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The Last Summer of You and Me
Riley and Alice, two sisters now in their twenties, and as fiercely different as they are loyal, have spent every summer at their parents’ modest beach house on New York’s Fire Island. Each year, they return to the house and community they have known since they were children—and to Paul, the boy next door. But this summer marks a season of change: budding love and sexual interest, an illness, and a deep secret force all three to confront the increasing complexities of their lives and friendships.
306 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2007
About the author
Ann Brashares
56 books4,910 followersAnn Brashares is an American young adult novelist. She is best known as the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,765 reviews
August 1, 2007
I'm only halfway through with this but I already have some thoughts:
1. If this had come out while I was in high school, I would have LOVED it. You would have seen me clutching it all moony-eyed for days. So when the reviews say that this is for the fans of the traveling pants series who are all grown up now-- no, I don't think so. I think it's for the young ladies who are just getting into the traveling pants. I like to think that I'm still in touch enough with my 16-year-old self that I still like the same books, but now I like to be impressed a little more. I also like to be made to laugh, and that's not happening here either.
2. It's a slow, quiet love story. It almost seems to me like Brashares could have put this in a different time- turn of the century, something Wharton-esque, and the love story aspect would have come out splendidly. Because the characters are so tortured. It still works now, I'm just not used to seeing so much torture in the present day.
3. Several times I've caught myself rereading a particular sentence over and over, and I think, what a lovely sentence. With all the lovely sentences in there, I can't figure out why I'm not more impressed with the writing.
4. Maybe because she insists on justifying her characters so much. Everything they do is agonized over and defended.
5. And they ask so many questions. Every time we go into Paul's head, he is asking a zillion questions, but he usually winds up answering them in the next paragraph. He is a quick learner, that Paul.
6. Having finished it, I don't really feel like adding any more to this...meh.
1. If this had come out while I was in high school, I would have LOVED it. You would have seen me clutching it all moony-eyed for days. So when the reviews say that this is for the fans of the traveling pants series who are all grown up now-- no, I don't think so. I think it's for the young ladies who are just getting into the traveling pants. I like to think that I'm still in touch enough with my 16-year-old self that I still like the same books, but now I like to be impressed a little more. I also like to be made to laugh, and that's not happening here either.
2. It's a slow, quiet love story. It almost seems to me like Brashares could have put this in a different time- turn of the century, something Wharton-esque, and the love story aspect would have come out splendidly. Because the characters are so tortured. It still works now, I'm just not used to seeing so much torture in the present day.
3. Several times I've caught myself rereading a particular sentence over and over, and I think, what a lovely sentence. With all the lovely sentences in there, I can't figure out why I'm not more impressed with the writing.
4. Maybe because she insists on justifying her characters so much. Everything they do is agonized over and defended.
5. And they ask so many questions. Every time we go into Paul's head, he is asking a zillion questions, but he usually winds up answering them in the next paragraph. He is a quick learner, that Paul.
6. Having finished it, I don't really feel like adding any more to this...meh.
November 19, 2017
Alice is an annoying girl who spends the entire book whining about her childhood friend Paul. Does he love me? No he doesn't love me. Wait DOES HE LOVE ME? No I don't think he loves me.
Paul is an annoying guy who spends the entire book angsting about Alice. I don't love Alice. I CAN'T love Alice. Wait. I think I DO love Alice. But does she love me? NO, THIS CAN NEVER BE. THIS SHOULD NEVER BE.
Then they get together and spend the entire middle of the book having sex in various locations. His bed, her bed, the kitchen floor, the beach, a chair...
Then there's Riley, Alice's sister, who runs around going I AM BETTER THAN MY BODY. She's never been sick in her life until one day she comes down with strep throat and yells I AM BETTER THAN STREP THROAT. But the doctors make her take pills. And she's like I AM BETTER THAN PILLS. And the doctors are like "Riley. You need to take these pills. And you need to take the entire bottle or we will force feed them to you." So she takes the pills but as SOON as she's feeling better, she throws the remainder of the pills away and jumps in the ocean. And then she gets rheumatic heart disease. And the doctors are like "this is what happens when you don't take the entire bottle of pills, you idiot." But Riley doesn't care because SHE IS BETTER THAN RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE. And then she dies. And her family gets all weepy but I'm pretty sure the doctors all just rolled their eyes because Riley was such an arrogant prick. And on her grave stone it probably said I AM BETTER THAN DEATH.
That's the entire book. Your eyes WILL fall out of your head if you read it. So don't.
Paul is an annoying guy who spends the entire book angsting about Alice. I don't love Alice. I CAN'T love Alice. Wait. I think I DO love Alice. But does she love me? NO, THIS CAN NEVER BE. THIS SHOULD NEVER BE.
Then they get together and spend the entire middle of the book having sex in various locations. His bed, her bed, the kitchen floor, the beach, a chair...
Then there's Riley, Alice's sister, who runs around going I AM BETTER THAN MY BODY. She's never been sick in her life until one day she comes down with strep throat and yells I AM BETTER THAN STREP THROAT. But the doctors make her take pills. And she's like I AM BETTER THAN PILLS. And the doctors are like "Riley. You need to take these pills. And you need to take the entire bottle or we will force feed them to you." So she takes the pills but as SOON as she's feeling better, she throws the remainder of the pills away and jumps in the ocean. And then she gets rheumatic heart disease. And the doctors are like "this is what happens when you don't take the entire bottle of pills, you idiot." But Riley doesn't care because SHE IS BETTER THAN RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE. And then she dies. And her family gets all weepy but I'm pretty sure the doctors all just rolled their eyes because Riley was such an arrogant prick. And on her grave stone it probably said I AM BETTER THAN DEATH.
