The Last Song

Mar 15, 2012 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, netgalley-arc, hf-spain, 2012-reviews, 2012-reads, arc, reviewed, utterly-underwhelming, great-potential-awful-execution

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2.5 out of 5

When I first came upon Eva Wiseman's novel about 15th century Spain, it sounded like it had everything going for it: an intrepid and conflicted main character, an infamous villain for the ages, an often-ignored but compelling event in history - until I opened the first chapter. What this ended up as was rather superficial story that is too short and too undeveloped to carry any kind of depth or real feeling. I was quickly disillusioned...more Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

2.5 out of 5

When I first came upon Eva Wiseman's novel about 15th century Spain, it sounded like it had everything going for it: an intrepid and conflicted main character, an infamous villain for the ages, an often-ignored but compelling event in history - until I opened the first chapter. What this ended up as was rather superficial story that is too short and too undeveloped to carry any kind of depth or real feeling. I was quickly disillusioned with what was in store for me in this very short young-adult historical novel because my expectations were severely let down by obvious and predictable plotting, little-to-no-characterization and inconsistencies. The Last Song tells the story of fourteen-year-old Isabel, and her family of Converso Catholics in the middle of the Inquistion of Torquemada, and was one I felt rather lukewarm about while reading.

Though this is a novel that cameos visits and appearances from actual historical personages (Ferdinand & Isabel, Torquemada, Isaac Abravanel) in addition to its cast of imaginary people, none of them have life. Torquemada is the architect of all the strife in the book but he is neither distinctive, compelling or charismatic as a villain. Much like Isabel's mother/Isabel's father/Isabel's love interest Yonah (seeing a pattern yet?), he is simply there, wooden and undeveloped. I also had issues with Caterina and Isabel after their husband/father is taken away twice by the holy Inquisition - this will get a bit spoilery so be warned! The family has had a plan in store for SEVENTY PAGES, one prepared for this exact event, and it has to happen twice with weeks before they use their "failproof" plan. I was so frustrated by this obvious cluelessness on behalf of the women that I saw it as a cheap method used to drive the plot forward. Seriously, how do two scared women fighting for their lives and family forget their "Get Out of Torture Free" card/letter?

The plot follows a fairly ~~totally~~ predictable route from the beginning on and never diverges into something greater, more original. Isabel's struggles and problems are no more unique than a thousand historical fiction YA heroines betrothed to someone they loathe with feelings for another, impossible match. It's hard to review a character with so little to recommend or distinguish her, because like I said earlier, Isabel was there. She was serviceable, she did what was required of her for the plot advancement and nothing more. If you erase "Isabel"'s name and input "Luis" "Caterina" or any other, the result would be the same: they played their defined roles and nothing less.

All that aside, I really do like the cover. It does a nice job of hinting at the blood and pain that accompany Torquemada and his familiars wherever they go.(less)

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Apr 09, 2012 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: galleys, read-in-2012, yay-history

The Last Song is one of those interesting ideas that doesn't live up to it's premise. I LOVE the idea of following a family secretly practicing Judaism during the Spanish Inquisition. I find it fascinating. The fear of the Inquisition, the conflict between loyalty to friends and church. But this book didn't really tackle any of those issues, at least not in a way that I found satisfactory.

The characters were all one note. Every Jewish person was wonderful, generous and good. On the other hand th...more The Last Song is one of those interesting ideas that doesn't live up to it's premise. I LOVE the idea of following a family secretly practicing Judaism during the Spanish Inquisition. I find it fascinating. The fear of the Inquisition, the conflict between loyalty to friends and church. But this book didn't really tackle any of those issues, at least not in a way that I found satisfactory.

The characters were all one note. Every Jewish person was wonderful, generous and good. On the other hand the Catholics were judgmental and cruel. (There was maybe one exception). Simplifying it like that is an injustice to everyone. No religious or people group deserves to be boiled down for convenient storytelling. I wanted this book to deal with the conflicted emotion on both the Jewish and the Catholic side of the Inquisition. I know it had to be more complicated than this book makes it.

