I really loved the format of The Last Time. Ever since I read Anne Frank's Diary when I was a girl, I've loved to read books that either are in complete diary format, or at least have some journal, diary, or letter entries. I just really feel you get an extra glimpse into the character's thoughts and mind by what they say - or don't say - to the person that they are writing. The letters from Frankie were adorable and really helped set the scene for different events in the story. Loved it!

Charley just moved from Georgia to New York. She's left all her friends behind, including her man Frankie. All to be miserable and alone in New York, having to deal with her grandfather dying of leukemia. Still, Charley finds a place to fit in, with the boys' baseball team of the local school. Too bad the girls' school doesn't find this amusing and Charley finds herself on the wrong end of quite a few jealous girls. She also doesn't seem to understand that sitting with colored boys at the local malt shop will turn heads and get tongues wagging.

For the most part, the story was really interesting and original. I liked Charley's attitude and spirit, and while this is definitely a Young Adult book, there are some themes and moments that come off as adult as well. Jacquelyn Eubanks set the story in the '50s, which I thought was interesting. You get a real look into some different things like changing gender relations, civil rights movement, etc. The Last Time was definitely an interesting read and I recommend it to fans of Historical Fiction!

The Last Time - A Last Summer Novel by Jacquelyn Eubanks is a story set in New York in 1955. Charley Mason has left her hometown in Georgia and moved to New York. She has left behind her friends and boyfriend, Frankie. She isn't too happy in the new town. Her grandfather is slowly getting eaten up by his leukemia, her relationship with her mother has gone from bad to worse and she has to adjust to a new school life with all snobs around her. She has a confrontation with the most popular girl in school, which destroys her reputation. Now she will have to start anew. She overcomes all the odds and wins the challenge with grace and dignity.

The book is about high school and the challenges faced by a girl. Many of the incidents faced by Charley Mason are ones readers will understand. These are the phases that many teenagers go through in life. The changing of places and adjusting to a new milieu is something that students dread because they do not like to leave the comforts of their known space and friends. The story has a positive vibe - how she overcomes the challenges and meets them with courage.

The style of writing is informal. It is descriptive, and at the same time penned in a conversational style that makes it an exciting read. There are moments of anxiety in the story when it comes to her grandfather's illness and the problems she has with her mother. A very interesting story that covers a lot of emotions and has a positive vibe.