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The Last Time I Saw You
When Olivia Berrington gets the call to tell her that her best friend from university has been killed in a car crash in New York, her life is turned upside down. Her relationship with Sally was an exhilarating roller coaster, until a shocking betrayal drove them apart. But if Sally had really turned her back, why is her little girl named Olivia?
As questions mount about the fatal accident, Olivia is forced to go back and unravel her untangled history. But as Sally's secrets start to spill out, Olivia's left asking herself if the past is best kept buried.
As questions mount about the fatal accident, Olivia is forced to go back and unravel her untangled history. But as Sally's secrets start to spill out, Olivia's left asking herself if the past is best kept buried.
507 pages, Paperback
First published December 20, 2012
41 people are currently reading
929 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Moran
21 books54 followersEleanor Moran is an author and BBC TV producer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
March 30, 2014
Utter rubbish. The story line was terrible and the ending was even worse.
Where was the suspense!? The abstract makes the book sound dark and mysterious, yet it was everything but.
The book dragged on to the point where I almost gave up.
Where was the suspense!? The abstract makes the book sound dark and mysterious, yet it was everything but.
The book dragged on to the point where I almost gave up.
April 18, 2014
Originally published at Reading Reality
Sally Atkins was a star who burned bright and hot, and then flamed out. But The Last Time I Saw You both is and isn’t Sally’s story, because Sally isn’t the “I” in that title, she’s the “you”. The story begins with her death, and goes both backwards and forwards in time; back into Olivia Berrington’s memories of their intense friendship at university, and forward into a future that continues without Sally in it.
This is Olivia’s story, and the story of everyone who lived and died in the reflected glow cast by Sally’s incandescence.
Sally’s bright light has gone out. The story begins with her death in an auto accident. Her survivors are left with questions about how, and why, and can they go on? Especially Olivia, who used to be so close to Sally, and for Sally’s husband William and daughter Madeleine. Their world has gotten immeasurably darker.
But also become considerably more even-keeled. When Sally was up, she was all the way up. When she was down, she was completely down. When she loved you, you were the only person in her world, and when you fell out of favor, you were cast into the pit of oblivion.
Sally was bipolar, and she never revealed what she perceived as her weakness to anyone. She always cast every moment of her life as though she was the star, and any others were supernumeraries. And for those who weren’t willing to be hangers on in her life, she lied and she played off one against another, until she emerged as someone else’s victim. In reality, everyone was her victim, including herself.
And even though this is Olivia’s story, it is impossible not to focus on Sally.
In the wake of Sally’s death, Olivia finds herself dredging through her memories at the request of Sally’s husband William. He’s looking for good things to hold onto, in order to keep alive a vision of the perfect Sally who never was. All that Olivia finds is the relationship that set the pattern for her life. A pattern of settling for scraps and hoping she can placate the person she has allowed to control her life and well-being, and a pattern that she finally realizes she must break for good.
Olivia searches for the truth about Sally, but in the end, she also finds out the truth about herself.
Escape Rating A-: I picked this story because of it’s theme of losing touch with people who used to be close friends, and the reasons that we let people go. It was a concept that resonated.
But what kept me enthralled was watching Olivia’s slow transformation, as she continues to learn from her relationship with Sally, and all the ways in which the intense insanity of that relationship continues to influence, even control. her life.
At first, I kept looking for one big betrayal to explain how Olivia and Sally lost touch, but as I kept following Olivia’s story, I came to realize that it was much more than that. It wasn’t a single event, but a pattern of betrayals over and over, and Olivia finally broke free. But only after she’d sacrificed a bit of her soul.
I felt for Olivia, the way that she kept repeating her pattern with Sally, much in the same way that a victim returns to their abuser, or recreates an abusive relationship. She kept trying to understand the other person, instead of figuring out that the person she needed to take care of was herself.
Although this is definitely not a romance, Olivia does find romance. I loved Olivia’s journey, but I’m not sure that the story needed to finish with a semi-traditional happy ending. Olivia figuring out who she needed to be would have been more than enough for me.
Sally Atkins was a star who burned bright and hot, and then flamed out. But The Last Time I Saw You both is and isn’t Sally’s story, because Sally isn’t the “I” in that title, she’s the “you”. The story begins with her death, and goes both backwards and forwards in time; back into Olivia Berrington’s memories of their intense friendship at university, and forward into a future that continues without Sally in it.
This is Olivia’s story, and the story of everyone who lived and died in the reflected glow cast by Sally’s incandescence.
Sally’s bright light has gone out. The story begins with her death in an auto accident. Her survivors are left with questions about how, and why, and can they go on? Especially Olivia, who used to be so close to Sally, and for Sally’s husband William and daughter Madeleine. Their world has gotten immeasurably darker.
But also become considerably more even-keeled. When Sally was up, she was all the way up. When she was down, she was completely down. When she loved you, you were the only person in her world, and when you fell out of favor, you were cast into the pit of oblivion.