I feel like when your dealing with a heavy topic like religion you have to write better then if you're writing, for example, about a high school prom. The characters have to shine and you have to be sensitive in your storytelling. The writing was unspectacular, at times even cheesy, which I would be more apt to forgive if it we're for the ambitious subject matter.

Isabel is not a believable main character. She goes from early in the book being like "Ewww Jewish people gross" to two pages later "Sure I'll dress as a boy and follow you to a Torah study session." There was no real struggle. She's spent her entire life as a faithful Catholic, praying to the Virgin Mary, going to mass, taking communion. Then someone tells her that her family is really Jewish. After one token "Oh no" she throws herself into Judaism without much question.

As a reader, her sudden change was hard to accept. I wanted the struggle, the questioning and the decision between two faiths. The questions are what makes religion interesting to read about. This book had a real opportunity to delve into the subject of faith. But it didn't deal with that all. Even though Judaism was a potential death sentence, Isabel just tagged along blindly. She didn't really make a choice, she just followed a cute boy to Torah lessons. (Yes really. Obviously that made me angry).

We need to have intelligent conversations about religion. Children need to be introduced to acceptance at a young age. We live in religiously hostile society. It's not just Christian versus Jews or Jews versus Muslim. In America, it's often denomination versus denomination. In my experience many parents fight these battles through their children.

That's why I want books like this to be better. Because discovering who you are and what you believe is important. Learning to accept people who are different is important. If you're going to go there you have to really go there. Telling a one sided surface-surfing story does a disservice to everyone. If the book isn't going to help it's probably going to hurt.(less)

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Mar 19, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, historical-fiction, jewish-history

Actual Rating: 3.5
It has taken me a while to review The Last Song because I have struggled with how to approach it. You see, I am precisely the type of person who would be inherently interested in it, but not at all Wiseman's intended audience. I am well read in both the middle ages and Jewish history and culture. In short, I know too much. That is not to say that Wiseman is in any way ignorant, or that she is wrong; merely that I wanted more detail, more nuance, and more depth from this story t...more Actual Rating: 3.5
It has taken me a while to review The Last Song because I have struggled with how to approach it. You see, I am precisely the type of person who would be inherently interested in it, but not at all Wiseman's intended audience. I am well read in both the middle ages and Jewish history and culture. In short, I know too much. That is not to say that Wiseman is in any way ignorant, or that she is wrong; merely that I wanted more detail, more nuance, and more depth from this story than she provided. The fault, therefore, lies in my expectations and not The Last Song.

First and foremost I want to applaud Wiseman for even tackling the Alhambra Decree and the Spanish Inquisition. I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have tried - in vain - to put the Holocaust into its proper prospective. When people ask, 'How could that have happened?' the answer for any student of Jewish history would be, 'Easily!' European countries have a long and sordid history of treating Jewish people abysmally - everything from laws which classified them as second or third class citizens to expulsions. It is nice to see something about Jewish history for young readers which is not about the Holocaust. It saddens me sometimes to see how popular perception had ossified Jewish history and the Holocaust into one and the same thing.

So few people know that the Spanish Inquisition started primarily because conversos (or Jewish people who had recently, ahem - as in within the past few generations, converted to Christianity were enjoying very high levels of financial, political, occupational, and intellectual success. Never mind that this was a period of fierce intellectualism within the Jewish community - in stark contrast to the rather ostrich-like approach Christians were taking to the world at the time. Wiseman does a very good job of highlighting most of these issues within The Last Song without ever getting too dark. So many things about this time period were made softer, toned down, simplified. Nobody important dies. Spaniards who are really close to Isobel never really betray her. Her family makes it out of Spain safely, as do her friends, and she has her happily ever after with the boy she loves.

