The Last to Let Go
The Last to Let Go book cover

The Last to Let Go

by
Price
$9.88
Format
Hardcover
Pages
384
Publisher
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1481480734
Dimensions
5.5 x 1.5 x 8.25 inches
Weight
1 pounds

Description

* “Smith’s deeply felt sophomore effort (following The Way I Used to Be , 2016) explores the rippling effects of domestic violence and its ability to carry through generations…Vivid characterizations of the extended family Brooke gets to know, along with others who people her first year on her own, bring the story to life.” ― Booklist, starred review * "Heartwrenching." ― -VOYA, starred review “ The Last to Let Go is a deeply touching, heart-rending look at lives caught in the trap of domestic violence. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.” -Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces "Complex and nuanced." ― BN Teen Blog “Smith will take readers’ breaths away with every vivid sentence… [she] boldly explores this very serious, very real topic through beautiful, captivating prose.” ― RT Book Reviews “A well-crafted and honest look at family issues and a good pick for fans of Sara Zarr and Laurie Halse Anderson. Highly recommended.” ― School Library Journal “This emotionally charged story is a pitch-perfect portrait of complicated families.” ― The Children's Book Review "The ups and downs [Brooke] faces are one hundred percent relatable and demonstrate that, even in the face of pain and anger, hope is the one thing that cannot be taken from us." ― The Mary Sue “A fantastic read.” ― Culturess "The hopeful story of a brave young girl’s journey to self-acceptance.” ― Hypable Amber Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels The Way I Used to Be , The Last to Let Go , Something Like Gravity , and The Way I Am Now . An advocate for increased awareness of gendered violence, as well as LGBTQ equality, she writes in the hope that her books can help to foster change and spark dialogue surrounding these issues. She grew up in Buffalo, New York, and now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her wife and their ever-growing family of rescued dogs and cats. You can find her online at AmberSmithAuthor.com. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. The Last to Let Go Read more

Features & Highlights

  • “Heartwrenching.” —
  • VOYA
  • (starred review)
  • “Beautiful, captivating prose.” —
  • RT Book Reviews
  • A twisted tragedy leaves Brooke and her siblings on their own in this provocative novel from the
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author of
  • The Way I Used to Be
  • .
  • How do you let go of something you’ve never had?
  • Junior year for Brooke Winters is supposed to be about change. She’s transferring schools, starting fresh, and making plans for college so she can finally leave her hometown, her family, and her past behind. But all of her dreams are shattered one hot summer afternoon when her mother is arrested for killing Brooke’s abusive father. No one really knows what happened that day, if it was premeditated or self-defense, whether it was right or wrong. And now Brooke and her siblings are on their own. In a year of firsts—the first year without parents, first love, first heartbreak, and her first taste of freedom—Brooke must confront the shadow of her family’s violence and dysfunction, as she struggles to embrace her identity, finds her true place in the world, and learns how to let go.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(76)
★★★★
25%
(63)
★★★
15%
(38)
★★
7%
(18)
★
23%
(57)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Another strong novel from Amber Smith

Trigger warning: Book deals with domestic violence

I read "The Way I Used to Be" a couple years ago and was so completely moved by the book. Amber Smith made me an instant fan with that one, so when I saw that I had an opportunity to read her new book, I jumped at the chance.

Overall, I really liked this book. Just like "The Way I Used to Be", it tackles a really difficult subject. Brooke's father is an abuser. The book opens as Brooke finishes her last day of school and comes home to find that her mother has killed her father by stabbing him. Thus begins a downward spiral for Brooke as she tries to keep what's left of her family together while navigating a tough road.

Because of the subject matter, it's a bit of a heavy read. Particularly the winter season portion of the book when Brooke is in this deep depression. But Amber Smith's writing again, is super strong. Brooke is not a perfect character, she lies, and is, at times, hard to be around but I still found myself connecting with her. I liked that even though a good portion of the book is heavy, it ends with a hopeful note. Things are not perfectly tied up but that's okay.

If you're like me and you were affected by "The Way I Used to Be" by Amber Smith, I highly recommended giving her new book a read
4 people found this helpful
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Emotional, heart-breaking, and real. The Last to Let Go is a story about the courage to let go of the life you thought you knew

Amber Smith just knows how to write emotion. It's a gift. This is the heart-wrenching, emotional journey of Brooke, a teen who has lost everything she knows and is desperately trying to get it back. There were times I was screaming at her and times I wanted her to make different decisions but through it all I understood why. There are so many great lines in this. The analogy of the water throughout the story highlights just how delicate and fragile life can be.

Emotional, heart-breaking, and real. The Last to Let Go is a story about the courage to let go of the life you thought you knew and accept the life you deserve to have.
2 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Beautifully written, painful, powerful. A careful and articulate unraveling. A must read for sure.