Sally was bipolar, and she never revealed what she perceived as her weakness to anyone. She always cast every moment of her life as though she was the star, and any others were supernumeraries. And for those who weren’t willing to be hangers on in her life, she lied and she played off one against another, until she emerged as someone else’s victim. In reality, everyone was her victim, including herself.
And even though this is Olivia’s story, it is impossible not to focus on Sally.
In the wake of Sally’s death, Olivia finds herself dredging through her memories at the request of Sally’s husband William. He’s looking for good things to hold onto, in order to keep alive a vision of the perfect Sally who never was. All that Olivia finds is the relationship that set the pattern for her life. A pattern of settling for scraps and hoping she can placate the person she has allowed to control her life and well-being, and a pattern that she finally realizes she must break for good.
Olivia searches for the truth about Sally, but in the end, she also finds out the truth about herself.
Escape Rating A-: I picked this story because of it’s theme of losing touch with people who used to be close friends, and the reasons that we let people go. It was a concept that resonated.
But what kept me enthralled was watching Olivia’s slow transformation, as she continues to learn from her relationship with Sally, and all the ways in which the intense insanity of that relationship continues to influence, even control. her life.
At first, I kept looking for one big betrayal to explain how Olivia and Sally lost touch, but as I kept following Olivia’s story, I came to realize that it was much more than that. It wasn’t a single event, but a pattern of betrayals over and over, and Olivia finally broke free. But only after she’d sacrificed a bit of her soul.
I felt for Olivia, the way that she kept repeating her pattern with Sally, much in the same way that a victim returns to their abuser, or recreates an abusive relationship. She kept trying to understand the other person, instead of figuring out that the person she needed to take care of was herself.
Although this is definitely not a romance, Olivia does find romance. I loved Olivia’s journey, but I’m not sure that the story needed to finish with a semi-traditional happy ending. Olivia figuring out who she needed to be would have been more than enough for me.
May 16, 2014
This is going to be a very short and honest review. I don't like to give negative reviews but consider it advice to my fellow readers to allow them to save their time and money. I should have given up reading this when I was not initially engaged, however, I completed the book. The story features repetitive scenes and the main character continually doesn't speak up when necessary and has outbursts at inappropriate times. The mystery surrounding Sally's death causes tension and suspension but when certain aspects come to light, reactions are vague and not fully flushed out. I would not recommend this book and will therefore not be promoting this selection on social media.
*** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
*** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
December 16, 2013
I disliked the main character.
January 25, 2022
I was extremely disappointed with this book and it became a challenge to finish it. As another reviewer wrote there was no suspense or intrigue, just an incredibly immature heroine who I wanted to slap. The amount of time she spent crying, wringing her hands with indecision and lamenting a broken heart was so annoying. As a short story in magazine it may have had some appeal but a full length novel definitely not.
April 7, 2014
My Take on this Journey:
The Last Time I Saw You, by Eleanor Moran, was a very sad and at times, confusing story of intense proportions. When the story opens, Livvy (Olivia) is just walking through life. She isn't exactly satisfied with her job and her love life sucks. She lives with her best friend, James, since her relationship ended with her best friend Sally. James was once Livvy's boyfriend, but he decided that Livvy was sister material, (though Livvy is in love with him.) James has a colorful life, with women in and out of his life in no time flat. He is a player, loyal to Livvy, and a stand up guy, but is completely honest with women about how he feels about relationships. One day, while Livvy is at work, James calls to tell her to get home. Her best friend from College, Sally, has had a fatal car accident. The entire story is told with flashback scenes, from this point forward, as Livvy goes back to all the things that her and her best girlfriend said and did, till the time their relationship abruptly ended from a major betrayal.
Livvy is devastated and harbors a lot of guilt for things that could have been different and tries to relive where everything went wrong. She wonders, what if she would have done things differently, maybe there would have been a better outcome. As Livvy gets to know William, Sally's husband, and they begin to share their stories about Sally from the past, they both start to realize that maybe they didn't know her at all. Thrown into the mix is Sally's daughter, a namesake that Livvy never knew about. There are a lot of secrets that come to light, and Livvy's guilt, misplaced blame for her very vulnerable wounds are apparent, because they never really got closure or healed.
Ms. Moran's writing is very thought provoking, intense, emotional, captivating, and heart wrenching at times. It took a while to get into the swing of things with the British lingo and figures of speech. Ms. Moran hits on very sensitive subjects such as, betrayal, death, bipolar disorder, and the lack of boundaries. Livvy looks back with retrospection on downfalls, happy moments, and realization hits hard on things that weren't so good in there relationship. Soon she starts to think that the relationship she shared and held most sacred, may not have meant the same to her dear friend Sally. There are a lot of surprises that come to light for both Livvy and William, and feelings that can not be met for the time being, though they are shared.
