Maybe it’s just because I went to a large state university where you barely got to know any of the people in your classes, let alone any of your professors – my introductory psychology course was taught via TV lectures – but I found it hard to relate to the situation at the small New Hampshire college where Isabel Rosen, the main character of Daisy Florin’s “My Last Innocent Year,” is spending her final year.
It's a place where not only do most students seem to know all their classmates, but the teachers know their students on a first-name basis and even hold social functions for them – all of which, as I say, made the novel less relatable for me than it might be for students who went to smaller schools and therefore might find the book more consistent with their own experiences.
Even so, I couldn’t help finding the situation as presented, with students seemingly spending more time socializing than studying, somewhat untrue to the actual college experience, or at least my college experience, where in some of my busier semesters I was so absorbed in my studies that I barely had time to exchange pleasantries with my roommate, let alone carry on the sort of intense, unsettling affair that Isobel has with one of her married professors. As unsettling, though, as it proves to be for her at the time, it doesn't to my mind rise to the level of momentousness that the novel clearly intends it to be regarded as (hence the book's title). But then I never found the personal situation at the heart of perhaps the classic novel about a large-scale event being encapsulated in a smaller one, John Knowles' "A Separate Peace," to rise to the level of significance that was being made of it, even with the novel's wartime backdrop that raised the novel's stakes considerably.
True, the situation in Florin’s novel is also tied to a larger historical business, the Lewinsky-Clinton affair, though frankly it's hard for me to find anything truly momentous or consequential in that sad display of tawdriness in which neither Clinton nor Monica – poor, ill-used Monica – came off looking good. Indeed, so not consequential has the business proven to be over the years that there has already come to be about it an antiquated feel even for those of us who were naive enough at the time to have been scandalized by the whole business. Hard to imagine what students today, with their greater Internet worldliness, would make of it.
So, as I say, a bit hard for me to engage with completely, Florin's novel, even with my having been an English major like Isabel. Though I did find intriguing what could be taken as the central notion of the novel, the observation made at one point that adulthood can be seen as the process of shaking loose from the supposed truths of childhood. And there is also about the novel, told as it is by an older, wiser person looking back on her younger, more susceptible self, the ambience of another similarly intentioned novel, L.P. Hartley's superbly written "The Go-Between." Indeed, Florin's prose stands well enough against Hartley's that it has me looking forward to her next novel with the hope that its particular concerns will resonate more fully with me than this one's did.

I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads. I know that this book has been compared to other books with similar themes/plotlines. This one separates itself in some aspects. For a book that houses some very troubling themes and situations, this book is surprisingly not as dark as you would expect. It certainly isn't light beach reading either, though!

Here's is what I liked about this one:
This is a beautiful coming of age story. This book is primarily about still having the mindset of a girl, but being in the body of a woman and how men interact with that body.Isabel's story is simultaneously fascinating and gut-wrenching.
Though the main character experiences a lot of things throughout this book, the author managed to expertly weave them together at the end. I think that she also does a really great job at capturing the college experience and the transition into adulthood. Though Isabel and I had different experiences in college, we shared a lot of the same sentiments about growing up, dealing with toxic friendships, and the desire to find your place in the world. This book is written from adult Isabel's perspective. She looks back on her life and even critiques the choices she made. I thought this was a fantastic choice.
I also thought the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky backdrop made for the most perfect parallel. This was another genius decision made by the author.

And the things I wish were different:
Based on the synopsis, you would think that the conversation of consent would play a big role in the story. Though it is touched on briefly, I felt like it kind of got lost among all of the other things that were happening in the story. I was surprised that the commentary shifted and wish that there was more of a focus on this incident in particular. It kind of felt like this was forgotten at times.
Additionally, the concept of sexual coercion and power dynamics within relationships (in this case, the student-teacher relationship) really lacked discussion too. I thought this was the perfect opportunity/platform to expand these important conversations and was a bit disappointed in that aspect.
Also: the story really takes off past the half way point. While the first half is primarily storybuilding, it was a bit slow and hard to get into. I am glad that I kept reading, though.

