Author: Corine Mekaouche
Publisher: Corine Mekaouche
Date Published: 21st April 2017
Pages: 360
Source: NetGalley
Buy It Here: Last Semester
When Johanna ‘Jo’ Gold, witty college life blogger and senior at Rutan University, decides to move in with three male strangers her last semester of school, her life unexpectedly turns upside down. While dealing with her new roommates, A.J., the pompous rich kid who feels trapped in following his father’s footsteps; Rob, the prematurely engaged former womanizer who tries to force Jo out of the house at all costs; and Drew, the 21-year-old virgin genius whose encounters with women have been more than limited, Jo learns that change isn't always easy and it's up to her to learn how to survive the remainder of her time at Rutan the best that she can. Along with searching for her missing mother, figuring out a clever way to pay for school tuition on her own, and dealing with the childish pranks brought on by a certain roommate, Jo’s issues seem more complicated than the average 21-year-old. Can Jo endure the dramatic perils of college while planning for life after graduation?
I wasn't expecting to like this book, I'll be completely honest with you. When I requested it on NetGalley I was knee-deep in contemporary books but right now I'm just really not feeling them... or so I thought. I surprisingly really enjoyed this book and finished it in near-record time! It's a lighthearted, cute and generally a pretty realistic read. This book is very character-driven, which I think is a major reason why I enjoyed it so much, I just loved the characters. Jo was funny and not your typical girly girl. I typically hate to read about girly-girls because I just can't relate to that. I loved Jo because she reminded me of myself. Obviously, like any book, I did have my issues with it but they're really only minor. I would still 100% recommend this book to anyone who loves character driven contemporaries with no romance. Yes, you heard it, no romance.
So where do I begin. I'll start with the negatives first, there's only a few and they're pretty small so I'll get them out of the way before I dive into what I really want to talk about!
First and foremost, the plot of the story was weak. I mean, it was good and it kept me interested for the most part, but it just felt rushed and nearly non-existant. I would have loved for us to go into more depth with Jo finding her mum and her financial issues. Finances are such a big thing for university students, it was kind of disappointing the way it all got resolved. I wanted some real solutions!
Secondly, there was no romance. Okay, I know I know, Anthea you ALWAYS complain about cliched love stories! But here me out, I really liked this book, I liked the banter between the four roommates, I liked it all and I kind of... sort of... just wanted a happy ending. I mean, I definitely would have been complaining about it if the book was centered around a romance but I think romance and love can be done in two ways: right or wrong. For me, the right way to write in romance into a story is to include it, have it develop slowly and naturally between the characters and have it as part of a backstory. The wrong way to right a romance into a non-romance story? Have it the centre of attention. So yeah I would have loved if there was a little blooming romance in the background, or a little hint of romance .
Okay on to the bits I liked!
I really loved the pranks between Rob and Jo! It added such a nice aspect to the story, the first few pages drew me in immediately. The dynamic between those two was really cute, a little like a brother and sister love/hate relationship - minus the love! I especially loved the scene with Natalie, I kind of wish there were more of those. That scene is my ultimate favourite scene! Natalie is such a twat.
Drew.
Drew.
I LOVE DREW.
I can't even get over how much I love this boy. Honestly, he's the cutest person I have ever come across. Okay, the way he spoke was weird but that's his quirkiness I guess. I just loved everything about him, he was so cute. His thought processes were great and his interactions with Katie were just soooo adorable. I'm aware I sound crazy right now, but I can't get over him. Oh my god, the question he asked Jo. He asked Jo about sex and I just, I just can't. I loved that scene!
I didn't really like A.J and I don't have much to say about him, except he was your typical rich kid who doesn't care about school. Basically.
I really did enjoy this book, even though it's not something I'd normally read! I rated this 4* on Goodreads!
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