Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Freya Sampson’s The Last Chance Library is touching and colorful, a great start for anyone wanting to dip their toes into the chick-lit genre.
Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother. Joining a band of eccentric yet dedicated locals in a campaign to keep the library, June opens herself up to other people for the first time since her mother died. It just so happens that her old school friend Alex Chen is back in town and willing to lend a helping hand. The kindhearted lawyer's feelings for her are obvious to everyone but June, who won't believe that anyone could ever care for her in that way. To save the place and the books that mean so much to her, June must finally make some changes to her life. For once, she's determined not to go down without a fight. And maybe, in fighting for her cherished library, June can save herself, too.
This book was nothing short of heartwarming, with a hilarious cast and one of the best-written shy MCs I’ve seen in modern contemporary novels. June’s fears of being judged were so well portrayed that I could actually feel myself getting anxious whenever she had to stand up in front of a crowd. Likewise, the entire cast was nuanced and straight-up funny. I especially adored the trio of June, Stanley, and Mrs. B—who, quite frankly, stole the show. I love that woman. The combination of nervous Millennial, brash Gen X-er, and confident Boomer worked so well. That being said, with such a large supporting cast, many side characters got lost in the background. Leila, unfortunately, felt inserted for tokenism, and Vera’s development drops off halfway through the book. Jackson is also heavily favored over Chantel, who had great potential to be a foil to the young June. Regardless, it felt like a true community.
The love interest, Alex, was my favorite part of the story. Watching him try to figure June’s interest out was the best part of their romance, especially whenever he confided in Stanley—there’s nothing like your crush’s best friend, who’s, like, eighty, if you’ve got a shot with her. Alex is such a supportive soul, always encouraging June but never pushing her anywhere she was uncomfortable. The conversation he has with June about consent is so important, and I truly loved seeing a relationship that centered around mutual support and understanding rather than sexual attraction. Lots of times in works that portray a virgin woman, she meets some suave dude who she falls in love with and “finally” has sex. That doesn’t happen here—June and Alex are awkward, but they still like each other and pursue each other. As an ace person, it’s really nice to see. Now, I could’ve done without the whole “but he has a girlfriend, oops never mind it’s a roommate/sister/friend” trope, but there had to be something to keep June from acting on her feelings. Still, I’d liked to have seen something a little more creative.
Despite how chaotic this book can get—strippers at a protest, OAPs occupying a library, cheese used as a weapon—it keeps itself grounded with rational outcomes and solutions. There’s no magic fix to any of the issues discussed in the story, but the characters have open and honest conversations with each other to figure out where they can go with what they have. June herself proves this, showing you can stay true to your values without limiting yourself and your opportunities. It’s its own form of optimism, showing realistic ways those of us in the real world can address our own situations.
Freya Sampson works in TV and was the executive producer of Channel 4’s Four in a Bed and Gogglesprogs. She studied History at Cambridge University and is a graduate of the Faber Academy. She lives in London with her husband, two young children and an antisocial cat. The Last Chance Library is her debut novel.
You can find more on Sampson at her website, https://freya-sampson.com/. Her newest book, The Lost Ticket (UK edition The Girl on the 88 Bus) is out now and available for purchase at your local bookstore.
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