Julie's Review: The Last September

Author: Nina De Gramont
Series: None
Publication Date: September 15, 2015
Publisher: Algonquin
Pages: 320
Obtained: publisher via SheReads.org
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4.75/5.0
Bottom Line: The ties that bind us can tear us apart
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: “When I look back now, it hurtles toward us like a meteor. But at the time we were too wrapped up in our day-to-day life to see it. Charlie and I lived in a borrowed house by the ocean. Our daughter, Sarah, was fifteen months old. September had just arrived, emptying the beaches at the very moment they became most spectacular.” Brett has been in love with Charlie ever since he took her skiing on a lovely Colorado night fourteen years ago. And now, living in a seaside cottage on Cape Cod with their young daughter, it looks as if they have settled into the life they desired. However, Brett and Charlie’s marriage has been tenuous for quite some time. When Charlie’s unstable younger brother plans to move in with them, the tension simmering under the surface of their marriage boils over. But what happened to Charlie next was unfathomable. Charlie was the golden boy so charismatic that he charmed everyone who crossed his path; who never shied away from a challenge; who saw life as one big adventure; who could always rescue his troubled brother, no matter how unpredictable the situation. So who is to blame for the tragic turn of events? And why does Brett feel responsible? Set against the desolate autumn beauty of Cape Cod, The Last September is a riveting emotional puzzle that takes readers inside the psyche of a woman facing the meaning of love and loyalty. ~amazon.com  

Review: The Last September is the study of human relationships and how we do weave some webs in our lives. We all know that in some relationships someone is more in love with their partner than the other. That person then has the power in the relationship. This was Brett and Charlie's relationship. Every since she met Charlie, Brett was head over heels in love. Never mind the fact that Charlie is her best friend, Eli's, brother and the complications that brings. For the longest time, that love was unrequited for Brett.

I think the most likable character in the book was probably, Daniel. He was solid and even-keeled. He was the rock for many of the characters in the novel. He was the person who stepped in to help Eli, when no one else would. Eli, is the most sympathetic character but based on what we know, the most suspicious. Could he harm Charlie? What would have set him off to destroy lives in an instant? Brett can't believe that it was Eli but yet all her evidence points to him.

 I wouldn't say that Brett and Charlie were the easiest people to like. Brett is intelligent but yet she had always had blinders on when it came to Charlie. The sun rose and set with him in her eyes. She even called off an engagement to be with him without any promise of a future. As far as Charlie was concerned, he was a charmer without any direction in life. He was quite happy riding the tailcoat of Brett but unfortunately there wasn't much to hold onto. Sometimes these personalities can compliment each other but in the case it really was oil and vinegar.

Ms. De Gramont knows how to build a story. Each chapter contained nuggets to move the story along. Just when you think that you have it all figured out, she shines a light on something you didn't consider, something that makes you question your thought process for the whole novel.

The Last September is an examination of how we see others and of how they might see us. It is a slow burning novel that keeps you guessing until the end. For those who like novels that focus on relationships with some mystery, then you shouldn't miss out on this one.

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