The Last Song is a gentle introduction to Jewish history, but it is still a true one. There are no easy lies, perhaps only careful omissions. So, while I may have expected the quintessential (and completely un-PC) medieval insult slinging; the dirt and poverty and despair in the Juderia; the families and friends ripped apart by betrayals and arrests - they weren't necessary. The Last Song was safe enough that it was fun to read, and real enough to make kids think. And that, to me, makes this a very good book indeed.

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Aug 05, 2012 Rhiannon Ryder rated it 2 of 5 stars

The not so secret history buff in me had to have this book as soon as I heard about it, and the cover whore in me agreed. Although the cover whore in me was thoroughly satisfied, the history buff was not.

The Last Song is a teeny tiny book clocking in at 225 pages, which nowadays is almost novella short. It's shortness would not have been an issue (I rather like a little book now and again. It's like a palette cleanser), except for the fact that large amounts of the story was taken up by religiou...more The not so secret history buff in me had to have this book as soon as I heard about it, and the cover whore in me agreed. Although the cover whore in me was thoroughly satisfied, the history buff was not.

The Last Song is a teeny tiny book clocking in at 225 pages, which nowadays is almost novella short. It's shortness would not have been an issue (I rather like a little book now and again. It's like a palette cleanser), except for the fact that large amounts of the story was taken up by religious ritual description. Here's the deal, I expected a historically rich telling of a fascinating moment in history, from a YA perspective (read-requisite love story), with Judaism more a part of the story then the subject of the story. What I got was a YA telling (read- requisite love story), about discovering Judaism (with a great deal of detailed teaching about ritual), and only a small off handed side of the history of this unique moment in time.

I will grant Wiseman this, religion is a tough subject matter to deal with in an interesting manner, but still do it justice. However, detailed explanations, delivered as lessons to Isabel (who's only just learning to be a Jew), about ritual and traditions does not storytelling make. I reviewed The Dovekeeper awhile back, and I had a similar issue with the heavy handedness of all the in depth descriptions of Judaic minutiae. Although I fully appreciate the importance of the minutiae to the actual practice of the religion, and a certain amount needs to be given to give the reader a flavour of the experience, I disagree that it needs to be part of a story. After all story telling has many aspects to it, and although teaching something can be a part of it, if it becomes all of it, you have a text book.

Rabbi Abenbilla tied the afikomen, a pice of broken matzo, into a large napkin and gave it to young Smuel. The boy slung the napkin over his shoulder and left the room. When he knocked on the door, requesting entry, the rabbi addressed him.
"From where do you come?"
"I come from Egypt," Smuel said.
"Where are you going?" the rabbi asked.
"To Jerusalem."
"What are you taking with you?" asked his father.
Smuel pointed to the matzo in hi napkin.Then all of us began to chant...

My wish for The Last Song would have been for Wiseman to explore Isabel and her family more as characters rather than practitioners of a religion. By page 225 I didn't feel as if I knew any of them very well, and so was rather non-plused by ending. In the end I felt like The Last Song promised more than it delivered, but I'm curious, what are your feelings about religion in fiction? Do you like it when it's enumerated in detail? Or do you prefer it when it's integrated into a story? I'm nearing the end of Robin Wasserman's The Book of Blood and Shadow at the moment (coming out today same as The Last Song), and I think she handles religion in a truly masterful way- both instructive and fascinating. But she uses the characters personal experience and opinions to permeate the discussion about god and practice, and when she gets into minutiae its from a historical perspective and it's pertinent to the story arc. However, The Dovekeepers was hugely successful, so I may be one of very few who finds that way of dealing with it didactic. What do you think?

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Mar 03, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

I recieved this as an ARC from Netgalley.

The Last Song by Eva Wiseman was a breath of fresh air. I have been reading a lot of the same style of books and it is so nice to take a step away from them, and read something so beautiful.