This book is such a careful and articulate unraveling, by the time you are fully entangled within the pages, you won't mind tugging at the next page like a loose thread until you reach the end, a kind of letting go. Beautifully written, painful, powerful. A jagged, glittering trail of bruises and tears. Must read. Dani and Brooke are my favorite characters, followed closely by Caroline.
2 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Smith tackles what it's like to live in a home plagued by domestic abuse

Amber Smith's sophomore novel offers fans of THE WAY I USED TO BE another dose of her emotionally-charged, character-driven writing. This time, Smith tackles what it's like to live in a home plagued by domestic abuse. While the story begins with the traumatic event of her mother fighting back, which ends in the stabbing death of her father, the book is more about the journey of main character Brooke Winters' discovery of who she is beyond the chaos in her home. Throughout the year after her father's death and with her mother sent away to prison, Brooke must determine how she feels about her parents' relationship, how to establish her own intimate relationship with Dani - a girl from her new school, and what her future could possibly look like now that everything in her life is different. THE LAST TO LET GO is the perfect book for fans of hard-hitting, gut-wrenching contemporary YA.
2 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Holy moly this book.

Warning, this is not a happy book. Brooke loses both of her parents at once in a very tragic way and has to move in with her "aunt" with her siblings. Brooke's mother kills her abusive husband during a fight and Brooke's life gets flipped upside down. This was my first book by Amber Smith and I loved it. You feel bad for Brooke because of what she and her siblings have to go through and what they had to experience growing up. I'm very excited to read The Way I Used To Be now and hopefully it's just as good as this one.
1 people found this helpful
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Amber Smith Excels Yet Agai

Astonishingly beautiful and emotionally stirring; The Last to Let Go is an emotional rollercoaster that brings in the darker sides of life many would rather not look into. Yet, it simultaneously gives light to the LGBT community while introducing characters of different ethnicities. Amber Smith is a writer that will NEVER let you down.
1 people found this helpful
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Heartbreaking read but worth the time

Whew! "The Last to Let Go" was a well-written book on Brooke's life after she comes home to find that her mother had killed her father - the family was physically and emotionally abused by their father. Callie, Brooke's younger sister, was home at the time. Aaron, the older brother, was not at home, he lived with a friend. Brooke attempts to do what she needs to keep the family together but eventually, Callie and Aaron leave, with Brooke still trying to hold things together as a real family should. First love, family love, domestic abuse, leaving, prison, are things addressed in this book and done well. Will have to go and read Ms. Smith's other book.
1 people found this helpful
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and I am going to love every minute and every word

I'm just going to have to accept that every book Amber Smith writes is going to have me wide awake and crying my eyes out at 1:30 a.m., and I am going to love every minute and every word.

Just like her first novel, I read this one in a single sitting, with my heart aching and ready to burst the whole way through. When I got to the end I felt like I'd just spent some time with some of the most beautifully and painfully realistic characters I've ever encountered in contemporary YA literature.

Smith writes about hard topics, and she never shies away from the trauma and pain that teens have to face, but neither does she ever shy away from the love, friendship, kindness, and hope that people can find even when their lives are dark. Brooke and her siblings go through a lot in this book, making good choices and bad choices, hurting each other and loving each other. The balance between pain and hope in THE LAST TO LET GO is perfect, and so is the understanding that for children struggling in the aftermath of long-term abuse and violence, life is not merely a matter of growing up and moving on, but a transformation that changes every aspect of who they are.

This is a fantastic book. Heart-wrenching, so real it hurts, and so very powerful. Highly recommended.
1 people found this helpful
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Raw and heartfelt

An eloquent and honestly told story about the victims of domestic violence. Not an easy read, but it shouldn't be--Smith does a beautiful job with a difficult subject. Definitely recommend for books clubs for teens or adults.
1 people found this helpful
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A beautiful work of art with a strong message--one of the best reads of 2018!

Amber Smith does it again with the beautiful and daring piece. Taking on the issue of domestic violence, she avoids traditional tropes and typical melodrama and instead digs into the dark effects domestic violence has on the children who witness it. Following the four seasons, she shows a lilting artistry in her writing that pushes strong messages while still keeping a natural tone. Her first book, "The Way I Used To Be" introduced us to her highly introspective and empathetic style, but I believe she took this piece to the next level, improving her skill as a writer and showing her chops in driving metaphorical and thematic content. Her cast is beautifully designed and ultimately approachable--each character well developed into a believable and driving persona. Even the supporting characters show skill in their composition, consistently adding their own influence to the plot progression and emotional movement of the story. The plot is active and keeps the dramatic tension in the piece at a strong level, driving the pace to a nice clip. The book is a fast read the first time around, but offers more gems of insight with additional reads. Truly a great work, this piece shows how fiction can be utilized to illuminate a serious issue and provide the personalized view that will allow reader comprehension and empathy. I would suggest this book to anyone looking for a strong and emotional read.
1 people found this helpful

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