Two Reviews

I've been trying to find time to read for the Winter Book Challenge. It hasn't been easy! I feel like I'm probably way behind. With Thanksgiving coming up and our trip to Missouri to see family for the holiday I know my reading time will definitely be compromised. I am going to bring books with me and TRY to read them. I'm not really hopeful I'll get much done though =)

Image via Goodreads

I actually received The Last Summer as part of the Blogger Book Swap. Fortunately for me this book was also on my book list for the Winter Book Challenge. The book started off really slow. There was a lot of time spent on explaining the back story of each character and about the island where they vacation each summer. Once things started moving along I started to really enjoy the story and I couldn't wait to see how it ended.

Alice and Riley are sisters. Alice is the younger sister. The story centers around Their relationship as well as the relationships they each have with Paul. Paul and Riley have been friends forever. Alice has always been around but not really included. Things start to change though as Alice and Paul struggle with their feelings for each other. How can they be together and not hurt Riley? Can they be together at all? Are the feelings that they have real? 

"Let me love you, but don't love me back. Do love me and let me hate you for a while. Let me feel like I have some control, because I know I never do."

I only wish that the beginning of the book was a good as the middle and the end....

I really expected more from this book. So many people say this book changed their lives. It's the best book they ever read. I just don't see how that's possible. To me it wasn't even really a story. There wasn't a beginning, middle, or end. You could open the book to any page and begin reading and still be able to follow along without missing any important information.  The book just follows Holden Caulfield's thoughts as he spends a few days in the city before returning home to his parents after being kicked out of school again. He tends to repeat the same things over and over again which gets annoying after a while. Reading the book felt a lot like having a boring conversation with someone. I kept waiting for something to happen. He criticizes everything and everyone. He doesn't seem to be a very happy person.  I kept wanting to say, "Stop complaining! Stop Whining!" If you want to follow around a depressed sixteen year old who cusses non-stop and acts more like a young child then by all means rush out and get this book now. If not...just skip it.