Since We Last Spoke

by Brenda Rufener

A YALSA 2020 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers!

“A powerful story about grief, loss, and the restorative nature of love, Since We Last Spoke will stay with you long after you’ve finished.” —Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be and The Last to Let Go

“Rufener handles topics such as love, loss, and grief with a deft and steady hand, intermingling moments of humor and warmth as two families learn to navigate the tragedy that’s intertwined them forever.” —Miranda Asebedo, author of The Deepest Roots

"Rufener ambitiously tackles many topics in a single novel: manslaughter, suicide, bullying, sex, drugs, mental health, family violence, parental neglect, and abuse. Rufener successfully weaves all of these difficult subjects into a real and relatable narrative without platitudes or apologies. This is a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story that stands on its own." School Library Journal (starred review)

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Niven and Nicola Yoon, this heartbreaking and uplifting novel captures the ups and downs of teen love in the face of unimaginable grief and the rocky journey to healing, peace, and forgiveness. From breakout author Brenda Rufener (Where I Live).

When Aggi Frank and Max Granger finally admitted their feelings for each other last December, it felt like love was beautiful and endless . . . until it wasn’t.

A fatal car accident involving their older siblings throws their lives into sudden chaos. And with a restraining order now in place between the two bitter households, Aggi and Max’s love runs cold. Being together again seems like a distant fantasy, even though they share the same driveway.

Still, Plum Lake is a small town, and staying apart can’t last forever. Aggi and Max eventually reunite at a lake-house party and break the ice after a year of silence.

But just as they begin to rebuild their relationship, the unthinkable happens, leading them to confront each other and their families in the hope of mending the broken pieces.

“Rufener's treatment of grief is nuanced and deeply felt, and Aggi's and Max's complex feelings about themselves, their families, and their aborted romance drive the skillfully crafted narrative. A compelling story about grief told through the voices of two expertly drawn protagonists.” —Kirkus

• ISBN10: 0062571087
• ISBN13: 9780062571083
• Publish Date: 16 May 2019 (first published 2 April 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 22 August 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperTeen
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

The lives of the Franks and the Grangers had been intertwined for two generations, but they become unraveled after both families lose a child.

This was a portrait of families crumbling under the pain of grief and loss. It showed how grief can be all consuming and how it can leech into all areas life.

My heart broke for these families. What a devastating loss they suffered. Rufener did a beautiful job capturing all those emotions, and I was hit in the feels over and over again as I read this story.

But it wasn't just the emotional punch she delivered, Rufener also managed to show so many different ways that people grieve and deal with loss. The adults in these families were kind of on the extreme side, while the children seemed to be doing a bit better, but suffering more due to absent parents.

The central focus was on Aggie and Max, who had more or less loved each other their whole lives, but were ripped apart when their parents began playing the blame game with respect to their siblings' deaths.

I was able to feel their emptiness, pain, and heartache as they tried to find their way back to each other. I so wanted them to defy their parents, and I was grateful that their best friends plotted to get them back together.

This was kind of a heavy book. The characters are drowning in their sadness, and it sort of consumed me as well, but there were some bright spots.

• Dr. Nelson was a surrogate mother to Aggie's younger sister, Grace, and a mentor to Aggie. I found her to be a good and stable presence, where Aggie really needed one.

• Heart of gold Henry was Max's best friend, and I think he was the voice of optimism in this story. It was quite apparent that Henry's home life was garbage, yet he always kept his head up and gave his love to those who needed it. I definitely had a soft spot for him.

• Ume was the kind of friend everyone needs. She was loyal and would probably help you hide the body if you needed her to, because that was the kind of friend she was.

Overall: A heartbreaking tale of grief, loss, and the need to heal.