There is an abundance of character growth, especially for Livvy, who at the beginning was very insecure and unsure of herself and her capabilities. She eventually becomes more sure and begins to make decisions for herself that she can live with. The turbulent relationship and love shared by Livvy and Sally were a roller coaster ride to say the least. Sally was a different kind of person. One that, I think, both William and Livvy never realized was so complicated. I felt that Sally was incapable of a real honest relationship, and the fallout from the secrets could have been prevented in most cases. There is a twist to the story that the readers may be surprised by.
I give, The Last Time I Saw You, by Eleanor Moran, 4 Devastating, Heartbreaking, Turbulent, Second Chance Stars!!!
The Last Time I Saw You, by Eleanor Moran, was a very sad and at times, confusing story of intense proportions. When the story opens, Livvy (Olivia) is just walking through life. She isn't exactly satisfied with her job and her love life sucks. She lives with her best friend, James, since her relationship ended with her best friend Sally. James was once Livvy's boyfriend, but he decided that Livvy was sister material, (though Livvy is in love with him.) James has a colorful life, with women in and out of his life in no time flat. He is a player, loyal to Livvy, and a stand up guy, but is completely honest with women about how he feels about relationships. One day, while Livvy is at work, James calls to tell her to get home. Her best friend from College, Sally, has had a fatal car accident. The entire story is told with flashback scenes, from this point forward, as Livvy goes back to all the things that her and her best girlfriend said and did, till the time their relationship abruptly ended from a major betrayal.
Livvy is devastated and harbors a lot of guilt for things that could have been different and tries to relive where everything went wrong. She wonders, what if she would have done things differently, maybe there would have been a better outcome. As Livvy gets to know William, Sally's husband, and they begin to share their stories about Sally from the past, they both start to realize that maybe they didn't know her at all. Thrown into the mix is Sally's daughter, a namesake that Livvy never knew about. There are a lot of secrets that come to light, and Livvy's guilt, misplaced blame for her very vulnerable wounds are apparent, because they never really got closure or healed.
Ms. Moran's writing is very thought provoking, intense, emotional, captivating, and heart wrenching at times. It took a while to get into the swing of things with the British lingo and figures of speech. Ms. Moran hits on very sensitive subjects such as, betrayal, death, bipolar disorder, and the lack of boundaries. Livvy looks back with retrospection on downfalls, happy moments, and realization hits hard on things that weren't so good in there relationship. Soon she starts to think that the relationship she shared and held most sacred, may not have meant the same to her dear friend Sally. There are a lot of surprises that come to light for both Livvy and William, and feelings that can not be met for the time being, though they are shared.
There is an abundance of character growth, especially for Livvy, who at the beginning was very insecure and unsure of herself and her capabilities. She eventually becomes more sure and begins to make decisions for herself that she can live with. The turbulent relationship and love shared by Livvy and Sally were a roller coaster ride to say the least. Sally was a different kind of person. One that, I think, both William and Livvy never realized was so complicated. I felt that Sally was incapable of a real honest relationship, and the fallout from the secrets could have been prevented in most cases. There is a twist to the story that the readers may be surprised by.
I give, The Last Time I Saw You, by Eleanor Moran, 4 Devastating, Heartbreaking, Turbulent, Second Chance Stars!!!
March 8, 2013
Originally reviewed at: http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...
Even though I’ve heard great things about the author’s previous books and I even got as far as downloading her Christmas short story onto my Kindle, I haven’t managed to read any of these books yet, so I didn’t really know what to expect from The Last Time I Saw You. I have to say, though – I’m very impressed. It was definitely a pleasant surprise and I fell in love with the writing right away.
Apart from the fact that Moran’s writing style is just spot on and it got me hooked within a few pages, the other thing that made me even more intrigued by the two girls’ story is that I’ve had a friend just like Sally. While I was reading Olivia’s version of events I knew from personal experience exactly what they had gone through because I’ve been that friend and I could relate to literally everything she said. Even though Sally was quite a powerful character – a lively girl who always wanted to be the centre of attention and someone who was used to getting what she wanted – and her behaviour towards Olivia really started to irritate me at times, I couldn’t help wondering: what went wrong? They seemingly had such a great relationship… so what happened? What made their friendship end in such a dramatic way? And whose fault was it? And more importantly, how and why did Sally die so young when she’s always been the bright and energetic one? And this is exactly what Olivia herself is trying to figure out in The Last Time I Saw You – while she tells her and Sally’s story through an episode of flashbacks and tries to come to terms with Sally’s death, she herself is looking for answers.
