10 April 2018

Review: Sam and Ilsa's Last Hurrah

Sam and Ilsa's Last Hurrah
by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan


Publisher: Penguin Random House
Publication Date: April 10, 2018

SAM AND ILSA'S LAST HURRAH by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan was a delightful, sweet, and hilarious short novel about twins saying goodbye to their pasts and jumping into their new lives after high school. When given the chance, twins Ilsa and Sam hold extravagant dinner parties at their grandmother's penthouse in New York. To make things interesting they each invite three secret guests that the other sibling doesn’t know. At the close of their high school days they hold their final dinner party which turns out to be a wacky, magical night during which secrets are professed, glass is shattered, and the truth comes out whether or not it was meant to be shared!

This story had me laughing out loud. Its plot was so absurd yet emotional and meaningful. In one scene, a sock puppet might be trash talking a toddler while other characters seriously consider the impact their lives have on the environment and how life will change as sea levels rise and the polar ice caps melt. As the events follow a whirlwind pattern, both Sam and Ilsa experience a rollercoaster of emotion throughout the book. They fight, change their minds, and change them back. Each party guest adds another layer of turmoil for the narrators. The cast of characters includes ex-boyfriends, new potential boyfriends, new potential girlfriends, horrible best friends, a sock puppet, dance partners, and neighbors. Overall this book is crazy and fun, a good short read! 



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