Emotional YA with okay writing. Not my favorite genre any more but it would’ve been perfect for me a few years ago

Ben and Lucy's grief broke my heart and then the author artfully stitched it back together again. The main characters and their vulnerability are what drew me in, but the northern lakes setting and the well-drawn cast of supporting characters really made this book come alive for me.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I liked this book, but I found the two main characters to both be very stubborn and frustrating. While I understood their reeling from the loss of a sister and best friend, they could have created less stress for one another if they had just spoken to each other.

I would have loved this book better if Ben wasn't such a... Let me rephrase it, so bad at "grieving". I understood his pain, but sometimes I just wanted Lucy to move on already, as he was such a pain. Other than this, the book was an emotional ride. I liked the dual POV as I understood things better, but I wasn't any more forgiving for it. I wanted to root more for their romance, but the sparks were extinguished through all those infuriating moments.

3.5/5 rating

Grief is such a strange thing to experience, especially in relation to a sibling. No one is ever fully ready to lose anyone, but as someone who lost a sibling fairly young (20's) it's wildly unexpected and overwhelming. Everyone grieves differently and death can have ripple effects. In this case, it crushed something before it ever even fully got it's chance to blossom.

Trixie and Lucy had been best friends since they were children. Lucy was in love with Trixie's brother, Ben. When Trixie dies tragically in the middle of a routine swim. Lucy and Ben's romance ends as they process their grief. Now it's a year later and they can't resist the pull they feel towards each other.

When I lost my brother, romance was the last thing on my mind. Even 3 years later, it was the furthest thing from my mind, and my LTR really suffered from it. I've seen a lot of smear campaigning being brought against Ben but I would like to add that no one grieves the same way.

I thought this book was cute, but I didn't find myself particularly itching to share it with anyone or to buy a physical copy for my personal collection.

I enjoyed ​The Last Thing You Said, which was about a teen girl whose friend passed away. I did NOT enjoy the love interest, however. I think Unhealthy Relationships would have been a more apt title because of him, and I did not want to see them get together. At all. However, I think that teens will think the story wildly romantic (while adults just see bad decisions and teens in need of grief counseling.)

Eh, this book was not one of my favorites because it was hard for me to connect with the characters, especially Ben. He bugged me with the way he kept lashing out at Lucy. This book was just okay, but I wasn't as moved as I could have been, given the plot.

Will no longer be reading or reviewing this book due to lack of interest in the title, and the fact that the title has been archived.

Sadly The Last Thing You Said wasn't a winner for me. I just couldn't get over Ben's obnoxiousness. What could have been a fine story about grieving was otherwise ruined by a boy who was kind of possessive for being the one that ruined their whole would-be relationship to start with.

Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s Monday Memos we’re going to review a new Young Adult contemporary romance called ‘The Last Thing You Said’ by Sara Biren, which was released on April 4, 2017. This book was provided for review by Amulet Books, but as always this review will be completely honest & spoiler free. I do want to issue a quick warning that this book does contain a lot of vulgar language (which means a lot of cussing) as well as depictions of alcoholism so if this is something you are sensitive or triggered by please consider this before reading this book. Ok now let’s get to the review. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!



‘The Last Thing You Said’ is a story told in the dual perespectives of Lucy & Ben. Both are dealing with the loss of Trixie, Lucy’s childhood best friend & Ben’s sister, who died in an accident 1 year earlier. As the story continues we find that Ben & Lucy are no longer friends even though they once had romantic feelings for each other. Lucy spends her days hanging out with her new friend Hannah, working, & avoiding Ben at all costs. While Ben spends his time with his girlfriend Dana, working, & attempting to drink his guilt over Trixie’s death away. However once the summer begins, the two teens are forced to come to terms with the affect Trixie’s death has had on their individual families, if they can ever be friends again (or something more) again & what their futures hold without the glue that once held them together.



Now I do want to begin by saying that I would definitely give this novel a 4 out of 5 smiley face rating. It had an interesting plot that definitely will keep you entertained, & the author was able to create very interesting characters that you find yourself invested in. I will say that I personally didn’t like the relationship between Lucy & Ben, but at the same time I could understand why did both did the things they did throughout the course of the story. If you’re looking for a story with an interesting romance & a compelling plot, then this is definitely a story that you need to check out.