That's the entire book. Your eyes WILL fall out of your head if you read it. So don't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2020
This might be the hardest review for me to write. I hope someone reads it. :)
When people ask me what my favorite book is I always say Pride and Prejudice, and that isn’t really the truth anymore. The truth is that The Last Summer (of You and Me) is my favorite. It has been for years.
I love Elizabeth Bennet dearly but Alice is where it’s at for me. I want to be her. She’s so kind and gentle and lovely. I love the dynamic between the three of them. I want to run to Fire Island and find my own Paul. I want to hunt crab and see the different kinds of beaches and eat egg sandwiches while the sun comes up.
I don’t know what it is about this particular story. Ann Brashares touches me with this one like no one can. Her words drip off the page, slashing little pangs in my heart. Brashares is divine at describing even the simplest things. Take this for example – if I were writing, I would say, “He felt great distress.” Does she say this though? No. She comes up with this: “His distress and pleasure mixed and married, giving birth to several anxious children.” Good. Lord. Woman.
This novel feels personal to me in a way that even I don’t understand. Ann Brashares came for a book signing a few years ago and I turned around a block away from the site because I couldn’t handle if she had been rude to me. I don’t think she would have, but I don’t want anything to hinder my love for this novel. And… now you think I’m crazy. :)
So, now that I have completely oversold the book, I leave you with my favorite quote.
“She wanted him to see all of her and also none of her. She wanted him to be dazzled by the bits and blinded by the whole. She wanted him to see her whole and not in pieces. She had hopes that were hard to satisfy.”
When people ask me what my favorite book is I always say Pride and Prejudice, and that isn’t really the truth anymore. The truth is that The Last Summer (of You and Me) is my favorite. It has been for years.
I love Elizabeth Bennet dearly but Alice is where it’s at for me. I want to be her. She’s so kind and gentle and lovely. I love the dynamic between the three of them. I want to run to Fire Island and find my own Paul. I want to hunt crab and see the different kinds of beaches and eat egg sandwiches while the sun comes up.
I don’t know what it is about this particular story. Ann Brashares touches me with this one like no one can. Her words drip off the page, slashing little pangs in my heart. Brashares is divine at describing even the simplest things. Take this for example – if I were writing, I would say, “He felt great distress.” Does she say this though? No. She comes up with this: “His distress and pleasure mixed and married, giving birth to several anxious children.” Good. Lord. Woman.
This novel feels personal to me in a way that even I don’t understand. Ann Brashares came for a book signing a few years ago and I turned around a block away from the site because I couldn’t handle if she had been rude to me. I don’t think she would have, but I don’t want anything to hinder my love for this novel. And… now you think I’m crazy. :)
So, now that I have completely oversold the book, I leave you with my favorite quote.
“She wanted him to see all of her and also none of her. She wanted him to be dazzled by the bits and blinded by the whole. She wanted him to see her whole and not in pieces. She had hopes that were hard to satisfy.”
April 4, 2010
I cannot stop raving about this book. To me, this book is a gem that holds a special place in my heart, because it is very perspective, raw with emotions, and just the right book I've been looking for.
I am officially in love with the very mature way Ann Brashares explains her story. The plot, to me, is very simple, the way I like it - nothing overly dramatic, everything falls in place naturally. I love how the author knows each character perfectly - we can't just imagine how they look, but also how they react, how they feel, their preferences, their insights, their feelings, and each is very personal and sensitive in a good way. The scenes are vivid, and I like how the beach seems just the right setting for everything in the book. Her proses are simply beautiful.
Easily the best book I've read this year (and maybe even the previous year). I cannot compare this to the Sisterhood series, which I like but not as much. I certainly wish the author will write more books like this, for more mature readers. Having said this, I cannot wait for My Name is Memory to come out soon.
I am officially in love with the very mature way Ann Brashares explains her story. The plot, to me, is very simple, the way I like it - nothing overly dramatic, everything falls in place naturally. I love how the author knows each character perfectly - we can't just imagine how they look, but also how they react, how they feel, their preferences, their insights, their feelings, and each is very personal and sensitive in a good way. The scenes are vivid, and I like how the beach seems just the right setting for everything in the book. Her proses are simply beautiful.
Easily the best book I've read this year (and maybe even the previous year). I cannot compare this to the Sisterhood series, which I like but not as much. I certainly wish the author will write more books like this, for more mature readers. Having said this, I cannot wait for My Name is Memory to come out soon.
March 31, 2011
After reading this book, I'm just wondering why didn't I read this before ! It has been really long since a book had obsessed me to the point I can't stop reading it, and I can't stop thinking about it.
It's the story of two sisters, Riley and Alice and Riley's best friend, Paul, they have known each other since years. 3 years after their last meeting in their beach house, they're all grown-up and some relationships have changed... But then something terrible happens.
I only put 4 stars, because I thought something lacked. But overall, it was a great read and I would recommend it. :)
This is exactly my point of view;
"I thought this book was a fantastic summer read. It starts a bit slow, but it slowly drew me in until I was obsessed with reading it. If I couldn't be reading it, I would think about it; I even dreamed about it once. I thought it was going to be about a love triangle between the two sisters (Riley and Alice) and their childhood friend (Paul), but it isn't. It's a story of how this threesome starts to grow up and deal with wanting different things and dealing with adult experiences, with having to leave childhood behind. Now in their twenties, you would have thought that this transition would have already started, but the three seemed to create a Neverland-esque world where adulthood and even adolencence is shunned in favor of a chosen innocence. Add a serious illness into the mix, and things start to get complicated and heartbreaking. "
It's the story of two sisters, Riley and Alice and Riley's best friend, Paul, they have known each other since years. 3 years after their last meeting in their beach house, they're all grown-up and some relationships have changed... But then something terrible happens.
