Review : The Last Best Kiss by Claire LaZebnik

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : The Last Best Kiss
Author : Claire LaZebnik
Publication Date : April 22nd 2014
Publisher : Harper Teen
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble 

Anna Eliot is tired of worrying about what other people think. After all, that was how she lost the only guy she ever really liked, Finn Westbrook.

Now, three years after she broke his heart, the one who got away is back in her life.

All Anna wants is a chance to relive their last kiss again (and again and again). But Finn obviously hasn’t forgotten how she treated him, and he’s made it clear he has no interest in having anything to do with her.

Anna keeps trying to persuade herself that she doesn’t care about Finn either, but even though they’ve both changed since they first met, deep down she knows he’s the guy for her. Now if only she can get him to believe that, too....

With her signature wit and expertly authentic teen voice, Claire LaZebnik (the author of fan favorites Epic Fail and The Trouble with Flirting) once again breathes new life into a perennially popular love story. Fans of Polly Shulman, Maureen Johnson, and, of course, Jane Austen will love this irresistibly funny and romantic tale of first loves and second chances.

Personal Thoughts

YA Persuasion retellings are some of my favorite books. I've read approximately three retellings and none of them have disappointed me so far. I wasn't aware that The Last Best Kiss was one, but as soon as I found out, I was quick to buy a copy and read it. Claire LaZebnik managed to write a wonderfully fluffy and romantic book about a girl who regrets her decisions.

Anna was a highly flawed character at the beginning. She did things that had me shaking in disappointment. However, Anna was also very young at the start and as we watch her grow throughout the book, we see how the mistakes she made slowly ate her up. At a school dance, she winds up hurting Finn because she does not want her friends to think that she is uncool. Disappointed and dejected, Finn leaves and soon after, Anna finds out that his family has also moved. When Finn returns a few years later, all those feelings she had for him bubble up again. The thing about Anna was that she was relateable and her emotions were palpable throughout the book. It was easy for me to feel how much she regretted her decisions. Finn's sudden reappearance only further deepened her feelings of embarrassment at herself. My heart hurt for her, but at the same time, watching her grow was a delight. Finn was a sweet-heart of a character. I was worried that his motivations would be all messed up when he returned, but Finn never really had an evil bone in his body. He tried hard to hurt Anna the way she hurt him, but once he realizes that she really regretted what she did, it's difficult for him to fight his attraction for her. I loved Finn and I wish we had more YA boys like him.

While The Last Best Kiss is best described as a romance, there are lots of other themes going on in the book. The secondary characters were all mostly great. The only person in Anna and Finn's group of friends I had trouble connecting with was Lily. She was like over-energized bunny who constantly wanted attention on herself. She disliked not being in the spotlight and tried a bit too hard to come across as different. In the end, she too underwent much growth, but not before her actions had dangerous implications. The prologue of the book was an introduction to Anna and Finn's relationship. I loved getting to know the two of them before and watching Anna hurt Finn at the end of the prologue made me want to curl up in a ball and weep for them because they were so perfect for each other. Upon Finn's return, it took some time for Finn to warm up to Anna, but they still shared their love for similar hobbies and their enthusiasm for the same things was so contagious. I just kept anticipating their reunion from start to finish and when it did happen, I was cheering out loudly for them.

All in all, The Last Best Kiss was the perfect balance of fluffy and serious. It's not the best book out there, but it is lovely, entertaining and has a sweet message.

Rating 

Cover : 3/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5


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