The only thing I wasn’t really keen on is the last few chapters but especially the very last one. It seemed to have ended so suddenly and even though I loved the story and I don’t mind happy endings at all, it just seemed so out of character and so unlike the first 450 pages. It might have something to do with the fact that I didn’t like William (I don’t want to spoil anything for those of you who haven’t read it so that’s all I’m saying) or his relationship with Olivia, I don’t know. Love triangles usually don’t work for me because I always prefer the ‘other guy’ but apart from this aspect and the fact that the ending was a bit of a let-down, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to anyone.
The Last Time I Saw You is a brilliantly written story of friendship, love, revenge, acceptance and overcoming grief that is guaranteed to leave fans of contemporary fiction speechless. Beautiful writing, compelling set-up and relatable characters – what’s not to love?
Even though I’ve heard great things about the author’s previous books and I even got as far as downloading her Christmas short story onto my Kindle, I haven’t managed to read any of these books yet, so I didn’t really know what to expect from The Last Time I Saw You. I have to say, though – I’m very impressed. It was definitely a pleasant surprise and I fell in love with the writing right away.
Apart from the fact that Moran’s writing style is just spot on and it got me hooked within a few pages, the other thing that made me even more intrigued by the two girls’ story is that I’ve had a friend just like Sally. While I was reading Olivia’s version of events I knew from personal experience exactly what they had gone through because I’ve been that friend and I could relate to literally everything she said. Even though Sally was quite a powerful character – a lively girl who always wanted to be the centre of attention and someone who was used to getting what she wanted – and her behaviour towards Olivia really started to irritate me at times, I couldn’t help wondering: what went wrong? They seemingly had such a great relationship… so what happened? What made their friendship end in such a dramatic way? And whose fault was it? And more importantly, how and why did Sally die so young when she’s always been the bright and energetic one? And this is exactly what Olivia herself is trying to figure out in The Last Time I Saw You – while she tells her and Sally’s story through an episode of flashbacks and tries to come to terms with Sally’s death, she herself is looking for answers.
The only thing I wasn’t really keen on is the last few chapters but especially the very last one. It seemed to have ended so suddenly and even though I loved the story and I don’t mind happy endings at all, it just seemed so out of character and so unlike the first 450 pages. It might have something to do with the fact that I didn’t like William (I don’t want to spoil anything for those of you who haven’t read it so that’s all I’m saying) or his relationship with Olivia, I don’t know. Love triangles usually don’t work for me because I always prefer the ‘other guy’ but apart from this aspect and the fact that the ending was a bit of a let-down, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to anyone.
The Last Time I Saw You is a brilliantly written story of friendship, love, revenge, acceptance and overcoming grief that is guaranteed to leave fans of contemporary fiction speechless. Beautiful writing, compelling set-up and relatable characters – what’s not to love?
January 24, 2013
The Last Time I Saw You begins with Olivia (or Livvy, to all of her friends) deciding whether or not to go out on a date (she’s trying online dating). Deciding to have a night in with her flatmate James, she’s half-way to the off licence when James calls and tells her to come home urgently. Sally, her best friend from uni, has been tragically killed in a car crash in New York. Olivia and Sally were best friends until a shocking betrayal ended their friendship. As questions begin to appear about what exactly happened to Sally, Olivia is forced to relive her memories of her time spent with Sally…
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! From the first pages I was gripped to the story, and when I wasn’t reading the book, I couldn’t stop thinking about it as lots of questions were whizzing around my mind.
Many readers out there will be able to relate to the initial story: A great friendship that ended all too soon or went wrong in some way.As readers out there will be able to relate to this, it makes for an emotional read. But what is so compelling and addictive about this story is the intensity of the friendship between Olivia and Sally. As Olivia re-lives her university years and her time spent with Sally, we as the reader gain an insight into the complex and at times full on relationship that Olivia had with Sally. Eleanor Moran cleverly portrays the depth of Olivia and Sally’s relationship in many ways, sometimes comparing it with an infatuation.
The characters are really what makes this story as brilliant as it is. As a reader, we live through Olivia and her memories of Sally, and their characters are the strongest of all. Even though we learn from the start that Sally has died, her presence is strongly felt throughout and so for me she was a major piece of the puzzle and was always at the forefront of my mind. The secondary characters were also very well written, from Lola, the girl who was also at university with Olivia and Sally, to Olivia’s flatmate James. William and Madeline were also perfectly written.
The Last Time I Saw You is an engaging, compelling and complex story. It deals not only with how people deal with grief, but explores love, friendship, infatuation and betrayal. From the start it is gripping and there were many surprises in store. This is a must read!
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! From the first pages I was gripped to the story, and when I wasn’t reading the book, I couldn’t stop thinking about it as lots of questions were whizzing around my mind.
Many readers out there will be able to relate to the initial story: A great friendship that ended all too soon or went wrong in some way.As readers out there will be able to relate to this, it makes for an emotional read. But what is so compelling and addictive about this story is the intensity of the friendship between Olivia and Sally. As Olivia re-lives her university years and her time spent with Sally, we as the reader gain an insight into the complex and at times full on relationship that Olivia had with Sally. Eleanor Moran cleverly portrays the depth of Olivia and Sally’s relationship in many ways, sometimes comparing it with an infatuation.
