New York Times bestselling author and “the biggest literary phenom of her generation” (Cosmopolitan) Anna Todd returns with a moving and empowering new romance about a sheltered young woman whose life transforms during a summer in Majorca with a mysterious local.
When twenty-two-year-old Oriah (Ry) Pera learns that her mother’s job is relocating them to Majorca, she knows this summer could be the start of her very own coming-of-age story. Between chronic health issues and her mother’s overprotective tendencies, Ry feels like she’s stuck waiting for her life to begin.
In her first small act of rebellion, she heads off to the beach alone and meets an infuriatingly charming Spaniard. Julián makes Ry feel even more naive and inexperienced than she normally does, but she can’t tamp down her growing attraction.
As the summer continues, Julián pulls Ry out of her shell and into the adventures she’s always craved. But with her return to America looming, Ry must decide if she’s brave enough to finally follow her heart and live for herself.
ANNA TODD (writer/producer/influencer) is the New York Times best-selling author of the After series, the Brightest Stars trilogy, The Spring Girls, and the After Graphic novels. The After series has been released in 35 languages and has sold over twelve million copies worldwide—becoming a #1 best-seller in several countries. Always an avid reader, Todd began writing stories on her phone through Wattpad, with After becoming the platform’s most-read series with over two billion reads. She has served as a producer and screenwriter on the film adaptations of After and After We Collided, and in 2017, she founded the entertainment company Frayed Pages Media to produce innovative and creative work across film, television, and publishing. A native of Ohio, she lives with her family in Los Angeles.
When you’re twentish, you’re a newborn adult — your mind and body have been through enough changes to provide you all the tools for your coming of age journey. You are now ready to the big Treasure Hunt, i.e., to the challenging quest of the pieces that incorporate the puzzle of your (unique and very special) Self
“Finally I’ll discover who I am, what the purpose of life is… maybe even fall in love…”
Ry, the main character of this novel, has been assaulted by an extreme urge to start living her own life. However, she’s been cursed with a severe chronic disease that can be quite an issue. Nevertheless, she has a Will. And… when there’s a Will, the Cosmic Software ( always or usually ) provides a Way… Be attentive, Ry, some Angel-Prince may drop by for a lil help … 😉
Nota: A correspondente edição em português intitula-se O Último Nascer do Sol
**4-4.5 Stars** This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of her work.
The story follows Oriah (Ry), a 23-year-old woman who has only known her mother to work. Despite her material comfort, Ry lacks warmth from her mother, finding solace in the care of a nanny.
Ry has tuberous sclerosis, a condition that causes seizures and other symptoms. The only possible cure is a dangerous operation that her close friend underwent, but it resulted in her friend losing all memory and existing in a state of limbo. Ry is resolute in her refusal to undergo the surgery.
This year, Ry travels to Majorca for her mother’s work, hoping to uncover more about her mother’s life, as Majorca is where she grew up. Her mother has never spoken about her past, and Ry yearns to understand her.
As Ry spends the summer in Majorca, she meets a young man a few years older. Their relationship is tumultuous at first, but eventually, they find a way to coexist and it’s the start of a relationship like no other for both of them. Parts of their relationship bordered onto the YA genre but it settled down.
The author’s vivid descriptions of the country, scenery, food, and people immerse the reader in the setting. We also get a glimpse into the dynamics between mother and daughter, hinting at the possibility of Ry’s last summer.
Ry embarks on a journey of self-discovery, determined to live life to the fullest just for the summer. She confronts her fears and embraces the unknown, learning valuable lessons about hope and resilience.
The book explores Ry’s quest to uncover her mother’s secrets, her determination to live life to the fullest, and the transformative power of hope. It delves into the complexities of family relationships and the impact of illness on a person’s life.
Ry and her mother go to Spain for her mother’s job. There Ry meets Julian and a connection is formed.
I did not enjoy this book and I would not have finished it if it weren’t for this review. To me, this book felt boring. I didn’t connect with the characters or their stories. Reading this book felt like a chore rather than an escape from reality.
I had high expectations for the book because of Anna Todd’s other books, specifically the after series, but it just fell flat for me.
2,75/5 J’étais curieuse de découvrir ce nouveau roman d’Anna Todd. L’histoire d’Oriah, coincée entre des problèmes de santé et une mère un peu trop présente, avait tout pour me toucher. Malheureusement, ça n’a pas pris avec moi.
L’univers est agréable, mais il ne m’a pas transporté… j’ai aussi eu du mal à m’attacher aux personnages. Je les ai trouvés peut être pas assez matures. J’ai trouvé le début lent et j’ai eu du mal à trouver un intérêt aux premières pages.
