The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

This was just published in 2019 so I think I bought it off of a new releases list within the Nook thinking it looked interesting.  It is touted as the story of a sibling bond forged in hardship and lasting a lifetime.  Ok, it was that.  It also got 4-5 stars from a lot of readers.  Me?  I thought it was fine.  The story line of the children's "feral" childhood was the most interesting part.  Their grownup lives were less compelling.  Also, and very oddly, the set up of the book in a dystopian future where an author seeming has to dodge potentially lethal bombs to get home from a speaking engagement?  Why?  What did this add to the story?  Not much other than a weird setting. 

There were parts of the book that spoke to me.  The youngest sister's sadness when her siblings all left for college/grad school/real life?  I could get there.  But the sisters' obsession with their brother Joe and his status as the hero of the family and the way they put him on a pedestal? That I recall thinking-what?  There was nothing in the story line that convinced me he was worthy.  It was as if the author presupposed our assumptions that the brother of course would be worshiped by his sisters without him having to earn it.  I didn't buy it.

At the end of the day this wasn't a bad book to pass the time and I suppose as a beach read or an airplane read its perfectly acceptable.  However, I'd not nominate it for any awards and I won't put it on the reread list.

Rating:  #5, Good Enough