Overall, I grew to like Isabel a lot and enjoyed reading her story. Though there were things that I wish were different, this was still a good read and I would recommend for readers 18+. There is adult dialogue, situations, and language used throughout. This book does include depictions of sexual assault and a student---teacher relationship. If either of those are troubling for you or just aren't something you are interested in reading about, you should probably pass on this book.

The story of Isobel Rosen from the lower east side left me with a heavy heart and empathy for all young women in USA society. Isobel earned admission and some financial aid from an exclusive college in New Hampshire and began her freshman year not long after she lost her mother to cancer. Isobel knew she didn't fit in with the rich kids but she found friendship with Debra, a wild, banner-waving feminist. As introverted as Isobel was, Debra constantly pulled Izzy into one of her crazy pranks to shame the men of Wilder. Isobel's friend, Andy, was a poet and she could always find him in the library to commiserate over matters of literature and their love for writing.

Many of Izzy's choices brought her a level of angst that would stay with her for many years. How many of us can identify with those early years of adulthood? I felt as if most of the men in Izzy's life let her down and left permanent scars. Even the father, Abe, did not come out of the narrative unscathed. I admire Daisy Alpert Florin's writing for her insight and wisdom in creating a story I can relate to and find comforting. I hope all young women read this brilliant novel and take Izzy's life lessons to heart.

Thank you, NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC.

I sped through this powerful coming-of-age debut. With a backdrop centered on the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, consent, gender violence, and the power of sex were the main themes and beautifully written.

The writing style in this book was great. It is one of the only reasons I stuck it out as long as I did. The characters were unlikable and not in an expected way. The plot was just flat for me. But the author does know how to tell a story and the strong writing kept me going.

If you love scandal, lust and affairs you will love to see how one women named Isabel Rosen affair with her married professor changes her life forever. There is a lot going on this book explores a nonconsensual sexual encounter, an affair with a professor, a troubling relationship with her father. It is a coming an age book of what life is like and how small acts can have big effects on one's outcome. I feel the affair was a way for Isabel to take back her sexual power in a way. The book is a page turner if anything you will have a deeper understand of Rosen's life and how she grown from start of the book to the end.

First off, thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt Books for the ARC.

There is something about the way that Daisy Alpert Florin writes that both broke me and healed me in the best of ways. It is an absolutely beautifully written coming-of-age. But that being said, this book does cover some very dark and sad topics,

The story is a reminiscent look back at a young woman’s experience during her final semester at college while grappling with a sexual encounter, an affair with a professor, and discovering and becoming herself while trying to maintain the standards of being the good Jewish girl from her past. While set in the late 90’s, it was very easy to imagine similar experiences for college women now, especially early on with her friend. We as readers are able to get a front-row seat watching her realize her worth, and sense of self and begin to herself first in a way that doesn’t make her a bad person.

This book deals with dark themes and you have to be in a good headspace to read this. I had to put it down several times because I, in fact, was not truly able at moments to handle some of the topics. Additionally, whilst the prose in the early chapters captured me, the plot doesn't take off until later on. But Florin does a lovely job with these topics in a way that I hadn't read before. A really lovely debut and eager to see what else she writes in the future,

A splendid

All my sad girl summer girlies need to read this book!!!
It’s everything I wanted it to be and more.

I received an ARC of this book and really enjoyed it. I would say this book is more character focused than plot driven and it reminded me of a mix between Writers & Lovers and Conversations with friends. It follows a woman"s senior year of college and touches on issues of consent, power dynamics in relationships, suicide, and friendship between women.

Overall, I enjoyed getting to know the main character and watching her thought process evolve as she grew up. I do think that the story being told by the main character in the future could have been used in a way where we got more introspective reflection about things she would have done differently!

This is the story of a young girl in her last semester at college. The story begins with a vague "was it or wasn't it consensual" sexual encounter between two may be friends. Although the author writes beautifully, the story line bounces around between flighty friendships, an affair with a professor and a young woman caught between the straight-line upbringing in her father's Jewish home and the freedom the 90's brought to the young women in the collegiate world. The entire novel is steeped in manipulation; the inclusivity of somewhat lackluster friends and the professor that makes her feel seen and guides her to really believe in herself. As always, many thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt Books for the advance reader copy in exchange of an honest review

This gives us a reminiscent look back at a woman’s experience during her final semester at college. While set in the late 90’s, it was very easy to imagine similar experiences for college women now. We get a front row seat at watching her realize her worth and learning that putting herself first doesn’t make her a bad person. While I highly enjoyed the read, it was difficult to determine how much time had passed from one memory to the next, which became confusing when she would jump further back to earlier memories and then forward to the present.

