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Le dernier échange by Chelsea Pitcher

mollymortensen's review against another edition

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4.0

I won my first book to review from Netgalley!

Parental Rating: 12 and up. Mild Swearing and teenage ‘making out’.

The faerie Elora is trying to start a rebellion against her mother the Dark Queen, but to overthrow a millennium old faerie she needs the Bright Queen's help. The Bright Queen sets her a riddle, asking Elora to bring her a human offering. Elora travels to the human world, having only heard bad things about humans. She meets a human high-schooler named Taylor who lets her stay at his house. (She tells him to call him Lora, which is the name she mostly goes by in the book.)

The book is told from the perspectives of both Lora and Taylor. At the beginning Lora has a poetic voice and makes her seem more otherworldly, but as she assimilates to the human world she talks more normally. There were a couple of instances where Taylor sounded like Lora, too poetic for a normal teenage boy, but overall the characters were realistic and distinct. Though they were both told in first person I didn't confuse the two.

The characters were the stars of the story. I genuinely liked both of the main characters, which isn't always the case for me. The romance between them was gradual and felt natural. It was a sweet realistic romance. The side characters were just as good as the main characters and the friendships blossomed at a realistic pace the same way the relationship did.

Taylor and Lora gradually grow to trust one another and it makes them both better people. The change in their personalities is gradual and well done. They've both had a rough family life and they both have their secrets. They slowly open up to one another, and it felt like they would actually reveal these closely guarded secrets. Lora’s tells her story to Taylor as a nightly ‘fairy tale’. Since there is a lot of back story, this was a good way to do it without being boring.

Though there is plenty of magic in this book and excitement at the end, most of the book isn't fast paced. That doesn't mean it’s boring, not in the least. The Last Changeling mostly takes place in a modern high school and romance plays a large part of the story. Normally this wouldn't sound like my kind of book, but I really enjoyed it! There’s the normal teenage stuff, but it’s handled well and Lora is so different it’s fun to see through her eyes and watch her navigate the human world.

The world of the faerie has been done so many times, but the author still creates her own unique mythology. Like most fairies, those in Last Changeling can’t lie outright, are hurt by iron, and use glamours. (They also have wings, which I thought was the best part!) There isn't too much magic in the book, but what was there was imaginative and just plain cool.

There wasn't a to be continued ending, which I appreciated, but there’s certainly more to come. (At least I hope there is!) I would've appreciated if one question had been answered though. (I can’t say what it was without spoilers.)

I plan to buy The Last Changeling when it’s released and would highly recommend it.

8/10 Stars

reveriesociety's review against another edition

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2.0

I think this book had a good introduction but as soon as Taylor comes into the scene things go downhill pretty fast.

yche09's review against another edition

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4.0

This book is very, very enigmatic.

I would say that it's written differently among other fairy books that I've read. It's a breath of fresh air. This would really make you think because there are blank spaces in the story. You'd really want to know what happened and what will happen.

The characters in this book are quite memorable. Elora, the dark princess is indeed such a force. Reading the book in her POV is such a change of scenery. I'm not really used to the heroine being this dark, but Elora made it all worth it. I am amazed with how she thinks. It's dark, and yet it's hopeful. She talks properly, which is just normal because of her heritage, but aside from that, there's just something about her that will make you root for her. Taylor on the other hand, will make you want to comfort him from the start. He has had a very bad perception of himself from the start. I'm pretty sure I wanted to hug him from the start. He doesn't give himself enough credit.

This story is about the two of them meeting each other and being what the other person needs. I really can't explain their relationship. Even the characters are confused about their relationship so.. haha! I can just tell you that the attraction is there. The way that they interact with each other goes deeper than most friendships, so you must read it. Once again, I really don't know what is it about the two of them that called to me the most. I just know that I wanted them to be together. I wanted them to have a happy ever after even if the circumstance made it so impossible.

This book actually tackles many things like gender equality, labels, parenting, guilt and friendship. I think the downside is that while it wants to take on such topics, there aren't enough pages to completely discuss it. Anyway, it's still a good take. My favorite is the gender equality side. I love Alexia! Haha!

So there... All in all, this book was worth the time. If dark fairies really exist, I want them to be like Elora. :)

hannahsophialin's review against another edition

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3.0

The worst I thought would happen to The Last Changeling is an exact replica of The Iron Fey, only a much darker version.

Thankfully, that isn't the case.

In actuality, The Last Changeling is a talking book. Chelsea Pitcher's latest work certainly didn't sprout a mouth and start speaking to me. Although it would be really cool to have a talking book. "Morning, Last Changeling! Please summarize what I read three weeks ago. Thank you!"

