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The Last Summer (of You and Me)

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 · rating details · 18,232 ratings · 2,000 reviews

In the town of Waterby on Fire Island, the rhythms and rituals of summer are sacrosanct: the ceremonial arrivals and departures by ferry; yacht club dinners with terrible food and breathtaking views; the virtual decree against shoes; and the generational parade of sandy, sun-bleached kids, running, swimming, squealing, and coming of age on the beach.

Set against this vivid...more In the town of Waterby on Fire Island, the rhythms and rituals of summer are sacrosanct: the ceremonial arrivals and departures by ferry; yacht club dinners with terrible food and breathtaking views; the virtual decree against shoes; and the generational parade of sandy, sun-bleached kids, running, swimming, squealing, and coming of age on the beach.

Set against this vivid backdrop, The Last Summer (of You and Me) is the enchanting, heartrending story of a beach-community friendship triangle among three young adults for whom summer and this place have meant everything. Sisters Riley and Alice, now in their twenties, have been returning to their parents' modest beach house every summer for their entire lives. Petite, tenacious Riley is a tomboy and a lifeguard, always ready for a midnight swim, a gale-force sail, or a barefoot sprint down the beach. Beautiful Alice is lithe, gentle, a reader and a thinker, and worshipful of her older sister. And every summer growing up, in the big house that overshadowed their humble one, there was Paul, a friend as important to both girls as the place itself, who has now finally returned to the island after three years away. But his return marks a season of tremendous change, and when a simmering attraction, a serious illness, and a deep secret all collide, the three friends are launched into an unfamiliar adult world, a world from which their summer haven can no longer protect them.

Ann Brashares has won millions of fans with her blockbuster series, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, in which she so powerfully captured the emotional complexities of female friendship and young love. With The Last Summer (of You and Me), she moves on to introduce a new set of characters and adult relationships just as true, endearing, and unforgettable. With warmth, humor, and wisdom, Brashares makes us feel the excruciating joys and pangs of love both platonic and romantic. She reminds us of the strength and sting of friendship, the great ache of loss, and the complicated weight of family loyalty. Thoughtful, lyrical, and tremendously moving, The Last Summer (of You and Me is a deeply felt celebration of summer and nostalgia for youth.(less)

Paperback, 306 pages

Published May 6th 2008 by Riverhead Trade (first published January 1st 2007)

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Oct 03, 2012 Christina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the author's "first adult" book following her string of "Traveling Pants" novels for young adults. It's about three people -- two sisters and their next-door neighbor -- and summers spent living the island life. Riley's the older sister, outdoors-driven to the point where she eshews "normal" relationships and activities with which others her age are consumed; Alice, her amazingly beautiful, selfless and smart younger sister; and Paul, the rich, semi-tortured (as all stereotypical rich ki...more

10 likes · like · see review

Aug 01, 2007 Kricket rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2007, nyc, contemporary-womens-fic

I'm only halfway through with this but I already have some thoughts:

1. If this had come out while I was in high school, I would have LOVED it. You would have seen me clutching it all moony-eyed for days. So when the reviews say that this is for the fans of the traveling pants series who are all grown up now-- no, I don't think so. I think it's for the young ladies who are just getting into the traveling pants. I like to think that I'm still in touch enough with my 16-year-old self that I still l...more

24 likes · like · see review

May 19, 2008 Librarian rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adultfiction

The characters in this book all annoyed the crap out of me. I love you! I hate you! I love you! And hate you! It's a thin line between love and hate, yes. It's also a thin line between me reading this and barfing. They all deserved each other, which was the saving grace of it all.

25 likes · like · see review

Oct 09, 2007 Sara rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: hmm...tolerant fans of the sisterhood series?

Quite a disappointment for me, as I've really enjoyed Brasheare's Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' series. Or at least the two that I've read. I have a high tolerance for frequently trod tropes if a) I really like the characters (for whatever reason) and 2) the writing is engaging and surprising. Unfortunately, the main characters make me want to hit them over the head with very large bricks - over and over again and I felt that I could see the plot turns coming several chapters ahead of time....more

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Jun 26, 2010 Adrienne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have mixed feelings about this story on one hand I really enjoyed it but on the other it annoyed the hell out of me to the point where this could have been quite easily discarded and casually noted as DNF.

