maryam162424's review against another edition
2.0
God this twisted with my brain so much, and i loved it!! Still a bit confused because the dots had to be connected for me to solve the mystery, there weren't many clues for me to go off of. But still a great read!
July 7,2019
I think as the years pass, my criticism towards books have changed. I don’t know why I have this book 4 stars before because it really wasn’t that great. The first half is so slow because it mainly explains people and things if the past. All the action happens in the last two chapters and there pretty much is no conclusion. I’m glad I only spent $3 on this book.
July 7,2019
I think as the years pass, my criticism towards books have changed. I don’t know why I have this book 4 stars before because it really wasn’t that great. The first half is so slow because it mainly explains people and things if the past. All the action happens in the last two chapters and there pretty much is no conclusion. I’m glad I only spent $3 on this book.
juicelina's review against another edition
1.0
This book had the potential to be good but it failed so miserably. The entirety of it was pretty much just backstory and then the plot twist was just thrown in at the end with absolutely no build up to it. I found it really stupid and disappointing. And I wasn't shocked at who the real murderer was and it wasn't because the ending was predictable cause it wasn't at all. It was because it came completely out of nowhere so I was left extremely confused. It was a big waste of my time and the main reason I finished reading was to find out the big plot twist.
screamking's review against another edition
4.0
I was expecting this book to be incredibly corny or badly written but I was pleasantly surprised at how this turned out, especially given that it's a teen fiction book. It's about Sam, a girl who witnessed her younger sister get kidnapped from their very own basement ten years ago. She and her best friend at the time Remy told the police it was her sister's boyfriend, but now, she sees things differently. Sam starts discovering more and more about the night Turtle was kidnapped and the answers she finds are a little more than what she bargained for.
I would recommend to anyone who likes a good mystery with a neat and understandable twist at the end. The only thing I didn't like was that a lot of the characters had to say "Sam" a lot. But it was good!
I would recommend to anyone who likes a good mystery with a neat and understandable twist at the end. The only thing I didn't like was that a lot of the characters had to say "Sam" a lot. But it was good!
msethna's review against another edition
4.0
I had nightmares after I finished this book last night. I can't say that this was the best written story, but it was engaging and I did not want to put it down. The ending was definitely surprising to me and freaked me out. I know there are kids in my school who will love this story and I will be book talking this one right away!
bibrarian_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
myrdyr's review against another edition
4.0
I got the book through Inter-Library Loans and didn't realize when I ordered it that it was a YA book. I really enjoyed it and think I probably rated it higher as an adult reading it than many young adults would.
klherring's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this book.
I went back and forth on my rating for this novel. It was an okay read; there were some very well written elements and others that seemed very contrived. I think the context of a family working through life following such a devastating event is quite interesting and developed an interesting backdrop. However, the ending felt very rushed and, as other reviewer have mentioned, a bit too open-ended for this otherwise explicit book. The characters were okay but a little flat.
I went back and forth on my rating for this novel. It was an okay read; there were some very well written elements and others that seemed very contrived. I think the context of a family working through life following such a devastating event is quite interesting and developed an interesting backdrop. However, the ending felt very rushed and, as other reviewer have mentioned, a bit too open-ended for this otherwise explicit book. The characters were okay but a little flat.
lilreiko88's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
angelreads's review against another edition
3.0
I received a review copy of The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman from Bloomsbury Australia in exchange for a review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.
I picked up The Last Good Day of the Year on a whim. I had heard nothing about it and had never read anything by the author, and I had no idea what to expect. Overall, I liked it the book, but I did have some problems with it.
The Last Good Day of the Year follows protagonist Sam 10 years after the kidnapping of her young sister Turtle when she and her family return to where it all happened. The kidnapper was caught, but as she starts to re-evaluate the weeks leading up to the disappearance and those around her – she starts to think that maybe the kidnapper is still out there.
I love mystery/thriller novels, they are probably one of my favourite books to read apart from fantasy, so I was looking forward to see where The Last Good Day of the Year took me. I loved where it was going until the last 50 pages or so where I didn’t even understand what was going on. I had to re-read it a couple of times and still I don’t know what happened. However, nearly everything leading up to that I enjoyed.
I loved the mystery element of The Last Good Day of the Year. It was captivating and interesting to read. I wanted to know what happened, how everything came to par. I didn’t know what was going to happen next and I was on the edge of my seat. Everyone was unreliable and that is perfect for this type of novel. I was intrigued.
I wasn’t a massive fan of protagonist Sam, I cannot pinpoint why exactly, and there was just something about her that didn’t fit right with me. I wanted to see more character development as well, at times I felt like she was 12 years old. However, by the end, I was quite happy with who she becomes.
The family is another story – I pretty much disliked them all the way through. The mother, I understand that she lost a child – but the way that she treats some of her kids – you would think that after losing one child she would treasure the rest. The father was kind of ‘not there’ for me, I didn’t feel him as a character.
