A review by okayletsread
The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I feel torn with rating this literary fiction novel. On one hand, it's beautifully written with well-crafted prose that makes a slower-paced book feel like a breeze to read. However, there were certain details about the plot, formatting, and characters that, quite frankly, irked me. 

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't think the future timeline from Fiona was necessary. It didn't add enough to the book. I would have loved more stories from the four siblings' childhood—especially during "the Pause," as they called it—but most of the book explored their shared adulthood experiences. 

Some readers enjoy a buttoned-up ending that tells you everything that happens to every character, but I am not that reader. I was hoping it would end on a less obvious note. Certain characters made wildly uncharacteristic decisions at the end, but I won't gold that against the book itself. 

Still, the writing is so wonderful that it makes me very glad I spent time with the Skinner siblings. Fans of Ann Patchett and Richard Powers may be interested in this family tale.
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