First off it's marked as adult...but it's not, really the only reason that it's been given that tag is because there is some love making and that is the only reason. Secondly the characters are all very immature for their ages (early to mid twenties) I don't know whether thats an accurate ref...more

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Jul 30, 2008 Cheri rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Eh. Definitely a light and easy read. I found her writing style somewhat annoying. I feel like she was trying too hard to be philosophical or sound intelligent. She's big on using contrasts. Over and over. She would write things like "She didn't know if he needed more or less of her. Maybe neither. Maybe both. Maybe it's always both." It got tiresome. I also had trouble feeling for the characters. Probably because I thought how they handled the situation was completely not believable and totally...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Auberie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

First part of the review in English, second part in French.
Première partie de la revue en anglais, la deuxième en français.

Perfect for the summer: this book is for young adults and the story is about two sisters. They will discover things on each other they didn't knew and they will spend a time they'll always remember.
It is a nice book, I read it in a whole afternoon because I couldn't put it down. The story is nice and you start to feel with the characters.

Parfait pour l'été: ce livre est pour...more

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Jan 18, 2009 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This book did amazing things to my stomach. Not in the realms of sculpture, but that roller coaster feeling that dips up and down inside your belly. The essence of nervous, fluttering butterflies you get of talking to your crush or holding hands with a guy for the first time and your palms are all sweaty. It's everything you want in a good book and more. The layers of this story are soft and intricately woven like your favorite blanket given to you by your grandma for Christmas. It's not just yo...more

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Jul 22, 2007 Leah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good book. A tear-jerker.

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Feb 20, 2012 Shameyn Dones rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this story in so many ways, but a few things got me to the point of throwing the book out the window. At the begining it got me hooked, but then it got boring with all the details and the going back on memory lane. Riley I thought it was the only one who knew what she wanted and she never cared about what might think of it. Alice love and hate Paul, throughout the entire story, even after they had sex in multiples occasions. They both love the other but didn't have the guts to amitted, ev...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Betty Wilde rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

After reading this book, I'm just wondering why didn't I read this before ! It has been really long since a book had obsessed me to the point I can't stop reading it, and I can't stop thinking about it.

It's the story of two sisters, Riley and Alice and Riley's best friend, Paul, they have known each other since years. 3 years after their last meeting in their beach house, they're all grown-up and some relationships have changed... But then something terrible happens.

I only put 4 stars, because...more

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Aug 20, 2011 EMi rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: No one.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Alice is an annoying girl who spends the entire book whining about her childhood friend Paul. Does he love me? No he doesn't love me. Wait DOES HE LOVE ME? No I don't think he loves me.

Paul is an annoying guy who spends the entire book angsting about Alice. I don't love Alice. I CAN'T love Alice. Wait. I think I DO love Alice. But does she love me? NO, THIS CAN NEVER BE. THIS SHOULD NEVER BE.

Then they get together and spend the entire middle of the book having sex in various locations. His bed,...more

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Mar 08, 2009 treehugger rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: coming-of-age, chicklit, own_it, popular_lit, read_2009, romance

I have to admit to really loving the traveling pants series, and so I was WICKED excited when a local bookstore had a HUGE sale and I could nab this book at 1/2 price. I sort of horded it for a couple of weeks and waited to read it. The cover was so inviting, I couldn't resist today, the second sunny, warm day of spring here in Asheville.

So...I started and finished it in the same 24 hours, if that tells you anything at all about it.

