The Last Best Story

June 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Rose Regnero, star reporter, has spent almost four intense years working in the newspaper room alongside editor-in-chief, Grant. But just before the end of her last semester, she abruptly quits, announcing that she wants a different, normal life. Grant, who is unconsciously besotted with her, feels blindsided and can't understand what happened. Rose attends prom only to find herself face-to-face with Grant when an alarm sounds and all the students are put on lockdown. There's reportedly an active shooter in the building and everyone is terrified, but all Grant can focus on is that this could be the story of his career-and he's betting it will bring Rose back into his life. Meanwhile, Rose knows more about the emergency than she lets on but she's unsure she wants to involve herself with Grant. Uneven writing mars this story of two teens who are perfect for each other but can't seem to get it together, set in the frightening scenario of recent shootings. Descriptive sequences are clear and exceptionally visual, but characterization sometimes lack authenticity. Sequential plotting often suffers during the shooting scenes. Still, in her sophomore effort, Lehrman has long moments of brilliance and is a writer to watch. VERDICT An uneven but promising effort for those who enjoy stories of unrequited love, journalism, or topical novels on current news themes.-Susan Riley, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2018
Love, journalism, and teenage angst collide in this sweet story of missed opportunities and second chances.Rose and Grant are the perfect team, in sync about their journalistic aspirations and their future at Northwestern. She writes for the Hawks High School newspaper that he edits, and as they chase down leads and work long hours together, romantic tension simmers just beneath the surface. At the end of senior year, however, Rose is ready to move on from the newspaper dream she's not sure was ever 100 percent hers and from the boy who is perpetually too afraid to make a move. When the school goes into lockdown during prom, Grant realizes that this story may be his last chance to work with Rose and his only hope of winning her back. The narrative shift between the present day and the pair's earlier years in high school allows the tension between Rose and Grant to build organically. Lehrman (The Cost of All Things, 2015) writes teens well, and Rose's consternation over her life choices and the revelation that the future she envisioned might not suit her feel all too real, as does Grant's indecisiveness about whether to risk friendship for something more. Grant is assumed white, Rose is Italian and Cuban, and her best friend is Chinese-American (her portrayal unfortunately falls into lazy stereotypes).An earnest high school romp as intrepid as its sleuthing protagonists. (Fiction 14-18)

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