Five estranged high school classmates gather at their 40th reunion. This mid-life check in isn’t what they had imagined, but it alters the course of some of their lives.
Summary
A 40th high school reunion brings five former classmates back together. Each has their own motivations, hopes and expectations for the night. And each brings to the table 40 years of disappointments, consequences, joy, and heartbreak.
- MEAN GIRL Dorothy Shauman: Newly divorced high-school B-stringer, she’s after former heartthrob jock and class playboy Pete Decker. She spends weeks preparing for the reunion, starving herself and planning the perfect outfits and dialog she’s sure will woo Pete into a tryst.
- OUTCAST Mary Alice Mayhew: Quiet and nerdy in high school, she is unmarried and best friends with a 90 year old near-invalid.
- BEAUTY QUEEN Candy Armstrong: Former prom queen, the reunion is a chance to escape for a moment from a stagnant marriage and find friendship before ovarian cancer claims her life.
- BRAIN Lester Hessenpfeffer: Former class nerd turned devoted veterinarian and widower with no social life, he’s pressured by his assistant to attend the reunion.
- JOCK Pete Decker: Oblivious object of Dorothy’s affection, he goes only to attempt to reclaim his estranged wife – and high school sweetheart – Nora.
(Emphasis on the character stereotypes above is an ode to The Breakfast Club.)
None find what they expect during the reunion night, but most find something they need.
Evaluation
Reading this book was like eating a plain bagel. It was bland but filling and had moments of deliciousness, but in the end you don’t even remember what you had for breakfast. The Last Time I Saw You was a quick character sketch with the convenient nexus of a reunion to coalesce the actors. The individuals were fun – except for Pete and Candy’s husband, who were pretty much identically repulsive. But at least Pete and selfish, vapid Dorothy were redeemed in the end.
I listened to the audiobook, as read by the author Elizabeth Berg. While obviously comfortable with her own work, I would have preferred to have had a trained voice actor read this. I did not find her high-pitched and somewhat timid voice appealing.
Why I read it: Having gone to my 20th reunion I doubt I’ll go to any more. As Nora in the book says, “I’ve kept up with all the people I wanted to.” But I love character studies, and the idea of a bunch of 58 year olds wanting to reconnect at a 40th reunion was intriguing.
Rating: ♦ ♦ / ♥ ♥ ♥ (rating scale here)
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Professional reviews: Kirkus
As Berg surveys the gamut of emotions felt by Dorothy and some of her classmates, she zeroes in on an array of stereotypes—the hot girls, the jocks, the in crowd, the out crowd—and considers what makes each one tick, offering the vanilla revelation that the person on the inside doesn’t always match the person on the outside. It’s cleanly plotted, ably written, and sure to appeal to boomers staring down the barrel of their own 40th reunions. (Publisher’s Weekly)
Readalikes: The Best of Me (Nicholas Sparks,) The Knitting Circle (Ann Hood,) The Rest of Us (Jessica Lott)
Author readalikes: Barbara Samuel, Kaye Gibbons, Elinor Lipman
Bibliographic information
Title: The Last Time I Saw You
Author: Elizabeth Berg (http://www.elizabeth-berg.net/)
Audiobook narrator: Elizabeth Berg
Publication: Random House, New York, 2010
Pages: 241
ISBN: 9781400068647
Available in: Paperback ($11.82,) Kindle eBook ($11.99,) Audible Audiobook ($20.95)
Also available for free at your local library.
4into8 
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