It was an easy, pleasant read even though there were a few too many italics for emphasis. I was disappointed in the ending. In the next-to-l Although I generally like Berg's work, I hesitated to pick up this book because the subject of year high school reunions was not that much of a draw for me. In the next-to-last chapter, there were untied ends which looked like they would likely not turn out happily ever after.
Then suddenly in the last chapter, everything was resolved in a happily-ever-after manner. It read more like an epilogue than a final chapter and I wasn't sure how much time had elapsed between the next to last chapter and it. The sudden resolution of most of the characters' major problems was also too much of a stretch for me when things had not been going so well just a few pages ago.
View all 4 comments. Jun 28, Adam rated it did not like it Shelves: Want a reason to not go to your 40th high school reunion? People there might be talking about this book and that would be horribly, horribly boring to listen to. I am going to use my all new patent-pending lame-o-meter to rate this book.
Each incident of lameness aka bad writing, boring plot or downright absurdity gets placed on a scale of with ten being the lamest thing you've ever heard of. The author reads the book. She nearly put me to sleep every day at work be Post Listen Review: She nearly put me to sleep every day at work because she just sounds so boring. A bit of advice to authors-unless you have a cool British accent or are a trained actor, do NOT read your own book.
The author occasionally uses swear words, as people do in reality from time to time, but when she says them it sounds like she is saying o, sugar! And that is even when she says "Hey Decker, you asshole. The people in this book are narcissistic baby boomers that talk about sex more than any fifteen year old male I have ever known.
This is about old people so you know, you just know someone is getting some kind of cancer. And does it change her life? Of course it does! Basically what she does is get diagnosed and then take long baths and ignore her husband for a while. The husband is like, "I made grilled cheese sandwiches with two kinds of cheese.
Then she, still in the bath, says "Good for you. But it wasn't that easy either. And in case you are wondering, it's ovarian cancer. It always is in these sorts of books. Are there lots of dull flashbacks of how these people were when they were young? Do we get to see how their lives didn't turn out how they thought? Worst party foul ever? This book has it. So there is this couple that dates in high school and everyone thinks they are so cute and all that. Well one night there is a party at the high school and the two slip off into a bedroom.
This girl walks in on them while the dude is, shall we say, orally entertaining her. The girl walks out of the bedroom, calls attention to the whole party and tells everyone what is happening in the bedroom. This chick thinks that will clear the party and that everyone will love her for exposing the lewdness occurring mere feet from them. Luckily for everyone else, no one cares and they are sensible enough to keep enjoying the party. This chick who was the unnecessary megaphone at the party is still obsessing over that crap 40 years later. If you are wondering if a jerky quarterback will still be a jerky dude forty years after he graduated high school I have an answer for you.
But in this book, all the women still want to jump his bones. So yes, women in this book who knew he was an ass in high school are still dumb enough to want him to be an ass to them now. But the ass is all trying to get back with his wife or whatever while at the same time thinking about how he messed around behind her back all over the place in high school. And yes he thinks that even after cheating on his wife she is so totally going to get back with him.
Did you know that a crappy and stupid ritual such as a high school reunion could devolve into a semi-group therapy session where everyone tells the truth and everything becomes better for everyone? But this being fiction, that's what happens. I didn't buy it for a millisecond and what's more, I didn't care. I think the day that a class of high school students tell the former slut of the high school who has gone on to be a successful doctor that they really did misjudge her is the day Gene Simmons from KISS gives up women, booze and learns to play My Country 'Tis of the on the Ukelele. I am not saying the former slut couldn't become a doctor, I am saying jerky high school people are still going to misjudge her.
I spent hours of my life listening to this book when I could have been listening to something that had relevant value in society. Lameness-meter-rating 75 out of A book about a high school reunion. How thrilling for someone who hated high school to listen to. Nov 16, Jessica rated it it was ok Shelves: The Last Time I Saw You is a story about a 40th high school reunion and the people who will be attending. Each of the characters have their own story about why they want to attend and who they'd like to see.