La plume, elle non plus, ne m’a pas transportée comme je l’espérais. Pourtant, je comprends très bien qu’elle puisse séduire d’autres lecteurs.
Heureusement, la fin relève le tout. La dernière partie est assez émouvante avec de très beaux passages. Si seulement j’avais pu ressentir cette émotion tout au long du roman, je pense que mon ressenti aurait été bien différent.
Je pense que ce n’était simplement pas une lecture pour moi, mais je suis certaine qu’elle saura trouver son public auprès de celles et ceux qui aiment les romances douces, fraîches et émouvantes.
I really loved the first two books in Todd's AFTER series so I was excited when I saw this one. This is a beautiful love story and the writing was spectacular. The beachy descriptions Majorca were so vivid and had me craving the beach. I love a romantic summer love story and this one just grabbed me. I also thought the author did a great job handling the mental health and chronic illness issues. It was heartbreaking to read about Rys health problems and being so young. Ugh, just so sad. These characters start out their relationship in a not so “perfect” way. They have a lot of growing throughout the book and I was really rooting for them as a couple. Everyone has their flaws and these characters definitely did, but I loved the way the author developed their relationship. I thought this was a fantastic romance.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy. all opinions are my own.
I found the story dull and had a hard time staying engaged. The characters felt distant, and their arcs didn’t evoke any emotion. If it weren’t for the purpose of reviewing, I might not have finished it. Rather than being an escape, reading this felt tedious.
This is one of the best summer romance books I've ever read, and I am happy to say I've read it. I was not only touched by this story but also moved by it. There were a few times I thought I was going to cry, but I didn't. I related to the FMC in regards to the longing of wanting to know her mother on a deeper level. I feel that way about my mom and reading this sort of put me in a funk when I think about me mom and my’s relationship.
I think Anna did a great job of mentioning depression and how it not only affects us, but the people around us, the ones who see their loved ones suffer in silence and feel hopeless when they don't know how to help or know what encouraging words to say. Grief is another topic I think she did well on. These are sensitive topics for some readers (me included) but they were done so well that I don't think others will be triggered by them.
This is a story about self-discovery, longing, and the reminder to live every day as if you're watching the last sunrise.
anna has been an auto-buy author for so many years now, it’s impossible to not read everything she writes. it’s become sort of like a routine. i can’t imagine not reading everything single book she writes.
this book was different than i was expecting. i went into this book pretty much blind. i read the blurb when it was revealed, but had forgotten it by the time i started the book. so i went in thinking this’ll be a cute and fluffy summer romance and in some ways, it is. but there’s also more depth to julian and oriah’s story than a summer fling. i think the depression and epilepsy representation added a lot to the story.
oriah has been sheltered her entire life because she has tuberous sclerosis, so there are so many things that she hasn’t done that other kids have. julian works in his family’s fishing business, but has his own opinions about tourists and hates seeing his home destroyed for capitalism. they come from completely different worlds, but they fall in love anyway because sometimes opposites do attract and they talk a lot to try and understand each other.
i’m excited to see this book as a movie. the way anna built majorca seems beautiful.
Дълбоко съжалявам, че посегнах към тази книга, това беше пропиляно време, което можеше да е заето от по-интересно четиво. Но все още в плен на историята от След, реших че трябва обезателно да прочета и новата книга на Анна Тод. Не, че съм имала определени очаквания, но все пак След беше вихър от емоции и чувства, страхотни сблъсъци на характери и изживяване на катарзиси, беше толкова помитаща, че очаквах поне нещо от това да го изживея и тук... Уви! НИЩО! Абсолютно нищо, защото книгата беше скучна, повърхностна и нереалистична. А и подлъгваща - розовата корица и анотацията (която аз прочетох след като прочетох книгата) предполагат летен романс и неангажиращо четиво. И точно като такова започна, но... Предупреждавам - героинята има рядко генетично заболяване и книгата би била депресираща, ако бе способна поне малко да извика някаква емоция. Не можах по никакъв начин да се свържа с героите и да усетя техните чувства и подбуди, не повярвах на мотивацията, която ги движи. Скука от началото до края и четене по задължение да я довърша (на места и по диагонал). Орая пристига на о-в Майорка, за да прекара лятото и да потърси корените си. Майка ѝ е избягала от там преди двадесет и пет години и е изградила от нулата охолен живот за двете. Само, че Орая има и заболяване, за което се изискат много грижи и много пари, а лечението е поддържащо и не се знае до кога. Рая (на галено) ми беше прекалено незряла. Отгледана