The Last Song takes place in Spain in the early 1490’s. During this time the Catholic Church has decreed that all Jewish people must become Christian or lose their lives. The King and Queen have an Inquisition to find all of those “Catholics” who are only Catholic by...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Val rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-books, children-s-lit-class-reviews

Isabel lives a life of luxury as the daughter of the physician in the court of Ferdinand and Isabella. Spain is known for its tolerance of different religious and cultural beliefs, but all that changes with the Spanish inquisition. Isabel has been raised as a Catholic and is very devout in her faith. When she is betrothed to a less than suitable young man from a wealthy respected family Isabel learns a secret that will change her life.

Slight Spoiler alert****************************************...more Isabel lives a life of luxury as the daughter of the physician in the court of Ferdinand and Isabella. Spain is known for its tolerance of different religious and cultural beliefs, but all that changes with the Spanish inquisition. Isabel has been raised as a Catholic and is very devout in her faith. When she is betrothed to a less than suitable young man from a wealthy respected family Isabel learns a secret that will change her life.

Slight Spoiler alert**************************************************************************

Isabel is shocked to discover that her family are not who they seem and practice their true faith in secret. She befriends a young Jewish silversmith Yonah, who teaches her about his faith. As her friendship with Yonah develops into something more her life takes a dramatic turn when her father is arrested and imprisoned by the Inquisition. Using a dangerous secret, Isabel races to save her father’s life and ultimately that of her family.

I was very intrigued by this book as there is not a lot of history about the Spanish Inquisition for young readers. I confess that I was unaware that many in the Jewish community lived a double life as good Catholic citizens while practicing their Jewish faith in secret. This book made me want to learn more about this history that is not well known.

I found that this was a quick read and for the most part predictable. Isabel was a likable character but I feel that because this book was so short we never really got to know her beyond what was happening in her immediate life. The other characters were very under developed as well and I really wanted to know more about them. However this did not ruin the book for me.

It was nice to get another perspective on Jewish history as many for young readers focus solely on the Holocaust (which is still an important lesson and topic). I feel that this book might open more doors into a rarely discussed moment in history. Even though it was a quick read, it was well written and left the reader wanting to learn more. I appreciate that even though the circumstances of the book were dire; the story had a hopeful ending.

4/5 starts
*Review from a pre-release copy from the publisher.
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Mar 08, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: spain, netgalley, read-in-2012, historical-medieval

[I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]

3.5 stars

Simply written and fast paced, this story is from the first person narrative of Isabel, a Spanish aristocrat’s daughter, in the early 1490s. Isabel’s world is rocked when her erstwhile indulgent parents decide to marry her in haste to a nobleman’s cruel and unpleasant son.

The reasoning behind this is soon clear: Isabel discovers that her parents are both second generation Conversos - their grandparents...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Heather Pearson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian, ya

This book is set in mid 1491 Toledo, Spain. King Ferdinand and his wife Queen are on the throne. There is much religious persecution at the time, both of Jews and Muslims. The priests and familiars of the Inquisition are actively rounding up and interrogating even those who converted to Christianity several generations earlier.

Isabel has been raised a Catholic and has no reason to fear the Inquisition, or so she thought. What secrets has her parents been hiding from her, and why are they insisti...more This book is set in mid 1491 Toledo, Spain. King Ferdinand and his wife Queen are on the throne. There is much religious persecution at the time, both of Jews and Muslims. The priests and familiars of the Inquisition are actively rounding up and interrogating even those who converted to Christianity several generations earlier.

Isabel has been raised a Catholic and has no reason to fear the Inquisition, or so she thought. What secrets has her parents been hiding from her, and why are they insisting that she marry Luis de Carrera, a boy she doesn't know and has taken an instant disliking to.

The persecution of any people for any reason is a difficult topic even for adults. It is even harder to explain these things to pre-teens. Why should someone be shunned or jailed for the choices/beliefs of their parents, grand parents or even great grandparents. Author Eva Wiseman introduced the topic of religious intolerance in a way that a twelve year old could deal with. She didn't go into extreme detail, but choose to keep to the basics. Pre-teens don't want all sorts of complex detail, they want to the story to proceed and to find out what happens next. As an adult, I want those details, so this book left me a bit wanting. The characters were developed just enough for the story to move along, but not so that I felt I was getting a minute by minute detail of every thing that had happened to them before page one.