Illness, death, relationships and love are recurring themes of the people we get to know. Its not particularly funny or interesting or witty or great. I could relate to the characters but found the story a bit unbelievable and odd.
Nov 30, Wendy Ballard rated it it was amazing. Their pettiness, their hate, their compassion, and even the vulnerabilities that their classmates probably never knew they had are out in full display on this night. They all still harboured images of each other when they were lanky teenagers. Olivia's world was exhausting; her life choices were questionable, and sometimes, downright annoying. If it was shorter, I would have finished it, but this was just so boring. It wrapped up too quickly and wasn't at all satisfying. For many years Olivia did just 3.
For example, If all of these people are excited to go to their 40th class reunion, why hadn't they attended any others 10th, 20th, etc? And what are the chances that a bunch of 60 year old men and women are single and looking for a relationship? It wrapped up too quickly and wasn't at all satisfying.
Normally, I don't mind an unsatisfying ending but the book went into great detail about many unimportant things and, in my opinion, the ending should have done the same. Mar 26, Rebecca rated it really liked it Shelves: This book may be called chic lit but it was a chic lit with a lot of depth.
This is the story of a high school reunion of some 60 year olds. Some of them are happy with their families, some are on the brink of divorce, some are already divorced and some have preferred to remain single. It is all their life and more. They came to the reunion with certain expectations and to affirm to the rest how they have fared in life.
They all still harboured images of each other when they were lanky teenager This book may be called chic lit but it was a chic lit with a lot of depth. They all still harboured images of each other when they were lanky teenagers. And much to my chagrin they were essentially still the same. Are we too like that? Havent our life experiences changed us? This book will agree with all who think of their school or college years with nostalgia. I identified with most of the characters in here though they were from a different culture.
Mar 27, Amy rated it liked it. I had done the same during the Gulf War in college. Each individual had certain expectations for their futures, as we all do. Dorothy has yet to attend a reunion and wants to see her high school crush Peter Decker. Lester, a veterinarian and widower, has a happy life with all the animals in his care.
Mary Alice has moved back to her hometown and settled into a quiet life. Pete Decker regrets the separation from his wife and his repeated cheating. Each of the five has certain expectations for the reunion. Once this group attends the reunion everyone at first reverts to high school, as always seems to happen at reunions until everyone realizes that they have grown up and are no longer geeks, jocks, prom queens, and loners [reference to The Breakfast Club: Apr 17, Kelly Hager rated it it was amazing.
I've loved Elizabeth Berg for years now. My best friend Jen loaned me my first one, Joy School. I was still in high school. Now, several years later, I've read all of her books except for one book of short stories, which I am hoarding. I always get a bittersweet feeling when I realize that people haven't read Elizabeth Berg. Her books are so fantastic, and they're so honest.
I'll read a sentence and be like, "YES! That's exactly how I feel. How did you miss her? Anyway, this one is about five people preparing to attend their 40th high school reunion. It's going to be their last, and so a lot of people are going that maybe wouldn't otherwise have gone. One's going because she just learned that she has ovarian cancer, likely terminal. One's going because she wants to hook up with the guy she had a crush on in high school.
One wants to get his wife back she was also in their class and one decides to go on the spur of the moment. My high school has only held one reunion our 10 year and I didn't go. I don't know if I'll go to future reunions I secretly suspect not but this one kind of makes me both nostalgic for high school and determined to never revisit it again.
Dec 05, Dana rated it really liked it. I might move this up to 5 stars, but there were a few characters that drove me nuts during the first half of the book. But overall I loved this book and the characters- even the crazy ones grew on me by the end of the book. I was a little hesitant with this one because the last Elizabeth Berg book I read was not my cup of tea, but this one will go down as one of my favorite books of the year. Apr 25, Barbara rated it did not like it. This book is really bad. Soap opera, tripe, bad.
