So here’s the thing: I have had this book on my shelf for 5 years now and I have not once attempted to read it. I’m so sorry for accepting the request on this and not reading it but I can only blame my baby Bookstagrammer self who didn’t know any better.

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

This fast-paced tale of female friendship honestly stole my heart. I love the four girls, how different they were but also the same. I love how it went deeper into racial inequality and micro aggressions. This is a must read for any girl coming of age!

Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for giving me access to this book. Unfortunately my tastes have changed and I am no longer interested in this book but once again thank you so much for the opportunity!

This book filled my heart with a thousand little Chinese lanterns and let it fly up and among the clouds.
This is a journey of a girl who reflects and tries to find her own way in her life. There are high factors such as a strong female friendship, trying to handle unfamiliar territories that made me love this book.

I made it about a chapter in and something about the writing did not appeal to me. I am not saying it is a horrible book but the writing style was not for me but I still encourage everyone to go out and give it a try!

I adored this book! The writing style is beautiful, it shows a wonderful bond between girls, lovely diversity rep, and a heartwarming message. Definitely a must read!

This was a beautiful story. I really love the friendships Tess found at her new school. I really did love this story. But a couple of things seemed too good to be true. First, her relationship with Zander seemed too perfect. And they still ended up with each other despite her moving away but I mean I still ate that up. Secondly she was able to find such a solid group of girls right away which I also loved but seemed a little unrealistic. I found the time when her dad left for Syria and when he died to be extremely rushed. It felt like there was no time to process that he left before we sound out he died so it was hard to wrap my mind around it. Obviously it was heartbreaking. Everything just felt so rushed at the end.

I love the calmness of the cover. It suits well to the story. Also the combination of the colors is very suitable. The big white writing of the title also fits well into the whole picture.

The writing style was simple and fluent to read. Through the personal perspective of Tess it was really easy to connect with her and dwell in her emotions.

When I started this book, I was not 100% sure what I should expect. I came across the book, liked the cover, thought the short-plot sounds not so bad and like something different for this time. Although I did not have a big idea, what I should expect, I was really surprised how much I've been drawn into the story. I could hardly but away the book. It was a really nice piece of art about real friendship. I specially liked also the end, where the author explained, that she made such great friends in real life. It makes hope, that real friendship is still out there.

The move from her beloved Iowa, her friend Zander and her cows, was really hard to stomach in the beginning for Tess. It was great to see her develop in the story and find her place in this new environment. From the beginning, she appeared like a really nice girl, but during the progress of the story, I was also able to get a glimpse of the strength of this character. Also the other characters were really nice and I liked them a lot. Leonetta was a really interesting character, it was nice to get to know her better. Also Zander was a great friend. One ncharacter, which I also liked very much, was Tess' dad. He was so loving and strong and always tried to do, what is best for his family.

One part, which was also really enjoyable and fascinating, was how much the sport of chess was interwined into the story and how much it suited it.

The end of the story came quite sudden. I must say, I was reading that part on the plane and probably got some looks because I started crying. However, it also held hope. That you are never alone and therefore can overcome a lot of bad things in life.

Fazit:
Fascinating drama including true friendship and a lot of emotions. I give the book 5 out of 5 stars.

I received a free eARC of this book from Netgalley and Light Messages Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this book, the writing was good, and although I didn't feel a big connection to any of the characters, I did feel a connection to the friendship that formed between Tess and her new friends in Lafayette.
Although I don't play chess and have no idea how to play it, I did appreciate that the author included a lot of parallels to chess, because the main character loves chess.

This was actually more than I was expecting. I am not sure WHAT I was expecting, but it wasn't what I read -- and I mean that in the BEST way possible. Many of the situations the MC found herself in, I too had dealt with. This book is definitely something that will hit home for anyone affiliated with the military, and military life. It's not easy to be the new kid, it's not easy to leave your life behind, and it's NEVER the child's choice. These are all key points that connected me to the MC.

One of the best things in the novel was the comparison to Chess. The way the author dropped the references and innuendos was a pleasant addition, adding a flare that I had not encountered previously.

The story's over all arc is side lined as the smaller arcs of each powerful relationship pushes the story forward. The MC is forced to learn how to adapt and handle all of these, be it her father, Zander, or the new group of girls she encounters. The intimacy and ferociousness of these really bring a life to the story. If not for these, I felt like this would have been a much more boring read - and more typical of the genre.

While the writing and plots were not something overly spectacular, the characters were wildly different and that made for a fun read. Watching the MC navigate life with the assistance of someone she would otherwise not be friends with was a breathe of fresh air, an acknowledgement that sometimes, life puts you in situations to expose you to a greater world, a wider world -- all for you to learn. Learn to accept yourself, others as they are, and that you cannot change what life has given you, only shape into something you love.

Over all, I ranked this novel as 4/5 stars!

Tess Goodwin, Iowa farm girl, lover of cows, chess player, and best friend to Zander, the boy next door, is blindsided when her father re-enlists in the military and moves the family to Fayetteville, North Carolina. She worries that she’ll lose her relationship with Zander despite his assurance “You’re always gonna be a part of my life, even if you’re no longer a part of my days”, that she’ll be all alone without him acting as her “relationship liaison”, and that she won’t be able to adjust to a bigger school in an unfamiliar place. When she sees the casualty count billboard on the base at Ft. Bragg (“incentivizing the practice of staying alive”), her fear for her father’s safety is actualized. On her first day of school, she meets Leonetta who, along with new friends Alice and Summer, helps Tess navigate the racially and economically-diverse landscape that her homogeneous town in Iowa didn’t prepare her for. As she stumbles and apologizes for unintentional microaggressions, she builds the first real female friendships she’s ever had and realizes that mean girls exist everywhere. Through letters and phone calls, she also comes to accept that her love for Zander is more than platonic. Is there hope for the two of them becoming more or will distance and time tear them apart?

