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librarianmel's review
2.0
Pros:
-One POV.
-Characters go through serious trauma and are traumatized in different ways.
-Has a happy enough ending, rather than a happy ending.
Cons:
-The crime at the heart of this story is COMPLETELY ignored (other than as a cause for trauma), no one else in town seems to react, there's no media circus, none of the kids at the new school know about it, the kids are not involved in the process by the police, etc. If this has really happened...there would be five news vans parked around the houses of everyone who had ever met the family, seriously.
-Seems to gloss over the acts of physical and mental abuse by the "victim", because the abused didn't take the kids and leave, well, it's her fault for snapping and killing the "victim." I actually took another star off after I read that sentence...WHAT THE HECK, AUTHOR!?!?!
-One POV.
-Characters go through serious trauma and are traumatized in different ways.
-Has a happy enough ending, rather than a happy ending.
Cons:
-The crime at the heart of this story is COMPLETELY ignored (other than as a cause for trauma), no one else in town seems to react, there's no media circus, none of the kids at the new school know about it, the kids are not involved in the process by the police, etc. If this has really happened...there would be five news vans parked around the houses of everyone who had ever met the family, seriously.
-Seems to gloss over the acts of physical and mental abuse by the "victim", because the abused didn't take the kids and leave, well, it's her fault for snapping and killing the "victim." I actually took another star off after I read that sentence...WHAT THE HECK, AUTHOR!?!?!
maegsreadsalot's review
4.0
I have never read a book with the concept of abusive relationship between parents resulting in your parent killing the other. But this book was really good. It deals with the fact that sometimes you need to let go for the best. I really liked it.
bookishlesbian's review against another edition
4.0
This was so well written and so painful. It felt very realistic and I really recommend this if you love character driven books with painful/heavy topics.
safaracathasa's review against another edition
4.0
One of the most difficult novel I've ever read. Not in term of language, but in term of depressing one. Letting go is hard because the line between giving up and letting go sometimes too blurry. Will update the review later.
gailpirl's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know how it got to February and I've only finished reading two books this year. One book, just a few hours ago. But when I saw an article on this book on twitter, I knew - just knew - that I would end up swallowing it all at once. And I did.
I guess it's just hard to swallow sometimes. That you don't have to be alone.
I guess it's just hard to swallow sometimes. That you don't have to be alone.
_ninahannah's review
3.0
The book was full of cliches and too-simple language. The ending resolved literally nothing. I did feel for the characters but I think I was supposed to feel more.
sarahtonin_'s review
2.0
S U M M A R Y
The Last To Let Go is Amber Smith's sophmore novel that begins with Brooke coming home from school to discover her mother has killed her abusive father. All members of the family process this differently, and express their grief in realistic and individual ways. This is a slow paced story about family, hurt and letting go
" You are born alone. You die alone. The value of the space in between is trust and love."
✔ L I K E S
✔ LQBTI+ rep!
This was a huge surprise to me but I was so happy! A f/f romance takes place in this novel and Dani is the softest girl ever.
✔ Flashbacks
This is both a like and dislike for me. What flashbacks we got I really enjoyed but they were few and far between. I think I would have connected and sympathised with the characters if we could see more of their backstory.
✔ Messy family dynamics
Obviously every experience of domestic abuse is different, but I think this novel did an amazing job at showing the complexities of the situation. Brooke found it difficult to decide what to feel. Her father was both the hero and villain of her story, and she wasn't sure whether or not to place blame on her mother. The sibling dynamic was also messy, but enjoyable. Aaron was one of the characters I found myself most intrigued by, and I almost wish it were told from his perspective.
✗ D I S L I K E S
✗ Brooke
Our main character is something I am most conflicted about. I tend to connect the most with main characters in books, because we spend time in their heads and get to see them for who they are, not through how other characters view them, often resulting in a skewed perspective. However, that was not this case in this book. I know she went through a lot and I don't want to sound as if I am saying she is grieving in the wrong way- but she just didn't connect with me. Brooke was so selfish. She forced her siblings back into their old house, aware that it would bring back traumatic memories. She pushed away those who tried to help her (and not in a respectful way either), she refused to communicate with her girlfriend even though she would obviously have been okay with everything!
"sometimes all I want in the world is to be left alone. Other people make things so complicated. But then I'm finally alone and all I want is other people around."
✗ The pacing
This book
was
just
so
slow
I felt like nothing was happening, which could be due to the fact that we were stuck in Brooke's head and she was also doing nothing. It did not make for a particularly riveting read. I also found myself skimming a lot of this which I NEVER do.
“Being in the present is like coming up for air, and coming up for air only makes me realize I’ve been suffocating. Easier not to breathe at all, like maybe with enough practice I can learn to live underwater like those aquarium fish, lie myself into believing things are okay, that this is what life is supposed to be.”
✗ I was bored
Similarly to the last point, nothing happened. The only point where I could feel potential was in the court room (I love seeing the process of court procedures in books) but alas it only lasted like two chapters.
It was one of those books that when I was reading it I was relatively enjoying it, but as soon as I shut it I forgot all about it.
