The Last April (eBook)

Not a bad books, takes awhile to get going and can feel repetitive at times during the first half. Some of the suspense is not there because we know "Karl" didn't kill Lincoln and the mystery of who he is isn't really a whole big focus. The more exciting parts were after some family drama came into play and peaked my interest. A few amusing parts as well. I wouldn't mind a novella with Tante Klegg though, would love to see more of her life before this story started. Certain few characters in here can go jump in a fiery lake, just saying. I think teens might enjoy this more perhaps but still worth a read for anyone methinks.

Historical fiction is my favorite! Historical fiction that can capture the interest of young people is especially dear to me. The Last April weaves a clever tale into a significant time in our nation's history while also immersing us in local history. It's an exciting story that gives a glimpse into the lives of Ohioans during the time of the Civil War. It takes place on a farm outside Columbus in the home of German immigrants. A hefty list of references confirms that the author has done her research!

Belinda Kroll went to a great extent in exploring real historic ideas in telling this story. It makes this story very easy to relate to. This book was absolutely interesting to read with its vivid description of war. This is a thought-provoking book that explores a lot of historical facts about American history through the period of war. I love this book. I really find it interesting because it offered me insight as to the real events of 1865. It was easy to draw some facts from this well-written novel.

I'll start by saying that Belinda Kroll is a new author for me to read -- and OMG, she is an amazing author!!! She did an awesome job of researching the story - which really made the reading of the book more enjoyable. The amazing American history facts that were written into the story made the reading a pleasant experience. This story starts by introducing you to Gretchen - a teenage girl who lives in Ohio during the civil war. When she discovers a soldier while working in her garden of her home, Gretchen isn't sure what she should do. She and her Aunt move the stranger into their home and start to render him aid. At the same time, they realize the war has ended and then that President Lincoln has been assassinated. As the story continues, Gretchen begins to learn things about her past that she had no idea about. I don't write spoilers -- but, OMG this was an amazing book to read!!! This was an easy read - a fun escape back into time!! I really enjoy historical type novels - especially when they are historically accurate!!

The Last April by Belinda Kroll is a historical novel that takes place in Ohio in 1865. Gretchen is a 15 year old who finds a confederate soldier who escaped from a prison camp not far from her home, she takes him in and nurses him back to health despite the protests from her family members. Gretchen’s family is certain that the young man could have killed President Lincoln but Gretchen is convinced that she needs to help him because they would want someone to help her brother if he was hurt and trying to get home. The novel is a pretty quick read, I started and finished it during my daughters nap time. Belinda Kroll shows a keen knowledge for American history around the civil war and throws interesting tidbits about it into her story to create depth. I think the story would appeal to all different age ranges, I know I fully enjoyed.

This is a story about a teen age girl living in Ohio during the civil war and the death of Abraham Lincoln. When she discovers a solider in the garden of her home, Gretchen thinks this could be the thing that changed her life. As the journey continues our young star begins to discover things from the past that find her questioning everything she has always believed. This is a well written story with historical accuracy and characters that we can all relate to. This is an easy fun read that will distract you from the days stress and emerge you into a world gone by. I would recommend to anyone looking for a fun escape to relax for a short time. (less)

The most amazing thing I found in this book is the wide variety of elements that blended so well within historical and clever facts of the Civil War, it serves a greater purpose not only to add a sense of weight and tragedy about the story but also to enrich and keep the reader engage to what could happen next. Setting and characters are amazingly built, it’s incredible how the author manages to create such an accurate depiction of that specific time in story while also recreate what could have possibly been the mindset of a youngster such as Gretchen, and how the perception and environment were completely different back then. This is a masterpiece that I encourage all of you to give it a try, the wider this goes for young adults and adults alike, the better it is to possess a degree of knowledge about what’s going on in political matters.

