I can't exactly explain what this novel was about yet I was glued to it. The main character, Isabel Rosen is a young woman who lost her mother shortly before leaving for college. It's evident as the story progresses that she is trying to "find herself" and her place in the world. Her mother was an artist and her father a business owner. They were on very opposite ends of the spectrum as far as personalities go. So, naturally, Isabel is a combination of the two of them which makes it confusing for her. It's hard to combine an artistic personality with a practical one. Her heart's desire is to be a published writer, but she also understands the necessity of money to function.

Before you venture into this story, you should read the trigger warnings. There are serious issues at play in the book such as consensual sex versus lack of consent/rape, suicide, mental health struggles, infidelity/cheating, abuse and more.

The book basically follows Isabel in her last semester of college, with some flashbacks to her past. In addition, the author gives you a look to how Isabel's life plays out after college with marriage, becoming a mother and so on. Through it all, you see the impact that the events of her last semester at school had on her for years after graduation.

This book may not be for everyone, but I found it intriguing. Sometimes I just like to read a story like you're seeing someone's life unfold and see where it goes to. That was what this book felt like. In addition, I confess it did sometimes feel like a train wreck where you just couldn't look away.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I was also gifted with an early audiobook copy. The narration was perfect for this book and helped me to feel even more immersed in the storyline. I felt that the voice for Isabel really lined up with what I expected. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC and ALC. I voluntarily chose to read, listen to and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Another great “dark academia” read! The New England liberal arts college theme is a favorite of mine, but rarely is the student a Lower East Side Jew: a voice I am so glad was finally portrayed in this genre! I enjoyed how Isabelle's story unfolded, there was mention of not just her childhood and present college age, but also her adulthood. This gave the story a very realistic feel and a full-circle wrap up instead of leaving the reader at the edge of the millennium. I think many women will enjoy this novel, especially those who are interested in Jewish fiction and academia.

A story of a young woman learning what it means to be her own. What can I say about this book? It is written with intensity; emotionally and editorially. I found myself forgetting that this isn't someone's real lived experience. But in a way, it is every woman's lived experience. Navigating romance and friendships and complicated power dynamics inside and outside of relationships. Discovering what it means to want, to desire. To distinguish the difference between your own goals and what you do because people expect it.

I really enjoyed this book - more than I anticipated, probably because I have been reading a string of “just okay” and bad books. I will say that I do like books that touch on “controversial” topics, such as teacher/student relationships. It’s a trope that fascinates me, and it can be done in so many ways.

This book was thoughtfully written and portrayed the complexities of human emotions and psychology - just the overall human experience. It was a great representation of how nothing is ever as black and white as it seems.

Since I listened to this via audiobook, I do have to comment on the narrator in regards to male character voices. I found that she didn’t do a very good job of differentiating between characters, so all the voices sounded the same. It would sometimes made it difficult to follow along.

Otherwise, all I have to say is that I would definitely read more books by this author.

Affairs with college professors….do they ever really go as planned? Are you truly as special as they say? Is it ever just that, an affair? Isabel didn’t know, but she was going to find out.

I thought Isabel was completely relatable. In college we think we know it all, but do we?

I was interested in this book from start to finish. Not a super long read, which it didn’t need to be. We got back and forth from future to past, but spend most of the time in the past. In college. Lots of twists and turns until the end.

Thank you NetGalley, McMillan audio, and Henry Holt & Co for this Arc!

My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Alpert Florin is the story of Isabel Rosen, a Jewish New-Yorker attending a prestigious college in New Hampshire. She is in her last year of school, an English major and an aspiring writer. The author does a brilliant job of bringing the late 1990s back to life, complete with cultural references and jargon, and an even better job at capturing what it’s like to be a female college student on the cusp of adulthood.

Isabel has many things to figure out in the span of this novel, not the least of which is to decide “who she wants to be” when she grows up. We see her as a child in flashbacks, and are with her during the last months of college all told by an older, wiser Isabel. We also get some insight into who she has become as an adult and how her younger experiences shaped her, but to a much lesser degree.

