I got this audiobook as a whim on Libby, so I didn't go in with any expectations, and I was pleasently surprised.

This book follows Maizy Chen throughout her summer at her mom's hometown, Last Chance. She and her mother are there because Maizy's Opa, her grandfather, is sick. Her summer doesn't really begin on a good start with her dropping her phone down a well and some mean girls being, well, mean. She quickly finds her summer changing for the better, though, when her Opa begins to tell her stories about Lucky, Opa's grandfather.

I didn't really start to get into this until the second half. The writing was a bit clunky, and you could definitely tell that it was meant for younger kids. The transitions between scenes were rough and there were some scenes that served no purpose at all to the story. I was really caught up on that for the first fifty percent. The chapters are also super short and sometimes cut off in places that don't make sense, but if you can get past that, I think this story is phenomenal.

The second half of the story was really when my love for the main character began to grow. Maizy Chen is the perfect middle-grade protagonist. She's smart, she's lovable, she's kind, and I just wanted to hug her. Ever since To Kill a Mockingbird, I have been fascinated with the way dark subjects such as racism and homophobia are seen through the eyes of a child, and the way the author portrays racism is still dark but not so scary that it would make children (especially non-white children) fear the world.

Maizy's grandparents, Opa and Oma, were adorable and they made me squee. I totally didn't almost cry when Opa died. Nope. Totally didn't almost start sobbing in English class. No sir. Opa's Lucky stories, at least to me, were the main drive of the story for a while. I found myself wanting to jump out of the present tense and dive headfirst into Lucky's tale. After a while, I learned to appreciate Maizy's story also.

The side characters were mostly really well written. I found myself really attached to Daisy and her avid activism for recycling despite the fact she was really shy. Lady McBeth (Idk if I'm spelling that right because I listened to an audiobook) provided the classic 'don't judge a book by its cover' lesson and it was done really well. My only complaint regarding this aspect was Logan. He very much felt like his storyline revolved around Maisy. His only purpose was the further Maizy's story. He was still adorable and I loved him, but every time he showed up, I was kinda like 'why are you here again?'

I liked how there was never a very climactic confrontation. It was felt very rooted in reality. That being said, I don't really get the Mayor's involvement with the hate crimes. Maybe I missed it, but I never heard a set-in-stone theory about how he was involved. I do hate it when big bads explain their plans in depth and bring up every instance of foreshadowing, but I would like at least a bit of closure.

Overall, very sweet read. Definitely deserves more hype.

Maizy Chen's Last Chance - Likewise Book Reviews

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