The characters are really what makes this story as brilliant as it is. As a reader, we live through Olivia and her memories of Sally, and their characters are the strongest of all. Even though we learn from the start that Sally has died, her presence is strongly felt throughout and so for me she was a major piece of the puzzle and was always at the forefront of my mind. The secondary characters were also very well written, from Lola, the girl who was also at university with Olivia and Sally, to Olivia’s flatmate James. William and Madeline were also perfectly written.
The Last Time I Saw You is an engaging, compelling and complex story. It deals not only with how people deal with grief, but explores love, friendship, infatuation and betrayal. From the start it is gripping and there were many surprises in store. This is a must read!
May 8, 2013
I'm sorry to say that this book frustrated me no end! I bought it because it sounded like a mystery wrapped inside a story of friendship; Why did Livvy's lost friend Sally give her daughter the namesake Olivia? I was intrigued, and then disappointed.
The story opens with Livvy hearing about the death of her long lost friend Sally. Feeling regret about the way things ended, Livvy strives to learn about the missing years in Sally's life. She meets Sally's widower William, daughter Madeleine Olivia and learns about their mismatched family. During this time she becomes increasingly close to William. Honestly, I found this uncomfortable. I know that Sally and Olivia hadn't spoken for years but this was Sally's husband.
As well as the main thread of the story, a series of flashbacks are woven in, showing Livvy and Sally's friendship back when they were at university. Here it seemed to me that Sally couldn't do anything right. She was an outspoken, larger-than-life character and often she made Livvy do things outside of her comfort zone which Livvy seemed to resent. It made me wonder how Sally would tell her side of the story.
The most disappointing point of this book though had to be the anti-climax. Everything was building to the mystery of what happened to their friendship and why Sally regarded Livvy so highly to name her daughter after her...well, as it happens, not much happened at all. The whole book was just a little flat to me, that said I seem to be in the minority so if you're a chicklit lover, it's probably worth a read.
The story opens with Livvy hearing about the death of her long lost friend Sally. Feeling regret about the way things ended, Livvy strives to learn about the missing years in Sally's life. She meets Sally's widower William, daughter Madeleine Olivia and learns about their mismatched family. During this time she becomes increasingly close to William. Honestly, I found this uncomfortable. I know that Sally and Olivia hadn't spoken for years but this was Sally's husband.
As well as the main thread of the story, a series of flashbacks are woven in, showing Livvy and Sally's friendship back when they were at university. Here it seemed to me that Sally couldn't do anything right. She was an outspoken, larger-than-life character and often she made Livvy do things outside of her comfort zone which Livvy seemed to resent. It made me wonder how Sally would tell her side of the story.
The most disappointing point of this book though had to be the anti-climax. Everything was building to the mystery of what happened to their friendship and why Sally regarded Livvy so highly to name her daughter after her...well, as it happens, not much happened at all. The whole book was just a little flat to me, that said I seem to be in the minority so if you're a chicklit lover, it's probably worth a read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2018
DNF at page 133. If it was shorter, I would have finished it, but this was just so boring. I could not take 496 pages of this.:P I just didn't connect with any of the characters, and I felt like nothing was happening because of that. I don't mind slow-moving books, but if they're slow, then I need to like the characters!
This should be insomnia treatment. *snores* Sorry. I gave it 2 stars because maybe someone else will like the characters. I just don't.
This should be insomnia treatment. *snores* Sorry. I gave it 2 stars because maybe someone else will like the characters. I just don't.
March 5, 2013
I just didnt like the characters at all - thought they deserved each other! Well written but just something about it that didnt grab me.
October 13, 2020
2.5 stars
June 2, 2014
"Yeah, it [looks amazing]," I said, dropping my bag and drinking [the flat] in ... "But how are we going to afford–"
[Sally] waved an airy hand.
"Don't worry about it, you can pay me back. Now get some glasses my friend, Mr. Bubbles is in the fridge."
And there you had it: whichever way you looked at it, she owned me. Perhaps it was the way I liked it.
Languidly passing through her thirties, Livvy Berrington thinks her life is pretty ordinary with a job she hates, a best friend/flatmate she's desperately, one-sidedly smitten with, and absolutely no love prospects—until she receives a call that her former best friend, Sally Atkins, has been killed.
Sally's death is at first shocking, then increasingly somber as Livvy reveals—through a series of extended flashbacks that lead up to the explosive cause to the end of the brightly burning friendship—just what kind of relationship the two girls had in college. As Livvy learns to cope with losing her best friend she hasn't spoken to in decades, she becomes entangled in an unexpected, unfathomable relationship that arises from the ashes tragedy. Her grief is intertwined with intense, wild stories from her university years, the years that have caused her so much regret, loss, and heartbreak.