I didn't love the beginning, the characters were way too messe...more

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Nov 04, 2007 Laurel Osterkamp rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Last Summer (of You & Me), by Ann Brashares (the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series) is an adult novel which tells the story of three friends/siblings: Paul, Riley, and Alice. Each is in their early twenties, and like the generation they belong to, they’re still on the cusp between childhood and adulthood, trying to figure out who they are and their relationships with each other and the rest of the world.
Riley is especially immature; at twenty-five she still makes a...more The Last Summer (of You & Me), by Ann Brashares (the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series) is an adult novel which tells the story of three friends/siblings: Paul, Riley, and Alice. Each is in their early twenties, and like the generation they belong to, they’re still on the cusp between childhood and adulthood, trying to figure out who they are and their relationships with each other and the rest of the world.
Riley is especially immature; at twenty-five she still makes a career out of being a lifeguard and has yet to enter into any sort of romantic relationship. But she’s always been the leader, encouraging her sister Alice and her best friend Paul to cling to childhood traditions and to reject the pretentiousness of adult pleasures. Because they love her they agree, but everything becomes more complicated when Paul and Alice fall in love. Guilt compels them to keep their relationship hidden from Riley. However, when Riley becomes seriously ill the strength of their love is tested, and the bonds both of family and friendship are put into question.
“The idea of love is always easier than the practice of it.’ Brashares states this towards the end of her story, and by the time she does so, it’s almost unnecessary. The entire novel is a beautiful, lyrical testament to the complexities of all sorts of love, yet never is the reader made to feel manipulated nor pandered to. Instead, the characters, their thoughts, and their relationships are built up and described so lovingly, that the book and its subject matter become one and the same: like the summer it describes, this novel is at once beautiful and fleeting. It’s impossible to put down, but at the same time you’ll want to cling to it, to draw it out and not let it end. After you do, you’ll promise yourself you won’t forget the way it made you feel, even though you know that (unfortunately) you will, all too soon.
That’s okay. Unlike summers, books can be relived, over and over and over.
This is one you’ll want to visit again for sure.
(less)

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May 28, 2013 Nikka Brewer rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Found it in the $1 bin outside a secondhand bookstore.Bought it because it is cheap.Never read Ann Brashares' Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series but watched and loved the movies with the same name...Then I found out this book is quite a letdown.No spoilers intended,I don't like the sex scenes description in the book.It reminds me of a cheap erotic novel for teenagers.Ya,it is bad.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 22, 2008 Paula rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 14, 2007 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: someone going through adolescent mood swings

I tried to write some pithy summary here but I didn't have the energy. This book just felt overly overwrought. I would have liked to have seen the three main characters work out their changing relationships with one another, and with growing up, in a more realistic, less deus ex machina, way. Every one is so busy holding back their thoughts, emotions, etc. that I just wanted to scream "Get over yourselves." SPOILER ALERT! STOP READING IF YOU WANT TO ACTUALLY READ/BE SURPRISED BY THIS BOOK. (Why...more

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Oct 21, 2009 Lara rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What an unbelievable disappointment. For those who don't know, Ann Brashares wrote the YA series The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which I loved. How is it possible for the YA series to have been so delightful and the Adult novel to be so forced? I found the writing stilted, the character development weak, and my plot expectations unfulfilled. I read 113 pages before accepting the fact that it wasn't going to get any better. I skimmed the last half of the book just to see if anything else a...more

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Dec 24, 2008 Allie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was very touching. Ann Brashares is such an amazing author. I read this book in the summer reading by the pool, and that is just how this book should be read. It is a light read...but I also cried. If you have read any of my other reviews though, you will see that I cry a lot. So it is possible that I may just have a very soft heart. Haha. But then again it does say, "The Last Summer (of you and me) is a weeper: If you don't grow misty there's some thing a bit shifty about the state of...more

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Mar 31, 2009 Ilse rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has about 270 pages. Until page 133, what you get is a description of the character by way of stories on their past together. You really get to know the characters and the way they relate to each other. It's a bit a slow part, but nice to read though. The second part of the book is the sad part. You see the relations getting worse when one of them gets sick. And you hope that everything will be alright in the end... (I won't tell more, because I don't want to spoil).
All in all, this bo...more

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Mar 09, 2009 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. From my blog over at Can't Get There From Here

As I was searching through some notes last night, I came across a book review I had written a few weeks ago. It seems a little incongruous now – now that I’m a wee bit happier than the version of me who penned this hasty book review. But, since ‘happy’ doesn’t have quite the same blog fodder as ‘dark and twisty’ I thought I would post it while I think of something to blog about. Maybe a review of Rebecca.

I’ve been on a reading kick lately (and a baki...more From my blog over at Can't Get There From Here

As I was searching through some notes last night, I came across a book review I had written a few weeks ago. It seems a little incongruous now – now that I’m a wee bit happier than the version of me who penned this hasty book review. But, since ‘happy’ doesn’t have quite the same blog fodder as ‘dark and twisty’ I thought I would post it while I think of something to blog about. Maybe a review of Rebecca.