During this significant, though I would not say “innocent” year of college, we see her navigate the murky waters of grief, sexual intimacy and the complicated mores of adulthood. The book opens with a sexual encounter between her and a male Jewish friend that she ends up regretting. Yet when she relates the story to her feminist roommate/friend and she labels it rape, Isabel goes along with it, even though she never said no or tried to stop what happened. Her passivity becomes a recurring theme in the story, and I feel it completely fits the mold of a young woman trying to figure out life and her place in it. She is also reflecting back on her relationship with her mother, who died of cancer a few years before the story begins and her mom’s role in their family as a needy artist who felt held back by her husband. We learn that during the time her mom was sick she developed a compulsion for stealing that comes back to visit her during stressful times.

In the Spring, as the harshness of winter fades, love or something like it starts to bloom. Isabel enters into an affair with her writing professor, a briefly famous poet who is married and has a thing for young women. It comes across as a bit cliche, the washed-up (but of course handsome) professor telling the promising young co-ed that she is special. She is also indirectly involved in a messy divorce and child custody battle between another professor and her thesis advisor, and it seems this functions as a front-row seat into what happens when the dysfunctional relationships of grownups implode.

Overall, this story is engaging and beautifully written. It tackles many adult themes, but I felt it lacked something in the execution. Isabel is a flawed character, as we all are, but I found myself hoping she would learn from some of her experiences when it seems she fell back into the same patterns as an adult. It’s not about the mistakes we make, it’s about what we do with them.

I recommend this book for its beautiful writing and the way Alpert Florin nails the atmosphere and experience of being in college in the late ‘90s. People in this age group will especially connect with the story. If you’re looking for an inspiring redemption story, or are sensitive to heavy topics (mental health, adultery, domestic violence, dubious sexual encounters) this may not be the one for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC. I felt that the audio performance by Sarah Bierstock was flawless and added extra dimension to an already solid read.

My Last Innocent Year debuts on February 14, 2023.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars rounded up
My Last Innocent Year is a coming of age story told by our main character, Isabel, as she reflects on her college experience. It covers her grief of losing her mother, the strive to fit in with wealthy peers, and questions of consent following a non-consensual sexual encounter and an affair with her married professor.
The writing of this novel is exceptional, and it flowed so well that it made the book feel so quick to read. While I arguably haven't done anything as risky as having an affair with a married professor, Isabel's desire for what should be wrong is something I have related to. There's also the feeling that Isabel, despite wanting to pursue her passion in writing, has placed her worth in what her body can do for a man. It made me feel a little bit more understood to see that in a character. While the discussion of grief isn't super prominent, everything we got that touched on her coping with the loss of her mother resonated with me.
The biggest problem for me lies in the ending. It's like Isabel begins to realize how wrong her actions are, but the following pieces of her story we get show that she never truly learns from these mistakes or grows up. Yes, humans are messy, and this shows the messiest of them- but it didn't make for a compelling story or a satisfying ending for me personally. I also felt that with the themes discussed, it could've caused more emotional damage than it did. I was invested to see what would happen to our character, but not on an emotional plane unfortunately.
I would recommend the audio, the narrator was excellent!

thank you so much to netgalley for sending me an arc of this book!

