One Last Chance to Live by Francisco X. Stork is a poignant and emotionally powerful novel about second chances, redemption, and the search for meaning in life. Stork’s heartfelt storytelling and complex characters draw you into a deeply reflective journey that stays with you long after the book ends. A beautifully written exploration of personal growth and the impact of the choices we make.

One last chance to live is a novel written in the form of journal entries recorded by Nico, an almost 18 year old kid whose life is falling apart. He is still not over the death of his best friend's deceased gf who died of overdose also the girl he was in love with. Add to it a terminally I'll mother and a 12 year old step brother who is in the wrong company of friends.

Nico's struggles were portrayed in the most real way, one with which as a reader many would be able to relate. The format the book is written in is so much easy to get through, I was able to finish this book in 4hrs. It's a fast paced ya novel that talks about depression, suicidal thoughts, and mental health.

Some of the things that didn't work for me were how Nico forced others to talk about Rosario like it wasn't hurting them; especially her sister Alma, sometimes sounding accusatory. Also there were so many things happening in this book at the same time, everything was pretty rushed and even though the ending was well written, the characters never got to have their moments or grow properly.

Overall I feel like this book will be a decent one time read.

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I really enjoyed this book! Nico, the main character, has a dream about his childhood crush who recently passed away. In the dream, Nico is given a message, and throughout the book, we see Nico's journey as he tries to decifer the meaning of the dream and how it impacts his entire life and possible future.

I loved the author's style of writing. The story is written as Nico's journal entries for his creative writing class. This style of writing makes the story and the very heavy subject matters discussed in the book more easily digestible. The pacing was perfection. The characters, from Nico to Alma, to Rosario, to Javier; they were all well developed and fleshed out and very relatable. While reading, I felt so sad for Nico and Alma and Rosario. These young kids were carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. Because of the world they were born into, they were forced to grow up so fast and had to deal with adult issues at such a young age. My heart broke for them. Though I was rooting for them and their success while reading, I ultimately came to realize and understand that life doesn't always have happy endings, and sometimes that's OK. I do not want to spoil the entire book, but just know that this was a great story! It was well written, it's easy to read (though it touches on some heavy stuff), and you will fall in love with the characters. I definitely recommend it!

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❤️ Coming of Age
❤️ Meaning of Life
❤️ Found Family / Community Support
❤️ Hope
❤️ Dealing with Grief and Loss
❤️ Resilience / Overcoming Hardships
❤️ Story of Young Love

A heartbreaking enlightening story about Nico who dreams about his own funeral and sees a dead girl he loved.
While trying to find the meaning of this, he gets really obsessed hurting everyone around him including himself.

But we see him getting to choose a different path which makes him realise that there are things worth fighting for even though everyone is causing a downfall.
I find the narration of slow- medium pace which went to a different direction at some points but find its way back just like Nico.
A very heavy but light story that teaches us about life being unfair, unpredictable but worth living for.

I was suprised how easily I got into this book. I also felt really bad for Nico. He was basically playing a father role to his younger brother, trying to keep him out of the gangs. As well as taking care of his sick mother, and earning extra income for his family. It was a lot, for a kid still going to school! I was super impressed with how he handled it, and how the story progressed. I also love how they brough up Rosario and how she died. It was such a fun way to introduce it by using his dreams.

Nico has a dream he's going to die this summer and in it his crush, who's dead, tells him something but he can't remember what it is. The dream feels to real not to be a premonition. He becomes a little obsessed with trying to find out how Rosario died so that maybe he can stop his own impending death.
I enjoyed reading this story of a young aspiring writer trying to find out what dreams are really made of. With the world on his shoulders; sick mom, troubled little brother, poverty, and gang life, he's trying to figure himself out while doing what's best for everyone. This was a heartbreaking coming of age story detailing the power of dreams and overcoming hardships. This was my first time reading this author and I will definitely be reading more of him.

Francisco X. Stork's One Last Chance to Live is a poignant exploration of grief, love, and the search for meaning in a world that often feels overwhelming. Nico, a high school senior with dreams of becoming a writer, finds his life upended by a hauntingly vivid dream of his own funeral, where the presence of his deceased love, Rosario, leaves him questioning everything. Stork's prose is lyrical, capturing the intensity of Nico's emotions as he navigates the pressures of family responsibilities, the pull of his creative ambitions, and the weight of his unresolved feelings for Rosario.

However, while the novel has moments of profound insight, it sometimes struggles with pacing and focus. Nico's internal conflict is compelling, but the narrative occasionally feels weighed down by the many issues it tries to address, from his mother’s illness to his brother’s dangerous choices. The supernatural element, while intriguing, could have been more fully developed to enhance the story's impact. Despite these shortcomings, One Last Chance to Live offers a touching and thoughtful reflection on the complexities of life and the importance of finding hope, even in the darkest of times.

