Cover Image: My Last Innocent Year

My Last Innocent Year

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This is a book I will be thinking about for awhile, unpacking it and reflecting. I enjoy books that take place on college campuses and reading about other student experiences because I really enjoyed my own college experience. Our main character of course had a very different experience than me but one thing I could relate to was this whole process of coming into your own and developing and maintaining a reputation for yourself.

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I always enjoy campus novels and coming-of-age stories, and MY LAST INNOCENT YEAR is a true standout for me in both areas—touching, deeply felt, and memorable, staying with the reader long after they've turned the final page. The book takes place in 1998 and follows Isabel Rosen, a senior at Wilder College, a small, prestigious college in New Hampshire, over the course of her final semester there, and her journey to growing up, finding herself, and wrestling with self-worth.

I absolutely loved Florin's writing style—it drew me in right away, and there are quotes/snippets that I reread several times and am still thinking about because they were just so beautifully put! The retrospective form of narration was similarly well-done, and gave readers a clear picture of how Isabel's formative and often painful experiences during her college years had shaped her and still affected her in the present day. I also enjoyed the Jewish representation and the depictions of campus life. MY LAST INNOCENT YEAR is not always an easy read due to the heavy topics that are covered, so do be mindful of that/check trigger warnings. But, if you love character-driven books, coming-of-age stories, and/or campus novels, I would highly recommend this one! I look forward to seeing what Daisy Alpert Florin writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC!

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Thank you NetGalley & Henry Holt & Co. for the ARC of My Last Innocent Year!

A fast-paced, coming-of-age story, My Last Innocent Year follow Isabel on her journey through senior year at university. I enjoy Daisy Alpert Florin's writing and felt connected to Isabel's struggle in trying to discover herself. With her older self narrating, the reader has a more reflective insight on past Isabel's actions and naivete; while many parts were sometimes hard to read, it was a great reminder of how we live and learn from the younger, dumber versions of ourselves.

My Last Innocent Year is out now.

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Genre: Literary Fiction/Coming-of-Age
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pub. Date: Feburary 14, 2023

Daisy Alpert Florin’s debut novel, “My Last Innocent Year,” is a coming-of-age novel set on a college campus pre the #MeToo era. It’s been a long time since I read a coming-of-age novel that I enjoyed. I often find them sappy, but not this one. Florin’s portrayal of New England student life includes shady college town bars, English department parties, and skinny-dipping, which reads like a stream of consciousness, accurately capturing the confusion and instability of college life. “In sophomore year at a St. Parick’s day party…He had shamrocks painted on his face; as we fucked the green paint dripped down his cheeks. There wasn’t much to say about it…except we decided never to do it again and that somehow we managed to stay friends.”

The story is set against the backdrop of President Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. Our protagonist, Isabel Rosen, faces more challenges than most. She is a lower-middle-class Jewish student on a scholarship at the prestigious Wilder College, which strongly resembles the real-life Dartmouth College, filled with wealthy Christians. Besides her Saint Patrick’s sexual experiment, Isabel is the least promiscuous of her college girlfriends. She is majoring in English Lit, and her goal is to become a writer. Throughout the novel, Florin's character exhibits profound, interceptive ideas. In the library, “I weaved my way slowly through the shelves, rubbing my fingers along the spines, pulling out books at random. I loved the way each writer burrowed deep into his or her matter, no matter how obscure, and yet taken together, the books here felt larger than the world.”

This story benefits from the author's willingness to address young women’s sexuality without passing judgment. Isabel has had two sexual encounters throughout her time in college, and they forever alter the way she remembers those years. First, Florin tackles the confusion between miscommunication and date rape. Afterward, the boy asks her, “then why did you come to my dorm room?” She "honestly doesn't know," thus she is unable to respond, showing her lack of experience in what to do when “maybe he was a little too rough.” The other happens when an older man seduces her in a Bill and Monica scenario. In her senior year, she began an “affair” with her thesis adviser, a handsome, married creative writing professor. In both experiences, we see the complex power dynamics in sexual relationships.

