The Last Boy and Girl in the World

The Last Boy and Girl in the World (2016), a young adult contemporary romance by Siobhan Vivian, centers on a teenage girl wondering how to spend her last days in a town that is slowly sinking underwater and will soon vanish forever. Receiving a generally positive reception upon publication, critics praise its portrayal of female friendships. Vivian writes romantic and contemporary novels for teenage readers. She is best known for The Last Boy and Girl in the World and The List. She co-wrote another series with popular young adult author, Jenny Han.

The Last Boy and Girl in the World is set in Aberdeen, a small, rundown town in America. After numerous torrential rainstorms, Aberdeen is about to sink underwater forever. Soon, it will be as if Aberdeen never existed. One person who is particularly upset about Aberdeen’s demise is the protagonist, Keeley Hewitt.

Teenager Keeley grew up in Aberdeen. Popular with the kids at school, she is known for her over-the-top, fun personality. What most people don’t know about Keeley is that secretly, she is shy and insecure. She hides her true feelings behind her big personality. She wishes she could find people around whom she could be herself.



Keeley has never lived anywhere other than Aberdeen. She can’t imagine calling any other town home. As the book opens, Keeley discovers that the authorities could save Aberdeen from sinking, but they choose not to. The authorities claim that, due to a combination of manmade and environmental factors, Aberdeen is destined to end up underwater at some point, and so, they are letting it go now.

In Aberdeen’s place, the authorities will build a dam and a lake to sustain a richer, privileged community. Unsurprisingly, the local government does not consult the townsfolk about its decision, expecting everyone to evacuate and leave Aberdeen behind. Keeley’s family, however, refuses to take the decision lying down.

Aberdeen’s evacuation brings out the problems within Keeley’s own family. Her father wants to protest the evacuation, but he is reclusive, and he never leaves the house. Suffering from an injury he sustained a few years ago, he doesn’t work or have a social life. Keeley doesn’t see how her father can save anything, but she doesn’t want to be the one to spoil his dreams.



Meanwhile, Keeley’s mother has her own issues with her husband. Working constantly, she never has time for any fun. Barely seeing her family, she is jealous of how much time Keeley’s father spends with their daughter. Keeley hopes that the protest will bring her parents closer together again.

At school, the kids react differently to Aberdeen’s fate. Some students don’t care, while others hate the thought of losing their hometown. Keeley’s best friend, Morgan, is just as passionate about Aberdeen as Keeley. Together, they plan to support Keeley’s father, rallying the whole town behind his cause. They don’t see that his plans are impractical and unlikely to gather support. They want to feel that they are doing something, rather than sitting back and letting Aberdeen slip away forever.

With Aberdeen’s fate hanging in the balance, Keeley and her friends feel they can do anything. For them, there is no time like the present. Keeley decides to take a chance on Jesse, a guy at school. Super popular, Jesse has never noticed Keeley before, but now that they are all about to go their separate ways, Jesse is keen to make as many memories as possible before he goes.



Keeley hooks up with Jesse and they spend a lot of time together. They explore Aberdeen; it almost feels as though they are seeing their hometown for the first time. Although Keeley knows that Jesse is using her, she pretends that she doesn’t care. Any time spent with Jesse is better than no time at all.

Morgan, however, knows the truth. She knows that Keeley secretly loves Jesse. She doesn’t want to see her best friend hurt and brokenhearted. Unfortunately, Keeley spends so much time with Jesse that she forgets about Morgan. She loses sight of her original goal, which was to save Aberdeen and protect it from going underwater.

In the meantime, many families accept their fate. They pack up and move on. Keeley’s father convinces some families to stay, but most people are not interested in listening to him. They don’t understand why he thinks that he has a right to tell people what to do, especially after alienating himself from the townsfolk for so long. Keeley doesn’t know how to tell her father that his efforts are pointless because she doesn’t want to hurt his feelings.



Eventually, no one is left in Aberdeen but Keeley’s family and Jesse’s family. They feel like the last boy and girl in the world, which brings them closer together. Keeley doesn’t know what the future holds, but for now, she is holding on to what is left of her hometown and enjoying her first taste of love.