I’ve been on a reading kick lately (and a baking kick – I’ve just about got that pecan pie down) and last night I finally finished reading The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares. You know – the book I didn’t want to read, the one I kept putting off because I knew it was going to end badly. My sisters had told me I would need tissues. What a recommendation, right? That was strike one.

Then I hit a rough patch. A friend and I agreed to part ways for awhile. It was tough on me. My confidante, my best friend locally, my go-to person…just disappeared. Go ahead and guess what the book is about. Yeah. Strike two.

Which meant that I chose nice, cool sheets and comfy pillows over my book. When I’m depressed, even a little bit, I like to sleep. Sleeping is a great escape. You don’t have to think, don’t have to be sad, don’t have to give yourself stupid little pep talks in your head. Going to bed early meant I didn’t have time to read. That stalled my progress, too, and then I wouldn’t want to pick the book up just because I had lost my rhythm. Strike two-and-a-half.

But, see, I sort of liked the book. I didn’t love the book. I love the author’s other books and so I wanted to like this one, or, at the very least, I wanted to finish it. So, I gave myself a short hiatus and then I made myself suck it up. I began to chip away at it. Some nights I’d only get five pages in before I hit a passage too painful, too close to my own story, and I couldn’t go any further. Then I worked up to a chapter each night. And then one night I hit a major plot point and gobbled up almost a third of book in one sitting. I would have finished it…but I fell asleep. This time from exhaustion, not as an escape mechanism.

The point is that last night I finished it. I didn’t cry – the ending was far too predictable. The characters weren’t explored as fully as they could have been, and so I felt only the barest connection to them. Likewise some plot points seemed tacked on and underused. Brashares is an extraordinary, gifted author of teen fiction, but seemed a little flat in her first attempt at “grown-up” fiction. It also didn’t help that the book read like a watered down, kid-sister version of Judy Blume’s exceptional Summer Sisters.

Still, I’m glad I read it. I’m glad I pushed through it. When I stop reading, my insides start to mold. All the same, maybe my next book will be a little safer – a nice Agatha Christie, perhaps.

Overall grade: C+(less)

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Jun 01, 2013 WJ rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Last Summer (of You and Me) is Ann Brashares' first adult book after the success of the Sisterhood of Travelling Pants series. The premise of the book drew me in, it's supposed to be about sisterhood, friendships and growing up. Although these themes were briefly explored in the novel, I found it very difficult to be engaged by the plot and found myself being detached throughout. Furthermore, there were quite a few plot points in The Last Summer that felt too contrived and predictable.

From w...more The Last Summer (of You and Me) is Ann Brashares' first adult book after the success of the Sisterhood of Travelling Pants series. The premise of the book drew me in, it's supposed to be about sisterhood, friendships and growing up. Although these themes were briefly explored in the novel, I found it very difficult to be engaged by the plot and found myself being detached throughout. Furthermore, there were quite a few plot points in The Last Summer that felt too contrived and predictable.

From what I can remember from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Ann Brashares' writing style has always been distinctive. Although there were a few phrases and certain sentences that helped to capture the characters' personalities and the prevalent mood at the point, I found the tone to be too pseudo-psychological. Introspection and delving into characters' thoughts are things that I appreciate from authors but in the case of The Last Summer, it felt too much like Brashares was trying too hard to prove some major, overarching point when the characters (especially Paul) were simply acting like self twenty-somethings suffering from First World Problems.

The major drama involved in this book is the romantic relationship between Alice and Paul that's unfurling in this summer where Riley, Alice and Paul are finally reunited. (view spoiler) The whole time when I was reading, I felt like the three of them were whining and whinging despite leading very privileged lives. (view spoiler)

I think what really bothered me was the use of tropes. Alice is the beautiful, special girl that changes Paul. Paul's the rich, spoilt boy in need of a father figure, he's a manipulative jerk to Alice and considers Riley to be his best friend. Riley is the mysterious athletic girl who never dates and is not as academically gifted as her sister. There is nothing fresh or original about these characters and their lives. I did not like how the romance between Alice and Paul played out. Riley was an underdeveloped character (view spoiler)

