Publishing Date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers
Pages: 432 pages
Young Adult Contemporary
The Premise from the Publisher: "What if your town was sliding underwater and everyone was ordered to pack up and leave? How would you and your friends spend your last days together? While the adults plan for the future, box up their possessions, and find new places to live, Keeley Hewitt and her friends decide to go out with a bang. There are parties in abandoned houses. Canoe races down Main Street. The goal is to make the most of every minute they still have together. And for Keeley, that means taking one last shot at the boy she’s loved forever. There’s a weird sort of bravery that comes from knowing there’s nothing left to lose. You might do things you normally wouldn’t. Or say things you shouldn’t. The reward almost always outweighs the risk. Almost. It’s the end of Aberdeen, but the beginning of Keeley’s first love story. It just might not turn out the way she thought. Because it’s not always clear what’s worth fighting for and what you should let become a memory" (SS).
My overall thoughts and review: I've read a series before by Siobhan Vivian and Jenny Han, and when I heard that Vivian was coming out with a new novel, I was excited! I've been on such a contemporary-kick lately and this sounded like something just up my alley. To begin with, the setting of Aberdeen and how the town was sliding underwater was super interesting. I loved how the beginning of each chapter had a weather forecast/weather warning to really set the setting. Also, I must say this text offered such a wide range of characters. There was Keeley's parents, her best friend's Mom, the Sheriff (did he remind anyone else of Sheriff Stilinksi from Teen Wolf? ;)), the teachers, Keeley's friends and also the cat! Everyone was fully fleshed out and so interesting. It was so evident that each had a distinct voice that came through. I really like the entire premise of knowing the "end" is to come and what that does to one's character. Like the premise states, a type of bravery comes on, but then again, there are consequences to that. I really enjoyed that the dynamic of Keeley's friendships was the center of the text. Sure, it had a lot to do with her relationships with Jesse and Levi, but at the heart of the text was her friendship with her girlfriends/childhood friends. Vivian touches on such important themes of graduation, school ending, moving away and how friendships stand the test of all of that. My favorite part of the text was Keeley. She made mistakes and at times, she was quite frustrating, but I loved how "real" she felt to me. I empathized with her so much throughout the text and she reminded me of a younger version of myself. This book allowed me to reflect on that and also take a moment to think about family, friendship, and the environment. I loved this book so much and I always find it particularly difficult explaining my love for a book I really enjoyed. I think it is a beautiful read that many readers will enjoy and it is definitely something I think fans of Rainbow Rowell, Jenny Han and Stephanie Perkins will enjoy!
My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮ (4/5 stars)
Now available for purchase at:
Chapters/Indigo, Kobo Books, Amazon and Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)
Be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour:
And the lovely folks at SSC have put together at #ThreeScoopsOfSummer Prize Pack giveaway:
No comments:
Post a Comment