под похлупак, тя си няма представа от реалния живот и какво е трябвало да направи майка ѝ, за да има тя достъп до лекари и в същото време да живее без лишения. Стъпвайки на Майорка, тя само се оплакваше от прекалено ангажираната си майка, която работи денонощно и която не се интересувала (уж) от дъщеря си. Първоначалното впечатление от майката е именно такова - желязната лейди, която само работи и е оставила детето си да се занимава само. Но Рая все пак е 23 годишна и може да ходи където си иска. Запознанството ѝ с Хулиан, я кара да иска да черпи с пълни сили от живота и забавленията. Много бързо след първата среща двамата си казват заветното - обичам те и аз нито за миг не можех да повярвам, че толкова бързо може да се случи нещо подобно. И докато да речем за Рая е по-правдоподобно да се случи, защото не е имала досег до мъже и може и да се чувства веднага влюбена в първия срещнат, то Хулиан си прекарва времето във флиртуване и преспиване с туристите - как и той се влюби от пръв поглед?! Както казах, книгата изобщо не ми беше правдоподобна и реалистична. За конкретното заболяване не знам нищо и не мога да кажа дали авторката се е справила с описанието му и как се развива, но героинята е претърпяла и трансплантация на бъбрек, когато е била на 13. А там вече знам достатъчно, че изобщо да не е правдоподобно. И как тя на своя глава решава да си спре лекарствата? Това е абсурдно! Разбира се, в края има малко драма, малко трагизъм, но всички могат да си отдъхнат, защото книгата е с такъв хепиенд, след който човек може да повръща дъги и еднорози! Не препоръчвам книгата на никого, не си губете времето като мен! 2*
I’ll be honest and say that when I started this book, I did it purely off the cover. I had no idea what this book was about. I just thought, wow that is a really pretty cover, I need to read this! So I think I was pleasantly surprised going into this and being able to experience this without any idea.
This is honestly a really good summer weekend read. I really loved the setting of this book. A coastal beachy vibe in beautiful Majorca, Spain. Ry and Julian definitely have an insta-connection but also not ready to push aside their differences to give into temptation. Along the way, there was a lot of self discovery, first love, and figuring out how to overcome past feelings. Though there are some heavy topics in this book, I think they were handled with care and honesty. It was really fun to see Ry and Julian story come to life.
I combo read/listened to this and the narrators did a really good job with this story. Their accents were believable and made this story sound really beautiful in my ears.
Thank you to Simon Audio & Hambright PR for the advanced copies.
I won an ARC from a Goodreads giveaway!! I was super excited to read this, having read Anna Todd's After series in the past, however, I was very disappointed that her writing style hasn't improved since her Wattpad days.
I was ready to give up on the book at many points, but it felt like bad faith to give up on a book I got for free. I wish I did though!!
Loved the setting of this book (as someone that lived in Spain for several years) and disliked everything else. It just felt like the character's had no personalities and no real motivation to keep the story moving. Not enjoyable for me.
3.25. A young woman who has been under her mom’s care and control due to health problems gets a summer trip that she hopes results in some answers about her family’s past and possibly even finding someone she can experience her first love with.
This was bingeable so I’m giving major points for that! I’m not sure how the illness was represented, but I appreciate any representation in that area. The phrase “mild autism” is still giving me the ick but I won’t go into that. The characters didn’t quite have me sold on their love story but I was entertained nonetheless and this was definitely full of summer vibes!
This story follows an American girl with a chronic health condition to Spain for a summer. She wants to feel “normal” outside of her health condition & have a summer full of spontaneous memories. While I loved that this romance book had a deeper meaning than a superficial rom com, the main character’s immaturity levels annoyed me at times 🙃 Otherwise I loved that this book brought light to chronic illness, mental health, & the struggles of single parenthood (main character’s mother).
If you want your heart ripped out and then put back in your chest and sewed up again, this is the book for you. Anna Todd has a unique writing style that always brings her readers back full circle.
I did fall heavily for this beautiful cover!! I was feeling my fun summer romance-in-Europe vibe and ended up enjoying this audio 3.5 stars!! I will point out that even though it's tagged as contemporary and new adult - this was very much a YA summer love book! It wasn't as light hearted and fun as I had been expecting - it actually dealt with some heavy topics. The author pointed out to me how much our americanism way of life and tourism/travel has negatively impacted the locals in these wonderful countries that we enjoy!!! So kinda sad too....in a way. This also reminded me so much of the style of a few of the Nicola Yoon books I have read. If you enjoyed Everything, Everything you might enjoy this.