While Livvy's reflections of her early twenties are evocative and induce school-age nostalgia, the story itself is banal and way too linear. I found the book unnecessarily wordy at a whopping 504 pages; it contains lots of pointless action and inner dialogue the story could have done without. The lack of structure and actual point to the story made it a bit difficult to read, and the painfully predictable climax and conclusion did nothing to impress me either.
Livvy is a fickle character, and although it's easy to sympathize with her, it's also very easy to find her very pathetic. There were just some moments I wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. While her first-person narration is stylistically rather elementary, Livvy does have her moments of beautiful, introspective reflection. The only reason I enjoyed her perspective is because of her contemplative thoughts on human connections and coping.
Pros
Easy to read // Reflects on the meaning of friendship // Wonderfully nostalgic // Olivia is a deep, observant thinker
Cons
Slowly and irregularly paced // Messy, unmemorable plot // Most characters are insignificant and dislikable (I only really liked Jules, Olivia's sister) // Livvy is a weak character and narrator // Seems to drag on forever
Love
Do the people we love always remain part of us, even when they've absented themselves from our lives? I like to think that they do—that anyone we truly love changes some part of us forever, like waves pounding against a cliff until its shape is indelibly altered. Or is that no more than wishful thinking, a futile attempt to dodge the reality that however much you love a person, you can never guarantee they won't get ripped away from you? There are only two letters separating love from loss—the first always contains the threat of the second.
Verdict
Eleanor Moran's most recent novel didn't sweep me away, but it was still an enjoyable story about the value of girl friends and the magic of hope-filled youth. I was mostly disappointed that the big mystery enshrouding Sally's "dark" secrets was calculable and unoriginal, but did appreciate how The Last Time I Saw You probingly explores the tendency we humans have for forever remembering those we have once loved.
Rating: 6 out of 10 hearts (3 stars): Decent for a first read, but I'm not going back; this book is decidedly average (whatever that means!).
Source
Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Wunderkind!).
January 23, 2013
Gripping and intense, The Last Time I Saw You is a novel about friendship and love, and the sometimes faltering boundaries between the two, that will have the reader intrigued from start to finish.
The news that her former best friend has lost her life in a car accident, catapults Livvy back to her university years. Wounds that have never truly healed are forced back open to fill her both with renewed confusion over their lost friendship as well as hurt over the loss of someone she used to love so dearly.
She meets Sally's husband William at the funeral and he tentatively asks if she would like to talk to him about Sally's past, so he has the chance to get to know a period in his wife's life he wasn't a part of. Livvy agrees and by confiding her many memories of Sally in him she realises that despite the fact that she used to share everything with her friend that this wasn't necessarily a mutual courtesy. There were many things left unsaid between the two, and as frustrations and secrets slowly slipped between their friendship it led to the abrupt break-up from which neither of them ever truly recovered.
The stories told by Livvy also paint a completely different picture of Sally than William could've ever imagined. Written down as a series of flashbacks, the nearer to the present the stories get the more shocking they seem to become, until William and Livvy realise they may have never known Sally at all.
Author Eleanor Moran managed to keep me on the edge of my seat for the duration of the novel, revealing just enough to keep me well and truly engaged yet keeping some crucial pieces of the puzzle under wraps to ensure that the unfolding plot remained exciting until the very end.
Many thanks to Quercus for a review copy in exchange for an honest review. The novel is set for release on 7 February 2013.
The news that her former best friend has lost her life in a car accident, catapults Livvy back to her university years. Wounds that have never truly healed are forced back open to fill her both with renewed confusion over their lost friendship as well as hurt over the loss of someone she used to love so dearly.
She meets Sally's husband William at the funeral and he tentatively asks if she would like to talk to him about Sally's past, so he has the chance to get to know a period in his wife's life he wasn't a part of. Livvy agrees and by confiding her many memories of Sally in him she realises that despite the fact that she used to share everything with her friend that this wasn't necessarily a mutual courtesy. There were many things left unsaid between the two, and as frustrations and secrets slowly slipped between their friendship it led to the abrupt break-up from which neither of them ever truly recovered.
The stories told by Livvy also paint a completely different picture of Sally than William could've ever imagined. Written down as a series of flashbacks, the nearer to the present the stories get the more shocking they seem to become, until William and Livvy realise they may have never known Sally at all.
Author Eleanor Moran managed to keep me on the edge of my seat for the duration of the novel, revealing just enough to keep me well and truly engaged yet keeping some crucial pieces of the puzzle under wraps to ensure that the unfolding plot remained exciting until the very end.
Many thanks to Quercus for a review copy in exchange for an honest review. The novel is set for release on 7 February 2013.