Along with Isabel, who has been living a very luxurious existence, we also meet Yonah, the son of a Jewish jeweller who lives in the ghetto. While they come from very different backgrounds, they are both honest, trustworthy people. That their relationship did develop brought hope to this story that there didn't have to be walls erected between people of different beliefs.

All in all, I thought this was a good read for the audience it was written for. I would definitely read more by Ms. Wiseman, keeping in mind the age that she is directing her stories at.

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May 01, 2012 Iris rated it 2 of 5 stars

[review copy from Netgalley
Originally published here: http://irisonbooks.com/2012/05/01/the...]

I have always found Spain at the time of the Reconquista a fascinating subject. There is something so fascinating about a society in which Christians, Muslims, and Jews lived together, with at the same time the religious tensions and wars, and the role of the Inquisition, in particular during the reign of Ferdinand III of Aragon and Isabella of Castille. I am not an expert, at all, but what I have read...more [review copy from Netgalley
Originally published here: http://irisonbooks.com/2012/05/01/the...]

I have always found Spain at the time of the Reconquista a fascinating subject. There is something so fascinating about a society in which Christians, Muslims, and Jews lived together, with at the same time the religious tensions and wars, and the role of the Inquisition, in particular during the reign of Ferdinand III of Aragon and Isabella of Castille. I am not an expert, at all, but what I have read on the subject has made an impression.

And so, when I saw The Last Song up on Netgalley, a YA novel set in Spain around 1490, I was excited. In it, Wiseman tells the story of a girl called Isabel, whose father is a respected court physician. She has been raised Catholic. What she does not know, however, is that her parents are what were called “new Christians” and have Jewish roots. In a society in which the Inquisition becomes more powerful each day, Isabel’s parents try to safeguard their child’s future by arranging a marriage with a boy from a well-established Christian family. However, despite these arrangements, Isabel’s family is not safe..

I am sorry to say that Eva Wiseman’s latest novel turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. What sounded like a promising story fell flat for several reasons. The book was so concise that did not do the complexity of the story and its setting justice. The prose at times it felt like a disengaged retelling of events, and therefore I found it hard to feel immersed in the story. Moreover, there were some convenient plot resolutions that took away from the natural flow of the story.

I respect that Spanish society around 1492 was complex, and that the religious issues tackled might make it an even more difficult subject to write about. I was elated to find Isabel confused about her parents’ Jewish heritage, given that she’d always been taught to loathe them. I also appreciated that fact that she was curious about Judaism, but at the same time felt at home with Catholicism and found comfort in praying to the Virgin Mary. And so the beginning of the book made me feel hopeful. But all too soon Isabel starts changing her views, and suddenly, she starts sneaking out to learn about Judaism, despite knowing of the danger to her family and friends, and despite the fact that I’m pretty sure her parents would have liked to tell her about their roots just as well. Isabel’s actions throughout the book were erratic, difficult to understand when the story tries to impress you with the dangers of the situation, and some of her decisions just made no sense at all, except that they led to plot developments a few pages on.

Furthermore, the good-bad divide of the story felt a little too convenient. Basically, all the Jews or new Christians we meet are good. Of course, it makes sense to highlight their awful situation, but.. I don’t know. In contrast, most of the Catholic characters were depicted as spoiled, used to getting what they want, and willing to negate the welfare of others to protect themselves. Hints were given to the power of the Inquisition and the fear for their own safety, but none of these Catholic characters’ division of loyalties was developed well enough for me to feel satisfied. I wondered at the absence of Muslims from the story, but perhaps that has to do with its focus being on converted Jews, as Jews were the first to be expelled from Spain? Isabel’s family has one slave who has the Muslim name Yussuf, but he is not given much of a voice, although he is portrayed as loyal. On the topic of slavery I felt you could, again, notice the author struggling with it being a part of the historical setting, and it being an uncomfortable topic for modern readers. I liked that slavery was accepted as natural, as it might have been back then (again, I don’t know enough about the specifics), but at the same time the treatment of slaves across different families a little too conveniently tied in with the Catholic-New Christian divide. I do understand some of the decisions Wiseman made, and I want to acknowledge how difficult a setting this is to navigate, however, I felt that, overall, this complex situation could have been handled better, perhaps by allowing the novel to be a little longer?

