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stargrlbooks's review
this is a it's me, not you situation. I just think I'm not the right demographic for this book which is fine! I don't think its a bad book at all just not for me :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Death of parent
crystalleighwrites's review
4.25
THE LAST LOVE SONG kicks into gear quickly and moves through its ~230 pages at an equal pace. The story follows Mia Peters as she graduates from high school and struggles to figure out what her next step in life is. Helping her on her journey is a scavenger hunt set up for her by her mother, a country singer who died tragically when Mia was only a year old. Through her life, she's struggled with her identity as they daughter of her small town's most famous resident, especially since no one, including her grandmothers, can bring themselves to talk about her mother with her. During her journey to learn more about her mother (and her own past) she carves out a path for her own future.
This story punched me in the feelings in a big way. Debut writer Kalie Holford gets the emotions -- of abandonment, yearning, that summer after graduation when everything feels that it's changing -- all so right and so truthful that you can't help but be brought along the journey with Mia. A standout element of the writing is the song lyrics; it's incredibly difficult to write song lyrics for songs that within their universe are smash hits, but these lyrics sing right off the page (pun absolutely intended).
THE LAST LOVE SONG might be for you if you love:
- Taylor Swift, Mamma Mia, I KISSED SHARA WHEELER, Almost Famous
- Queer representation all over the place
- Complex mother/daughter dynamics
- Girl bands
Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing an advanced review copy. This review is cross posted to other sites.
This story punched me in the feelings in a big way. Debut writer Kalie Holford gets the emotions -- of abandonment, yearning, that summer after graduation when everything feels that it's changing -- all so right and so truthful that you can't help but be brought along the journey with Mia. A standout element of the writing is the song lyrics; it's incredibly difficult to write song lyrics for songs that within their universe are smash hits, but these lyrics sing right off the page (pun absolutely intended).
THE LAST LOVE SONG might be for you if you love:
- Taylor Swift, Mamma Mia, I KISSED SHARA WHEELER, Almost Famous
- Queer representation all over the place
- Complex mother/daughter dynamics
- Girl bands
Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing an advanced review copy. This review is cross posted to other sites.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment
Moderate: Terminal illness
gibbse97's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Death of parent
bookishmillennial's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I really enjoyed this young adult contemporary coming-of-age story about Mia, who embarks on a scavenger hunt set up by her late mom to get answers about her mom (who was a singer) and who her dad is! She also navigates her relationship with her best friend Britt, who is about to begin her own music journey.
Honorable mention to Mia's Nana and Grams; they were adorable, and I love seeing elder queer folks represented. The queer community deserves to grow old and live peaceful lives!
Overall, I read this in two sittings because it was both goofy and tender, and I was rooting for Mia so hard! Her concerns and questions were so understandable, and thought she (like all people and especially teenagers) was a bit of a mess, I appreciated her arc/journey!
I really enjoyed this young adult contemporary coming-of-age story about Mia, who embarks on a scavenger hunt set up by her late mom to get answers about her mom (who was a singer) and who her dad is! She also navigates her relationship with her best friend Britt, who is about to begin her own music journey.
Honorable mention to Mia's Nana and Grams; they were adorable, and I love seeing elder queer folks represented. The queer community deserves to grow old and live peaceful lives!
Overall, I read this in two sittings because it was both goofy and tender, and I was rooting for Mia so hard! Her concerns and questions were so understandable, and thought she (like all people and especially teenagers) was a bit of a mess, I appreciated her arc/journey!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Death of parent
mel_muses's review
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
2.0
Whelp, this was underwhelming.
The Last Love Song follows Mia Peters, daughter of the the late sensation Tori Rose, as she prepares for a summer of endings. Her best friend is leaving their small town of Sunset Cove to pursue her dream of music, and Mia is absolutely certain she can't join — no matter how much she wants to — because she doesn't want to end up like her mom. Dead, a mystery no one can solve, and a person no one really knows. But then Mia receives the graduation present her mom made her right before she died. There she finds a scavenger hunt: the promise of answers.
First off, I don't think this book is accurately described by how it's pitched (i.e. bisexual Mamma Mia). The whole "who's my dad" plotline felt ineloquently thrown in there, and didn't have any real bearing on the plot. It's more giving I Kissed Shara Wheeler, but make it friends-to-lovers and centered around stardom, with a touch of the movie The Half of It.
I felt for Mia, and I really did like seeing her start to understand herself and her mother. I also really liked the way music was used in this book. The lyrics of all the songs embedded tell vivid stories. They're powerful and beautiful and I could almost hear them off the page. I also loved the alternating timelines. Rather than describe Mia reading her mom's letters, we saw the world from Tori Rose's perspective. It was immersive and really made the mother's story shine.
However, my biggest problems stem from the writing. Not only was it written so simply that each point seemed to depend on a cliche, it also just did not make sense. In one sentence*, Mia notes that the "coldness has faded from her [best friend's] eyes" and the next sentence claims that her face is "completely unreadable"? Or in another, Tori Rose describes the stage lights glinting off a tattoo on her collarbone — and WHAT? Is she giving herself a double chin staring at her COLLARBONE right before she performs in front of a massive audience?