I only put 4 stars, because I thought something lacked. But overall, it was a great read and I would recommend it. :)
This is exactly my point of view;
"I thought this book was a fantastic summer read. It starts a bit slow, but it slowly drew me in until I was obsessed with reading it. If I couldn't be reading it, I would think about it; I even dreamed about it once. I thought it was going to be about a love triangle between the two sisters (Riley and Alice) and their childhood friend (Paul), but it isn't. It's a story of how this threesome starts to grow up and deal with wanting different things and dealing with adult experiences, with having to leave childhood behind. Now in their twenties, you would have thought that this transition would have already started, but the three seemed to create a Neverland-esque world where adulthood and even adolencence is shunned in favor of a chosen innocence. Add a serious illness into the mix, and things start to get complicated and heartbreaking. "
October 4, 2012
This is the author's "first adult" book following her string of "Traveling Pants" novels for young adults. It's about three people -- two sisters and their next-door neighbor -- and summers spent living the island life. Riley's the older sister, outdoors-driven to the point where she eshews "normal" relationships and activities with which others her age are consumed; Alice, her amazingly beautiful, selfless and smart younger sister; and Paul, the rich, semi-tortured (as all stereotypical rich kids are) boy-next-door and Riley's best, platonic friend.
Here come the spoilers.
It's an easy, quick read, no question. But also one of the most predictable stories and often frustratingly so. (The one good thing that can be said about the predictability is that you know what will happen to everyone despite the multiple loose ends at the conclusion of the book; you've predicted all along what's going to happen, so it's a no-brainer to fill in the parts the author didn't.)
It's also unbearably stereotypical. The character flaws meant to be complex are expected and disappointing, and ultimately don't logically follow through. So Paul and Alice fall in love but don't tell Riley for fear of leaving her behind, despite the fact they already have in a sense. They make love like monkeys (if monkeys "make love") until the fateful night Riley falls irrecoverably ill, leaving Alice feeling -- surprise! -- guilty and responsible for Riley's illness. Paul -- surprise! -- is consumed with guilt for the same reason, but also because of a complicated past involving family and money (oh the problems of poor rich folk.) And can you guess who the affair possibly could have been between? Oh, the shock of it all!
One last complaint. Alice, so utterly perfect in physical beauty and intelligence and wholesomeness blah blah blah. Do ya think if she were 5'2", 180 and had hairy moles on her ass and nose Paul would've fallen so desperately in love with her? Um, doubtful.
Disappointment supreme!
Here come the spoilers.
It's an easy, quick read, no question. But also one of the most predictable stories and often frustratingly so. (The one good thing that can be said about the predictability is that you know what will happen to everyone despite the multiple loose ends at the conclusion of the book; you've predicted all along what's going to happen, so it's a no-brainer to fill in the parts the author didn't.)
It's also unbearably stereotypical. The character flaws meant to be complex are expected and disappointing, and ultimately don't logically follow through. So Paul and Alice fall in love but don't tell Riley for fear of leaving her behind, despite the fact they already have in a sense. They make love like monkeys (if monkeys "make love") until the fateful night Riley falls irrecoverably ill, leaving Alice feeling -- surprise! -- guilty and responsible for Riley's illness. Paul -- surprise! -- is consumed with guilt for the same reason, but also because of a complicated past involving family and money (oh the problems of poor rich folk.) And can you guess who the affair possibly could have been between? Oh, the shock of it all!
One last complaint. Alice, so utterly perfect in physical beauty and intelligence and wholesomeness blah blah blah. Do ya think if she were 5'2", 180 and had hairy moles on her ass and nose Paul would've fallen so desperately in love with her? Um, doubtful.
Disappointment supreme!
November 4, 2007
The Last Summer (of You & Me), by Ann Brashares (the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series) is an adult novel which tells the story of three friends/siblings: Paul, Riley, and Alice. Each is in their early twenties, and like the generation they belong to, they’re still on the cusp between childhood and adulthood, trying to figure out who they are and their relationships with each other and the rest of the world.
Riley is especially immature; at twenty-five she still makes a career out of being a lifeguard and has yet to enter into any sort of romantic relationship. But she’s always been the leader, encouraging her sister Alice and her best friend Paul to cling to childhood traditions and to reject the pretentiousness of adult pleasures. Because they love her they agree, but everything becomes more complicated when Paul and Alice fall in love. Guilt compels them to keep their relationship hidden from Riley. However, when Riley becomes seriously ill the strength of their love is tested, and the bonds both of family and friendship are put into question.
“The idea of love is always easier than the practice of it.’ Brashares states this towards the end of her story, and by the time she does so, it’s almost unnecessary. The entire novel is a beautiful, lyrical testament to the complexities of all sorts of love, yet never is the reader made to feel manipulated nor pandered to. Instead, the characters, their thoughts, and their relationships are built up and described so lovingly, that the book and its subject matter become one and the same: like the summer it describes, this novel is at once beautiful and fleeting. It’s impossible to put down, but at the same time you’ll want to cling to it, to draw it out and not let it end. After you do, you’ll promise yourself you won’t forget the way it made you feel, even though you know that (unfortunately) you will, all too soon.
That’s okay. Unlike summers, books can be relived, over and over and over.
This is one you’ll want to visit again for sure.
Riley is especially immature; at twenty-five she still makes a career out of being a lifeguard and has yet to enter into any sort of romantic relationship. But she’s always been the leader, encouraging her sister Alice and her best friend Paul to cling to childhood traditions and to reject the pretentiousness of adult pleasures. Because they love her they agree, but everything becomes more complicated when Paul and Alice fall in love. Guilt compels them to keep their relationship hidden from Riley. However, when Riley becomes seriously ill the strength of their love is tested, and the bonds both of family and friendship are put into question.
