Aberdeen, the only world Keeley has ever truly known, is flooding. The governor decided that the poor, small town’s location near a river was too dangerous for it’s residents to stay, and instead a dam would be built that would turn the town into a lake. Keeley does not know what she is supposed to do. Does she side with her father, who is constantly speaking out against the mayor, the sheriff, and everyone who settles for leaving? Will she keep spending time with Levi, the sheriff’s son, clearing out the houses people have already abandoned? Or will she make the most out of her last days in Aberdeen, having fun with her friends and ignoring the truth?

I’ve read many of Siobhan Vivian’s other works, and The Last Boy and Girl in the World is by far her most captivating story yet. Her writing is seamless and witty, as the characters go from one adventure and misstep to the next during their final days in Aberdeen. Nothing happens too quickly, no mysteries are dragged out an annoying length, and the dates and weather reports given at the beginnings of each chapter give the book a real-time feel.

My favorite aspect of the novel is how real it is. Many young adult books I have read in the past can feel fake, and even though they are well written and I enjoy the interactions between the characters, in the back of my mind I know that certain situations are incredibly unrealistic for teenagers. In this book, however, everything is believable. The characters definitely act like high schoolers, with girls who don’t quite know how to act around boys, boys who you could compare to immature monkeys, and that one kid everyone hates simply because he takes life seriously. It’s also honest, as Keeley is truthful with herself about why she jokes around so much (something I could also relate to), and why she does not try to stop her dad because she knows that Aberdeen is not truly savable.

Despite my enjoyment of the book, it did also feel as though it were lacking in some departments. The book did not fit its description well. The main summary and the title led me to believe that more of the novel would be about Keeley and the boy she had been pinning for going on crazy adventures, nearly alone in Aberdeen, but that wasn’t the case at all. There were also some storylines that needed more development, with characters originally mentioned as though they could play even a small part, but those parts never followed through. The end of the book left me wanting more, which is good in many cases, but I am always frustrated when a story ends and the characters have left things unsaid. For me, this book just didn’t have that spark that would make me want to reread it, but there was enough of a flame that made it enjoyable the first time around.    

This book was published today, Tuesday, April 26, and it’s definitely worth spending money on or at least looking for in a library.

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