Ann Brashares

A first adult novel by the best-selling author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series finds a trio of summer friends, including a pair of sisters and a young man entering an early adulthood, marked by budding love, sexual curiosity, a sudden serious illness, and a deep secret. 600,000 first printing.

Of You and Me

The Last Summer

The Last Summer (of You and Me)

Lacy W

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I was so beyond frustrated with this book. It had the makings of easily being a 4 (four) star book. The writing was absolutely beautiful. It was very prosy and it had me from the first sentence. I was so sure I was going to love this book as I have enjoyed other books by this author like her Traveling Pants series. 

Nope. I did not enjoy this book at all. Well, that’s a lie. I did like it up until the halfway point. From there, I was just a giant ball of frustration. It had the one trope I cannot stand and that is the self punishment trope. Why this is even a trope is beyond me and how people even enjoy it just straight confuses me. 

The self punishment trope is when a character decides to punish themselves because they were doing something that made them happy and while they were doing this, tragedy strikes. The character then thinks that “oh, this tragedy occurred because I was happy. Therefore, I must deny myself all forms of happiness no matter what.” How dumb is that? It makes no sense for this to even be a thought. 

That is basically what I dealt with for the second half of the book. It was ridiculous. I probably could have dealt with it for a little bit but it was the MC that was doing this self punishment and she had most of the page time. So my enjoyment was completely ruined. This easily could have been a beautiful story of friends and sisters coming together in the face of tragedy. I was so bitterly disappointed. I even wrote in my notes that I was “heckin mad”. That’s me, the professional reviewer. 

Overall, this book was a disappointment. I didn’t even write about the characters because I was just so fed up with the plot that I can’t even remember if the characters were any good. I suppose if you are into that self punishment trope then this book might be for you. It just wasn’t for me.

Alice, Paul, and Riley are flawed and relatable characters, each harboring their own fears and regrets. A beautifully written novel that explores themes of love, loss, forgiveness, and the fragility of human connections. It is a touching tale that reminds us of the significance of those transformative summers that shape our lives forever. 

The Last Summer Of You and Me

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