At graduation, Isabel wonders when a girl becomes a woman. Did it happen “when I confessed my relationship with the professor?” “Is it happening right now, in front of Fayerweather Hall as the sun rose higher into the sky?” There is beautiful prose throughout the novel. However, the tail end of the story during Isabel’s post-college years. Here the writing feels rushed and clumped together, losing its tone of introspection. Still, this is a poignant coming-of-age story that I recommend to adults and young people as well.

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An excellent campus novel with a terrific protagonist, whose voice is both unusual and endearing.

I really enjoy a campus novel, but some are better than others from a quality perspective, and this is one of the better offerings from the genre that I’ve recently encountered.

A lovably human and nuanced protagonist is just the start of the good things this book has to offer, along with a sharp and more intricate look at power dynamics and student-teacher relationships. In short, you’ve seen the bones of this plot many times before, but this is a far smarter and more poignantly detailed version of it.

The sense of place here is fantastic, as is this 90s cultural nostalgia that creates a tremendous sense of time and place for the novel.

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This book is so beautifully written, engaging, and beautiful. I read reviews prior to reading and really didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did. The writing style of Florin is gorgeous and deliberate. Many reviews comment about Isabel not dealing with her trauma and I disagree. I think she explores and processes it through her writing. I think it’s a great depiction of human exploration especially given the time period the novel is written. I truly enjoyed the setting and how these events touch Isabel even into her adulthood. It’s a homage to how we age and how youth makes us who we are. Some lessons were implicit while others explicit, my only wish is that the incident with Zev would have been explicitly discussed a bit more.

Truly beautiful.

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Okay, so I finally got around to reading this book after initially deciding not to give feedback on it. When I first started reading it, I was not in the right emotional and mental state to read something with this sort of content. See content warnings below. However, this was a lot better the second time around!

I enjoyed some parts of this book, like the atmosphere and the social commentary. It was dark but with intention. I could tell that the depictions of complex issues and topics were necessary to reflect and comment on society rather than solely for shock value. It did feel slow in some parts, though, and I felt like this would've been better as a short story or novella because it dragged on.

It was mysterious and emotional while touching on grave topics. If I could describe this book in one word, it would be complicated. Although I wasn't a fan of any of the characters, it felt like that was the author's intention. Everyone had something that made them unlikeable, making the characters more realistic. Because of this, it also made the story feel like an authentic depiction of the horrible events, the aftermath, and life in general.

I finished it and enjoyed some parts of it, but this is not a book I would ever read again because it's not a story I'd be able to read often.

CW: r*pe, sexual assault, misogyny, death, sexism, sexual violence, abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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My last innocent year 🎨

My thoughts on this one are all over the place! I liked it but I felt letdown because it had so much more potential.

1998: Wilder College
Isabel finds herself in several unhealthy relationships. Amongst these, is a relationship with her professor who sees potential in her. Weaves in themes of grief/loss, consensual sexual encounters, boundaries, coming of age, gender norms & semitism.

I loved the authors writing style & am curious to see how she develops as an author. This is her debut novel. Although the plot is well exhausted, I found myself engrossed in the books rhythmic feel. It is very unique the way she chose to write this more literary than dark academia (IMP) focusing on the MCs stream of consciousness. Also this cover is just A+ for me!

My hiccup with the novel is that I felt like it took on too much at once, such important themes were glazed over. The author chose nuances in the story to Monica Lewinsky which I seen so much potential with to take further but doesn’t!

I did enjoy this one, will read another by the author, just wanted more. Definitely a “cover made me do it” read! You can’t judge a book by its cover is BS IMO, good covers are important to the storyline.. I’m rambling.

Ty for the advanced readers copy of this one,

3⭐️

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This book was a wonderful, beautiful, painful read. I was immediately hooked in the story of Isabel, a college age student navigating through the “finding yourself” years, My Last Innocent Year will really make you think—and before I proceed, I do want to make clear that there are many trigger warnings in this book (rape & abuse) and potentially in this review. This book had a theme on the spectrum of consent. What does consent look like? This book beautifully (and again, painfully), explores this, and allows the reader to think through different perspectives.
Overall, I definitely recommend this book—BUT do go into it aware of the trigger warnings. It’s understandably not for everyone. ♥️

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Captivating so enjoyed the writing & story.
Honestly surprised this book hasn't received more widespread attention.
Look forward to reading future books by the author.

With great thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for this e-ARC!