April 21, 2014
The Last Time I Saw You by Eleanor Moran is an absorbing and heartbreaking, but the multifaceted and intricate tale of attachment, relationship and betrayal at its very finest and nastiest. The story follows Olivia Berrington and Sally and examines the dynamics of their friendship and how they change over time. The book opens with James calling Olivia (Livvy) to inform the tragic news of the death of Sally, and the story quickly switches to the past. The relationship between Olivia and Sally is both intense and intimate but at the same time takes on competitive hues. It appears that Olivia is in a complex mode as she tried to live up to the standards set by Sally, and miserably failing to live up to it.
Author Eleanor Moran succeeded in crafting an incredibly poignant story with the difficult nature of the two main protagonists beautifully blending into the storyline. Whatever the nature of their friendship, it is not an ordinary one. Having said that, it not even extraordinary one either. It was a turbulent relationship between two friends. There was depth, commitment, loyalty, and yet there was something amiss. This novel explores what happens when one of them dies suddenly. The Last Time I Saw You by Eleanor Moran is a thoroughly enjoyable read that may drive you to look at the relationships around you.
Author Eleanor Moran succeeded in crafting an incredibly poignant story with the difficult nature of the two main protagonists beautifully blending into the storyline. Whatever the nature of their friendship, it is not an ordinary one. Having said that, it not even extraordinary one either. It was a turbulent relationship between two friends. There was depth, commitment, loyalty, and yet there was something amiss. This novel explores what happens when one of them dies suddenly. The Last Time I Saw You by Eleanor Moran is a thoroughly enjoyable read that may drive you to look at the relationships around you.
March 2, 2021
**SPOILERS**
I thought that this book would give me echoes of a story of a complex female friendship with multiple relatable points of view however I felt quite underwhelmed by the way this story unfolded.
Lets start with the relationship between the two women - or should I say girls because the university age friendship is more reminiscent of that of teenage girls than women; it did feel authentic, you could 100% imagine that there are toxic friendships that exist to this extent. What didn't sit right with me was the obsession that followed later - the way that the relationship deteriorates doesn't seem to translate that there would still be a link that many years later. If it had been 5 years maybe but there is such a gap between the two for such a long duration it feels odd that they would still feel so linked later on in life. The duration of the friendship again doesn't seem to explain the intensity of their supposed connection.
The second part which didn't sit right was the relationship with the deceased husband. I have sat on this for a few days & it still hasn't sunk in that that was the ending for the protagonist. I felt like this was a bit flat. The spark wasn't there & the development felt really tainted.
All in all the book was an enjoyable read - I finished over the course of two evenings - in terms that it was not particularly taxing.
I thought that this book would give me echoes of a story of a complex female friendship with multiple relatable points of view however I felt quite underwhelmed by the way this story unfolded.
Lets start with the relationship between the two women - or should I say girls because the university age friendship is more reminiscent of that of teenage girls than women; it did feel authentic, you could 100% imagine that there are toxic friendships that exist to this extent. What didn't sit right with me was the obsession that followed later - the way that the relationship deteriorates doesn't seem to translate that there would still be a link that many years later. If it had been 5 years maybe but there is such a gap between the two for such a long duration it feels odd that they would still feel so linked later on in life. The duration of the friendship again doesn't seem to explain the intensity of their supposed connection.
The second part which didn't sit right was the relationship with the deceased husband. I have sat on this for a few days & it still hasn't sunk in that that was the ending for the protagonist. I felt like this was a bit flat. The spark wasn't there & the development felt really tainted.
All in all the book was an enjoyable read - I finished over the course of two evenings - in terms that it was not particularly taxing.
June 18, 2019
This book never really delivered what I hoped it would. I enjoyed the retrospective parts, when the girls met at university, though their unequal relationship frustrated me. The current day chapters began with promise, sadness that they had never got back the friendship they once had, finding out
how life had turned out for both of them. However, I just couldn't believe what happened between the deceased husband and the friend. Overall I felt it actually demeaned the strength of the story. It could have been more about understanding what the issues were and what was learned from that.
how life had turned out for both of them. However, I just couldn't believe what happened between the deceased husband and the friend. Overall I felt it actually demeaned the strength of the story. It could have been more about understanding what the issues were and what was learned from that.
August 2, 2022
This novel has a good idea at the core of it but it's far too long and every detail is over-written to the point where I really got frustrated and started skipping everything to get to the end. It's over 500 pages, but would have been far better and sharper if it had been cut by half. The heroine Olivia is very weak and her so-called friend Sally is just not very nice, so I didn't have much sympathy with either of them.
That said, the ending is nice and romantic but I just didn't get the whole relationship vibe between Olivia and William, so that was a shame too. Not recommended.
That said, the ending is nice and romantic but I just didn't get the whole relationship vibe between Olivia and William, so that was a shame too. Not recommended.
February 26, 2013
I found that it took me a short while to get into this book, and it only got better towards the end. I'm glad I stuck with it though as it was a good read but lacked any thrill and needed a few more twists to make it truly gripping. However, I still enjoyed it and the storyline was good, demonstrating the conflict between love and friendship, even after one has died.