Heartbreaking and beautiful this is a story about grief, family, acceptance and love. Sara Biren tackles the tough emotions of loss so delicately and with such softness that you will probably cry when you read THE LAST THING YOU SAID, but it's the type of good crying you do when read a book that you will forever remember long after you close the pages. I absolutely love this book and I can't wait for another book by Sara Biren.

DNF. I found that I wanted to like this story, but just could not connect with any of the characters. Such a disappointing read.

Honestly the characters were very bland and their dialogue was so predictable. I've read books that are just like this one but much better written and the plot revealed itself as it went along.

This book is beautiful: from the cover to the words. I loved the attention to detail that the publisher put with the pictures between sections. It added to the overall story.
I loved the author's style and will check out her other books. Lucy and Ben were written so well--their flaws, their emotions, their motivation.
The ending was superb.
Review also shared on Goodreads and Amazon.

I almost don't know what to say, because sometimes I just love a book so much I can't articulate. I wanted to say fans of Morgan Matson will love it, but that almost feels like a cop out(though they will!), because Sara Biren deserves respect and recognition in the YA Contemporary world that is all her own. I loved how honest and real the emotions in this book were, how you really see the grief all of the characters are still reeling from because of their devastating loss. The romance is beautiful and realistic in its imperfection and only plays a small part in an overall big story about coming to terms with life-altering events and understand that it's okay to not always be okay, but it's also okay to let yourself be happy again, too.

This is one of the best books I read in 2017. Captivating characters and plot line that conveys a loss so deep the reader may never get over it either. Fast paced and hard to put down.

The Last Thing You Said is a lovely book about grief, family and the complexities of love.
The story is told in first-person alternating between Lucy and Ben in the year following Trixies death (Lucy's best friend and Ben's sister). Before Trixies death; they were on the cusp of admitting their feelings for one another and since her death, there has been a wall of ice, resentment and unspoken emotions between them.
I loved the strong family presence in this book from all characters that seemed to show empathy with what these kids went through which seemed to be suspended in time to allow for their grief.
This novel took its time in building the characters and setting the scene although it was a bit predictable in places; I was a bit disappointed in the ending, it seemed to resolve too quickly, I felt the ending was a bit rushed and lacked as much investment as was given to the start and the main body. I really enjoyed the journey that this book took me on, I just wanted a bit more.

1.5 stars, maybe. The story was kind of boring to me and I couldn't stand some of the content. I mean, there were SO many f-bombs and I really don't need that in the books I read.

I also didn't really like the romance or characters. Just couldn't connect with the book. :/

*I received a complimentary eBook copy of this book for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Honestly, I felt like this was just another run of the mill YA contemporary, except a million times sadder. The main topic at hand here is grief, and I think the author did a great job at exploring this concept. I just couldn't really pin point out anything too special about this book and it's plot really just got filed away in my brain after I finished and could be easily confused with many of the other YA books I've read.

Ben and Lucy's lives are turned upside down when Trixie, Ben's sister and Lucy's best friend, dies unexpectedly.
Grief stricken, Ben and Lucy, who were moments away from revealing how they felt about each other, grow further apart. But Lucy still loves Ben, despite the things he has said and done since Trixie's death.
Can Ben and Lucy overcome their grief?
Can Lucy forgive Ben?

The Last Thing You Said to me was an emotional read.
I thought that the author handled the subject of grief well and in a believable way.
I felt sorry for both Ben and Lucy but there were times when I wanted to give them a shake - more so Ben who could have done with a kick up the butt. However, I could understand why they were acting the way they were.
When Simon was first introduced I hated him - I was rooting for Ben the whole time - but by the end I felt bad for him.
Emily was really cute and I liked that Lucy told her 'Trixie's' - stories about Trixie.
The plot was good but I wasn't gripped and nothing happened that surprised me.
The writing style was enjoyable and held my attention.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.