“The idea of love is always easier than the practice of it.’ Brashares states this towards the end of her story, and by the time she does so, it’s almost unnecessary. The entire novel is a beautiful, lyrical testament to the complexities of all sorts of love, yet never is the reader made to feel manipulated nor pandered to. Instead, the characters, their thoughts, and their relationships are built up and described so lovingly, that the book and its subject matter become one and the same: like the summer it describes, this novel is at once beautiful and fleeting. It’s impossible to put down, but at the same time you’ll want to cling to it, to draw it out and not let it end. After you do, you’ll promise yourself you won’t forget the way it made you feel, even though you know that (unfortunately) you will, all too soon.
That’s okay. Unlike summers, books can be relived, over and over and over.
This is one you’ll want to visit again for sure.
July 30, 2008
Eh. Definitely a light and easy read. I found her writing style somewhat annoying. I feel like she was trying too hard to be philosophical or sound intelligent. She's big on using contrasts. Over and over. She would write things like "She didn't know if he needed more or less of her. Maybe neither. Maybe both. Maybe it's always both." It got tiresome. I also had trouble feeling for the characters. Probably because I thought how they handled the situation was completely not believable and totally unrealistic.
October 9, 2007
Quite a disappointment for me, as I've really enjoyed Brasheare's Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' series. Or at least the two that I've read. I have a high tolerance for frequently trod tropes if a) I really like the characters (for whatever reason) and 2) the writing is engaging and surprising. Unfortunately, the main characters make me want to hit them over the head with very large bricks - over and over again and I felt that I could see the plot turns coming several chapters ahead of time. To be fair to the book, I finished it and did so quickly (in a couple of hours) but I felt manipulated and a little soiled afterwards. And I continue to be miffed that it wasn't better precisely because I had high expectation based on her prior efforts.
September 26, 2018
My 1st book by this author. I loved it!
July 22, 2007
Good book. A tear-jerker.
August 23, 2018
My favorite book ever. This book was my first 'adult' book and I enjoy it now more than ever.
May 3, 2010
Is the plot really important in a book? Maybe for some readers it is, I usually expect a great plot from a crime novel but most of the time what really matters to me is the atmosphere, the dialogue, the overall feeling that a book is able to convey in my day.
I will soon turn 29 and I haven’t read the sisterhood series by Ann Brashares yet, I recently read The Last summer (of you and me) and I loved it (literally couldn’t put it down).
A brief regarding the plot: the book takes place in Fire Island and it develops around three characters: Riley, 24, who has never fully made the transition to adulthood, gifted in sports she has remained close to her childhood world; Paul has been Riley’s best friend, her match in physical activities and something of an older cruel brother to Alice; Alice, is Riley’s younger sister and a more complex character whose magic develops through the story. Paul and Alice fall in love and the first part of the novel is about them. Immersed in their pleasures, Alice and Paul don’t spend much time considering Riley. However, when Riley becomes suddenly ill, Alice is overwhelmed by guilt. She rushes from the island to the hospital to find Riley with congestive heart failure. Here, Riley extracts a promise: Alice will not tell Paul about her damaged heart. By the end, the characters have suffered losses, and their links to their childhoods have been discarded; they can no longer inhabit the Fire Island they knew, except in memory.
I read a few negative reviews about this book, in my opinion it’s a “must read” , Brashares has a way of writing that makes you feel involved at many different levels. You really get attached to these characters and feel as if you know them. I was left with wanting more.
A quote from the book: some people has no magic
I will soon turn 29 and I haven’t read the sisterhood series by Ann Brashares yet, I recently read The Last summer (of you and me) and I loved it (literally couldn’t put it down).
A brief regarding the plot: the book takes place in Fire Island and it develops around three characters: Riley, 24, who has never fully made the transition to adulthood, gifted in sports she has remained close to her childhood world; Paul has been Riley’s best friend, her match in physical activities and something of an older cruel brother to Alice; Alice, is Riley’s younger sister and a more complex character whose magic develops through the story. Paul and Alice fall in love and the first part of the novel is about them. Immersed in their pleasures, Alice and Paul don’t spend much time considering Riley. However, when Riley becomes suddenly ill, Alice is overwhelmed by guilt. She rushes from the island to the hospital to find Riley with congestive heart failure. Here, Riley extracts a promise: Alice will not tell Paul about her damaged heart. By the end, the characters have suffered losses, and their links to their childhoods have been discarded; they can no longer inhabit the Fire Island they knew, except in memory.
I read a few negative reviews about this book, in my opinion it’s a “must read” , Brashares has a way of writing that makes you feel involved at many different levels. You really get attached to these characters and feel as if you know them. I was left with wanting more.
A quote from the book: some people has no magic
November 19, 2017
What pretentious baloney! Listen to this:
His distress and pleasure mixed and married, giving birth to several anxious children. Maybe he shouldn't have come back here. But what else did he have? The trick was to have what he had without destroying it, if that was possible. Could you even do that? Every desire fulfilled was thus defeated. Could you interrupt the cycle? Could you make the world hold still?
What does that even mean?! Who talks like that? It wasn't just this one character either, the tone of the entire book is like that. It's hard to believe this is the same author who wrote my beloved The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.
His distress and pleasure mixed and married, giving birth to several anxious children. Maybe he shouldn't have come back here. But what else did he have? The trick was to have what he had without destroying it, if that was possible. Could you even do that? Every desire fulfilled was thus defeated. Could you interrupt the cycle? Could you make the world hold still?
What does that even mean?! Who talks like that? It wasn't just this one character either, the tone of the entire book is like that. It's hard to believe this is the same author who wrote my beloved The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.
October 21, 2009
What an unbelievable disappointment. For those who don't know, Ann Brashares wrote the YA series The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which I loved. How is it possible for the YA series to have been so delightful and the Adult novel to be so forced? I found the writing stilted, the character development weak, and my plot expectations unfulfilled. I read 113 pages before accepting the fact that it wasn't going to get any better. I skimmed the last half of the book just to see if anything else actually would happen (it did, but in an annoyingly dull manner) and called it a day.