There were times that I felt The Last Song had a lot of promise. There were a few scenes that worked well. But overall, I am sorry to say that this was a disappointing read. One that I did not mind reading so much, but that did not make a lasting impression.(less)

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Feb 12, 2012 Arila rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I read the book synopsis for the first time I though that Isabel the Catholic was the one who had jew roots, I was kind of shocked (and not in a good way as it seemed serious historical fiction) but I guess that's why it firts caught my attention. It would have been a good idea to find another name for the lead character which is not the same as the queen's, specially if you also mention her in the synopsis.

Isabel is the daughter of a physician who works in the royal court. Her life is eas...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Elizabeth B rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is an extremely predictable novel that wants to be much more than it is. The blurb fills you with images of far flung, exotic Spain during a time of turmoil, a family in religious strife, a lurking danger – all of the things that make a great historical novel. Unfortunately, this book is scattered in too many ways to be coherent. The characters are not unique individuals; they are just stereotypical maidens of literature that you’ve seen in a dozen different novels. There is nothing to make...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Amber (The Musings of ALMYBNENR) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-150-reading-challenge, 2012-ebook-challenge, 2012-historical-fiction-reading-cha, arcs, 2012-books-you-can-read-in-a-day-ch

Young Isabel lives in Spain during the time of Torquemada and the Inquisition, but neither make her afraid. After all, her family is well-to-do, her father one of Ferdinand and Isabella’s physicians, and the Catholic faith is all Isabel knows. Until her parents arrange a marriage for her with the cold-hearted Luis and the betrothal preparations allow her to meet a Jewish person for the first time; a boy her age named Yonah. Between that and the whispers of Luis’ servants, Isabel learns about her...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Lyndz rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: historical fiction buffs looking for a weekend read

Shelves: first-reads, own, not-released-yet, reviewed

4 STARS!! This is a great read. I would recommend checking it out.

The Last Song is a YA historical fiction based in a time period that you really don’t read much about; the Spanish Inquisition. It seems like it has been forever since I read a YA historical fiction, and I had forgotten how much I love them.
The subject matter and the plot of this book are compelling and interesting. I learned a lot about the Spanish Inquisition that I did not know before.
Some of the characters felt a little cook...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Britta rated it 3 of 5 stars

Even though I don't read much of it, Historical Fiction is definitely my favorite genre... which means that I am extra picky with it. There were somethings I enjoyed about The Last Song and some aspects that just did not do it for me.

Starting with the good (because starting with the not so good is too predictable). I really enjoyed the subject matter. The Spanish Inquisition is a huge moment in European history, yet I feel like I only know of the name and nothing that actually happened during it...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, arc-netgalley, ebook, history, j-juvenile

The Last Song is a historical book about the Spanish Inquisition and the horrors of being a Jew in Spain during that time period. Isabel finds out that her great-grandparents were Jews who converted to Catholicism in order to save their lives. Now she and her parents are no longer safe. Her father is in possession of an item that could be used to save themselves or others, but it needs to be played carefully.

Reading Eva Wiseman's book was an education for me. I learned more about that time perio...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Katharine rated it 4 of 5 stars

It still boggles my mind as to how few books have been written about the Spanish Inquisition, (especially for younger readers) yet there are myriads of books written about the Holocaust for all ages. The Spanish Inquisition is no less horrendous than the Holocaust, if not more so since it took place over a much, much longer period of time, (more than 300 years.)

