The Last Best Kiss

April 28, 2014
In ninth grade, Anna and Finn had a sweet, secret romance. Finn, an awkward and scrawny science geek, wooed Anna with his unselfconscious enthusiasm and unusual charm. After Anna's friends ostracized Finn, Anna distanced herself from him, only to be heartbroken when Finn moved away. Three years later a buff, handsome Finn returns to town, and Anna's friends are drooling over him. Meanwhile, Finn gives Anna the cold shoulder, so she turns to her distant cousin Wade as a possible romantic interest. In her latest update of an Austen novel (following Epic Fail and The Trouble with Flirting), LaZebnik uses Persuasion as the framework for a story of love forsaken, then found again. While romantic entanglements between cousins may have passed during Austen's time, Anna interest in Wadeâhowever distantly relatedâmay sit awkwardly with some contemporary readers. In keeping with Austen's plot, Finn spends the better part of the novel acting coldly toward Anna, which does little to recommend him as a romantic interest for her in the here and now of the story. Ages 13âup. Agent: Alexis Hurley, Inkwell Management.

April 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Anna Eliot has had the past three years to regret her treatment of Finn Westbrook, at the time a fellow freshman, geek, and Anna's secret boyfriend. When confronted with her friends' opinions of Finn, she pretended not to know him and broke his heart. Now he's back, and Anna hopes to get a second chance to apologize and maybe something more, but her former beau is no longer interested. The protagonist has more to worry about besides her romance troubles, however. Her sisters Lizzie and Molly are both off to college, and she is left living with her narcissistic father, who may or may not be dating one of Lizzie's friends. Then a weekend musical festival changes everything for Anna and Finn. A modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion, Anna's first-person narrative is filled with humor and honesty. While the pair's love story is the main focus, plotlines involving secondary characters are woven together well. References to drugs, alcohol, and sex make this suitable for teens looking for a realistic YA romance novel with relatable characters-especially fans of LaZebnik's previous Austen updates.-Natalie Struecker, Rock Island Public Library, IL

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