The Last Time We Were Us

The Last Time We Were Us
Author(s)
Age Range
12+
Release Date
May 10, 2016
ISBN
13: 9780062402479
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A passionate summer love story about a girl, her childhood best friend recently released from juvie, and the small-town lies that have kept them apart. A teen romance debut with a dark edge.

Liz Grant is about to have the summer of her life. She and her friend MacKenzie are getting invited to all the best parties, and with any luck, Innis Taylor, the most gorgeous guy in Bonneville, will be her boyfriend before the Fourth of July.

Local teen convict released early.

Jason Sullivan wasn’t supposed to come back from juvie. A million years ago, he was her best friend, but that was before he ditched her for a different crowd. Before he attacked Innis’s older brother, leaving Skip’s face burned and their town in shock.

“Everything is not what you think.”

Liz always found it hard to believe what they said about Jason, but all of Bonneville thinks he’s dangerous. If word gets out she’s seeing him, she could lose everything. But what if there’s more to that horrible night than she knows? And how many more people will get hurt when the truth finally comes out?

“You’re the one person who believes in me.”

Leah Konen’s southern romance swelters with passion as it explores the devastating crush of lies, the delicate balance of power and perception, and one girl’s journey to find herself while uncovering the secrets of so many others.

A passionate summer love story about a girl, her childhood best friend recently released from juvie, and the small-town lies that have kept them apart. A teen romance debut with a dark edge.

Liz Grant is about to have the summer of her life. She and her friend MacKenzie are getting invited to all the best parties, and with any luck, Innis Taylor, the most gorgeous guy in Bonneville, will be her boyfriend before the Fourth of July.

Local teen convict released early.

Jason Sullivan wasn’t supposed to come back from juvie. A million years ago, he was her best friend, but that was before he ditched her for a different crowd. Before he attacked Innis’s older brother, leaving Skip’s face burned and their town in shock.

“Everything is not what you think.”

Liz always found it hard to believe what they said about Jason, but all of Bonneville thinks he’s dangerous. If word gets out she’s seeing him, she could lose everything. But what if there’s more to that horrible night than she knows? And how many more people will get hurt when the truth finally comes out?

“You’re the one person who believes in me.”

Leah Konen’s southern romance swelters with passion as it explores the devastating crush of lies, the delicate balance of power and perception, and one girl’s journey to find herself while uncovering the secrets of so many others.

Editor reviews

2 reviews
Summer Read Set in the South
Overall rating
 
3.0
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Characters
 
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The Last Time We Were Us by Leah Konen has such a catchy title and beautiful cover that I am sold on the book before I even turn a page. The story is set down South, which gives those unfamiliar with the particular lifestyle of sweet tea, small towns, and community galas, a taste of what it could be like. In many ways, the social structure in this novel, though set in present day, is a vague reminder of the damaging and restrictive nature of earlier times. In fact, I often found myself drawing comparisons to older books that explore these themes, such as Anna Karenina, which was initially written by Leo Tolstoy in 1875 Russia. The similarities between the two demonstrate how certain human behaviors, unfortunately in this case, have endured across both cultures and time.

Leah Konen does a really great job at capturing the teenage spirit. The desire to be popular, the fights between friends, the plans of preparation for senior year, all seem genuine. Without trivializing the characters in any way, the author also does not make them too mature, too intelligent, or too perfect either. This phenomenon of exceptionally developed teenagers seems to be the recent trend in young adult novels, which, in my opinion, detracts from the coming-of-age elements of the story. Konen pens great high schoolers who are still learning about life, but in many cases, can still teach the adults a thing or two.

I also love the instantaneous chemistry between Liz and Jason. Generally, I have to wait for the majority of a novel for a love story to play out and for the characters to develop feelings. Liz and Jason’s relationship is different, which makes it quite refreshing. However, since Jason’s character is developed primarily in a retrospective way, through Liz’s memories, I would have liked to know more about him now that he is out of jail.

The book itself is a quick read, as well as engaging, mysterious, and a lot of fun. My main problem with it, however, is how similar it is to the novel Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles. While enough of the details are different, the main plotlines follow analogous trajectories. The Last Time We Were Us is the less edgy, less dramatic version. With that being said, the book is still very enjoyable. It is set during the summer and perfect for carting along to the beach.
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