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danilo_syrtis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
[Fair warning: This review contains some (major) spoilers that I will tag as such.]
Roughly three months after Brandon’s murderer is arrested (One Of Us Is Next), Simon’s co-conspirator Jake (One Of Us Is Lying) files a successful motion for a new trial and gets released from prison until his court dates come up. Coincidentally, a new mystery seems to emerge at the same time: A hacked billboard displays messages regarding a new game to be played. And then Phoebe, already struggling and feeling isolated because of the secret she keeps, disappears after a party …
After re-reading the first two parts of the trilogy, I finally got to read the last part over the weekend for the first time, and once again, I had fun! I also think this story is the weakest of the three, but there were still many aspects I enjoyed.
As always, I have to mention my love for the minimalistic cover and the sprayed edges of the UK paperback. While I do not think that the cover illustration fits the story as well as is the case for the other two books, it has the same mysterious vibe and it is still beautiful.
It is impressive to me that the mystery felt new and different from the other two, although the main characters are the same ones as in the previous parts. There was also more than one twist that I did not see coming (although – obligatory disclaimer – I am very bad at guessing the endings of books), although they were well-prepared in hindsight.For example, I was a bit suspicious of Evie since Phoebe thinks more than once that she is almost too nice, but I never suspected her having changed her name and being responsible for the disappearances of Phoebe, Reggie, and Jake.
There are some interesting appearances of characters from the previous books. While I do not know how enjoyable they would have been had I not read the other two parts, I really loved to see them! Especially since they did not seem to only be some kind of cameos, but they actually showed some realistic growth and sometimes helped to move the plot forward.I actually love Vanessa trying to make amends and seriously regretting her mistakes, since some of the misogynistic and homophobic bullying from the first book gets adressed this way (and readers also get to know another side of the usually calm, friendly Kris). It is nice to see how differently various characters react to her apologies, and in particular how Nate apologizes for his behavior, too.
Something that is really refreshing is that the plot does not revolve around Bayview High School. It worked for the first two books, but for the third, it is interesting to see some new places that are important for one or more characters and thus play an important part for the story.For example, I like the country club that Nate works at, even if it seems a little cliché at some points.
Although I obviously enjoyed reading the book, there are still things that annoyed me.
The structure of the story seems similar to the one of the second book. Sadly, this results in the same unfortunate pacing – while the first part is rather slow-paced, the second one is pretty fast-paced. It is not as bad as in One Of Us Is Next, but still feels weirdly mismatched.
Another problem of the second book which is much worse in this one (but luckily only exists in the first few chapters) is how the events of the previous books are summarized whenever some of the important characters first appear. I understand that it is nice if the book could theoretically be read as a stand-alone, but it is still marketed as part of a series. I think not understanding references to past events is something you sign up for if you read the last part of a trilogy without knowing the first two. Maybe I would feel differently if the synopses were at least elegantly interwoven with the rest of the first few chapters, but they simply feel out of place.
I also feel like the attention to detail(s) is a bit lacking, compared to the other two books. The main characters seem to be a lot more isolated from the rest of the world than before – which, admittedly, might just be a side effect of the group consisting of at least twice as many people as in the other books. But there is just a lot less interaction between the main characters and people not related to the main mystery, and some side characters simply disappear even if that does not really make sense.For example, I do not think there was any need to bring up Jules and Monica, but since they are brought up and Jules tells Phoebe that Monica wants to ask out Knox, it is strange to not see them appear again at least once afterwards. There is also the fact that many of the details and characters that turn out to be important for the resolution of the main mystery are not as subtly set up as in the first two parts. For example, it was very obvious to me that Nate’s father’s missing keys would be of some significance. Or, as I said, I was suspicious of Evie fairly early. Another minor annoyance are some strange and unnecessary inconsistencies. For example, some of the flashback chapters are from Jake’s POV, but his father is still called Mr Riordan instead of dad/his father. Another example is Chelsea talking about how she wanted to frame Owen so he would not go without any consequences, when she left a confession at her apartment that police would have probably found pretty much right away.