**Thank you for the ARC. All opinions are completely my own.**

3 stars. Rambling, bleh, and bland. NOT recommended for fans of My Dark Vanessa.

THOUGHTS (No Spoilers): This book fell flat for me. Honestly, I don't know how the author managed to make this story so dull. I quickly became a disinterested listener who was forced to sit through the main character's long-winded internal monologue. Even the historical backdrop of Clinton-Lewinsky scandal was written so blandly.

What happened to "Show, not tell"? There were many intense emotional plot points that would have leapt off of the page if written better. Instead, the ENTIRE plot and cast of characters all felt very monotone and boring.

Someone else stated that this book was like listening to your mother ramble on and on about her college days. I wholeheartedly agree.

TLDR; Totally bleh.

My Last Innocent Year is a coming-of-age novel that tackles the difficulties of growing up and a young woman's task of finding her place in society.. The author does an awesome job of capturing a young woman struggling to find herself., but I was expecting a romance, a love story. but this is not one, at least not in the traditional sense.. Overall, I felt that this book had a powerful message, but it is not a book you look for for plot. It is, at it's best, a book about girls with feelings.
There is SA in this book as well as the sexual manipulation-abuse of a young girl, so if these things are triggers to you then it may be best to skip this one

Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me early access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot stop thinking about this book- it was one of those that once I picked it up, I didnt want to put down at all. I loved that we were looking back on the experience and also seeing Isabel learn how those experiences shaped her- not in a cheesy way but in a deeply insightful way. Definitely deals with a lot of heavy subjects but I could easily read this book over and over again.

Definitely not a light read so beware.

But, it does show how people get sucked into a thing they think they want until they realize the reality of it all.

Also, consent is key. A valuable lesson that should be known everywhere.

For fans of coming-of-age novels with a dark academia vibe. Trigger warning for sexual relations between an older man in a position of power and a young impressionable woman of age.

"Especially when I thought about Zev and the way he pressed his fingers into my flesh like wet clay, the slick of his tongue in my ear, the way he'd rummaged around inside me like a bag of old clothes."


Rating: 4 Stars

I absolutely loved how Daisy Alpert Florin navigated Isabel's journey from early adulthood. She gives just enough of the backstory to get a glimpse as to why Isabel may be making some fairly sketchy choices. As the novel progresses later into Isabel's life you see how her choice to have an affair with her Professor impacted and continued to impact her life and choices. It's dark without getting too gross. This novel does an excellent job demonstrating sexual coercion in a scenario many women have found themselves in and often end up feeling exactly how the author depicted Isabel.

"I'd wondered what he might say when we were finally alone, if he would kiss me again or tell me it had all been a mistake; now I worried he wouldn't say anything at all."

Review posted at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4875365796

Drawn to it because of the comparison to the brilliant My Dark Vanessa, MLIY starts with a different premise, in a not so distant past where the social commentary about the Lewinsky affair sprinkles doubt and turmoil in our protagonist. A lost soul in college, stuck between 2 polar opposite friends, she finds her solace in her professor, who delights in singling out favorite pupils for his own pleasure. Whereas MDV gave us an incisive and intimate account of the protagonist’s mental state, MLIY is passive in the way you can only expect a lost college student to be - and it excels at it. You want to shake her and make her see the light, the way her friends manipulate her views of the world, how her affair is nothing more than another check on the list of her lover, but most importantly in today’s day and age: the importance of NO in all aspects of life.

All in all a 4/5: the “bleh” college student mindset makes some of the reading difficult, but the punches are there when needed. Thanks for the ARC!!!

arc from netgalley and Henry Holt and Co.