(Should that actually happen, I would probably use it a lot. For the books whose sequels I read years later. *cough* Matched *cough*)

See, one of our main characters, Elora, is a Dark Faery Princess on a quest for the Bright/Seelie Queen. Our other main character is a dude by the name of Taylor who is a soccer player and has great morality, but the guy honestly puts himself down far too much. They meet... at a swing set, and because "Lora" doesn't seem to have a place to go, Taylor offers to let her stay at his house.

Thus begins the talking. And more talking. About faery history, which essentially leads to well... Elora's history (always a great idea for us to know the characters of course, especially the main ones). By the end of the book, you'll know Elora pretty well, and meanwhile... it's pretty much expected Taylor and Elora will fall heads over heels in love from their first meeting. The characters just don't admit it (not that any pair of fictional characters ever do).

Plus, Taylor and I are distant buddies. Quite distant, because it seems as though Pitcher focuses a little too much on Elora and the reader knowing Elora yet neglecting Taylor.

So basically my biggest question is this: Is Elora's quest just talking, trying to acclimate to the mortal world, while trying to figure out the answer to the Bright Queen's riddle which was off the charts wrong? I was sort of expecting adventure. Fireballs! Or... shadowballs in this case...

But I most certainly did not expect talking. Lots and lots of talking.

I guess I'm the reader who prefers the blood and gore. Occasionally, the fluffy, bunny book (NOT like eating bunny tails, as Ella likes to say. Though I suppose that's accurate as well.) is enjoyable.

On the bright side, I do think Elora and Taylor go well together. By the end of the story, Taylor seems much more confident and seems to stand up for himself rather than letting others push him around. And Elora, despite the fact her lack of knowledge of the mortal world is hilarious, makes a great impact to those who would rather be a doormat and not stand up for themselves. I personally think Chelsea Pitcher's latest novel sends a strong message across to readers, even though there's far too much talking than "questing."
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Advanced copy provided by Flux for review (and the blog tour)
Original Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Original Review posted at Bookwyrming Thoughts

justenjoy's review against another edition

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2.0

I'm quite disappointed with how this book turned out. The summary is more entertaining than this book was as a whole. I couldn't relate to any of the characters, there was no connection whatsoever. The book didn't impress me at all. The raw need that Elora has to save her people wasn't displayed enough for me. Honestly, I couldn't care less for that. The switching point of views were a nice break in the story, but if it weren't for the names at the beginning of each chapter I wouldn't have known who was who as both characters had the same voice and there wasn't much distinction in them. There was so much potential with the Faerie world and the powers that Elora supposedly possesses, but we only got a little glimpse of it. The last 10% made from this one star book a two star one, but in general it was a letdown.

rjsthumbelina's review against another edition

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3.0

I enjoyed the overall premise of this book very much. I like the idea of a revolution in faerie, and I liked the characters. I will read the next book to find out what happens.

I had a few problems with the writing style. one was the way Elora spoke. Sometimes she sounded almost normal, and other times she sounded like a character out of Shakespeare. If you're going to give a dialect to a character, as an author, you have to stick with it. I also hated how she would sometimes say things in conversations with people (especially Taylor) that should have made them question the back story she had given and start to think there was something going on, but no one suspected a thing.
I couldn't stand how stereotypical most of the characters were. even the things that they did to subvert expectations were stereotypical.
I'm all for a cliffhanger ending, to an extent. But the last 50 or so pages of this novel caused a lot of new questions and didn't answer any, which is frustrating to a reader.

I received a digital copy from Netgalley and the publisher to revew. this did not affect my review in any way.

alexandra_92's review against another edition

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4.0

Review to come

bookbriefs's review against another edition

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4.0

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net** 

The Last Changeling is the first book in the young adult series, the Faerie Revolutions. I am a huge fan of faerie books, and what I especially loved about The Last Changeling is not only is it a great representation of Faerie lore, but it is also heavy on the romance. I really loved reading about the strong emotional connection between Elora and Taylor. That boy crushed hard on her and I ate it all up! Fans of faerie books will love this new series. It was so well done, and in addition to the heavy romance and paranormal elements, there was also some social issues mixed into the high school scene in the story. I only had one minor issue with that aspect of the story, but everything else was great.

The book is told in dual perspective between Taylor and Elora, or Lora as Taylor knows her. I loved this narration style for this book. I thought allowed us to get to know both main characters really well. I don't even know who I liked more. Those are my favorite kinds of books, where I connect with each of the main characters for different reasons. Taylor is dealing with some dark demons of his past. And I can't quite put my finger on it, but I always kind of felt this mysterious air surrounding him. I thought there might be a connection of him to the faerie world. I can't wait to see whether there is or not and see how that all unfolds in the next book.