There are parts that could be funny -- but they are dumb. I finished it because one character interested me and I wanted to make sure I was right about her. This book is so predictable, how could anyone be wrong? Seriously, it is not even beach worthy. Shame on me for finishing it. Nov 07, Kris - My Novelesque Life rated it it was amazing.
If she can get the most popular guy maybe her life won't be so sad. Her ex-husband has already found someone new and her grown daughter is getting married with no input from Dorothy. Mary Alice is still single and back living in her childhood home and helping her senior neighbour, Einer and his caretaker. She longs to go back and show them how far she has come - not that she was ever really bothered being herself - she may even try and seduce Pete Decker.
Einer demands to be her escort in case any of them try anything. The still handsome Pete Decker has just slept with his wife, Nora separated cheating on his mistress. This has cleared his brain and he now knows he wants his childhood sweetheart Nora back - but she has moved on. The reunion becomes his obsession in that he hopes it will remind Nora of the good times and bring her back to him. Lester the once nerdy student is now a vet in the next town over and a widower of many years.
He is bullied into going to his reunion by his receptionist who insists he needs a woman ASAP. Finally there is Candy Sullivan - beauty queen, the object of lust for men and envy of women. What is Emily Mortimer Watching?
Edit Cast Cast overview: Young Aaseya Elaha Bakhtiari Edit Storyline A 16 year old Hazara Muslim refugee confronts a trio of mean girls at school. Edit Details Official Sites: Add the first question. Audible Download Audio Books. When Olivia Berrington gets the call to tell her that her best friend from university has been killed in a car crash in New York, her life is turned upside down.
Her relationship with Sally was an exhilarating roller coaster, until a shocking betrayal drove them apart. But if Sally had really turned her back, why is her little girl named Olivia? As questions mount about the When Olivia Berrington gets the call to tell her that her best friend from university has been killed in a car crash in New York, her life is turned upside down.
As questions mount about the fatal accident, Olivia is forced to go back and unravel her untangled history. But as Sally's secrets start to spill out, Olivia's left asking herself if the past is best kept buried. Paperback , pages. Published February 7th by Quercus first published December 20th To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Oct 01, Rhiannon rated it did not like it. The story line was terrible and the ending was even worse.
Where was the suspense!? The abstract makes the book sound dark and mysterious, yet it was everything but. The book dragged on to the point where I almost gave up. Apr 17, Marlene rated it it was amazing. Originally published at Reading Reality Sally Atkins was a star who burned bright and hot, and then flamed out. The story begins with her death in an auto accident. Her survivors are left with questions about how, and why, and can they go on?
Their world has gotten immeasurably darker. But also become considerably more even-keeled. When Sally was up, she was all the way up. When she was down, she was completely down. When she loved you, you were the only person in her world, and when you fell out of favor, you were cast into the pit of oblivion. Sally was bipolar, and she never revealed what she perceived as her weakness to anyone. She always cast every moment of her life as though she was the star, and any others were supernumeraries. In reality, everyone was her victim, including herself.
All that Olivia finds is the relationship that set the pattern for her life. A pattern of settling for scraps and hoping she can placate the person she has allowed to control her life and well-being, and a pattern that she finally realizes she must break for good. Olivia searches for the truth about Sally, but in the end, she also finds out the truth about herself.
It was a concept that resonated. I felt for Olivia, the way that she kept repeating her pattern with Sally, much in the same way that a victim returns to their abuser, or recreates an abusive relationship. She kept trying to understand the other person, instead of figuring out that the person she needed to take care of was herself.
Although this is definitely not a romance, Olivia does find romance. Olivia figuring out who she needed to be would have been more than enough for me. Apr 07, RO Mejia rated it really liked it Shelves: My Take on this Journey: When the story opens, Livvy Olivia is just walking through life. She isn't exactly satisfied with her job and her love life sucks. She lives with her best friend, James, since her relationship ended with her best friend Sally.
