Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Charming and substantial. A clever twist on the idea of the country mouse becoming starry-eyed when visiting the city mouse, with good points about the struggles of pursuing art as a career. I wanted more with these two girls, although the book is quite lengthy as it is. The style is a wonderful choice, as well, as the sketchy look and pastel colors are reminiscent of an artist's sketchbook.

I loved this book! It was such a fun journey through friendship, from the early years of Meg & Cass meeting and sharing summer fun to high school where they have gone their separate ways, and to college, where heartbreak might just bring them back together. After a change in her family, Cass leaves her small-town life behind to move to New York. Meg & Cass stay in touch, and Meg goes to visit her during high school. The silly partner in friendship she remembers has been replaced by New York City Cass, a sassy, sarcastic teenage artist living with her mother and trying to make art that matters to her. At one point, Cass exclaims, “Change is everything.”

Change is Everything.

This is a book about how we change, and how we stay the same. It is a story about how we live and love and hurt each other. It’s a story about how we find our way back to the friendships and people that really matter to us. After Cass & Meg have a falling out, can anything bring them back together? Can their love of art survive? What really makes a friendship, after all?

Maybe the books says it best: “Sometimes friendship isn’t just like a work of art – it is a work of art.”

My Rating 3.5/4 stars. Easy to follow, the art is beautiful, and the story weaves quickly. I actually would have liked it to be a little longer!

This YA graphic novel tells you a heartfelt and poignant story about friendship, and helping each other grow. Megan and Cass try their best to help each other come out of their shells, but is that the right way? When your friendship is on the verge of crashing down, would you still be there for one another? Through an aesthetically pleasing, soft-yet-vibrant art style, author Mark Crilley brings you a comforting story of two girls finding their ways in the world.

(4.5 stars)

Megan and Cass have been friends since grade school, spending each summer together with their families at the lakeside cabin. Then, Cass has to move away to New York and the tradition is suddenly broken. When Megan visits Cass in New York City, things aren’t the same and Megan wonders if she and Cass can still have that special connection they used to every summer.

The first thing that captured my attention was the art. I haven’t read graphic novels in a while, so I haven’t had the opportunity to appreciate good art with a story until now. What I loved about the art was how the style was more relaxed. It wasn’t really cartoon-y like the traditional graphic novels. It was like it was still in the sketch phase, but the soft tone of colors made it all pop and give the characters life. The expressions on their faces were so detailed that it helped to tell the story, too, and give it that emotion and connection for the reader.

I liked Megan’s and Cass’ friendship and their character arcs. It was a real friendship in my opinion. It’s easy to keep friendships when you’re a teenager, but it’s harder to keep them as you get older, especially if someone moves. From firsthand experience, it’s always hard to lose a friend you were close to because of growth and difficulty keeping that connection. So, their differences when they interact after spending time apart seemed very realistic. Though, Megan’s attitude was kind of over the top and what she did was really dramatic, as in she definitely went too far and ballistic. I’m on Cass’ side, anyway. The ending kept the realism of their friendship, but also gave readers the outcome they’d appreciate.

This was a fast read as it was a graphic novel, but it was only okay for me. I do think others will like it more than I did though.

A gentle, honest, and emotional coming of age graphic novel about friendship, expectations, and the power in what we create. The ending seemed a bit rushed to me - I would have loved to see more of each character's experiences apart after *the big thing* happens (no spoilers!).

I really love graphic novels and this one was quite wonderful. I thought the graphics were sweet and simple, which fit in well with this coming of age novel. I loved watching how Megan and Cass's evolved and changed, it was very telling on how friendships change when we grow up whether we like them to or not. Both of the girls in this book connected and bonded over their shared love of art, but find themselves growing apart over the years. This book made for a very quick and short read, I think it was maybe 130 pages?? I wish I could've gotten more depth from the characters, but overall I found this a short and sweet story about friendship, growth and forgiveness.

Cass and Megan met when their families would rent cottages for the summer in the same town. They both loved to create art, and even got in trouble for drawing on one of the cabin walls together. When they were in high school, Cass moved to New York City with her mom. Megan went to visit her one summer, and she got a taste of Cass’s mature artist lifestyle. Cass insisted that Megan act like her, by drinking, going to parties, and painting more mature subjects. Cass and Megan decide to collaborate like they did when they were children, but the sudden appearance of Megan’s parents causes her to make a decision that could ruin their friendship.

This was a great story about growing up and growing apart. Cass and Megan had a lot in common when they were kids, but their lives changed when they grew up. Megan was still very much controlled by her parents, whereas Cass had a lot of freedom to do anything she wanted in New York City. Even though the two friends had similar childhoods, they ended up on very different paths in life.