In both these instances (and many others), I see the intended impact. But the contradictions in the language indicate that these moments were not clearly thought out beyond the drama. And that's frustrating as a reader! I want to feel these things, but you have to earn the impact — not with flowery words, but by painting a powerful story that works in the world you have created. *just a disclaimer that these quotes are from a review copy and may not be the final version.
I also found the scavenger hunt Mia's mother leaves her very random. For me, I felt like the foundations of the clues were not established enough to make it a fun mystery. Especially as the clues got more creative and complex, there was no way Mia could have figured them out. And yet, even though the hunt was random, the plot itself was predictable. I guessed the big reveal a couple chapters in.
Mia's thought cycles were also endlessly frustrating. She just kept repeating the same thoughts (and actions!) throughout. There's only so much self-degradation and self-pity I can read in place of a real plot (I'm telling you, nothing substantial really happens between 5% and 40%).
I did like the Tori Rose romance timeline. I enjoyed how messy and honest it felt. Even if I am not and will never be a music star like her, I connected to the feelings of having to decide which sacrifice would be worth it. Mia's romance, on the other hand, felt strangely forced? I just didn't get the sense that she really wanted it to turn out well. It felt less nuanced than her mother's narrative.
ALSO: Why does no one in this book ever have to warm up?? Not once does Mia or literally any other character mention warming up, or practicing, or being anything less than perfect at music. It just felt really odd.
This book would make a good Netflix movie, honestly, but I struggle to recommend it. It is a short read, but I don't feel it really adds anything new or exceptionally executed to the genre of queer YA.
Trigger Warnings: terminal illness, death of parent (off page, central to the plot), absentee father
I received an eARC via NetGalley from Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
The Last Love Song follows Mia Peters, daughter of the the late sensation Tori Rose, as she prepares for a summer of endings. Her best friend is leaving their small town of Sunset Cove to pursue her dream of music, and Mia is absolutely certain she can't join — no matter how much she wants to — because she doesn't want to end up like her mom. Dead, a mystery no one can solve, and a person no one really knows. But then Mia receives the graduation present her mom made her right before she died. There she finds a scavenger hunt: the promise of answers.
First off, I don't think this book is accurately described by how it's pitched (i.e. bisexual Mamma Mia). The whole "who's my dad" plotline felt ineloquently thrown in there, and didn't have any real bearing on the plot. It's more giving I Kissed Shara Wheeler, but make it friends-to-lovers and centered around stardom, with a touch of the movie The Half of It.
I felt for Mia, and I really did like seeing her start to understand herself and her mother. I also really liked the way music was used in this book. The lyrics of all the songs embedded tell vivid stories. They're powerful and beautiful and I could almost hear them off the page. I also loved the alternating timelines. Rather than describe Mia reading her mom's letters, we saw the world from Tori Rose's perspective. It was immersive and really made the mother's story shine.
However, my biggest problems stem from the writing. Not only was it written so simply that each point seemed to depend on a cliche, it also just did not make sense. In one sentence*, Mia notes that the "coldness has faded from her [best friend's] eyes" and the next sentence claims that her face is "completely unreadable"? Or in another, Tori Rose describes the stage lights glinting off a tattoo on her collarbone — and WHAT? Is she giving herself a double chin staring at her COLLARBONE right before she performs in front of a massive audience?
In both these instances (and many others), I see the intended impact. But the contradictions in the language indicate that these moments were not clearly thought out beyond the drama. And that's frustrating as a reader! I want to feel these things, but you have to earn the impact — not with flowery words, but by painting a powerful story that works in the world you have created. *just a disclaimer that these quotes are from a review copy and may not be the final version.
I also found the scavenger hunt Mia's mother leaves her very random. For me, I felt like the foundations of the clues were not established enough to make it a fun mystery. Especially as the clues got more creative and complex, there was no way Mia could have figured them out. And yet, even though the hunt was random, the plot itself was predictable. I guessed the big reveal a couple chapters in.
Mia's thought cycles were also endlessly frustrating. She just kept repeating the same thoughts (and actions!) throughout. There's only so much self-degradation and self-pity I can read in place of a real plot (I'm telling you, nothing substantial really happens between 5% and 40%).
I did like the Tori Rose romance timeline. I enjoyed how messy and honest it felt. Even if I am not and will never be a music star like her, I connected to the feelings of having to decide which sacrifice would be worth it. Mia's romance, on the other hand, felt strangely forced? I just didn't get the sense that she really wanted it to turn out well. It felt less nuanced than her mother's narrative.
ALSO: Why does no one in this book ever have to warm up?? Not once does Mia or literally any other character mention warming up, or practicing, or being anything less than perfect at music. It just felt really odd.
This book would make a good Netflix movie, honestly, but I struggle to recommend it. It is a short read, but I don't feel it really adds anything new or exceptionally executed to the genre of queer YA.
Trigger Warnings: terminal illness, death of parent (off page, central to the plot), absentee father
I received an eARC via NetGalley from Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Abandonment
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