Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Last Dance by Kiki Hamilton ~ Review & Giveaway

Source: Received paperback copy from author in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

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Book Description:
Two people couldn't be more opposite...

Kellen Peterson, the gorgeous star quarterback of the Griffin High football team, seems to have it all. Until the night of the Homecoming game, when Kellen gets tackled and suffers a traumatic brain injury - an injury that changes his life - including his ability to walk, talk and throw a football.

Ivy Ly is a senior and counting down the days until she can escape to college. Though her parents have big plans for her to be a doctor, Ivy is afraid to tell them she'd rather pursue music as a career.

Ivy's best friend, Mira, is obsessed with Kellen. When Ivy is asked to tutor the injured football player upon his return to school, she thinks it's the perfect opportunity for Mira to get to know him better - but sparks fly - in more ways than one...


My Thoughts:



3 1/2 stars - It's a sweet love story with some life lessons woven into it.

I went back and forth between 3 stars and 4, so I finally fell on 3 1/2. 

This book was hard for me to read but it probably won't have the same affect on you.  I have someone very close to me that has had a brain injury and so this story touched a few sore spots for me.  I think that's why when I started this book, I couldn't put it down.  I needed to know the ending.  So I read it in four hours straight through. 

I like Kellen, a lot.  He's worked hard to get to the place he's at and the fall is hard on him.  I saw the stages of grief as he denied, was angry and finally accepted things.  He also did some growing because of it.  I liked that about him.  He figured things out.  Not an easy thing for someone so young.  It was also nice to see him still be a high school boy.  He was trying to stay cool but that was pretty tough.  He was torn up about his loses especially where his girlfriend was concerned. (BTW, can I rip Laurel's face off? Did. Not. Like. Her.)  But he held it together.  I was so proud of him.  He worked so hard to recover.

Ivy was so different than Kellen yet so much the same.  She's been driven by her parents to succeed, to become a doctor when she's not sure that's what she wants to do.  I admire her willingness to work hard, her dedication to her slightly strange friend Mira, and her willingness to help Kellen though it makes things hard for her.  She's talented and a little bit quirky.  She's not popular but she's beautiful.  She's exactly what Kellen needs.

These two come from such different worlds and no one would consider them the same, yet they are.  They so are.  I loved how they healed each other.  I loved how they caused each other to grow.  I loved how they were together.  Theirs is a sweet story of figuring out life together.

This book is YA.  It's a sweet love story with some life lessons woven into it.  If that type of story appeals to you, then this one is a good one to read.


About the author:

Kiki Hamilton is the author of THE FAERIE RING fantasy series and the YA contemporary novel, THE LAST DANCE. She believes in magic and the idea of hidden worlds co-existing with our own. Kiki lives near Seattle, though she dreams of living in London one day.




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4 comments:

  1. This sounds like a great story. I love when characters that seem so different are great for each other and can help the other with what they are dealing with. Great review hon!

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  2. Thanks for participating in the BookNerd tour! I appreciate your support!

    xo
    Kiki

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