I loved the art in this graphic novel. The characters had very expressive faces. The drawing style reminded me of Disney princesses. This story makes a perfect graphic novel, since it’s about two girls who are artists.

I really enjoyed this coming of age graphic novel!

Thank you Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and TBR and Beyond Tours for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Last Summer with Cass was a heart wrenching story on how when life changes, so can relationships. It's a lovely coming of age that beautifully depicts life's ups and downs.

Here's what I liked about the book...

1. The Friendship
Anyone who has been through a friendship breakup or has had conflict with their close friends will deeply relate to what Megan and Cass go through. The kind of bond the two share is so incredibly precious yet so hard to come by. The novel displays their relationship in such a heart-wrenching way, and it was very interesting to see how it would play out.

2. The Exploration of Different Art Styles
My Last Summer With Cass features unique characters, with even more unique art styles. One person only uses two different shades of one color! Another creates their art very abstractly. However, my most favorite art pieces are the ones Megan and Cass create together. You can really see their different art styles work together in such an interesting way!

3. The Setting
The story takes place in the bustling city of New York. In my opinion, the city Cass lives in (New York City), really resonates with her personality perfectly. It’s busy and creative, just like Cass. I thought the setting was depicted in such an intriguing way, and I really do believe that the author draws the best atmospheres I’ve ever seen. They create scenes that draw you in, and only let you go once you’ve finished the book.

4. The Captivity
My Last Summer With Cass is a graphic novel that you won’t want to put down. As mentioned early, the way the art is drawn is so incredibly intriguing. It allows the readers to feel as though they are in the story, and to me, that’s incredibly beautiful.

5. The Colors
The author uses colors that I’ve never seen any artist use consistently throughout graphic novels. I liked how their wasn’t much use of black. It was very refreshing to see. To top it all off, purple and blue are used quite a bit, and are used in such different emotional context as well. The colors were used in a way that portrayed every emotion the characters where experiencing in such intriguing ways.

What I didn't like...

1. The Way the Conflict Was Resolved
The way their friendship evolved, made me think that they were both at fault. However, I feel like the ending made it seem as though their friendship problems were all Megan's fault, which to me, wasn't necessarily fair.

The Bottom Line...

I recommend My Last Summer with Cass to anyone looking to read a relatable story about friendships, or to anyone looking for an emotional summer read.

I loved My Last Summer with Cass. It was a cute, simple story about friendship and how strong it is. It has been a long while since I have read a story about just friendship – childhood friendship, especially in YA. Usually, the friendship turns into more, but I’m so glad that Mark didn’t go that way in this story. It also deals with the concept of artwork and the socialization of it and how it is expressed. This deals with self confidence, security, and dealing with expectations (family’s, friend’s and society’s). There were many points in the story that I was near tears – both because of the narrative and the art style.

The art style was beautiful. The character’s faces were full of expression and details. Mark managed to make the characters “soft” in art, but still strong and opinionated in personality. I loved the use of colour and how each panel had a dominant tone to it – some blue, golden, green, purple – all depending on the emotions, characters, or environment.

Thank you TBR and Beyond and Mark Crilley for the opportunity to read My last summer with Cass because I loved it! The story has a powerful message which I felt really deep because I was in the same situation as Megan when I was younger. Like her dad, my mom wanted all the best for me even if I didn’t want what she wanted. Luckily for Megan, she has a friend who can help her to break through. But her fears are too big. And fear makes us doing stupid things.

I think everyone has a parent that doesn’t understand the difference between controlling someone and doing what’s best for that person. But depends on us if we let them to own our mind or not. Unfortunately I wasn’t good at this so I went 3,000 km to get my freedom.

All in all, this comic book is captivating and deserves to be read by everybody. Maybe it is the motivation that you need.

Friendship is a big part of our lives and especially so when we’re teenagers. Not many YA stories are about friendship and I loved that this graphic novel followed two friends. The artwork is stunning and the style had me looking at all the details as I was reading. I was loving it so much that I read My Last Summer with Cass in one sitting!

We follow the friends Cass and Megan. It starts off with them seeing each other every year during the summer. Things happen and one summer that stops. When they’re 17 they get together in New York and I think My Last Summer with Cass really shows how friendships evolve. Time away from each other and changes in a family can really influence the friendship. Even though we don’t want to grow apart from each other, sometimes it’s inevitable or decided by choices we make.