This is an exceptional YA novel that breaks from the normal tropes and, instead, focuses on healthy friendships, sweet romance, and the strength and support of a loving family. Romance, though present, isn’t the main focus. At its heart, it is the story of platonic love between friends. Jahn uses blond, blue-eyed Tess’s friendship with two African-American girls to highlight the issues of racism, “voluntary isolationism” in peer groups, and white privilege without becoming preachy. By using first person and liberal dialogue, she easily invites us into her characters’ lives. And when tragedy strikes, our tears are inevitable. Highly recommended for libraries serving teens.



I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Light Messages Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Eleven Reasons to Read This Book

1. Just so you'd get this reference.
2. If you've been living in your tiny little bubble like me, you'll learn more about interracial friendships and the difference your race can make.
3. Other things you might learn about: enlisting in the army, chess (or well, if you're like me you'll just be saying "say what now?" a lot when reading those chess game bits).
4. Unique, sassy, funny, and sometimes brutally honest characters.
5. Main character is a farm girl whose best friend is a boy. This bit is a little trope-y, but cute nonetheless.
6. I personally quite enjoyed the writing style. It was a bit slow at first (hence the four stars, not five), but when I finally got more time to read it, it went real smoothly!
7. It leaves you feeling empowered.
8. It will also give you ALL. THE. FEELS.
9. A girl talking to a cow might make you cry.
10. It's a coming of age story which I found quite refreshing and different to what I've been used to reading.
11. Well, because why not?

I loved this book! The writing is perfection and I really enjoyed how well thought out the characters were. It talked a lot about race in and in this day and age it's something that does need to be talked about in YA books. The plot was perfection and I can't wait to read more books by this author.

Books written for young adults have undergone such a change in recent years. Authors are creating books of substance that dig deep into serious issues that impact young adults and their lives. In The Next to Last Mistake, Tess Goodwin, who has spent her entire life living on a farm in Iowa with her family experiences a huge change when her dad re-enlists in the military and they pack up to move to Fort Bragg. Her entire life as she knew it is turned upside down as she goes from small-town farm girl to living in a large military community and attending a public school more than double the size of the one in Iowa.

In North Carolina she learns new lessons about racial inequality, mean girls, and friendship.

Amalie Jahn's presents the topics of privilege and race through the voice of Tess who recognizes her own privilege as a white female. She challenges herself to grow and to check her privilege regularly.

Romance takes a back seat in this novel, and I am honestly okay with that. It was refreshing to see Tess work on becoming a strong confident woman without worrying about romance.

The next to last mistake’ is the story about Tess Goodwin, a countrygirl from Iowa. She grew up in the farms with her best friend, Zander and the two have been inseperable for as long as they can remember. But after Tess’s father re-enlists in the army, Tess has to move with her family to North Carolina and leave her whole life behind.

There are a lot of things going on together in the story; deep literary discussions, bullying, veterenary life hardships, racial discrimination and a few others. These issues are quite sensitive and I was really pleased that one did not overshadow the other and all together were not overwhelming at all. The whole credit goes to the author, who with her wonderful and seamless writing, managed to deliver a beautiful book with a beautiful plot.

Tess was a terrific main protagonist. She is scared and skeptical of leaving her comfort zone but that doesn’t stop her from striving in this new life of hers. She makes three new best friends, who remind me so much of my three best friends back home. Tess goes through a major character development through the course of the story and she becomes a well rounded person and I love her so much.

The only problem I have of this book is the romance, or the lack therof. It’s very clear who the love interest is (he is a sweetheart and a gentleman and I highly approve!!) and I would have loved to see more of them together.

Highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something sweet to read.

The Next to Last Mistake is a story about being out of your comfort zone, displaced, and not knowing how to move on with your life. At the same time it's about opening your heart to new experiences, being willing to listen, and adapting to change. The Next to Last Mistake is surprising in the best of ways as it deals with friendship, family, and saying goodbye.

The writing style of this book is absolutely amazing! I really loved this story. I loved the bond between Tess and Zander, and also, the bonds between the girls who come from such different backgrounds. This book definitely gave me all the feels...happiness, sadness and wonder. This is an incredibly unique story and definitely the best contemporary YA novel I've read so far this year. It packed a punch so to speak. It tells of Tess's journey as her life changes all around her and her journey to understand where she fits in, how she fits in and exactly who she is. I highly recommend this book!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

This novel has a little taste of it all. The gal pal group, the mean girl, the best friend, the romance, the tragedy. I absolutely loved the cute friend groups in this book and the tragic part of the story caught me far off guard.
Something that I would have changed is the amount of the romance, it took way too long to come about so it was never really present till the last pages.
This book was sweet but didn't really have a huge plot point so that's why I leave it at a, meh, 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Next To Last Mistake follows Tess, a teenage girl who gets uprooted from her hometown in Iowa and moved to North Carolina. She faces the pressures of rebuilding a life in a new town with a huge new school while not wanting to leave her previous life behind. Tess also faces racial issues which I felt gave the book a great perspective into schools today.

I will recommend this to the 5th and 6th grade teachers at my school to have in their libraries. It is a great story that I feel many of my students can relate to. Tess grows as a person, and learns from those around her, as many students do.