The Last Day of Paradise
by Kiki Denis
Published by Gival Press
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Reviewed by Lauren Segelbaum
The Last Day of Paradise is the winner of the first annual Gival Press Novel Award.
Set in Greece, it tells the story of a 15-year-old girl named Sunday. Sunday's father leaves the family, and she discovers he may not be her father after all.
Sunday narrates her story in what Kiki Denis identifies as the current era. When Sunday finds out there may be a family secret around her birth father, the author introduces the reader to her mother Chrysa's life story and her wealthy family.
It is at this point the book goes back between current era and an earlier era--Chrysa's story. In the current era we are introduced to Sunday's friends and the role they play in her life. In the other era, we meet Chrysa her family and the people involved with her family. Chrysa's father arranges for her to be married after an embarrassing incident at church, even though Chrysa is in love with someone else.
The current era reads like a young adult novel yet I wasn't sure if the language and subject matter was appropriate for a young adult. I felt the older era was more interesting and read like good fiction. The novel at times was very engaging and the story moved at an enjoyable pace. At other times, Denis went off on tangents and left me feeling disconnected to the story.
Armchair Interviews says: Another young adult story with language not suited for all readers.