"I love him, every dark and light park of him, and I will never leave his side, until my fate pulls me away. And even then, I will fight like hell."
I had an interest in this book because the synopsis said that Ry had chronic health issues, and I have too. What I didn't expect, though, was that she could die anytime. It broke my heart. At 23, she was only starting her life, even if she didn't really live before coming to the island. And then my heart broke all over again for Julian, who has been battling depression for a long time also.
I recognized myself in Ry and Julian's cynicism, but also, and so much, in Ry's trying to see the positive in every situation. I have always been like that, and it's been a big help for my mental health since I've started to have my chronic pain disease.
I usually don't like stories involving insta-connection and fast love, because they're so cheesy.... But this one, I completely adored. Even if they had a rocky start, they became each other's mental health saviors. And it made me so happy to read their story.
I prefer to warn you though... I sobbed so many times while reading the book. It's a beautiful story of resilience, but you can also see the tough sides of living with a chronic illness and how it affects those who love you.
TW for depression, chronic disease (tuberous sclerosis), epilepsy/seizures, grief, death of a parent (mother) recounted, parental abandonment (father) recounted
Many thanks to the Hambright PR for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
since i haven’t read an anna todd book since ‘after’ was on wattpad, i was excited to pick this one up and see how her writing style and strength have evolved since then.
i think the premise of this was a solid one — a flirty summer fling while on vacation in spain between a sheltered, chronically-ill woman and a charming spaniard. it had all the trappings of a fun summer romance — gorgeous cover included! — plus the weight of a heavy, emotionally-charged coming-of-age storyline.
i appreciate the nuanced take anna took on a first-love romance! the storyline was full of depth, the plot heartwarming and flirty, and the characters engaging. this was a story about all those pivotal moments in life that shape us and our love.
where this book fell flat for me was the insta-love aspect. it made it hard for me to buy their romance, though i understand ry falling for julian so easily given how sheltered she was. i also just feel like the gravity of their romance and the heartfelt aspects of the storyline were overshadowed, in my opinion, by how immature ry was.
aside from that, this book was a fun escape from the real world! i think it would make for a great beach or poolside read!
I really tried to finish this, and I didn’t expect anything from it except a nice summer romance set in Spain… but this was so incredibly boring to me. The romance started to develop without any logic, going from enemies to lovers without transition and I felt so lost. I didn’t not feel interested in any of the characters or the plot and unfortunately had to dnf this.
Honestly found the insta love a bit cringe, but found the ending to be beautiful. There were a lot of plot holes, and things that really made no sense and were very unrealistic, but still an entertaining read.
This is an angsty summer romance! Ry and Julián have a major enemies to lovers vibe with great banter. Ry is just here for the summer, and I loved anxiety that loomed as it was nearing her time to return home.
Check it out if you like - 🩷 Enemies to lovers ☀️ Second chance romance 🩷 Ticking clock ☀️ Rich girl working class boy 🩷 Forced proximity
🌊 “If you can love someone through their darkness, their loss of faith, you can love them through anything.” 🌊 “I love him, every dark and light part of him, and I will never leave his side, until my fate pulls me away. And even then, I will fight like hell.”
*Medical / Mental health issues *Summer romance *Parental drama
This is my first Anna Todd book and I was pleasantly surprised with the story! I expected the typical playboy MMC and virginal FMC, thankfully neither of those were included in this story.
Oriah and her mother are visiting the island that Julian and his father live on for the summer. Oriah instantly connects with a new friend at the hotel they are staying at, that friend leads her to Julian, a local fisherman.
Oriah and Julian form an instalust/love connection agreeing to spend their summer together exploring the island and hooking up. Oriah decides to keep her medical issues from Julian, Julian decides to keep his mental health issues from Oriah.
However, keeping secrets always results in heartache and angst, for the main characters as well as their parents.
No OW/OM drama, no third act breakup!
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery for the opportunity to read and review this title!
I won my copy from a Goodreads giveaway! Unfortunately this book was about 100 pages too long.
Reading The Last Sunrise ended up feeling like a chore after a while. The characters felt hollow, like they lacked personality & I just couldn’t connect with any of them enough to look forward to what was going to happen next. The “sweet” moments didn’t even feel so sweet because the entire relationship felt so rushed. Overall I’m thankful for winning a copy but it just wasn’t for me.
My very first Anna Todd book and I'm disappointed. My expectations were high and the only good thing about this book was Spain and how beautiful it is there. Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me. Did not enjoy this.