OK, can 2020 slow down already? Like damn! Time is flying.
For those of you who have been following along since Day 1, we’ve now completed our second book of the year! Go us! Are you proud? Cus like, you should be.
And for those of you who are like, “huh? WTF is going on?” head over to this post to learn more.
Typically, fierce friendships never develop between a local and a summer girl—but that’s just what happens with visitor Sadie Loman and Littleport resident Avery Greer. Each summer for almost a decade, the girls are inseparable—until Sadie is found dead. While the police rule the death a suicide, Avery can’t help but feel there are those in the community, including a local detective and Sadie’s brother, Parker, who blame her. Someone knows more than they’re saying, and Avery is intent on clearing her name, before the facts get twisted against her.
This month, we read The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda, and personally, I loved it!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER UNLESS YOU’VE FINISHED THE BOOK!
If you don’t know that much about me, I’m a writer (no, not blogger, like a legit writer. OK well, I used to be a journalist, and now I’m working on fiction writing) and spoiler alert: I write in the psychological-thriller genre. And this particular book had a few similar elements to what I’m writing now – read: rich girl, uber-elite society, mystery ensues, yada yada yada.
So I truly felt this book was perfect for me. Overall, did you enjoy the book?
Just like last month, I read this book fairly quick, and ended up having to pick something else up to finish out the month. Yay me!
Give me a novel set in a cute New England town and I’m hooked. I felt that because of the setting, I connected a bit more with the book right off the bat because, well, I’m from a small coastal town in New England. I could almost picture the entire town and its contents, people included.
Did you feel that the author did a good job setting the scene?
An important aspect of the book is life in a small town. Avery, the main character, lives in a place where everyone knows her past — her family history, her personal struggles, her romantic life, and so on. Do you have any experience living in a small town like this? What is it like? What are the pros and cons of living in a town where everybody knows everybody?
Personally, I hated small-town life. I really could never stand how everyone knew everything – or at least, they thought they did. I feel like people made a lot of assumptions and jumped to conclusions. I think Avery felt that way too. Do you?
Not only is Littleport a small town, but it’s also a popular summer tourist destination. This causes tension between the year-round locals and the typically wealthy summer visitors. Due to her relationship with the Lomans, Avery finds herself caught between these two worlds. What do you think was so alluring to Avery about the world that the Lomans live in? Is there something you think she wishes she could leave behind?
Have you ever felt like you wanted to leave your life behind and step into a different world? What did they feel like for you?
When all the secrets are finally revealed in the end, it definitely changed my opinion of a few key players. For the majority of the book, I almost felt sorry for Parker Loman, and had decided that he was unfairly judged by society – that he wasn’t nearly as much of a monster as others had made him out to be. But his actions in the end flipped my entire opinion. How did you feel about Parker in the end?
I have to say, I did not see the ending coming AT ALL. Like, totally different from what I imagined happening. Were you surprised by it?
Feel free to drop anything else you want to share in the comments! Or come find me on Instagram and we can chat about it there.
the northeast ginger 