Claire LaZebnik

The Last Best Kiss is now available at bookstores and online! Here's the Booklist review: "Anna can’t help but be attracted to bright, offbeat, and totally uncool Finn. But what about those completely wrong clothes and the nerdy glasses? Eventually she breaks his heart, because, seriously, what would her friends say about such a klutzy guy? She is not without regret or guilt, though, even as Finn moves away. Fast-forward to senior year and look who is back—and no longer uncool at all. LaZebnik’s delightful coming-of-age romance cleverly retells Jane Austen’s Persuasion, a story about bowing to social pressure and letting the good guy get away. The intense social wrangling, wry humor, razor-sharp depictions of the social scene, and fashion commentary serve up a fun Austen tableau, but the lively narrative and believable characters also provide a poignant story of high-school pressures, families that don’t support their teens, risky behavior, and the search for identity and acceptance. Readers will eagerly follow the Austen redux for its forthright, sincere leading lady and her perilous, though familiar, journey."— Anne O'MalleySchool Library Journal said: "A modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Anna’s first-person narrative is filled with humor and honesty. While the pair’s love story is the main focus, plotlines involving secondary characters are woven together well. References to drugs, alcohol, and sex make this suitable for teens looking for a realistic YA romance novel with relatable characters—especially fans of LaZebnik’s previous Austen updates."Please check it out!