James was once Livvy's boyfriend, but he decided that Livvy was sister material, though Livvy is in love with him. James has a colorf My Take on this Journey: James has a colorful life, with women in and out of his life in no time flat. He is a player, loyal to Livvy, and a stand up guy, but is completely honest with women about how he feels about relationships. One day, while Livvy is at work, James calls to tell her to get home. Her best friend from College, Sally, has had a fatal car accident. The entire story is told with flashback scenes, from this point forward, as Livvy goes back to all the things that her and her best girlfriend said and did, till the time their relationship abruptly ended from a major betrayal.
Livvy is devastated and harbors a lot of guilt for things that could have been different and tries to relive where everything went wrong. She wonders, what if she would have done things differently, maybe there would have been a better outcome. As Livvy gets to know William, Sally's husband, and they begin to share their stories about Sally from the past, they both start to realize that maybe they didn't know her at all. Thrown into the mix is Sally's daughter, a namesake that Livvy never knew about. There are a lot of secrets that come to light, and Livvy's guilt, misplaced blame for her very vulnerable wounds are apparent, because they never really got closure or healed.
Moran's writing is very thought provoking, intense, emotional, captivating, and heart wrenching at times. It took a while to get into the swing of things with the British lingo and figures of speech. Moran hits on very sensitive subjects such as, betrayal, death, bipolar disorder, and the lack of boundaries. Livvy looks back with retrospection on downfalls, happy moments, and realization hits hard on things that weren't so good in there relationship.
Soon she starts to think that the relationship she shared and held most sacred, may not have meant the same to her dear friend Sally. There are a lot of surprises that come to light for both Livvy and William, and feelings that can not be met for the time being, though they are shared. There is an abundance of character growth, especially for Livvy, who at the beginning was very insecure and unsure of herself and her capabilities. She eventually becomes more sure and begins to make decisions for herself that she can live with.
The turbulent relationship and love shared by Livvy and Sally were a roller coaster ride to say the least. Sally was a different kind of person. One that, I think, both William and Livvy never realized was so complicated. I felt that Sally was incapable of a real honest relationship, and the fallout from the secrets could have been prevented in most cases. There is a twist to the story that the readers may be surprised by. This is going to be a very short and honest review. I don't like to give negative reviews but consider it advice to my fellow readers to allow them to save their time and money.
I should have given up reading this when I was not initially engaged, however, I completed the book. The story features repetitive scenes and the main character continually doesn't speak up when necessary and has outbursts at inappropriate times. The mystery surrounding Sally's death causes tension and suspension but whe This is going to be a very short and honest review. The mystery surrounding Sally's death causes tension and suspension but when certain aspects come to light, reactions are vague and not fully flushed out.
I would not recommend this book and will therefore not be promoting this selection on social media. View all 8 comments. Feb 06, Kirsty Lanyon rated it liked it. I disliked the main character. Jan 25, Vicky rated it really liked it Shelves: It was definitely a pleasant surprise and I fell in love with the writing right away. They seemingly had such a great relationship… so what happened? What made their friendship end in such a dramatic way? And whose fault was it? The Last Time I Saw You is a brilliantly written story of friendship, love, revenge, acceptance and overcoming grief that is guaranteed to leave fans of contemporary fiction speechless.
Jan 16, Megan Readinginthesunshine rated it it was amazing. Sally, her best friend from uni, has been tragically killed in a car crash in New York. Olivia and Sally were best friends until a shocking betrayal ended their friendship. As questions begin to appear about what exactly happened to Sally, Olivia is forced to relive her memories of her time spent with Sally… I thoroughly enjoyed this story!
Many readers out there will be able to relate to the initial story: A great friendship that ended all too soon or went wrong in some way. As readers out there will be able to relate to this, it makes for an emotional read. But what is so compelling and addictive about this story is the intensity of the friendship between Olivia and Sally.
