Sunday, January 25, 2015

(Review) My Last Kiss by Bethany Neal

 
Title: My Last Kiss
Author: Bethany Neal
Pages: 361
Published: July 10, 2014
PublisherMacmillan US
Review Copy: Yes

Why did I want this book?
I fell in love with the cover image and after reading an excerpt, I knew, that this is the right book for me..
Synopsis:
What if your last kiss was with the wrong boy? Cassidy Haines remembers her first kiss very clearly. It was with her boyfriend of three years. But her last kiss-the one she shared with someone at her seventeenth birthday party the night she died-is a blur. Cassidy is trapped between life and the great beyond, not only mourning her own passing, but left to wonder what led to her untimely death. She can't remember anything from the weeks leading up to her birthday and she's worried that she may have been unfaithful to her boyfriend. If Cassidy is to understand what happened to her and move on to whatever comes next, she must face her past and all the decisions she made - both good and bad - that led to her last kiss.

Cover:
The cover is beautiful, specially because I've rarely seen this kind of artwork. It looks a little bit like a shattered mirror.

Title:
The title fits but also sounds sappy.

Writing style:
The book is written from Cassidy's point of view in first perspective. We have two timelines: The past, where she is still alive and the present, where she is a ghost walking earth.
Honestly, this story is so, so sad! But it is also a beautiful read. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Step by step you'll find out why Cassidy died and who was with her at that moment. Even though it is a very quiet book.

Characters:
Cassidy, the main character, doesn't know why she died, but she has the feeling, that she did something horrible, like cheating on her boyfriend while it happened. She also knows, that she fell from a bridge, but was it an accident or did someone push her? Cassidy is convinced, that she has to find out what happened, before she is allowed to go to heaven.
I liked the fact, that the protagonist was far away from being perfect, she made some mistakes during her life, but it was still easy to like her. The character development was very good, because you get a feeling of how your friends might feel, if you die. They can't see Cassidy, but Cassidy can see and hear them which was really sad most of the time.

Noteworthy:
A very quiet book.

Stuck in my Head:
I tried to speak, but nothing came out. She was right. Something was off with Ethan and me. We weren't happy the way we used to be, but that didn't mean I'd stopped loving him or wanting to be with him.” (p. 197)
What I didn't like:
A little bit more suspense would have been great. The love-story and typical YA-problems where the main topic of this book.

Quick and dirty:
A beautiful but sad book with characters, like you and me. They make mistakes, but they are still far away from being evil.
I really recommend this book, but be warned: The story develops very slow, it is quiet and something to think about. Readers looking for a lot of action might be disappointed.
Thank you to ... 
... Macmillan US, who gave me this review copy in exchange of a honest review!

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