Man, I am glad that I only bought this off the bargain table instead of paying full price when it was first released.
Man, I am glad that I only bought this off the bargain table instead of paying full price when it was first released.
February 8, 2020
Reading a few of my backlist books and this was one of them. I found myself falling asleep while reading this book. So It didn't keep my interest. I grabbed the audio book and the same thing happened. I forced myself through it and I felt like I couldn't connect with any of the characters really care what was going on in their lives. The book ended and I was happy to have finished it. 🤮 wasnt for me.
February 11, 2011
In anticipation of Valentine's Day, I cast around for a good Retro Friday book to review. I wanted one with a compelling romantic storyline, but not one that was necessarily primarily focused on the romance. You know me. Then I remembered this beautiful book I read, oh, almost four years ago, and it struck me as the perfect one to highlight today. I never hear very many people talk about it as anything other than a beach read (at best), and I wonder if it just flew under the radar a fair bit or if only I thought it was meaningful. I do have to say that I haven't read any of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books and I haven't seen the movie. But when I read about Ann Brashares' first adult foray, it sounded like the right time to give her a shot. It was the right choice. I worried a little bit about the title--quite a bit of potential for the overwrought what with the parenthetical subtitle, etc. But it doesn't really bother me after the fact. And, though I'm still not too interested at all in reading her YA books, I've been eying her second adult novel, My Name is Memory, for awhile now. Given how much I enjoyed this one, I figure I'd better give it a try sometime in the near future.
Alice and her big sister Riley share a beach home on Fire Island. Twenty-one and ready for something to happen in her life, Alice stands on the dock waiting for their childhood friend Paul to arrive for the summer. It's been awhile since they've seen him, though they grew up spending summers next door to each other in the island. Chasing waves and waiting tables at the local night spot, the three of them were inseparable and they're very much looking forward to picking up where things left off. But, as close as they are, there is one thing Alice has never had the courage to tell Riley. For Alice, Paul is more than a best friend, more than a fellow childhood daredevil. And once Paul arrives on the island, it looks as though the same may be true for him as well. But neither of them want to tell Riley and thereby unbalance, perhaps disastrously, the old triumvirate. And things go on quietly that way for some time. Family issues come to the forefront and occupy much of their time and discussions. And, in the end, it's Riley who surprises them with the something they never suspected or ever would have seen coming.
THE LAST SUMMER is lovely. It really is. The writing tripped along as pleasantly as waves washing up on Fire Island. Main trio Alice, Paul, and Riley try to navigate their post-adolescent years while holding their difficult three-way relationship intact. I didn't know what to expect of Brashares' writing going in and I was a bit taken aback at how unobtrusive it was, at how nostalgic the tone felt, and yet appreciated how it cautiously steered clear of too much sentiment. I liked the way the characters could struggle to differentiate between the murky miasma of that was then and this is now, but I as the reader never fell into such a quandary. This lent what could have been a too-sappy story a nice cleanliness of line and substance. I fell in love with Alice and Paul. Alice is a somewhat less forceful heroine than I often like, but she's the lodestone around which Riley and Paul orient themselves. And her silent search for love and independence felt earnest to me and reminded me how difficult it can be to exist in the shadow of more assertive and dominant personalities. It's a bit of a heartbreaking story, but full of crystal moments and sure characterization. The quiet, clean writing fit the way the characters were moving into adulthood. Slowly. Reluctantly. If they must. The way we all do.
Alice and her big sister Riley share a beach home on Fire Island. Twenty-one and ready for something to happen in her life, Alice stands on the dock waiting for their childhood friend Paul to arrive for the summer. It's been awhile since they've seen him, though they grew up spending summers next door to each other in the island. Chasing waves and waiting tables at the local night spot, the three of them were inseparable and they're very much looking forward to picking up where things left off. But, as close as they are, there is one thing Alice has never had the courage to tell Riley. For Alice, Paul is more than a best friend, more than a fellow childhood daredevil. And once Paul arrives on the island, it looks as though the same may be true for him as well. But neither of them want to tell Riley and thereby unbalance, perhaps disastrously, the old triumvirate. And things go on quietly that way for some time. Family issues come to the forefront and occupy much of their time and discussions. And, in the end, it's Riley who surprises them with the something they never suspected or ever would have seen coming.
THE LAST SUMMER is lovely. It really is. The writing tripped along as pleasantly as waves washing up on Fire Island. Main trio Alice, Paul, and Riley try to navigate their post-adolescent years while holding their difficult three-way relationship intact. I didn't know what to expect of Brashares' writing going in and I was a bit taken aback at how unobtrusive it was, at how nostalgic the tone felt, and yet appreciated how it cautiously steered clear of too much sentiment. I liked the way the characters could struggle to differentiate between the murky miasma of that was then and this is now, but I as the reader never fell into such a quandary. This lent what could have been a too-sappy story a nice cleanliness of line and substance. I fell in love with Alice and Paul. Alice is a somewhat less forceful heroine than I often like, but she's the lodestone around which Riley and Paul orient themselves. And her silent search for love and independence felt earnest to me and reminded me how difficult it can be to exist in the shadow of more assertive and dominant personalities. It's a bit of a heartbreaking story, but full of crystal moments and sure characterization. The quiet, clean writing fit the way the characters were moving into adulthood. Slowly. Reluctantly. If they must. The way we all do.
March 17, 2019
Three solid stars. I wanted to like this book even more, but it was no Sisters of the Traveling Pants series.
You'll turn out ordinary if you're not careful.
Alice sensed that young children instinctively preferred the life inside a small house to a big one.
It was depressing how radically your priorities shifted when you were tired.
