My Last Innocent Year: A Novel
A coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, Daisy Alpert Florin's My Last Innocent Year is a timely and wise portrait of a young woman learning to trust her voice and move toward independence while recognizing the beauty and grit of where she came from.
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Community Reviews
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!â£â£â£
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!â£â£â£
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley.
I found the writing to be really beautiful honestly. I liked Isabel as a character because she enjoyed writing and her silly little school girl crush was kind of fun to watch at the beginning but I found myself bored with the actual story. I so wish I would’ve enjoyed this more. I did DNF this but maybe I’ll come back to it at another time and see if the story jumps out at me.
I found the writing to be really beautiful honestly. I liked Isabel as a character because she enjoyed writing and her silly little school girl crush was kind of fun to watch at the beginning but I found myself bored with the actual story. I so wish I would’ve enjoyed this more. I did DNF this but maybe I’ll come back to it at another time and see if the story jumps out at me.
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