i will start by saying that i enjoyed this a lot more than i thought i would. i was seeing a lot of three stars and thought i would land in the same area but i honestly think i really loved this.
that being said, i'll start with my main issue with this book - the thing that kind of kept me at arm's length the entire time and stopped me from enjoying this even more.
the mentions of israel.
isabel, our jewish main character, has an unwanted sexual experience with an israeli schoolmate who expresses his fervent nationalism for israel very often - even bragging about his service for the israeli military. isabel, while never expressing her agreement with the schoolmate's opinions, never expressly disagrees with them either. the author places her main character in this position of neutrality the entire time, as if she didn't want to upset any of her readers, regardless of what their political ideals were. but she mentions israel enough times for me to have felt very uncomfortable and annoyed that i couldn't tell whether i was reading a book that was actually from a zionist perspective or not.
considering that i was never given clarity on the subject, it's not fair for me to assume that the author is a zionist but it did keep my guard up during my read which is unfortunate.
because, like i said, i genuinely loved this. i saw a few reviews saying that they felt unattached with isabel and that they couldn't relate to her or care about her but i felt the exact opposite. i immediately felt attached to her (maybe because we are at similar stages in our lives) and could feel some of my own thoughts and emotions being reflected in hers. this novel was just 300 pages of "women !" and i loved it. i loved the nuance and complexity of female emotions and relations that is discussed - whether it be with family, friends, or lovers. i loved the discussions of grief and loss. i loved the jewish representation and being able to see a snippet into the new york jewish community and the familial bond that ties around it. and obviously, i loved the complex yet subtle ways that we were presented the discussions of sexual assault and power imbalances.
i do genuinely recommend picking this up when it is published and i am very grateful to have found this novel while scrolling through netgalley.

I hate to say it, but I think this book was written simply as a result of the rising popularity of the "dark academia sad girl" trope in books/media, and that's about as far as it goes. The plot was a bit of a mess, and the book isn't really marketed well. It deals with really serious topics that aren't even hinted at in the synopsis, and that bothers me a lot. They aren't even spoilers.

TWs for conversations on consent, SA, rape, etc.

Didn't enjoy this one.

My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Alpert Florin is a stunning debut that tackles coming of age, sexual assault, an affair, and what it means to become an adult. Set in the 90s, the Monica Lewinsky/Bill Clinton scandal is used as a touch point throughout. I found the plot to be rather surprising - as the relationships developed everything became more intertwined. I really enjoyed it but I do wish that the author had explored some of the main themes, like consent, more deeply.

Sarah Bierstock‘s narration was fantastic and really helped push the plot forward. Would highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review - My Last Innocent Year is out 2/14/23.

I couldn’t connect with the main character at all. I really wanted to like this but sadly it wasn’t what i wanted.

This book was a hot take on a topic that is never easy to discuss. Was the narrative on the non-consensual sexual encounter just with her co-student: I honestly don't believe so. I find the conversation between her relationship with her teacher and her future self to be possibly one of my favorite parts of the novel. I think everyone at one point in their life had thought of being in college and having either an affair with their teachers or a one-night stand, but as they grow older, we realize these are just thoughts from a society that romanticizes these ideas. Overall, I think this holds a good conversation on maturing within one's self and how as we age, we view things differently than we once did.

I am unable to finish this. The beginning chapters were far too descriptive and also very triggering for me. I read from other reviews this is being compared to My Dark Vanessa, but I disagree.

Thanks netgalley for my ARC!

I'm conflicted on my feelings about Daisy Alpert Florin's debut novel, My Last Innocent Year. On one hand, Florin, proves herself to be quite a talented novelist and writer. The writing in this novel was beautiful. Florin masterfully paints each scene for the reader so you feel like you are in the room with our protagonist, Isabel Rosen, as she maneuvers through her final semester at prestigious Wilder College in New Hampshire.

The novel is a post-Me Too coming of age tale set in 1998. The story starts with a "nonconsensual" sexual encounters and follows Isabel through the months that follow, including a relationship with a much older and married professor. All while the Lewinski and Clinton scandal play out in the background.

I've seen complaints about the plot, or that there isn't one, shared by other reviewers. But I actually don't think that is where this novel struggled. I think on the surface this is a fascinating plot - even if it is a minimal one. While reading, I was reminded of the plot from a Sally Rooney novel. Maybe it is because I just recently finished Conversations With Friends, it felt like the stories and themes were similar in the two novels. But where I think Conversations With Friends excels and My Last Innocent Year falls short is with its characters.