The Last Summer is recommended for fans of Nicholas Sparks. Unfortunately, I found the melodrama of the book and the one-dimensional characters to be too exhausting and doubt that I will read another book by Ann Brashares again.(less)

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Apr 27, 2013 Kristen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: don-t-bother

I was another person who was drawn to this book because I enjoyed the Sisterhood series, which is also a reason why I was so disappointed. I wouldn't have cared if this was by a newcomer, but the fact that this was written by someone who actually can write made it worse for me. I can't shake the feeling that the author churned this out without much thought, relying on the fact that it would probably sell based on the popularity of her other books. It makes me much less enthusiastic about reading...more I was another person who was drawn to this book because I enjoyed the Sisterhood series, which is also a reason why I was so disappointed. I wouldn't have cared if this was by a newcomer, but the fact that this was written by someone who actually can write made it worse for me. I can't shake the feeling that the author churned this out without much thought, relying on the fact that it would probably sell based on the popularity of her other books. It makes me much less enthusiastic about reading her follow-up book to the Sisterhood series.

I listened to this as an audiobook during my daily commute, which may have been a mistake in retrospect because I would zone out at times from boredom and miss a few sentences--though nothing was missed that I couldn't have figured out. The characters had basically no life outside of normal teenage archetypes (because let's face it, this isn't exactly as adult as it was marketed, unless you consider the author mentioning that the characters were having sex as an adult theme). The interactions between Paul and Alice were just plain weird--in one scene Paul basically accosts Alice for her decision to attend law school (not citing any concrete reason for it, other than that she's "better than that") and she just takes it and acts like nothing happened. Paul's weird swaying between loving Alice then hating her really confused me, to the point where I was convinced he was about to assault her. Alice was no better, at one point she wakes up to Paul (who snuck in her bed), and she seriously considers the idea of losing her virginity to him while he's asleep (?!?!). Sometimes it seems like they legitimately had no idea how to communicate with another human being. It was difficult to believe that they were supposed to be college graduates in their twenties considering how trite and shallow their conversations and problems were. If they were 15 or 16, rather than 21 and 24, I would have had more patience for Paul's rich kid problems or Alice's irritating guilt, but this is unacceptable for an adult book. The biggest kicker is that the "big problem", the part where Alice and Paul separate after Riley's illness, is basically a big joke. I get your dying sister asked not to tell Paul what's up but if you really care about him you don't just fuck around and make up some bullshit story and avoiding him the rest of the summer. By the way, after reading the back of the audiobook case that mentioned a "sudden illness" I basically predicted exactly what was going to happen right when they mentioned Riley being sick at birth. And really, I expected more from Brashares.

(less)

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Feb 21, 2013 Barrie Gardner rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found it a tough book to keep reading as the first 100 pages or so put me to sleep-literally. But I persevered through the lengthy description and the flowery language and the story got a little better. It was confusing because at times you don't know if she is talking about a flashback or present day. I enjoy rich language but, I often had to reread sentences and look back through the book to make some things make sense.

The characters were annoying. Alice is in love with Paul, who has been m...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Whatchyareading added it · review of another edition

Shelves: katie, contemporary, young-adult

I’m of the mind that summer books can be heart breaking. I know it seems perverse, the sun is shining, the sky is blue, hopefully waves are lapping at your feet and life is beautiful- so why would you want to read about heart fail? Well think of it this way, would you prefer your angst when the world is grey, gross and ugly outside? No. You would wallow in it. Therefore when wracking my brain for a good summer read, I decided to go with Ann Brashares’ The Last Summer of You (& Me). It fits t...more I’m of the mind that summer books can be heart breaking. I know it seems perverse, the sun is shining, the sky is blue, hopefully waves are lapping at your feet and life is beautiful- so why would you want to read about heart fail? Well think of it this way, would you prefer your angst when the world is grey, gross and ugly outside? No. You would wallow in it. Therefore when wracking my brain for a good summer read, I decided to go with Ann Brashares’ The Last Summer of You (& Me). It fits the basic requirements- beach house, summer love, friends, sisters, and of course there’s a boy. It being a Brashares novel though, (true confession, still haven’t read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) it takes it a few levels deeper and delves into the relationships and lives of the characters in a sometimes unsettling manner.