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Haunting and lyrical, "My Last Innocent Year" by Daisy Alpern Florin is an unforgettable novel. The protagonist, who is Jewish, experiences the cultural shock of moving from a largely Jewish community to suburban, college campus. The college campus is filled with students of many religious identities, though mainly Christian students attend, bringing the protagonist a sense of isolation. When she is left traumatized by another Jewish student, it is the attention from her professor that brings her the most comfort.

Daisy Alpern Florin's "My Last Innocent Year" was a great book and I cannot recommend it enough.

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Coming of age story set in 1998 at the prestigious Wilder College in New Hampshire. Jewish student Isabel Rosen is navigating young adult life, culture shock from her new environment along with the drama that comes with it from friends, mentors and those in power positions. Where, that's a lot, and that's how I felt a good part of this book.

After a non-consensual sexual encounter, she struggles. Then she gets involved with someone from the college and struggles. It's what you would expect from a college campus story. These are pivotal years and the book depicts that happening during this time frame and Isabel's regrets.

Needed more emotional content and connection, I never felt I was connecting with these characters at any level and that made it hard to really get into this story in the way that this reader likes to immerse herself. So this debut is an "okay" for me, and I will be on the lookout for this author's future stories.

3.5 stars

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A haunting coming-of-age story written as a stream of consciousness. I thought about this story for a while after I finished reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

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this one unfortunately wasn't for me. I was initially really excited to read this but as I made my way through the book/story, it just felt very disconnected from the MC/narrator. it seemed like this was supposed to be a form of stream of consciousness type of storytelling but that made the story even less enjoyable to read.

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A lovely coming of age story with beautiful but accessible writing. I liked the retrospective writing style a lot.

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“my last innocent year” parades itself as a feminist tale, but that could not be further from the truth. isabel rosen is a jewish college student about to graduate from an ivy league school with a degree in literature and writing. after a sexual assault takes place, her life somewhat spirals out of control. but not really.

this is so anti-feminist and supports the idea that victims of rape and sexual assault are lying. i get that this is set in the late 90’s, but you’ve got to be kidding me. isabel was brutalized and we have the author here telling us that she was “never the victim.” that power dynamics don’t matter in a sexual relationship! that power imbalances are always okay between professor and student if the student likes it. the ending is incredibly rushed and haphazardly thrown together. obviously written in response to the me too movement, this novel fails at being anything more than a “don’t believe victims” tale.

don’t read this if you are a victim of sexual assault, violence, or rape.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

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I found this book compelling; it explored questions around consent, agency, and power in a thoughtful and memorable way. I felt absorbed by Isabel's world and her relationships - always vivid, never clear-cut. And I loved Alpert Florin's writing - clear, crisp, evocative. I was surprised and impressed to learn that this is her debut novel! At times, it reminded me of Win Me Something by Kyle Lucia Wu, one of my favorite books of 2020 - also a debut, also focused on one formative year in a young woman's life.

If you like character-driven novels with a subtlety and depth to them, My Last Innocent Year might be for you. 4 to 4.5 stars. Thanks to Henry Holt & NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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starting off, this book is written beautifully. i would consider it to be pretty “stream of consciousness” style writing, which i’m personally a fan of. it did feel like the plot was trying to carry a bit too much. there are several different threads that tie together as the story, which is difficult when each thread holds enough weight to exist on it’s own. overall, a little crowded but a beautiful read!

thank you to henry & hold and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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The Story: It is 1998 and Isabel Rosen is a student at Wilder, a prestigious New Hampshire college. She lives with her father on the Lower East Side, where they run appetizing store, which specializes in Jewish cuisine. Isabel is in her last year at college when she has a nonconsensual sexual encounter with a friend — and ends up having an affair with her writing professor.

My Story: I graduated from college in 1999, and I love coming-of-age stories and debuts. While the topics here sound like familiar ground you may have read before, the writing in this book is excellent and to-the-point. While the story may sound familiar, this is a different take that is worth the read.

Thank you to @henryholt and @netgalley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

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this is definitely a strong entry in a slew of professor-student relationship litfic books released over the past year or so. Florin makes Isabel really come alive as she goes through this college coming-of-age story in the late ‘90s. I flew through this one even though it’s a bit more vibes over plot than I usually enjoy

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