The characters are well developed and the author really made me feel for them and what was happening. The only thing I had issues with was the pacing. I know it’s a graphic novel, but it was rather fast. I feel like a little more depth and time with the characters and events that take place would’ve given this story the little bit more I was looking for! Other than that, I have to say I really enjoyed My Last Summer with Cass. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this author for more books in the future.

Overall, this book was pretty cute and sweet. The illustrations were lovely, and there was some playing around with panel structures that was really admirable. It could be because I read this digitally, but the panels felt really crammed on the page making the text too small and really difficult to read. It also felt like the escalation to the climax came on a bit too hard and fast, enough so that I ultimately felt like the one friend was unlikable so the resolution just felt like there was too much effort on the part of one character and not enough support from the other. All in all, though, the story is a cute and easy read with enough visual appeal to keep the pages turning.

This was an interesting graphic novel. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting but in a good way.
The art style was definitely softer than I was expecting but it had a lovely painted feel which of course matched the novel perfectly. I did wish that color had been played with more in regards to the mood of specific scenes but that is definitely just a me thing. I am a bit anal when it comes to color schemes.
The actual story was very good. I really enjoyed that it covered some deeper subjects though I do wish it had taken them a bit deeper in places. The way art was used to depict the girls feelings really worked though. It was a solid story line over all I just wish it had gone a bit deeper in place.
As a whole this was a very good graphic novel about girlhood and friendship. I enjoyed a lot of this story and most of the issues I found were just things that bothered me personally. I think this is a book plenty of other reads will enjoy.

Megan and Cass are about to reunite after several summers apart, and Megan can't wait. She hopes that while she visits Cass in New York for three weeks that they can do what they always did--make art together and have the time of their lives.

But they've both changed. Cass is a little more cynical, and Megan is dealing with her parents expectations of her. I loved seeing their relationship as they grapple with what has changed and what hasn't in each other's lives. They kind of have to get to know each other again. I felt really connected with Megan especially as she tried to subvert her parent's expectations on her while she's away with them, but then feels the crush when they return. Both girls are very flawed, and it takes a while for both girls to see that part of themselves.

The art does an incredible job of setting the mood with soft colors and lines. I loved how clear emotions were displayed on the page, both good and bad. It was a fun style.

Overall Feelings

This was a really great graphic novel about the joys and burdens of friendship and the power of forgiveness. I would definitely recommend it for fans of contemporary graphic novels.

MY LAST SUMMER WITH CASS is extremely cute, with a plot about how it is okay to drift away from lifelong friends and develop yourself into your own person. The illustrations are stunning and the color palette allow the sobriety of the scenes to come through.

This is such a beautiful graphic novel. Not only the art is gorgeous, also the message behind this story is beautiful.
Both Cass and Megan, the main characters, were well developed by the author. They both went through character development over the course of the 256 pages. I really liked the fact that art was the main topic in this book, The overall plot and story are pretty good.
The art in this book is absolutely beautiful. The color schemes looked amazing.

This is a quick, but beautiful read. I loved reading it.

OVERALL: My Last Summer With Cass is a really cute graphic novel about friendship and art. It’s a quick, easy read, but tackles some important discussions and made me think about some things. I think this book is targeted towards the younger end of YA but I really enjoyed it!
PLOT: Overall I loved the plot. I liked seeing Cass and Megan’s friendship evolve. The only thing I didn’t like was the pacing; it felt a bit too fast. I would’ve preferred the book to be a bit longer and the pacing slowed down a bit.
ART: The art style was really pretty, and the style combined with the soft colors was really soothing!
THEME: I’m an artist so reading a book about artists was really fun. Throughout the book, both Megan and Cass’s art styles changed as they grew older, and Megan especially struggled to find her artistic voice. There is also some discussion of peer pressure in this book, which I liked a lot. For a while I thought it wouldn’t be addressed, but it was, and the specific situation in the book made me think a lot about what really counts as peer pressure and when peer pressure is okay. The line between positive and negative peer pressure is pretty blurry and this book walked right on it.
CHARACTERS: Both main characters (Megan and Cass) were really interesting characters with a lot of depth. They were both very dynamic as well. I liked the side characters a lot too, and actually wish we’d gotten to see more of them. I understand why that wasn’t possible because of the POV of the book, but it would’ve been nice to incorporate them a bit more somehow!

THE LAST SUMMER WITH CASS has a very intriguing premise. A friends away, and some time later, they come back. But they have changed. Maybe into someone you don't recognize. The characterizations and literary voice was impressive. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot. The emotion. Stakes. It all keeps the reader engaged. I really enjoyed this story.