I was scared of the idea that I could become an entirely different person, a stranger to myself. (wanting a motorcycle when older)
You'll turn out ordinary if you're not careful.
Alice sensed that young children instinctively preferred the life inside a small house to a big one.
It was depressing how radically your priorities shifted when you were tired.
I was scared of the idea that I could become an entirely different person, a stranger to myself. (wanting a motorcycle when older)
February 7, 2017
this book is dumb and shallow. i know this book is intended for YA. but this must be the dumbest plot i ever read. i literally have to skip many pages and after 50%, i just wish i can skip this book and put it on forgotten shelf.
January 14, 2016
This was a 'nice' book. I liked the characters but didn't fall in love with them. The story was easy to read but provoked no real thinking. A quick summer holiday read.
June 30, 2020
4,5⭐️
March 9, 2009
I have to admit to really loving the traveling pants series, and so I was WICKED excited when a local bookstore had a HUGE sale and I could nab this book at 1/2 price. I sort of horded it for a couple of weeks and waited to read it. The cover was so inviting, I couldn't resist today, the second sunny, warm day of spring here in Asheville.
So...I started and finished it in the same 24 hours, if that tells you anything at all about it.
I didn't love the beginning, the characters were way too messed up and "in their heads". I think Brashares was trying to prove that she could write for adults and therefore got a bit heavy into some strange psychology that wasn't always enjoyable to wade through.
I didn't cry like the reviews say you must (or something's wrong with you) but mostly because I wasn't really surprised by anything that happened.
I also felt like there were too many loose ends that she didn't tie up in her final chapter, and I'm genuinely hoping she's not planning on writing a sequel to this mediocre book. But, mediocre or not, I liked this book. It would get 3.5 stars if such a thing were possible.
So...I started and finished it in the same 24 hours, if that tells you anything at all about it.
I didn't love the beginning, the characters were way too messed up and "in their heads". I think Brashares was trying to prove that she could write for adults and therefore got a bit heavy into some strange psychology that wasn't always enjoyable to wade through.
I didn't cry like the reviews say you must (or something's wrong with you) but mostly because I wasn't really surprised by anything that happened.
I also felt like there were too many loose ends that she didn't tie up in her final chapter, and I'm genuinely hoping she's not planning on writing a sequel to this mediocre book. But, mediocre or not, I liked this book. It would get 3.5 stars if such a thing were possible.
November 17, 2008
11/12/08
I never read (or saw the movie) Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants... but this book came highly recommended to me by my friend, Angie. I just love a good "summer-beach-friendship triangle" read. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume was one of my favs...so we'll see how this one goes!
11/13
Okay... so I am really pissed off right now... I was reading some reviews on this book and came across one that someone named "Jami" did not click the spoiler button (but instead typed in SPOILER - but you could still see the content at a glance)... and found out some VERY IMPORTANT information that I really would rather have not found out! THANKS JAMI!! Just a warning... don't read the reviews if you don't want to know what happens...some people need to learn to use the box that says "this review contains spoilers!!"
11/15
In spite of the spoiler that I read.... I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I fell in love with Fire Island all of the characters in the story. I would love to visit Fire Island sometime and have dinner at the Yacht Club!!
I never read (or saw the movie) Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants... but this book came highly recommended to me by my friend, Angie. I just love a good "summer-beach-friendship triangle" read. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume was one of my favs...so we'll see how this one goes!
11/13
Okay... so I am really pissed off right now... I was reading some reviews on this book and came across one that someone named "Jami" did not click the spoiler button (but instead typed in SPOILER - but you could still see the content at a glance)... and found out some VERY IMPORTANT information that I really would rather have not found out! THANKS JAMI!! Just a warning... don't read the reviews if you don't want to know what happens...some people need to learn to use the box that says "this review contains spoilers!!"
11/15
In spite of the spoiler that I read.... I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I fell in love with Fire Island all of the characters in the story. I would love to visit Fire Island sometime and have dinner at the Yacht Club!!
October 13, 2011
I was sucked into this book from page 1. I read it during the Tigers' play off game, in the grocery store parking lot, and in front of the school, where I arrived 30 minutes early so that I would have time to read. To say that I could not put it down would be an understatement. I finished last night, through eyes glazed over with tears, and picked it up this morning to re-read some of my favorite parts. You don't need to know anything more than that you need to pick this book up and read it, TODAY!
January 27, 2009
terrible
January 11, 2018
Ah, sweet summer. For sisters Riley and Alice, summer brings them back to Fire Island and the town of Waterby. The book takes place when the sisters have matured into their 20's, along with their summer friend, Paul, who returns after being gone for 3 years. As the author of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants", Brashares specializes in evoking strong emotions. This book - while sad in parts - will bring you back to the summers of your youth, even if they didn't involve a beach house, swimming and sand. An emotional read.
May 5, 2020
2.5*
I think I would have liked this more if I were younger when I read it. It was a fine read, but I would have loved more summer adventures and less moping. It was fine and the main plot eventually got interesting, but there was a lot of staring at the ocean and moping before we got there. I think if I’d been younger I may have been more drawn into the romance plot, but at this point I found it a bit tired and frustrating. Anyway, an ok brainless read right when I needed it.
I think I would have liked this more if I were younger when I read it. It was a fine read, but I would have loved more summer adventures and less moping. It was fine and the main plot eventually got interesting, but there was a lot of staring at the ocean and moping before we got there. I think if I’d been younger I may have been more drawn into the romance plot, but at this point I found it a bit tired and frustrating. Anyway, an ok brainless read right when I needed it.
August 16, 2020
Schmaltzy... but I made it through.
June 10, 2011
Avis sur mon blog: http://read-listen-feel.skyrock.com
Ayant lu toute la série de livres Quatre filles et un jeans, j'étais très curieuse de voir si ce roman me plairait autant que la série qui a fait le succès de cette auteure. Si ça allait autant me toucher, même si j'ai vieillit depuis le temps où j'ai lu la série. Une chose est certaine, le résumé me plaisait déjà beaucoup.
