The Last Time I Saw Her

by Kathleen Knowles

[llamareads]

Oh goodness, where to start with this? Sometimes books just aren’t your cup of tea, and this is one of those times.

This of the story of one woman, Lane, reconnecting with her first love, Allison, at a lesbian music festival in the 80s. It’s told entirely in Lane’s first-person POV, but despite that, I never really clicked with either woman. I also felt the connection and chemistry between the two was lacking, and for the life of me I don’t understand why Lane was so desparately in love with Allison, despite the flashbacks and endless rehashings of what happened in girl scout camp 15 years prior. It honestly made Lane feel more like she was still stuck in teenager-mode in her relationship with Allison, and it wasn’t a pretty thing. I think their relationship was better established at the end of the book, but it felt like too little too late. Honestly, the whole thing was a bit of a slog for me, with a very slow pace. I did like the music festival setting (that, and the fact that it was set in the 80s, was what made me pick up the book), but it felt underutilized.

Overall, I’m really struggling to find anything positive to say about the book, so I’ll leave it there. I’ll give it two stars as I thought it picked up towards the end, and I liked learning about the music festival.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.