Content warnings for sexual assault/nonconsent, domestic violence, death, and suicide

It’s hard to describe the plot of this book, but it essentially covers a female student’s final semester of college, including a nonconsensual sexual encounter, an affair with a professor, her father and his appetizing store in the Lower East Side, and a lot of flashbacks to the author’s upbringing.

I thought this was written very well. The author handles time beautifully and with such care, zooming in and out on certain moments, bringing us into the characters’ futures and then back into the moment. I loved the way she wrote about writing and creating—this feels like an area in which the narrator truly learned and grew throughout the novel.

All that said, I don’t think this should be advertised as a book that tackles consent. The encounter at the beginning of the book feels separate from the rest of the novel, and both the encounter and the idea of consent are only brought up briefly a couple more times throughout the rest of the book. We did not arrive at a new perspective on consent; it just felt like the narrator was recounting a thing that happened to her and that she moved on from. This book was strange in that it seems a lot of life-altering things are happening but are just bouncing off the narrator. I didn’t get a sense of how she felt or how she was being impacted.

Midway through the book, all of the plot lines and the things that were being addressed started to feel like they belonged in different stories, but the author wove them all beautifully together at the end. Aside from the theme of consent, an important topic that did not come through here or fit in with the rest of the book, this was a really cohesive and beautiful coming-of-age.

4.5 rounded up. Beautifully written, and although it deals with darker subjects (nonconsensual sex, sleeping with a professor) it isn't insanely depressing. However, this is not a light summer beach read that you idly flip through while sipping on a spiked seltzer.

You definitely have to be in the right mindset to enjoy reading it. This is a book you read before you get your period when you want to feel all the feels. Daisy Alpert Florin has written it so that you find yourself inside Daisy's mind and being able to understand what is going on inside her heart.

I love the way she describes Connelly, her writing professor, even though the relationship is clearly not ideal. "Connolly was wearing blue jeans and a faded black T-shirt with a bleach stain by the heart. I realized as I walked toward him that I never looked at anyone as much as I'd looked at him. If I were an artist, I could've painted him from memory: each wave of hair the contour of his knuckles. He was still the most beautiful man I've ever seen."

I think that this passage really does a good job of getting to what the book is really about: "We were girls in the bodies of women. We bought condoms with our father's credit cards, drink sloe gin fizzes, and slept with stuffed animals on our beds we didn't know how to fold a fitted sheet." The book is primarily about still having the mindset of a girl, but being in the body of a woman and how men interact with that body. The path that Isabel follows is simultaneously fascinating and gutwrenching.

This quote from the book did a solid job of describing how I felt when I was done with it: "I let the image hang there, pressed on the bruise of it, coaxing out the ancient ache. When I was done, I felt different, not lighter, just hollow, as if someone had scooped out my insides, leaving only a shell one flick and I would crack."

The language in the book is just delicious. Read it! Just not at the beach.

Thank you to #netgalley for this ARC of #mylastinnocentyear

Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
TW: sexual assault, domestic violence, death of a parent, suicide
It took me a while to read this book. While the prose captured my attention from the first couple of chapters, the story really doesn't take off until a little under 50%. Regardless, this was a beautifully written, well-developed story. Every single word of this novel was not only intentional but carefully placed.
The synopsis for My Last Innocent Year does not even scratch the surface of what this book is about. The writing is as if the main character, Isabel, is reflecting on her last year of college from an adult perspective. I found Isabel's narrative to be captivating and essential to the themes of this novel.
In her senior year, Isabel should be relishing her last few months of girlhood-her life revolving around her friends and campus life, not having to worry about finances, a career, and the daunting aspects of adulthood. After Isabel is sexually assaulted by a classmate, she finds herself stuck in the limbo between girlhood and womanhood. Isabel experiences the beauty of first love as she begins an affair with a her married professor as she witnesses the downfall of the toxic marriage of two professors in her department. This transition occurs amidst the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal which opens Isabel's eyes to how beautiful women are treated American culture.
This is a breathtaking coming of age story about the beautiful, yet bitter, transition to womanhood. I am grateful to have received an advanced copy of this novel as I know it is a story I will continue to think about in the future. I look forward to reading this author's future work!