The Last Song
by Eva Wiseman
- Percentage of approved critics who have given this book a positive review.
Critic Rating
30%
Critic Reviews: 18
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- User rating from iDreamBooks & iTunes
Reader Rating
52%
Reader Ratings: 4
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Synopsis
Master storyteller, Eva Wiseman, bring history to life in this riverty and tragic novel, set during the Spanish Inquisition. A young girl is forced to confront her once-hidden Jewish heritage when her respected father is arrested, and the life she has known and loved, is threatened. Spain had been one of the world's most tolerant societies for eight hundred years, but that way of life was wiped out by the Inquisition. Isabel's family feels safe from the... more
About Eva Wiseman
- All Critics: 18
- Positive: 7
- Negative: 11
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Chronicles of a Book Evangelist | 19 Apr 2012
The Last Song was safe enough that it was fun to read, and real enough to make kids think.
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Diary of a Bookworm | 10 Apr 2012
My wish for The Last Song would have been for Wiseman to explore Isabel and her family more as characters rather than practitioners of a religion.
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Iris on Books | 1 May 2012
But overall, I am sorry to say that this was a disappointing read. One that I did not mind reading so much, but that did not make a lasting impression.
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Kirkus Reviews | 15 Mar 2012
Worthy aims are scuttled by avoidance of nuance.
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Mermaid Vision Books | 10 Apr 2012
The Last Song is a good introduction to historical fiction for young kids, but older readers will definitely want more than what it can give them.
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So I'm Fifty | 4 Apr 2012
Wiseman has created a 15th-century world where prejudice and religious persecution abound; a great introduction to young teens to the historical aspects of the Inquisition.
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Publishers Weekly | 20 Feb 2012
Isabel’s rapid transformation from one who feels peace when addressing “our savior’s mother,” to secret student of Torah, combined with her unsurprising preference for a kind Jewish boy over her odious fiancé, lessen the story’s dramatic tension.
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Ageless Pages Reviews | 15 Mar 2012
If you erase "Isabel"'s name and input "Luis" "Caterina" or any other, the result would be the same: they played their defined roles and nothing less.
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BiblioQuill | 14 Apr 2012
The Last Song is a lovely novel whose characters face an impossible situation with candor and grace.
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Magickware Book Review & Emporium | 12 Mar 2012
Outside of the intensity of the imagery, I found the book very engaging, and couldn’t put it down. I do feel as if the character development was lacking.
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Susie Bookworm | 16 Mar 2012
Wiseman could easily have fleshed out the book more than its little over 200 pages, which would have allowed for more character and plot development.
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Manda-Rae Reads a Lot | 5 May 2012
I definitely got some strong feelings of shame based on this sad past of ours. However, the romance in this book felt a little bland.
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Musings of ALMYBNENR | 1 Apr 2012
Isabel was a likable character as well and the the plot was good, but it was not overly remarkable for me.
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Two Canadian Readers | 2 Jun 2012
However, parts of the novel read very much like a history lesson, albeit a worthwhile one, and other parts seemed rushed.
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Ten Stories Up | 1 Jun 2012
If you're looking for girl power, stories of cultural conflict, or deeply-felt historical fiction, this is the book for you.
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Perogies and Gyoza | 10 Apr 2012
Any of these books would be a good choice for students interested in reading ficitonalized account of Jewish social history after reading The Diary of Anne Frank.
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Rebecca's Book Blog | 12 Feb 2012
Although this book is about sad events, it’s not all depressing, it’s a very hopeful story too.
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CM | 17 Feb 2012
Middle school readers and their teachers across Canada and the U.S. will be thrilled to include this excellent novel in their history and language arts classes.
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