May 18, 2021
The story is too slow moving to my liking and took me almost a month to finished it. It gets okay when Olivia and William’s love story started to bloom but before that….. I just wanted to stop reading.
June 24, 2022
Found this book at a sale and was intrigued by its premise --- larger-than-life best friend from college who ends up dead in her 30s. Was Sally's death an accident or suicide? Livvy, the protagonist still laments the loss of that friendship --- a falling out story that is revealed halfway through -- while trying to figure out what happened to Sally. At the same time, she's dealing with an overbearing boss and little confidence in her abilities at work, unrequited love for her childhood friend and current roommate James, and unexpected crush/falling in love with Sally's distraught husband. Moran's writing is captivating and deeper than I expected for this romance/mystery. I related to Livvy in some places yet became impatient with her in others. Chapters toggle between present and college days of the mid-1990s, which was effective but also jarring in places. Author aptly describes a toxic friendship and how the loss of a best friend who really sees you, changes you, but yet has large demons to slay. Many women, I'm sure, can relate. Parallel loves now quite as believable but made me happy for Livvy in the end, although ending itself dragged a little. Overall, I found the book compelling.
August 4, 2021
I listened to this on audiobook.
This was an okay story, a little long and drawn out in places to be honest. Literally played out like someone’s life story, but flicking from past to present and back again throughout.
I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters, some I liked more than other, the main character Olivia did annoy me at times, some of her decisions that she made in time, did make me want to pull my hair out lol.
That said the story was well worth a listen and I’m glad I made it to the end, it deals with real life issues, occupancies and how the decisions we make can truly affect the outcome of our life, not the mention the real statement of doing you ever really know your best friend. Everyone has secrets after all.
I liked how the story ended though, the main characters all got what they deserved.
This was an okay story, a little long and drawn out in places to be honest. Literally played out like someone’s life story, but flicking from past to present and back again throughout.
I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters, some I liked more than other, the main character Olivia did annoy me at times, some of her decisions that she made in time, did make me want to pull my hair out lol.
That said the story was well worth a listen and I’m glad I made it to the end, it deals with real life issues, occupancies and how the decisions we make can truly affect the outcome of our life, not the mention the real statement of doing you ever really know your best friend. Everyone has secrets after all.
I liked how the story ended though, the main characters all got what they deserved.
November 13, 2021
I enjoyed this story about intense female friendship, and the love-hate relationship between two young women. I had a similar friendship in my twenties which also fizzled out over time, and have not read another novel that captures the complexity of this sort of relationship.. The author has brilliantly described the collateral damage left behind by a self-absorbed and ultimately destructive personality. As the book opens, Livvie is reeling from the loss of her former friend. She only fully understands who Sally really was after obsessively following the clues left behind. This is probably a book for women readers, especially those who cherish their women friends!
May 29, 2020
A strange one, this. In some ways I liked it. The writing was engaging and evocative. The male leads were attractive, and Olivia did develop by the end into someone with a bit of backbone, thank goodness. Unfortunately I found the central relationship slightly unconvincing, and the detective-like quest at the end distinctly so. I found Olivia too passive for most of the book, and Sally such a prize bitch that I couldn’t quite buy into Olivia’s adoration of her. The relationship with William was pretty strange. All in all, not quite a disappointment, but not the most satisfying read either.
September 15, 2021
All throughout the book there was a consistant theme of mystery and forbidden love however i feel that the ending was very abrupt. I liked the idea that Livvy had broken things off and lost contact with both boys and began to try to find a new passion in life but that was ruined when she ended up with William. I think the book should've ended with Livvy being a successful woman and finally feeling confident in herself. I did enjoy the book despite the ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2019
This book had so much promise - I loved the tension and secrecy of the opening chapters as Livvy tries to uncover what happened to her university best friend Sally in the months following her death. Sadly, the story felt too contrived as it went on, particularly in relation to the storyline with James.
March 1, 2020
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
I got irritated by the occasional repeating of a word, eg cavernous. It grated and happened more than a couple of times, too close to each other.
It’s a love story, with a happy end.
Nothing wrong with that!
A book that pleased me! 👍
I got irritated by the occasional repeating of a word, eg cavernous. It grated and happened more than a couple of times, too close to each other.
It’s a love story, with a happy end.
Nothing wrong with that!
A book that pleased me! 👍
March 12, 2023
Very cliche plot — hard working woman in a busy city, hopelessly in love with her best friend who doesn’t know (and they were roommates!), best friend dies only for it to later be revealed that she had a secret double life, etc etc. 3 stars because the writing itself was good
August 9, 2017
Was not a line, but the main character was whining.
February 24, 2018
Loved this story. Completely different to the norm. Very real and possible.
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