husband. They met at the car dealership when Barb and Remy went to buy a new car. A lifelong bachelor, he has habits that annoy both Chris and Remy: his paintings and statues, which often seem to have sexual or violent themes, and his pyramids of Ensure cans. After his marriage with Barbara, he is caught having an affair with his secretary, Patty....

Jess – Jess is Remy's oldest friend. She is generally very emotionless, and clashes a lot with Chloe. Remy describes her as "big," but not fat. She is the "mother" of their group of friends because she's been raising her two younger brothers since her mom died in fifth grade. She disagrees and fights with Chloe often. She is also the most responsible of the group; she doesn't drink or smoke, always drives. Jess avoids dating problems by not dating at all for the most part. She is somewhat Chloe's polar opposite.