The story follows two sisters, Riley and Alice in their family’s beach house on Fire Island. Arguably their ages make this book on the cusp between the end of YA and the beginning of “chick lit” but since so few books tackle the 20-25 year old age range, I choose to ignore it. Riley is the elder, the go getter athletic sister who lifeguards on Fire Island every summer, Alice the brainiac who is due to start law school in the fall, and their lifelong best friend Paul whose family owns the house next door. The plot follows them throughout the summer, with Alice and Paul growing secretly intimate, and Riley being a bit left behind in the process.

Honestly, while Alice and Paul’s relationship is lovely, the heart of this novel is between Alice and Riley, and the strength of their sisterhood even though they are so very different. When the end of the summer comes and that sisterhood is jeopardized by Riley suddenly taking ill, Alice’s whole life goes to hell. As a big sister, I won’t lie, there were big old alligator tears when I read this because Alice is lost without the presence of her sister’s vitality and watching that diminish nearly kills her. She delays law school, she refuses to speak to Paul, she takes odd jobs to be able to stay near Riley while she’s ill, and she copes through increasing numbness. As the title eludes, it is in fact about their last summer in their beach house, together with Paul, in the limbo between childhood and being adults, and of being sisters. It’s about saying good bye and going in different directions for the first time. It’s wonderful and heart breaking at the same time.

Now don’t be scared of this book. Grab it and your sister (because you’re going to need her afterward) and go to the beach. Cherish your time together and bawl over this novel. Then look at the gorgeous summer views and feel better. I swear it’s cathartic.

This book was reviewed at WhatchYAreading.net on June 7, 2012.(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Taylor Werner rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Two sisters, Alice and Riley, now in their twenties, have spent almost every summer of their life with family friend, Paul. However, for the past three years Paul has been in California. This is the first summer that the three are reunited and many secrets are discovered. Alice and Paul discover that they have both secretly been in love with one another for years. Alice and Paul spend the summer sneaking around, completely infatuated with each other, when something terrible happens. Riley is rus...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Amber N rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having read many reviews of this book prior to reading it, I was unsure of what I thought. I agree with many that the beginning was slow, but once you get into the actual meat of the plot it's irresistible. In many ways I found that I connected with the characters and at the same time I found myself criticizing their actions.

While the story was fairly predictable you still want it all to turn out differently and some of the character's action even make you believe that maybe it will. But the mos...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book once last summer and loved it. I decided to read it again because I enjoyed it so much. I think I loved it more the second time.

The book was very well written. The metaphors that Brashares used were appropriate and meaningful, and they enhanced the meaning of the novel. I particularly enjoyed the message that life goes on, and people change, but if they care enough they will find their way back to each other.

I interpreted Paul and Alice's love for each other as something that...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this one up at the same time as "Summer Rental," both for the same reason- I needed some light summer reading. I knew Ann Brashares could deliver me some good summer reading, so this one got devoured on an actual beach. But, my friends, this is not "light."

This one is chock full of raw ache. Brashares knows what it's like to love, to lose, to grow up, she almost makes you squirm. Particularly when read on a vacation to places that you went to as a child, this thing evokes incredibly unc...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Cherie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished this book today and I've been going back and forth about if I liked it or not. I think one of my main problems with the book was that it was labeled "young adult" in my library, probably because she is the author of the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" books. However, I've noticed in other reviews that it is her first adult book, and that's definitely where I would put it. As I was reading this, I was thinking that there's no way I would want my teenager reading it. It's just...more

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About Ann Brashares

Ann Brashares grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with three brothers and attended a Quaker school in the D.C. area called Sidwell Friends. She studied Philosophy at Barnard College, part of Columbia University in New York City. Expecting to continue studying philosophy in graduate school, Ann took a year off after college to work as an editor, hoping to save money for school. Loving her job, she ne...more

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Books by Ann Brashares

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Sisterhood, #1)

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood, #2)

Girls In Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood, #3)

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood, #4)

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Trivia About The Last Summer

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Quotes from The Last Summer

“Sometimes you couldn’t face the sadness of being forgotten until you felt the comfort of being remembered again.” — 106 people liked it

“You'll turn out ordinary if you're not careful.” — 85 people liked it

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The Last Summer (of You and Me)

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