Author: Gina Ciocca
Publication: June 9, 2015
By: Simon Pulse
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4 Stars
Before:
Kelsey and David became best friends the summer before freshman year and were inseparable ever after. Until the night a misunderstanding turned Kelsey into the school joke, and everything around her crumbled—including her friendship with David. So when Kelsey's parents decided to move away, she couldn't wait to start over and leave the past behind. Except, David wasn't ready to let her go...
After:
Now it's senior year and Kelsey has a new group of friends, genuine popularity, and a hot boyfriend. Her life is perfect. That is, until David's family moves to town and he shakes up everything. Soon old feelings bubble to the surface and threaten to destroy Kelsey's second chance at happiness. The more time she spends with David, the more she realizes she never truly let him go. And maybe she never wants to.
Told in alternating sections, LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE is a charming and romantic debut about loving, leaving, and letting go.
*I received this eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I'll admit, based on that cover (which I LOVE) and that synopsis, I was expecting an edgy story about love, loss and second chances. And in a way that's what this was, but it was much lighter in tone.
Kelsey and David--both of whom I liked AND wanted to shake some sense into---are relateable characters. In fact, Gina Ciocca gives readers an accurate representation of teenagers being teenagers and doing very teenagery things. Things like, making mistakes, misunderstanding intentions, reacting before thinking, and freaking out over things that really aren't as bad as they seem. But that's okay. Teenagers aren't supposed to have it all figured out yet. And Kesley and David sure don't.
Kelsey's eagerness to give David "a pass" on their past bugged me a little. In all honesty, he was just as responsible for what happened in the moments before their communication breakdown as she was. If he really felt the way he did, why didn't he try harder? Pull out all the stops? Simple answer: He's a teenage boy. They aren't mind readers, much to the chagrin of every teenager girl in the history of ever.
Kelsey and David--both of whom I liked AND wanted to shake some sense into---are relateable characters. In fact, Gina Ciocca gives readers an accurate representation of teenagers being teenagers and doing very teenagery things. Things like, making mistakes, misunderstanding intentions, reacting before thinking, and freaking out over things that really aren't as bad as they seem. But that's okay. Teenagers aren't supposed to have it all figured out yet. And Kesley and David sure don't.
Kelsey's eagerness to give David "a pass" on their past bugged me a little. In all honesty, he was just as responsible for what happened in the moments before their communication breakdown as she was. If he really felt the way he did, why didn't he try harder? Pull out all the stops? Simple answer: He's a teenage boy. They aren't mind readers, much to the chagrin of every teenager girl in the history of ever.
Fans of Sarah Dessan, Lauren Morrill and Lauren Barnhodlt will enjoy this.
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