Isabel, the young daughter to a wealthy and prestigious family in 15th-century Spain, suddenly has her privileged and cloistered world t...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Diane S. rated it 4 of 5 stars

It is so wonderful to know that there are still authors out there writing historical fiction for young adults. This takes place in Toledo Spain during the Spanish Inquisition, under Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. Isabelle's father is the royal physician and has always promised her that when she was fifteen she could choose her own husband. That changes when he betroths her to a cruel young man who is known as coming from a staunch Catholic family. What follows are family secrets and a young...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Tara Chevrestt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, historical-fiction, 2012-release, kindle

This was a surprisingly quick read, not due to length, but the fact that one can't really put it down. It's fast paced, to the point, rich in history.

The Spanish Inquisition is wreaking havoc all over Spain. Isabella doesn't quite understand why. She just knows it's because of the Jews, and she's been taught they are horrible people. Imagine her surprised when she finds out that she's one of them. Her father, the court physician, is a descendant of Jews... The story unfolds, revealing to the rea...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Rocio Carrillo rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley.

From my point of view, I really enjoyed the story. All the characters are fantastic; especially Isabel and Yonah, both are well-defined like the others. And adding real characters makes the novel more reliable.

With this story, Eva Wiseman tells a story from a different point of view. A Jew Family that have to survive in a country where the things are changing. For a Spanish people, it is a good book to remember what happened in our country so many years a...more

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May 15, 2012 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: two-star-reviews

See the full review on Short & Sweet Reviews.

Much of the book seemed flat to me. While the narration was often vivid and did well at setting the scene, the dialogue frequently felt stilted and unbelievable, even taking into account the fact that the story takes place hundreds of years in the past. Many of the characters are very one-note and can be summed up very simply and see little development throughout the story. They never really rise up to be more complex or have less of a caricature...more

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Jun 23, 2012 manda-rae rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult

So I definitely enjoy historical fiction, and that's probably why I enjoyed this novel. Granted, it's the first novel I've read that's set in Spain and around the Spanish Inquisition. But it's definitely sparked curiosity and made me want to learn more. Man, humanity has done some horrible things in its time...

The story starts out with Isabel's parents selecting a suitable 'Christian' husband for her. During her betrothal, we find out that Luis really isn't very respectable, nor does he shine wi...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Jillian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, spain, netgalley, kindle, book-nooked, 15th-century, religion, tundra-books, middle-grade

{ Review originally posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook. I received this as an ebook from NetGalley. }

The Last Song is centered around the Spanish Inquisition, so I expected it to deal with some serious issues and explore the emotions of the characters, especially Isabel's. While it did have a meaningful plot, overall the book just felt kind of bland.

I've read some amazing middle grade novels that really get into the characters' heads, where they share their thoughts with you and you feel t...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2012-ya-hist-fic-challenge

Fourteen-year-old Isabel de Cardosa lives a privileged life as the only child of wealthy parents in Toledo, Spain in 1491. She lives in a nice house and has beautiful clothes. Her parents have always given her everything she wanted. But then everything changes. Her parents announce that she will be betrothed to Luis, a boy from a wealthy and respected family. Although Luis is her own age, Isabel hates him because he is cruel and selfish. She doesn’t understand why her parents, who always planned...more Fourteen-year-old Isabel de Cardosa lives a privileged life as the only child of wealthy parents in Toledo, Spain in 1491. She lives in a nice house and has beautiful clothes. Her parents have always given her everything she wanted. But then everything changes. Her parents announce that she will be betrothed to Luis, a boy from a wealthy and respected family. Although Luis is her own age, Isabel hates him because he is cruel and selfish. She doesn’t understand why her parents, who always planned to choose a husband Isabel liked, would suddenly decide she must marry someone she hates.