Nico wants to be a writer. He is taking a creative writing class at school and can feel the book inside him. After having a dream about his funeral, he begins to wonder if he is going to die young. It doesn’t help that his best friend’s girlfriend died the year before, especially since he was secretly crushing on her. Now his mom is sick, and his brother is getting too close to a local gang. What will Nico learn about himself and his family?

One Last Chance to Live is a stand-alone realistic story that is short and sweet. It was easy to get into but also very easy to forget. The characters were enjoyable while reading, but I didn’t feel pulled back into the story after sitting it down for a while. This would be a good book for reluctant readers, but avid readers will find it lacking.

This was a rough read. I only ended up getting about 25% in. The writing/storytelling was just flat for me, and was very monotonous. The dream that our MC Nico has didn’t really establish a good reason for the obsession he has to figuring out Rosario’s death. From there I couldn’t get into the story since a strong reasoning wasn’t laid out very well.

This was a good book about dealing with loss and grief. I liked Nico as a character - he was easily likeable/loveable - but the story overall kinda fell flat for me by the end.

This was a very emotional story. It deals with topics like family dynamics, drug abuse, cancer death, and peer relationships. I think this book would be meaningful for students who are struggling to make the right decisions.

This book was about Nico and about how the little actions in your life have greater meaning than you think. Nico was really obsessive about his friends Rosario‘s death and he was trying to go through his own personal issues and keep his family together and you see a lot of his and her dialogue This book would be good for younger adults I think This book is emotional, but it was easy to keep up with the character and I really enjoyed it.

This is a lovely book about coping with loss while trying to fully live life. I read it in one sitting and loved how the journal entries kept me engaged. I can't wait to share this title with my students.

Nico sets out to find out what happened to Rosario and finds himself in the process. He was lovable from the start but the story didn’t really keep me engaged. All the loose ends were tied up in the end but I was expecting more. I struggled to finish this book.

When Nico has a very real dream about his own funeral, he begins to wonder if everything would be easier if his dream became a reality. An emotional YA novel about young love, death, and coming of age.

The premise of this book immediately gripped me and was reminiscent of another masterpiece, They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. Both books are a beautiful exploration of the themes of life and death. While these topics tend to be heavy, this book felt hopeful and refreshing. I was intrigued by the love story and routing for the main character. I also thought it offered a powerful message of accepting the flaws in life, for better or worse. Truly inspiring!

This book was good it was a tearjerker though so be warned. With a sick mother as well as a passed away crush its all very hard to deal with. I gave it a 4z5 because I dont know if it was a book i was ready for mentally but it was really well written. Don't get me wrong it's not like "A Little Life" but it is an emotional battle of a story. I loved every character and the journal entry style writing was amazing.

Thank you Netgalley and Scholastic for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Francisco X. Stork’s latest novel, "One Last Chance to Live," is a compelling exploration of hope, despair, and the search for meaning in the face of life's relentless challenges. The story revolves around Nico, an aspiring teen writer grappling with the recent death of his close friend, Rosario, while also facing personal and familial crises. This is a book I would recommend for anyone looking for a coming-of-age story, especially from a teenage boy perspective that felt realistic and authentic. I personally found it a bit difficult to connect with Nico as a woman in my 20s, but I think younger YA readers (especially males interested in writing) would absolutely love this book.

Nico’s journey is deeply emotional and resonant. As he becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind Rosario’s death, you are drawn into his personal world of dreams, aspirations, and profound grief through Nico’s unique perspective. The book is written through Nico’s journal entries, so he may not be a completely reliable narrator, but his words are absolutely overflowing with emotion and introspection. Stork masterfully crafts Nico's inner turmoil, particularly his struggle with self-doubt as a writer; this introspection adds depth to Nico’s character, making him very relatable for anyone who enjoys writing and has potentially experienced imposter syndrome as a writer. These struggles made him an extremely relatable character.

The novel's pacing is one of its strengths. It’s fast-paced and engaging, making it hard to put down. The urgency of Nico’s need to find answers about Rosario’s death parallels the real-life pressures he faces: his mother’s battle with cancer and his younger brother’s entanglement with a local gang. These parallel storylines are woven together so well, highlighting Nico's determination to keep his family together while navigating his own fears and uncertainties. I found that I couldn’t put this book down as I was reading because I was so invested in Nico’s story, and his writing through the journal entries made the story even more engaging. The emotional depth of "One Last Chance to Live" is also a strength of the book. Stork captures the heart-wrenching moments of Nico’s life with authenticity and sensitivity. The scenes towards the end, where Nico and his family are doing everything they can to support his ailing mother, are particularly moving and made me tear up a bit as I was reading.

Overall, Stork’s writing is both beautiful and impactful, providing a searingly hopeful message despite the heavy themes. "One Last Chance to Live" is not just about coping with loss but also about embracing the flawed life we are given and finding meaning in our actions, no matter how small they may seem.

This book was SO GOOD. There was so much emotion, and the plot was so interesting!! I could not put it down. Every part of it was so good, but I really loved the part towards the end when his mother is not doing well and they're doing everything they can to help her. Overall, AMAZING book, and I would definitely recommend!