Lastly, something that I do not like is how often events are not really described, but simply summarized at a later point. It is a bit confusing to me, especially if a chapter is from the POV of a relevant character and it ends in a place that makes it seem like there would have been a perfect opportunity to really show whatever happens next, but instead, it is being told in a few sentences in one of the next chapters.One notable example is how Phoebe getting kidnapped for the second time is not shown, but the next time a chapter is from her POV, she gives a short summary of how she ended up where she is now. Obviously, not every second of that had to be on the page, but at least some key parts like her struggle with Chelsea could have been described.
So, all in all, I really like the book and will probably read it again at some point, but I do think that the other two parts are a lot better in some ways!
Roughly three months after Brandon’s murderer is arrested (One Of Us Is Next), Simon’s co-conspirator Jake (One Of Us Is Lying) files a successful motion for a new trial and gets released from prison until his court dates come up. Coincidentally, a new mystery seems to emerge at the same time: A hacked billboard displays messages regarding a new game to be played. And then Phoebe, already struggling and feeling isolated because of the secret she keeps, disappears after a party …
After re-reading the first two parts of the trilogy, I finally got to read the last part over the weekend for the first time, and once again, I had fun! I also think this story is the weakest of the three, but there were still many aspects I enjoyed.
As always, I have to mention my love for the minimalistic cover and the sprayed edges of the UK paperback. While I do not think that the cover illustration fits the story as well as is the case for the other two books, it has the same mysterious vibe and it is still beautiful.
It is impressive to me that the mystery felt new and different from the other two, although the main characters are the same ones as in the previous parts. There was also more than one twist that I did not see coming (although – obligatory disclaimer – I am very bad at guessing the endings of books), although they were well-prepared in hindsight.
There are some interesting appearances of characters from the previous books. While I do not know how enjoyable they would have been had I not read the other two parts, I really loved to see them! Especially since they did not seem to only be some kind of cameos, but they actually showed some realistic growth and sometimes helped to move the plot forward.
Something that is really refreshing is that the plot does not revolve around Bayview High School. It worked for the first two books, but for the third, it is interesting to see some new places that are important for one or more characters and thus play an important part for the story.
Although I obviously enjoyed reading the book, there are still things that annoyed me.
The structure of the story seems similar to the one of the second book. Sadly, this results in the same unfortunate pacing – while the first part is rather slow-paced, the second one is pretty fast-paced. It is not as bad as in One Of Us Is Next, but still feels weirdly mismatched.
Another problem of the second book which is much worse in this one (but luckily only exists in the first few chapters) is how the events of the previous books are summarized whenever some of the important characters first appear. I understand that it is nice if the book could theoretically be read as a stand-alone, but it is still marketed as part of a series. I think not understanding references to past events is something you sign up for if you read the last part of a trilogy without knowing the first two. Maybe I would feel differently if the synopses were at least elegantly interwoven with the rest of the first few chapters, but they simply feel out of place.
I also feel like the attention to detail(s) is a bit lacking, compared to the other two books. The main characters seem to be a lot more isolated from the rest of the world than before – which, admittedly, might just be a side effect of the group consisting of at least twice as many people as in the other books. But there is just a lot less interaction between the main characters and people not related to the main mystery, and some side characters simply disappear even if that does not really make sense.
Lastly, something that I do not like is how often events are not really described, but simply summarized at a later point. It is a bit confusing to me, especially if a chapter is from the POV of a relevant character and it ends in a place that makes it seem like there would have been a perfect opportunity to really show whatever happens next, but instead, it is being told in a few sentences in one of the next chapters.
So, all in all, I really like the book and will probably read it again at some point, but I do think that the other two parts are a lot better in some ways!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Medical content, Car accident, and Sexual harassment
hales_1243's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
While this isn't my favorite book in the trilogy, I do like how it ended. I love that the Bayview crew gets a happy ending, while also growing and acknowledging what they've been through. The pacing was nice and I really enjoyed the story. It did get a little dull halfway through, but I think it picked up again after the final reveal in part 1. I loved the discussion about privilege and how it plays into the legal justice system. </Spoiler>
In regards to a potential drug use trigger, a character was roofied at a party.
In regards to a potential sexual violence trigger, there is a storyline discussing nonconsensual recording of sexual acts.
In regards to a potential drug use trigger,
In regards to a potential sexual violence trigger,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Cursing