Emotional, raw, captivating. The Last Days of Us is a coming-of-age story that is hard to put down and impossible to forget. A book that crosses from the YA genre to speak directly to the heart of anyone who has ever been shattered by the loss of a loved one and has no idea how to even begin to pick up the pieces.
Beck Nicholas’s inspiring tale begins with a group of teenagers, a derelict Kombi and a road trip to Melbourne to see a live gig. Six months earlier, Zoey’s life went completely off the rails after the tragic loss of her brother, Dan. The loss has been not only heartbreaking for Zoey, it’s poisoned her closest relationships. In the meanwhile, Zoey has gone from brown hair, to bleached yellow and pink, to blue, and to party after party. She’s pushed the self-destruct button.
But when Zoey’s behaviour reaches danger new heights she realises she needs to pull herself together. There’s just one complication, Zoey’s estranged best friend Cass, her once go-to source of wisdom and advice is now dating her ex-boyfriend Finn. Now that Cass and Finn are together, Zoey finds herself on the outer until they are all invited on a road trip to see musician ‘Gray,’ with Finn’s bad-boy cousin Luc and his rambunctious little sister Jolie.
What begins as a subtle attempt to win back Finn’s affections becomes more important than she ever could have predicted, setting Zoey on a path of self-discovery while her friendship with the ultra-handsome Luc develops into something else.
In Luc and Jolie, Zoey finds comfort and company where her former friendships cast long shadows back to feelings of loss and bitterness. But before long Luc reveals a secret about his sister’s health which hits close to home for Zoey, and the mood of the trip changes.
The bond between Luc and Zoey grows stronger and when tragedy eventually strikes with the boisterous Jolie, they look to each other for support.
The Last Days Of Us is a moving and deeply human story of grief and the importance of friendship in the darkest of times. Nicholas captures the wit and charm of teen frustration with a cast of believable characters and some sparky dialogue. It’s a story that recognises the courage of youth, their vulnerability and how perseverance and love can win the day.
‘This book has a huge chunk of my heart in it,’ wrote Beck Nicholas.
It shows.
Grab a copy here, start reading here, take the quiz, and read a piece from Beck here.
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