The Last April is one book which I will give full five on five because of its theme, portrayal, flow and characterization.The book takes us in the past when President Lincoln was murdered. The day was April 15, 1865. However in the life of Gretchen Miller the day was important because it brought a Confederate into her life. To make matters worse this Confederate had escaped from Camp Chase and had seemingly lost all his memories. Life then decides to unveil lots of surprises for her- the least important one was her age. The book was delightful in rendering some of the facts from history and refreshed our memories of the 19th century era. I also liked the way the author Belinda Kroll gave twists to the story where seemingly looked forward characters turned up in an evil avatar and how war is projected not just as a destroyer of life and property but also of characters. The book has some well developed and distinctive characters and my favorite was Tante Klegg. The story has history, mystery, romance and humor. This well maintained balance makes The Last April an interesting book.

Belinda Kroll delivers a wonderful book packed with a lot of historically accurate details and without losing the importance of delivering a strong plotline. Last April focuses on a teenage girl right after the Civil War period. She founds and takes care of a wounded Confederate soldier only to find out that maybe he’s the one who just killed President Lincoln. When her family finds out what she’s been doing, a lot of secrets resurface and threaten to tear the family apart. It’s a brilliant storyline where everything makes sense and is interconnected. It’s also a story that can easily be transported into any different era of time, especially nowadays that there are so many political extremisms and dialogue is missing allowing hate to win. The characters are a delight, strong, powerful, offering important insights into each and every one of the stories. A perfect book to read, learn and think about it.

This book was a historical fiction book packed with drama. The main character is a 15-year-old girl who finds a young Confederate soldier in their garden and nurses him back to health. Her mother, her aunt, and future sister-in-law all are against the idea. Their significant others and also the girl's (Gretchen's) kin are off fighting in the war, so harboring a Confederate solider, no matter how young and helpless creates a mini-war at home. The plot heats up when President Lincoln was assassinated and the women begin to suspect that maybe this young solider had something to do with it. The book was a short read and the characters were enjoyable as well as the plot. Some of the dialogue is repetitive and many people know who shot Lincoln, so the first part of the book where they continually argue over the young boy soldier and whether or not he did it seems a bit of a drag. Other than that I liked the book and I would recommend it especially for young adults or middle school level who would enjoy the historical details of living in that era.

So The Last April is about a young girl in Ohio who finds a southern boy passed out in her yard, and the distrust her family harbors for him fostered during the Civil War and, most recently, due to the Lincoln assassination. Gretchen, the young lady in question, has a LOT going on with her in this book. Her father and brother are off at war, her mother's an hysteric (not medically, just prone to wild emotional swings), and her soon-to-be sister-in-law is manipulative and, put plainly, just kind of the worst. There was a lot of drama, a lot of finger-pointing and perhaps even more gun-pointing, some old-timey insults -- it was kind of like a Civil War soap opera at the end which was entertaining. There was also an interesting look at German immigrant culture in the 19th century, a nice extra bit of depth to the book. I knocked off one star because the dialogue was stilted and tended to go in circles -- characters would discuss something, go to bed, and then the next morning have the same argument practically verbatim. Sometimes with more than one repeat. The other star I took for the initial premise. The family drama that eventually ensues (which I'm intentionally being vague about -- no spoilers) gets pretty readable near the halfway point. But the first half of the book is Gretchen, her mom, and her aunt arguing over whether or not the young boy they find, Karl, is the man who shot Lincoln. I understand that, back in 1865, there was an information delay as news had to literally travel many miles to get from DC to points in the Midwest. This is a situation that might have occurred, suspicion of southerners would have been even more rampant than they already were. But given the fact that most of the readers familiar with the assassination story know that John Wilkes Booth was a grown man, it kind of killed any of the tension that the author was trying to build. So, basically, when the women find out around the halfway point that Karl isn't the assassin, it's not plot motion -- it simply makes the first half of the book feel largely extraneous because you're sitting there thinking, "Yeah. I knew that." In that sense, I'd recommend this book mostly for middle-grade readers, as they are likely to get more out of the historical aspects than older readers with more history classes under their belt. It was a cute little quasi-romance, though, and with some nice historical details to boot. (less)

The author did a great job with world building. I felt sucked right into the world and forgot I was reading a book. The character development and the weaving of the assassination, the mysterious man, and the state of the country after the war were done wonderfully. There were some points where flow had some hiccups but otherwise very well done. Normally, I'm not a historical fiction fan, but when you can nail down a character and make me connect all bets are off and that is exactly what Ms. Kroll managed to do.