The Last Time We Were Us

♥ Review: I've said it before and yet I'll say it again: writing reviews for books that I feel/felt generally indifferent about is such a difficult task. It's easier to flail about books that I love and even easier to write a review when I'm impassioned by all the things I didn't like about it, but neither was the case with The Last Time We Were Us. So, it's likely this review will be brief, and I think I actually mean it this time. (As I tend to say that on occasion, and then my wordiness gets the better of me.) I think my major issue with the book is that for it to be 368 pages, I don't feel like very much happened. There was quite a bit of redundancy in regards to our protagonist waffling about her feelings for both guys and fighting with her friends and family about the decisions she made concerning both boys. While I can't deny that I made quick work of the book, reading it all in a couple of hours, parts of the story seemed to drag on and on, and I really only continued to see who she would pick in the end. Another problem I had was something that I briefly mentioned earlier, and that was my inability to connect with the characters of this book. Liz, as with typical teenagers, was heavily influenced by others and her hopes of popularity, and was happy to let others dictate her life choices. That is until a particular guy reemerged in her life, and then she dug her heels in and started making decisions for herself. It was okay and relatable up until a certain point, but then it became repetitious and a little aggravating. Furthermore, it was harder to root for either love interest because I didn't see why she'd like them besides the fact that she had years of friendship with one and that the other was Mr. Popular that everyone else wanted so maybe it was a challenge for her. I felt like both were entirely too secretive and brooding, and maybe that was just her type, but it made it rather boring for me. More than that, I felt like every character in this story was outright selfish and had a lot of growing up to do, even the adults who were supposed to be parenting these kids. There was a little growth from everyone, but ultimately, I felt like it was too little too late.

I will note that there were some pretty great quotes, most having to do with girl sexuality. However, those bright moments weren't enough to pull this rating up by much. I feel like had the overall story and characters been given more depth instead of filling the pages with unnecessary drama after a certain point, perhaps I would have enjoyed it more.

♥ Teaser Quote:

I spent a summer trying to figure out what was right, weighing the words of everyone else, cursing myself for my inability to be what others expected of me, when there was only one answer, really.
     Lizzie or Liz, it doesn't matter—I can only ever be me. I can only ever follow my own heart.
     But it was so achingly wonderful to know that when I do, the people who really matter, they'll be right there beside me, even if I make a mistake or two in the process.
~quote taken from the eARC of The Last Time We Were Us at 98%

♥ Rec It? Maybe. I didn't hate it, but I didn't necessarily love-or really even like it all that much either. While there were some pretty great quotes sprinkled throughout, I struggled to get through certain parts of the book. As for other readers, I think there's a lot of wiggle room for people to fall to either side of the spectrum between like and dislike. So, it's my suggestion that if your interest is piqued by the summary, either borrow it from the library or wait until it goes on sale before you purchase.

♥ A very special thanks to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.

*Disclaimer: An eARC of these title was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.

This review was originally posted on The Book Hookup here.