Alice et sa soeur Riley sont de retour à leur maison de vacances sur la plage pour y passer un autre été, mais cette fois, elles ne seront pas seules puisque Paul, leur ami d'enfance et voisin, a aussi décidé de venir cet été après trois ans d'absence. Depuis le temps, Alice est devenue une magnifique jeune femme et elle appréhende la réaction de Paul. Elle se demande si tout sera encore comme avant. Et si ce n'est pas le cas, comment feront-ils face à cette nouvelle situation? Comment réagira Riley à cette nouvelle? Cet été-là, au delà de tous ces sentiments d'amour, d'amitié et de désir, ils réaliseront que rien n'est éternel lorsque la tragédie viendra bouleverser leur vie à tout jamais.
Franchement, j'ai été agréablement surprise par cette lecture. Je ne m'attendais pas à un tel niveau d'émotion si je compare ce roman à la série Quatre filles et un jeans. J'ai totalement dévoré ce livre en une journée, ce qui explique très bien les cinq petits coeurs que je lui accorde.
J'ai d'abord vraiment aimé le fait qu'on se promène entre le présent et le passé des trois personnages. Ça nous permet de comprendre chaque petit détail qui a fait que nous en sommes là aujourd'hui. Chaque souvenir a son importance dans l'histoire et grâce à cela, on arrive à mieux comprendre les réactions des personnages face à telle ou telle situation.
On se retrouve dans une histoire qui n'est pas de niveau adulte, mais pas de niveau YA traditionnel non plus. Nos personnages principaux ont tous en haut de vingt ans, alors vous vous doutez bien qu'on ne s'arrête pas qu'au simple baiser et "Je t'aime" traditionnel. La relation entre Alice et Paul, parce que oui il y en a une, est à la base de tous les événements qui se produiront par la suite. Si on y réfléchit bien, rien ne serait arrivé si Alice et Paul ne s'étaient pas rapprochés au point de ne plus voir ce qui se passait autour d'eux.
Mais parlons plus en détail de cette fameuse relation. Elle est... enivrante. C'est le seul mot que j'arrive à trouver pour la décrire, même s'il n'est pas exact. Souvent au fil de l'histoire, je me suis prise à hurler intérieurement à Alice "Mais dis-lui bon sang!", et aussi à baver un peu sur Paul. Rassurez-vous, mon livre est toujours intact. Mais j'ai tellement apprécié les personnages de cette histoires, si vous saviez. Le roman est écrit à la troisième personne, mais on a quand même l'histoire de trois points de vue différents, soit ceux de Paul, Alice et Riley.
Riley. Parlons-en un peu de Riley pendant que j'y pense. Je me pâme devant la relation de Paul et Alice, mais j'en oublie le principal et peut-être le personnage le plus important de l'histoire. Riley! Riley est la soeur aînée d'Alice et a donc le même âge que Paul. Riley est une passionnée des dauphins, je me dois de le préciser puisqu'on a un beau rappel de ce point à la fin de l'histoire qui m'a fait sourire malgré les tristes circonstances. Sa relation avec Paul n'a jamais rien eu de romantique, mais c'est une relation vraie et de pur amitié. Ils partagent tout, même Alice. Vous comprendrez si vous lisez le livre un jour. Seul petit point négatif qui m'a chicoté tout au long de l'histoire, c'est le mystère entourant l'orientation sexuel de Riley. Ce n'est pas important pour l'histoire, mais en ayant lu d'autres avis avant de me lancer dans cette lecture, je sais très bien que je ne suis pas la seule que ce point agace.
Verdict: J'ai passé un merveilleux moment en lisant ce livre et je le qualifierais de mini coup de coeur de l'été. Comme je l'ai lu il y presque 2 mois, j'ai dû me replonger un peu dedans pour faire une critique qui soit digne de ce livre et je n'ai pu m'empêcher de retomber en amour avec l'histoire et surtout, ses personnages. C'est un livre parfait pour moi et je me suis énormément identifié au personnage d'Alice, par son côté incertain en amour et aussi parce que c'est une fille qui se cherche un peu parce que même si elle croit savoir ce qu'elle veut faire dans la vie, elle n'en a en fait aucune idée. Un petit bijou à mon avis.
Ayant lu toute la série de livres Quatre filles et un jeans, j'étais très curieuse de voir si ce roman me plairait autant que la série qui a fait le succès de cette auteure. Si ça allait autant me toucher, même si j'ai vieillit depuis le temps où j'ai lu la série. Une chose est certaine, le résumé me plaisait déjà beaucoup.
Alice et sa soeur Riley sont de retour à leur maison de vacances sur la plage pour y passer un autre été, mais cette fois, elles ne seront pas seules puisque Paul, leur ami d'enfance et voisin, a aussi décidé de venir cet été après trois ans d'absence. Depuis le temps, Alice est devenue une magnifique jeune femme et elle appréhende la réaction de Paul. Elle se demande si tout sera encore comme avant. Et si ce n'est pas le cas, comment feront-ils face à cette nouvelle situation? Comment réagira Riley à cette nouvelle? Cet été-là, au delà de tous ces sentiments d'amour, d'amitié et de désir, ils réaliseront que rien n'est éternel lorsque la tragédie viendra bouleverser leur vie à tout jamais.
Franchement, j'ai été agréablement surprise par cette lecture. Je ne m'attendais pas à un tel niveau d'émotion si je compare ce roman à la série Quatre filles et un jeans. J'ai totalement dévoré ce livre en une journée, ce qui explique très bien les cinq petits coeurs que je lui accorde.
