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Since We Last Spoke

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

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

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  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      February 1, 2019
      It took 17 years for Aggi and Max to fall in love but just one night to lose each other.Next-door neighbors in rural North Carolina, Aggi Frank and Maxwell Granger took years to admit that they were in love. Their romance felt like it could last forever--until Max's brother, Cal, died in a car accident while Aggi's sister, Kate, was driving. Kate's role in the accident drove her to commit suicide just 10 days after Cal passed away. The double tragedy tore the Frank and Granger families apart, culminating in a restraining order that prevented Aggi and Max from talking, let alone dating. For a year, Aggi and Max followed the rules and avoided each other until the night their best friends, Umé and Henry, plotted to bring the two together to mend their broken hearts. Rufener's (Where I Live, 2018) 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. Unfortunately, Kate and Cal, whose deaths are the reason behind the book, are disappointingly two-dimensional, overly wise, almost magical older siblings rather than fully formed characters. Aggi, Max, and Henry are from working-class families, Umé is queer, and all main characters are white.A compelling story about grief told through the voices of two expertly drawn protagonists. (Romance. 14-18)

      COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      Starred review from April 1, 2019

      Gr 9 Up-Aggi Frank and Max Granger have grown up together, neighbors their whole lives. They finally declare their love for each other in the most dramatic truth or dare and then lose their siblings in the same night. Aggi's sister loses control of her car on the way home from a concert with Max's brother, who is killed instantly. Ten days after the crash, guilt ridden and alone in her anguish, Aggi's sister dies by suicide. The Franks and the Grangers struggle to come to terms with this horrific tragedy, leaving the two young lovers at odds. Once two inseparable families in a small town, now they are bitter enemies who blame each other for their losses. Can a restraining order keep Aggi and Max from finding a way to live and love again? 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. VERDICT This book is a definite first purchase for high school libraries.-Christina Paolozzi, Bonaire Elementary School, GA

      Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • The Horn Book

      July 1, 2019
      Childhood friends and neighbors Max and Aggi had just confessed their love for each other when their older siblings died tragically. Now, a year later, their families are feuding, and their relationship has dissolved. This lyrical novel realistically conveys Max's and Aggi's guilt about what happened, their sense of loss, and their deep connection to each other.

      (Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

    • Kirkus

      February 1, 2019
      It took 17 years for Aggi and Max to fall in love but just one night to lose each other.Next-door neighbors in rural North Carolina, Aggi Frank and Maxwell Granger took years to admit that they were in love. Their romance felt like it could last forever--until Max's brother, Cal, died in a car accident while Aggi's sister, Kate, was driving. Kate's role in the accident drove her to commit suicide just 10 days after Cal passed away. The double tragedy tore the Frank and Granger families apart, culminating in a restraining order that prevented Aggi and Max from talking, let alone dating. For a year, Aggi and Max followed the rules and avoided each other until the night their best friends, Um� and Henry, plotted to bring the two together to mend their broken hearts. Rufener's (Where I Live, 2018) 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. Unfortunately, Kate and Cal, whose deaths are the reason behind the book, are disappointingly two-dimensional, overly wise, almost magical older siblings rather than fully formed characters. Aggi, Max, and Henry are from working-class families, Um� is queer, and all main characters are white.A compelling story about grief told through the voices of two expertly drawn protagonists. (Romance. 14-18)

      COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:4.8
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:3

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