As Olivia re-lives her university years and her time spent with Sally, we as the reader gain an insight into the complex and at times full on relationship that Olivia had with Sally. The characters are really what makes this story as brilliant as it is. As a reader, we live through Olivia and her memories of Sally, and their characters are the strongest of all.
Even though we learn from the start that Sally has died, her presence is strongly felt throughout and so for me she was a major piece of the puzzle and was always at the forefront of my mind. William and Madeline were also perfectly written. It deals not only with how people deal with grief, but explores love, friendship, infatuation and betrayal.
From the start it is gripping and there were many surprises in store. This is a must read! Mar 05, Donna Irwin rated it liked it. I just didnt like the characters at all - thought they deserved each other! Well written but just something about it that didnt grab me. DNF at page If it was shorter, I would have finished it, but this was just so boring. I could not take pages of this.: P I just didn't connect with any of the characters, and I felt like nothing was happening because of that.
I don't mind slow-moving books, but if they're slow, then I need to like the characters! This should be insomnia treatment. I gave it 2 stars because maybe someone else will like the characters. Now get some glasses my friend, Mr. Bubbles is in the fridge. Perhaps it was the way I liked it.
Sally's death is at first shocking, then increasingly somber as Livvy reveals—through a series of extended flashbacks that lead up to the explosive cause to the end of the brightly burning friendship—just what kind of relationship the two girls had in college. As Livvy learns to cope with losing her best friend she hasn't spoken to in decades, she becomes entangled in an unexpected, unfathomable relationship that arises from the ashes tragedy.
Her grief is intertwined with intense, wild stories from her university years, the years that have caused her so much regret, loss, and heartbreak. While Livvy's reflections of her early twenties are evocative and induce school-age nostalgia, the story itself is banal and way too linear. I found the book unnecessarily wordy at a whopping pages; it contains lots of pointless action and inner dialogue the story could have done without. The lack of structure and actual point to the story made it a bit difficult to read, and the painfully predictable climax and conclusion did nothing to impress me either.
Livvy is a fickle character, and although it's easy to sympathize with her, it's also very easy to find her very pathetic. There were just some moments I wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. While her first-person narration is stylistically rather elementary, Livvy does have her moments of beautiful, introspective reflection. The only reason I enjoyed her perspective is because of her contemplative thoughts on human connections and coping.
I like to think that they do—that anyone we truly love changes some part of us forever, like waves pounding against a cliff until its shape is indelibly altered. Or is that no more than wishful thinking, a futile attempt to dodge the reality that however much you love a person, you can never guarantee they won't get ripped away from you? There are only two letters separating love from loss—the first always contains the threat of the second.
Verdict Eleanor Moran's most recent novel didn't sweep me away, but it was still an enjoyable story about the value of girl friends and the magic of hope-filled youth. I was mostly disappointed that the big mystery enshrouding Sally's "dark" secrets was calculable and unoriginal, but did appreciate how The Last Time I Saw You probingly explores the tendency we humans have for forever remembering those we have once loved.
Decent for a first read, but I'm not going back; this book is decidedly average whatever that means! Source Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review thank you, Wunderkind! Jan 19, Zarina rated it it was amazing. Gripping and intense, The Last Time I Saw You is a novel about friendship and love, and the sometimes faltering boundaries between the two, that will have the reader intrigued from start to finish. The news that her former best friend has lost her life in a car accident, catapults Livvy back to her university years.
Wounds that have never truly healed are forced back open to fill her both with renewed confusion over their lost friendship as well as hurt over the loss of someone she used to love Gripping and intense, The Last Time I Saw You is a novel about friendship and love, and the sometimes faltering boundaries between the two, that will have the reader intrigued from start to finish.
Wounds that have never truly healed are forced back open to fill her both with renewed confusion over their lost friendship as well as hurt over the loss of someone she used to love so dearly. She meets Sally's husband William at the funeral and he tentatively asks if she would like to talk to him about Sally's past, so he has the chance to get to know a period in his wife's life he wasn't a part of.