Isabel felt entirely one dimensional to me. But worse than being a one dimensional character, I didn't feel like she grew at all over the course of the novel - something that I feel is essential for any coming of age story. It feels like things happen to her, mainly because that is seemingly how she views the world. There are lines in the novel about "not being a victim" but time and time again, it felt like that is how Isabel views herself. Everyone is at fault. Her father, every romantic partner, her friends, her teachers, the school, New York City, everyone except her. She never seems to go introspective into how her actions have contributed to her situation. Because this introspection never takes place, Isabel feels holier than thou or like she is not being totally honest with the audience. I walked away feeling like I didn't really know Isabel or what she thought about anything.

A huge issue I had with the book was that I felt it was trying to be about everything and nothing all at once. It was trying to discuss the power dynamics between men and women in relationships while exploring consensual sexual relationships, marriages, a teacher/student affair, and in a nonconsensual sexual situation. It is an interesting theme, but I felt like the novel never let itself dive deeply enough into any of these dynamics. The sexual interaction that starts the novel is murky at best and both parties feel differently about it. I was never clear on how Isabel herself felt about it. I don't have an issue with a murky sexual interaction and think it leaves space for thought and discussion, but if a novel is going to explore a topic this heavily, I think it needs to do so with great thought and consideration.

SPOILER WARNING

Another topic hit upon is class. Isabel is "poor" compared to her peers. A lot is discussed about her mother, an artist, wanting nice things. While her father, a appetizing store owner, has scrimped to save for Isabel's education. Only toward the end of the book is it revealed that her father had to take student loans to pay for her college education and Isabel responds to this like it is a betrayal. She is more outraged with her father for taking a student loan in her name (to pay for her education) than she is with her boyfriend for aiding in the kidnapping of another professor's child (a plot line that felt out of left field to me). Isabel feels spoiled and entitled despite her humble background and I would have been okayed with this, if this had been explored more. But it was brushed upon and then brushed over.

I think within My Last Innocent Year, there are five amazing novels and stories, but they've been rolled into one which leaves the reader feeling both overwhelmed and bored.

Overall, I rounded up from 2.5 stars because the writing was so phenomenal and I would gladly pick up a future novel by the author. It is clear she is talented and I think that with a bit of better editing, this could have been one of my favorite novels of the year.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This was a good debut novel - late 1990’s, last year of college, realizing adults flounder at life just as much as Isabel herself.
I wouldn’t call this great content. It had its ups and downs, slow-paced spots and other passages that made me stop and think. I had no problem listening to the end. The narrator was very good and easy to listen to while I did housework, etc.
I will look forward to another novel of Daisy Alpert Florin.
Thank you to #Macmillan Audio, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

i find it difficult to review my last innocent year. was it great? no. was it bad? not at all.

reading this book, i kept expecting more to happen. not necessarily plot wise, as i enjoy slow paced stories, but emotionally. i wasn’t connected to the story nor the main character all that much. i wished all aspects would have been giving more depth.

with that said, i thought the writing was wonderful and i will be looking forward to reading more from daisy alpert florin in the future. this particular story just didn’t work for me as much as i wished it would.

thank you macmillan audio and netgalley for providing me of an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was an interesting one to listen to, well written and overall intriguing characters. I liked the narrator's voice for this.

Thank you MacMillan audio for the audio review copy of My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Alpert Florin and to Henry Holt for a gifted physical review copy as well.

I LOVED this book, the literary writing, the messiness of late 90s college life (I can relate), the coming of age story and confusing sexual relationships juxtaposed with the Clinton/Lewinsky news, and the knowledge that Isabel was making not the best decisions for herself and yet knowing how very true those decisions were... This is my kind of character study, an examination of a specific time in development when things both fall apart and come together, when young people move haltingly into adulthood only to realize adults don't have it together at all. Let this story just unfold, less plot and more character study, filled with the messiness of the early 20s in the late 1990s, and enjoy the insightful moodiness that is created.

Recommended for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep and similar coming of age, complex female protagonist stories.

3.5 stars rounded up. This coming of age story was beautifully told. The main character’s experience in discovering her voice felt familiar. I am not sure I have read anything previously that felt as close to how it feels to discover boundaries and bodily autonomy as a young woman. While I have never had an affair with a married professor, her story definitely resonated with me. I look forward to reading more from this author