This was a smart coming of age story about a woman in college feeling out of place and finding her way. She explores different relationships with friends and lovers and she searches for herself. Highly recommend for people who like campus novels.

I kept thinking this was a book I was really going to like but it just fell a bit flat for me. I did however like the ending and how it was wrapped up.

This was very interesting, but sad read. Nothing extraordinary happened, so I’m sad I won’t remember much about it.

This was a good story that involved some touchy subjects that young women may or may have had the same experiences of their own. The story unfolded it self towards the end when she chose which path to take. It was unique.

Once I started reading this, I couldn't put it down! I loved the writing.
The comparison to My Dark Vanessa originally drew me in, but I have to say that I enjoyed this one even more.
This book is summed up as sad girl vibes in an academic but it works!

A harrowing, heart-wrenching, and all too relatable coming of age story set in the not too distant past of 1998. Oof.

This was one of my favorite books of 2023! The writing was fantastic and atmospheric. Read if you like campus novels, coming of age stories, like a little bit of mystery, and don't mind a messy protagonist.

I feel like this book dragged along, and I didn’t feel the emotional hit that I should have. I enjoyed reading it and seeing how it tackled the tough subjects but really wish there was more of an emotional punch.

Isabel is a flawed person who faces unfortunate experiences & does not always handle them well. Seems like a pretty average explanation about a pretty average girl, which honestly suits this book. It was… fine. Nothing stands out to me as all that great or all that bad. It tried hard to be “dark academia” but didn’t really go dark enough to count. It explains “consent” well and explores the concept of “agency.” But it didn’t lean far enough one way or another to hook me in, surprise me, shock me or move me.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Last Innocent Year is a great debut novel. I'm a huge fan of books set in the 1990's. I had to take little breaks while reading this though because the subject matter hit too close to home for me.
Isabels character was well written and fleshed out, but at times I didn't connect with her or care too deeply.

Overall this was a good book and I would recommend it to the 20-something out there who are just trying to make it through that transition from girlhood to womanhood.

Thank you so much for the ARC! I'm looking forward to the next no el from this author.

A well-written debut novel, My Last Innocent Year delves into one young woman’s experiences and growth in her last year of college, and how her experiences stay with her as she transitions into adulthood. Author Daisy Alpert Florin skillfully drew readers into Isabel’s story, creating a believable picture of the girl’s emotional confusion in decoding sexual relationships while juggling grief over the recent death of her mother. Young adults will relate to the issues, and older adults will recall the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal that evolved during the time period in which the novel was set.. As a bonus, New York City scenes and culture come alive for the reader.

I have to be honest, I didn’t enjoy this book. I felt like the pacing was off, and the protagonist was so blank and unengaging that I could never fully care about what was happening to her.

A simple premise that is made a stand-out story by the author’s elegant prose. A must read for anyone interested in commentary on non-consensual sexual encounters and power imbalances in relationships.

I really wanted to love this book but could not get there. Isabel is a likeable character; kind of. She has sex with a guy is one of the few Jewish students at her college. She did not agree to it but also did not say no, nor did she push him away. After feeling like something was not right with this encounter, immediately after she has a normal conversation with this guy (?!). Isabel continues to make one bad decision after another and ultimately has an affair with one of her professors.

I thought this was going to be a better book than it was like, "Testimony" by Anita Shreve. THAT was an excellent book. This was not. This book also coincedentally happened at the same time as the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal. Could that be anymore cliche? Geez. I also did not like there was not part of the book how Isabel was doing in present time.

Did not like it. Cannot recommend it.

Thanks to Daisy Alpert Florin, Netgalley and Henry, Holt and Company for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available

Genre: Literary Fiction

Format: Audio

4.5🌟 - I really liked it!

Another great read for the #btwbc! I love a literary dark academia setting, and for me there was so much about this that checked off all the boxes I love!

I was swept away with the writing, storytelling, and as always love a coming-of-age story.

Absolutely fantastic in every way. Captured that hazy time between girlhood and womanhood so well. I also loved the way this story was told in that the present was 1998, but we were given glimpses of the future. Made the story and characters so much more impactful. I absolutely loved every bit of this book with my girlish achy heart.

Truly a remarkable book...it is rich and complex, and the content within is just as beautiful as the cover.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

What a wildly captivating story about growing from a girl to a woman and all the stages in between. This book was a hidden gem for me. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it and was concerned I would just see another adolescent making bad choices and while that is part of it- it was so much more. MLIY almost feels like a novel in two parts. There is an incident at the start of the book that immediately draws you in and sets the tone for the other choices that were made. While the two main story lines don’t seem immediately connected, they are just different lenses with which to analyze consent. Our FMC has to really dive into what institutes someone breaking your trust and while some incidents seem fairly obvious, others are all about the nuance of life and relationships. It’s hard to tell by the end why the author is fighting so hard to make power differences seem ok or not equal to inappropriate behavior but I’m hoping that this was just to push how confusing it can be. And I hope that every young girl who reads this understands that none of those relationships are ok. I guess I do wish for a clearer understanding at the end of how and why boundaries should not be crossed but that it isn’t your fault when they are.

Daisy Alpert Florin has such a compelling voice, and I cannot wait to see what else she writes.

I honestly chose this book first because of the cover. Isn’t it just super interesting? I wanted to know, who is that??? I felt such a connection to Isabel and loved this coming-of-age story. I was so sad when the book w as over because the writing was so beautiful and I couldn’t help but find the parallels to Isabel and her father to my own experiences. Beautiful, beautiful novel!

Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about this book. Isabel ends up having an encounter with a guy she didn't really consider a friend but more of an acquaintance. She wasn't for sure if she was SA or if it was just relations. This encounter makes her seem foggy with future decision making. She ends up having relations with her married College professor for a few months. She then holds on to it and it haunts her for the rest of her life. I wish it pulled me in a little more emotionally. The writing was great but I need Isabel to have a little more emphasis or emotions.


Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.