A twisted tragedy leaves Brooke and her siblings on their own in this provocative new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used To Be.
Synopsis
The final day of sophomore year promises to bring the much-anticipated freedom Brooke Winters has been hoping for, until the unimaginable happens and her mother is arrested for the death of Brooke’s abusive father. Helpless against a judicial system that might spare their mother, Allison, and prevent the children from being left alone in the world, Brooke and her siblings—older brother, Aaron, and younger sister, Callie—try to make sense of their world. The heart-breaking struggle affects each of them in different ways, with significant consequences. Brooke is intent on clinging to the truth as she believes it: her mother will be released from prison, and their family will finally be free from the violent life they’ve always known. Brooke follows a downward spiral of denial, delusion, and self-deception as she hides the truth from herself and from those who care about her most. Only when Brooke learns to believe in herself and to understand the parameters of love does the courage to hang on become the courage to let go. This deeply compelling novel explores the internal psychological and emotional journeys of children jeopardized by domestic violence, and the heart and mind’s potential for positive change.
My Rating *****
Content Warnings: domestic abuse, murder, discussion/description of attempted suicide, anxiety, depression, possible PTSD/trauma
Review
Amber Smith’s debut, The Way I Used to Be, was one of my favourite books last year so much so that I finished the entire book in one night! It was written from such a personal perspective that felt so engaging and genuine, which is why I was so excited to read The Last to Let Go. Although both narratives focus on two very distinct issues and the premise of Smith’s second novel sounded just as poignant.
I have always been interested in books that cover difficult topics, especially those written in the first-person narrative as you can really get inside the mind of the character and experience everything in the story from their point of view. I think that this gives readers a really interesting insight (even if it is fictional) into important issues that they may not have necessarily experienced themselves. Books like these are why I enjoy reading as they have opened my eyes to new ways of thinking, diverse experiences, and an appreciation for the unique stories of others.
The Last to Let Go is a hauntingly beautiful story that highlights the rippling effects of domestic violence in the wake of a family tragedy. The book centres on 16-year-old Brooke Winters as she struggles to keep her two siblings (Callie and Aaron) together after her mother is arrested for killing her abusive father. No one really knows what happened that fateful day whether this was premeditated or an act of self-defence. But on the last day of her sophomore year at Riverside high, Brooke’s world it turned upside down as she comes face to face with her family’s traumatic past. Prior to her father’s death, Brooke’s family unit had been broken down and shattered as a result of years of domestic violence, but after his death, all of their vulnerabilities are revealed, and things start to quickly fall apart.
Unlike other YA novels, Smith’s books are particularly interesting because they tend to focus more on the aftermath of a traumatic event then the event itself. This is fascinating in regard to The Last to Let Go as Smith effectively shows how complicated it is to help people in abusive relationships, the long-term effects of abuse, and how different people respond to trauma in their own ways.
Even though Brooke’s perspective gives you all the feels, I really wanted to hear more from her siblings point of view. At the beginning of the book Callie, Brooke’s younger sister, felt like a very important character whose experience of trauma was truly heart-breaking, the harrowing scenes she witnessed that day physically affected her as she became selectively mute. However she seemed to disappear a lot throughout the book which made it hard for me to really understand her character.
On the other hand, Aaron, Brooke’s older brother, also appeared to be dealing with a lot of personal issues throughout the novel, but they were never really discussed in detail, instead his character is so overwhelmed with loss and tragedy that he decides to leave town in hopes of forgetting his past. But I think it would have been really interesting to read about the effects of domestic violence from a males perspective as most often societal beliefs stigmatise domestic violence based on gender and stereotype women as the victims and men as the perpetrators. However, this is not always the case. According to ManKind Initiative, a support group for male victims of domestic violence, “for every three victims of domestic abuse, two will be female, one will be male.” This is significant and highlights the importance of advocating and sharing both male and female experiences of domestic violence through stories like Smith’s.
Nevertheless, I love how Brooke’s first-person narrative affects how we experience her as a character and how we witness other characters and events. I understand why she was chosen to be the main protagonist as she faces many highs and lows that are extremely relatable, her character clearly demonstrates that even through pain and anger there can be hope.
With her siblings dealing with the trauma in their own ways and her mother in jail, Brooke works hard to hold herself and the family together. But despite all of her efforts she is ultimately left on her own struggling to come to terms with her traumatic past as well as normal adolescent issues. It is so heart-breaking and sad when all of this becomes too much for Brooke and she starts to spiral out of control by stealing money from work and compulsively lying to her friends and family. However, Smith explores this serious and real issue through a very beautiful and captivating writing style and Brooke’s journey to self-acceptance and letting go will take every readers breath away.
In addition to the theme of domestic abuse and violence, the author gives voice to issues of injustice, the delicate nature of friendship, and the vulnerability of the human spirit. It has also been refreshing to read about the surprise LGBT representation throughout this book with Brooke’s first love Dani. I liked that this relationship wasn’t perfect or romanticised, much like many YA novels.
One of the most important aspects of this book was the idea that not everything can be fixed and that it’s okay not to be okay. I like that Smith has normalised the fact that change isn’t easy and that it can be really hard to let go and move on from the past. I also enjoyed the ending of this book as all of the complicated and nuanced issues weren’t neatly resolved instead it is fulfilling and realistic, and makes me want to read 100 pages more.
I highly recommend any book written by Amber Smith to fans of YA fiction as her unique and enchanting lyrical style resonates across all audiences and enables the reader to truly put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist, to feel every emotion that they are feeling.
Favourite Quotes
“I remember thinking that if we could stay just like this then everything would be fine.”
“It’s strange how absence can take up so much space sometimes.”
"I miss you. I love you. I need you. I hate you. I'm sorry. I keep opening my mouth to speak, but it's like a hand is reaching up the back of my throat, strangling the words out of me."
Reviews by YA Authors:
“I can’t recommend this book highly enough” – Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces and How to Make Friends With the Dark
“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
About the Author
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, and Something Like Gravity. 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 partner and their ever-growing family of rescued dogs and cats. You can find her online at AmberSmithAuthor.com.
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