Soon, Isabel learns the real reason for her parents’ decision. Although Isabel has been raised a devout Catholic, her family is Jewish. Her grandparents were forced to convert to save their lives, but her parents have continued to practice Jewish traditions in secret. Her parents hope that Isabel’s marriage to Luis will protect the family from the Inquisition, since Luis’s family is an old Catholic family. Isabel isn’t sure what to think at first. Curious about her heritage, she becomes friends with Yonah, a Jewish boy her age. Their friendship would be forbidden by her parents if they knew, because Yonah is openly Jewish and only the son of a craftsman. Soon her friendship with Yonah seems to be turning into something more, but then her father is arrested by the agents of the Inquisition. Isabel is desperate to find a way to save her father, no matter what the risks to herself.

I mainly wanted to read this book because it is about historical events not often written about in young adult fiction. Most historical fiction I have read with Jewish characters has been about either immigration to the United States (usually to New York City) or the Holocaust. While certainly those are very important topics, they are not the entirety of Jewish history. I love when young adult historical fiction explores events from history that are not frequently written about. Isabel, the main character of this book, is very brave and willing to do anything to save her family. The relationship between her and Yonah was very sweet and I would have liked to see it developed more, but perhaps that might not have been realistic given the historical setting. Although this book is about sad events, it’s not all depressing, it’s a very hopeful story too. I think readers who love young adult historical fiction but want to read something different than the typical book from this genre would enjoy this book.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher. (less)

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Oct 03, 2012 Emma H. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-quarter

The Last Song by Eva Wiesman was an interesting book set in the late 1400s in Spain. Isabel believes that she is a good Catholic girl living in Toledo, Spain. Her father is a well- respected physician of the king and queen, and her mother is very kind to her. Her parents promise her that when the time comes for her betrothal at age 15, they will engage her to a man she knows and likes. However, the arrival of the Spanish Inquisition changes everything. Suddenly, Isabel is engaged to an abusive m...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really did like the book ( maybe because I am a historical nut) but the story and writing is too predictable. I am forcing myself to give an honest review even though I liked it. To me, it sort of seems like a repeat of Wiseman's book "Nobody Must Know," except taking 500 years previous. Isabel was raised Catholic, and switches to accepting the Jewish faith so quickly that it seems very unrealistic. Perhaps, so that she doesnt insult her parents beliefs, but still its unrealistic to change you...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Naomi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: families-fiction, historical-fiction, young-adult

Isabella's Father is the physician for King Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. She has been raised Catholic but this is the time period of the Spanish Inquistion and when her Father is tortured it is up to Isabella to save their lives when the high priest wants to exterminate all teh Jews from Spain.
Powerful well written story about history, but so tragic I think for young kids to comprehend.

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Mar 22, 2012 Gina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Courage is the theme of this book. I love stories of courage, sacrifice and love. In The Last Song Isabel is a young girl who has been living a lie in her life without even knowing it. I was intrigued by the way she chose to get to know the other side of her life that was hidden from her for many years. Her betrothed is a character you love to hate and I am so thankful for the way that their relationship is at the end of the book.
The other theme I picked up on from this story is How friendships...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Pam Torres rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade

Complete Review on soimfifty.blogspot.com

Wiseman has created a 15th-century world where prejudice and religious persecution abound; a great introduction to young teens to the historical aspects of the Inquisition. I thought Isabel was a strong and brave heroine. This is more for younger YA readers because I think that older teens may not find the characters engaging enough. While I think older MG will find just the right amount of excitement and realism, some of the descriptions of torture may b...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Colleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

"...This book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, and I am really pleased that I've also received a copy of another book by the same author, because The Last Song is fantastic. I read it through in one night; it got pretty late, but I couldn't bring myself to put it down. I caught myself holding my breath through pages, anxious for Isabel and her family; I could not go to sleep without finding out what was going to happen..."

For full review, please visit me at Here Be Bookwyrms on...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Toni rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

The story line was interesting but the dialog drove me insane. Every time the characters spoke...which was often..I gringed. The dialog was not in character or with the time period. That bothered me. Story of a girl during the inquisition who discovers something about her family that could put them in danger.

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