2.5 stars
The Last To Let Go is Amber Smith's sophmore novel that begins with Brooke coming home from school to discover her mother has killed her abusive father. All members of the family process this differently, and express their grief in realistic and individual ways. This is a slow paced story about family, hurt and letting go
" You are born alone. You die alone. The value of the space in between is trust and love."
✔ L I K E S
✔ LQBTI+ rep!
This was a huge surprise to me but I was so happy! A f/f romance takes place in this novel and Dani is the softest girl ever.
✔ Flashbacks
This is both a like and dislike for me. What flashbacks we got I really enjoyed but they were few and far between. I think I would have connected and sympathised with the characters if we could see more of their backstory.
✔ Messy family dynamics
Obviously every experience of domestic abuse is different, but I think this novel did an amazing job at showing the complexities of the situation. Brooke found it difficult to decide what to feel. Her father was both the hero and villain of her story, and she wasn't sure whether or not to place blame on her mother. The sibling dynamic was also messy, but enjoyable. Aaron was one of the characters I found myself most intrigued by, and I almost wish it were told from his perspective.
✗ D I S L I K E S
✗ Brooke
Our main character is something I am most conflicted about. I tend to connect the most with main characters in books, because we spend time in their heads and get to see them for who they are, not through how other characters view them, often resulting in a skewed perspective. However, that was not this case in this book. I know she went through a lot and I don't want to sound as if I am saying she is grieving in the wrong way- but she just didn't connect with me. Brooke was so selfish. She forced her siblings back into their old house, aware that it would bring back traumatic memories. She pushed away those who tried to help her (and not in a respectful way either), she refused to communicate with her girlfriend even though she would obviously have been okay with everything!
"sometimes all I want in the world is to be left alone. Other people make things so complicated. But then I'm finally alone and all I want is other people around."
✗ The pacing
This book
was
just
so
slow
I felt like nothing was happening, which could be due to the fact that we were stuck in Brooke's head and she was also doing nothing. It did not make for a particularly riveting read. I also found myself skimming a lot of this which I NEVER do.
“Being in the present is like coming up for air, and coming up for air only makes me realize I’ve been suffocating. Easier not to breathe at all, like maybe with enough practice I can learn to live underwater like those aquarium fish, lie myself into believing things are okay, that this is what life is supposed to be.”
✗ I was bored
Similarly to the last point, nothing happened. The only point where I could feel potential was in the court room (I love seeing the process of court procedures in books) but alas it only lasted like two chapters.
It was one of those books that when I was reading it I was relatively enjoying it, but as soon as I shut it I forgot all about it.
2.5 stars
kristindowner's review
5.0
ORIGINAL POST: http://www.nerdprobs.com/books/book-results-the-last-to-let-go-by-amber-smith/
** A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Covers are always the first thing to catch my eye on a book. I love ones that pop, and leave me guessing what I might find behind that cover. The Last To Let Go by Amber Smith popped at me. That coupled with the description of the book made me want to read it. I was not disappointed.
Amber Smith wrote a story about a young girl, Brooke, who is put into a situation she never could have imagined herself in and it has consequences to her life that ripple outward. For a teenager, Brooke handles her situation well, but has a lot of processing and growing to do. I love how Smith wrote Brooke trying to be strong for her family, but having breakdowns true to an adolescent over her head. I love how Brooke's character is so deep and multi-layered like an onion. The entire story was broken into little tidbits about her personality and watching her grow as an individual.
Domestic abuse is not a topic a lot of people like to touch on and I love that Amber Smith approached it in the way she did, from the eyes of those that are helpless around it. It was heartbreaking, realistic, emotional, and draining. I could not imagine living through this situation.
Smith writes with the ease of someone who has been doing this for decades and knows how to bring the reader into the story and to keep them interested. I would highly recommend The Last To Let Go to anyone who loves a good read that will keep you interested from the very beginning to the very end, but be prepared for emotions and some hard hitting topics. A must read.
** A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Covers are always the first thing to catch my eye on a book. I love ones that pop, and leave me guessing what I might find behind that cover. The Last To Let Go by Amber Smith popped at me. That coupled with the description of the book made me want to read it. I was not disappointed.
Amber Smith wrote a story about a young girl, Brooke, who is put into a situation she never could have imagined herself in and it has consequences to her life that ripple outward. For a teenager, Brooke handles her situation well, but has a lot of processing and growing to do. I love how Smith wrote Brooke trying to be strong for her family, but having breakdowns true to an adolescent over her head. I love how Brooke's character is so deep and multi-layered like an onion. The entire story was broken into little tidbits about her personality and watching her grow as an individual.
Domestic abuse is not a topic a lot of people like to touch on and I love that Amber Smith approached it in the way she did, from the eyes of those that are helpless around it. It was heartbreaking, realistic, emotional, and draining. I could not imagine living through this situation.
Smith writes with the ease of someone who has been doing this for decades and knows how to bring the reader into the story and to keep them interested. I would highly recommend The Last To Let Go to anyone who loves a good read that will keep you interested from the very beginning to the very end, but be prepared for emotions and some hard hitting topics. A must read.