J'ai d'abord vraiment aimé le fait qu'on se promène entre le présent et le passé des trois personnages. Ça nous permet de comprendre chaque petit détail qui a fait que nous en sommes là aujourd'hui. Chaque souvenir a son importance dans l'histoire et grâce à cela, on arrive à mieux comprendre les réactions des personnages face à telle ou telle situation.
On se retrouve dans une histoire qui n'est pas de niveau adulte, mais pas de niveau YA traditionnel non plus. Nos personnages principaux ont tous en haut de vingt ans, alors vous vous doutez bien qu'on ne s'arrête pas qu'au simple baiser et "Je t'aime" traditionnel. La relation entre Alice et Paul, parce que oui il y en a une, est à la base de tous les événements qui se produiront par la suite. Si on y réfléchit bien, rien ne serait arrivé si Alice et Paul ne s'étaient pas rapprochés au point de ne plus voir ce qui se passait autour d'eux.
Mais parlons plus en détail de cette fameuse relation. Elle est... enivrante. C'est le seul mot que j'arrive à trouver pour la décrire, même s'il n'est pas exact. Souvent au fil de l'histoire, je me suis prise à hurler intérieurement à Alice "Mais dis-lui bon sang!", et aussi à baver un peu sur Paul. Rassurez-vous, mon livre est toujours intact. Mais j'ai tellement apprécié les personnages de cette histoires, si vous saviez. Le roman est écrit à la troisième personne, mais on a quand même l'histoire de trois points de vue différents, soit ceux de Paul, Alice et Riley.
Riley. Parlons-en un peu de Riley pendant que j'y pense. Je me pâme devant la relation de Paul et Alice, mais j'en oublie le principal et peut-être le personnage le plus important de l'histoire. Riley! Riley est la soeur aînée d'Alice et a donc le même âge que Paul. Riley est une passionnée des dauphins, je me dois de le préciser puisqu'on a un beau rappel de ce point à la fin de l'histoire qui m'a fait sourire malgré les tristes circonstances. Sa relation avec Paul n'a jamais rien eu de romantique, mais c'est une relation vraie et de pur amitié. Ils partagent tout, même Alice. Vous comprendrez si vous lisez le livre un jour. Seul petit point négatif qui m'a chicoté tout au long de l'histoire, c'est le mystère entourant l'orientation sexuel de Riley. Ce n'est pas important pour l'histoire, mais en ayant lu d'autres avis avant de me lancer dans cette lecture, je sais très bien que je ne suis pas la seule que ce point agace.
Verdict: J'ai passé un merveilleux moment en lisant ce livre et je le qualifierais de mini coup de coeur de l'été. Comme je l'ai lu il y presque 2 mois, j'ai dû me replonger un peu dedans pour faire une critique qui soit digne de ce livre et je n'ai pu m'empêcher de retomber en amour avec l'histoire et surtout, ses personnages. C'est un livre parfait pour moi et je me suis énormément identifié au personnage d'Alice, par son côté incertain en amour et aussi parce que c'est une fille qui se cherche un peu parce que même si elle croit savoir ce qu'elle veut faire dans la vie, elle n'en a en fait aucune idée. Un petit bijou à mon avis.
June 26, 2010
I have mixed feelings about this story on one hand I really enjoyed it but on the other it annoyed the hell out of me to the point where this could have been quite easily discarded and casually noted as DNF.
First off it's marked as adult...but it's not, really the only reason that it's been given that tag is because there is some love making and that is the only reason. Secondly the characters are all very immature for their ages (early to mid twenties) I don't know whether thats an accurate reflection of that age group nowadays or not, I like to think not. I'm also unsure as to whether or not it was a deliberate action by the author, by that I mean did she make them that way or does she think that,that is the way everyone in this age group behalves/thinks. They also 'think about' and pick apart their lives far too much in the same way insecure teens may think far too much, if they 'thought less' and 'did more' their story would have been far more emotional than it already is.
So I sat for nearly 2 days totally absorbed by this story, desperately trying to push aside all the annoying things and realized that what I was left with was the kind of emotional story I love, people and relationships torn apart because fear, fear of the future, fear of loosing and leaving behind another loved one, fear of moving on from a relationship that has been shared three ways since childhood,and all the irrational acts that takes place when everyone is so absorbed by such a negative emotion that they can't see the wood from the trees. Even when something happens which turns their world upside down the fear still paralyses them, there is a gross misunderstanding no~one talks to each other about whats really going on, information is withheld, The ultimate finality of course is that the fear does not start to subside until something happens to break up the threesome.
This could have been a 4 or 5 star read if only the main characters had been a little more mature.
First off it's marked as adult...but it's not, really the only reason that it's been given that tag is because there is some love making and that is the only reason. Secondly the characters are all very immature for their ages (early to mid twenties) I don't know whether thats an accurate reflection of that age group nowadays or not, I like to think not. I'm also unsure as to whether or not it was a deliberate action by the author, by that I mean did she make them that way or does she think that,that is the way everyone in this age group behalves/thinks. They also 'think about' and pick apart their lives far too much in the same way insecure teens may think far too much, if they 'thought less' and 'did more' their story would have been far more emotional than it already is.
So I sat for nearly 2 days totally absorbed by this story, desperately trying to push aside all the annoying things and realized that what I was left with was the kind of emotional story I love, people and relationships torn apart because fear, fear of the future, fear of loosing and leaving behind another loved one, fear of moving on from a relationship that has been shared three ways since childhood,and all the irrational acts that takes place when everyone is so absorbed by such a negative emotion that they can't see the wood from the trees. Even when something happens which turns their world upside down the fear still paralyses them, there is a gross misunderstanding no~one talks to each other about whats really going on, information is withheld, The ultimate finality of course is that the fear does not start to subside until something happens to break up the threesome.
This could have been a 4 or 5 star read if only the main characters had been a little more mature.
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