The Last Boy and Girl in the World - Siobhan Vivian

While the adults plan for the future, box up their possessions, and find new places to live, Keeley Hewitt and her friends decide to go out with a bang. There are parties in abandoned houses. Canoe races down Main Street. The goal is to make the most of every minute they still have together.

And for Keeley, that means taking one last shot at the boy she’s loved forever. There’s a weird sort of bravery that comes from knowing there’s nothing left to lose. You might do things you normally wouldn’t. Or say things you shouldn’t. The reward almost always outweighs the risk. 

Almost.

It’s the end of Aberdeen, but the beginning of Keeley’s first love story. It just might not turn out the way she thought. Because it’s not always clear what’s worth fighting for and what you should let become a memory.

The Last Boy and Girl in the World was certainly intriguing. There was much to love overall, and Vivian's writing was solid. Keeley and Jesse were complicated characters, and although I didn't like them all that much, to be honest, they were certainly well rounded. The world building is what really worked the most in this book. I almost felt the world around me getting more damp and rainy as I read on.

I would probably have enjoyed this book more if it were not for the somewhat repetitive style and moments of lagging exposition. Keeley's internal monologue and her interactions with her friends became tiresome rather quickly, and her emotional development felt stalled, at least until the very end. It's not that I wanted to the book to end, but I did want it to move more swiftly, and with a bit more energy. It was still an engrossing text, and one that I would likely recommend.

Vivian manages to deal with a number of heavy and dark topics with a deft hand, so even with my qualms, I would say this book is worth reading and not rushing through.

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