Elora is trapped in the middle of a war, both a prisoner and an active participant. She is an enigma, and I loved watching her grow as a faerie and person, and watching her wage war within herself. Being around Taylor and his friends was a great aid to her personal growth. The Last Changeling is a pleasure to read. I don't know how else to say it. The pacing of this book is great and the words just seem to flow from the pages. There are many things competing within the story for the main theme of the story, but Chelsea Pitcher somehow makes all of the elements meld together flawlessly. The faerie lore mixes in perfectly with the strong romance. And at the same time there are very prominent secondary characters which bring a slew of teenage social issues into the story. There was bullying and gay/straight tensions, along with drug use. I really admired the way Chelsea Pitcher worked in such serious issues facing teens today, but I had a small issue with there being so many "issues" in play in the story. It almost felt like too much and I thought it took away from the main message about the bullying people for being different. I almost feel like if the drugging and drinking didn't come into play the bullying and identity message would have been stronger. That being said, I loved everything else about the story. I thought it was really well done a great setup for the series.

 This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

thefox22's review against another edition

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4.0

*eARC kindly provided by Flux via NetGalley.
*Review can be found at The Fox's Hideaway.



My Review!
I've been wanting to read this ever since I heard of it. Pretty cover, faeries, secrets, a main character going "undercover" in the real world? Sounded awesome. And The Last Changeling was a good book, though it left me feeling underwhelmed.

I loved that this was told in dual POVs. It was nice to have both of the main character's thoughts and feelings. It was also really easy to tell them apart, and I so appreciated the author huge efforts to make Elora's venture into the real world seem realistic and genuine. It made for some pretty comical moments, because she was so lost and overwhelmed in a world so unlike hers. Speaking of Elora, I really enjoyed her character. At first, she seems flighty and naive, stumbling around in a world that she doesn't understand. But she's also a strong character who only wanted to save her people, and she vowed to do whatever it took to bring peace to the Courts. But I never truly gained an understanding of her, because I couldn't figure out what she wanted and what her motives were for the things that she was doing. She's still kind of a mystery, even though I know her life's story. The one she told Taylor, the guy who took her in and made her fall in love for the first time in her long life.

Taylor was one of the sweetest guys I'd ever read about. He was adorable, so worried about offending or hurting people, and not okay with the antics of a bully. But he's also shy, and quietly suffering in a pool of grief and guilt for a tragedy that happened years ago. It's why his relationship with his parents is practically nonexistent and why he lives in the apartment above their garage, which makes for the perfect way to hide a Faerie who dropped into his life so suddenly. Except, he doesn't know she's a faerie. She keeps her identity a secret, but Taylor is pretty open about himself and his life. He's not exactly hard to figure out. And that's okay, because I adored him and his awkwardness and caring nature.

Their romance was very slow to buildup, which is okay and all. I can't tell you how many books I've read where the characters just jump into a relationship before they really get to know each other. It was a nice romance, sweet and innocent and doomed before it even began really. Because how could a Faerie and human be allowed to have their love? I wish there'd been a bit more with it, because it didn't give me any feels. But that could be the snail's pace that it went (which, again, isn't a bad thing). I think I just wanted more development from it.

I loved that this book had a diverse set of characters! Elora and Taylor befriend members of the Gay-Straight Alliance club, which became a huge message and focus of the book. Many of these characters felt unwanted and unheard, bullied and teased for being who they are. And with the help and addition of Elora, they take a stand and are able to find their courage at being tossed aside by the school and their classmates. I adored them all, even if they didn't have very deep relationships with the main characters.

And I loved that this book focused on that club and about righting wrongs. I loved the message of standing up for what you believe in and not letting yourself be pushed to be what society wants you to be. But I felt that the book was taking off in that direction when it should have been focusing on the faerie aspects. I wanted more of the fantastical story-line. Not that I didn't love the other one, not that I didn't adore the diversity and beautiful messages. But this is a fantasy, not a contemporary. And so I was left wanting more, a lot more, of the Faerie world. The plot wasn't exactly loaded with surprises and twists, but it was still intriguing. And I liked how the author told the story of the Faerie world, without dumping us with the information and leaving it at that. It actually surprised me, and I loved that. And that ending was surprising, but in a good way. I just wish there'd been more Faerie focus in the book.

The Last Changeling was a good faerie book that has lovable characters and wonderful messages. I'm excited about the sequel, because I have a feeling much of it will be spent in the Faerie world. I'm hoping for awesome details and complicated creatures of the Courts. And I can't wait to see what happens after that ending! :)


Rating: 3.5 Paw Prints!
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