I also wasn’t a massive fan of how the book was set out. Most of the book was set in the present day, however there was quite a few chapters set in the year of the kidnapping and it wasn’t as strong as the rest of the book. Those chapters could have easily been done as flashbacks or summaries. I felt that it jolted the flow of the book being pushed back in time.
Another thing that I did enjoy was the romance, it might have seemed quick. But Sam and Remy have known each other quite a long time and it felt ‘right.’ They had already built a friendship and even though it was rocky, it all worked.
Overall, The Last Good Day of the Year was a compelling read. The tension was perfect and convinced me to feel anxious and on the tip of my toes wanting to find out more. However, I wanted more from the protagonist and author.
I picked up The Last Good Day of the Year on a whim. I had heard nothing about it and had never read anything by the author, and I had no idea what to expect. Overall, I liked it the book, but I did have some problems with it.
The Last Good Day of the Year follows protagonist Sam 10 years after the kidnapping of her young sister Turtle when she and her family return to where it all happened. The kidnapper was caught, but as she starts to re-evaluate the weeks leading up to the disappearance and those around her – she starts to think that maybe the kidnapper is still out there.
I love mystery/thriller novels, they are probably one of my favourite books to read apart from fantasy, so I was looking forward to see where The Last Good Day of the Year took me. I loved where it was going until the last 50 pages or so where I didn’t even understand what was going on. I had to re-read it a couple of times and still I don’t know what happened. However, nearly everything leading up to that I enjoyed.
I loved the mystery element of The Last Good Day of the Year. It was captivating and interesting to read. I wanted to know what happened, how everything came to par. I didn’t know what was going to happen next and I was on the edge of my seat. Everyone was unreliable and that is perfect for this type of novel. I was intrigued.
I wasn’t a massive fan of protagonist Sam, I cannot pinpoint why exactly, and there was just something about her that didn’t fit right with me. I wanted to see more character development as well, at times I felt like she was 12 years old. However, by the end, I was quite happy with who she becomes.
The family is another story – I pretty much disliked them all the way through. The mother, I understand that she lost a child – but the way that she treats some of her kids – you would think that after losing one child she would treasure the rest. The father was kind of ‘not there’ for me, I didn’t feel him as a character.
I also wasn’t a massive fan of how the book was set out. Most of the book was set in the present day, however there was quite a few chapters set in the year of the kidnapping and it wasn’t as strong as the rest of the book. Those chapters could have easily been done as flashbacks or summaries. I felt that it jolted the flow of the book being pushed back in time.
Another thing that I did enjoy was the romance, it might have seemed quick. But Sam and Remy have known each other quite a long time and it felt ‘right.’ They had already built a friendship and even though it was rocky, it all worked.
Overall, The Last Good Day of the Year was a compelling read. The tension was perfect and convinced me to feel anxious and on the tip of my toes wanting to find out more. However, I wanted more from the protagonist and author.
michelle_pink_polka_dot's review against another edition
5.0
YES!! Go read this book!!
This book is definitely going to be on my end of year favorites list. This is just the type of Mystery/Thriller I like, and I'm kind of mad it wasn't shoved in my face earlier!!
The first thing that jumped out at me was the setting. This whole thing takes place in a town called Shelocta, which is a real town located about 15 miles from where I live. I always find it fun to read books that are set in Western PA-- it gives me an instant connection to the book. Also, this was set in the 90's!! The references weren't enough to put my 90's nostalgia into high gear, but it was cool to go back in time a little.
Then, there's the characters. Remy, the boy next door, was my fave. I don't know why I like the kinds of book boys that are aloof, but you know that if the m/c breaks through their outer shell they'll be adorable, but I do. Remy is the kind of character that is frustrating, but worth sticking with. Sam wasn't someone I super connected with, but the mystery was enough to keep me with her.
The Mystery: I wanted to know what happened to the sister. I wanted to know why in the hell someone would dress as Santa Claus on New Year's Eve. If Steven was supposedly innocent, I wanted to know how/why there would be 2 people dressed as Santa Claus after Christmas. There was so much grief and pain to wade through to get the heart of what happened, but once we got there, there were more answers than I was expecting.
Bonus: Mixed in are police interviews and excerpts from a true-crime book about the case. I love a good epistolary element to break things up & these ones added a lot to the book.
I gotta talk about that ending!!! I won't give any spoilers, but AHHHHH. This ending totally messed with my head and freaked me out. I don't usually sit around thinking someone is going to break into my house, but the night I finished this, I jumped at every creak and shadow.
OVERALL: A+ YA Mystery/Thriller!! This is just the kind of Mystery/Thriller I like-- very character driven, deals with issues beyond the actual mystery, deep, and twisted. I totally, 100% recommend to anyone looking to get lost in a good mystery.
My Blog:
Pink Polka Dot Books
This book is definitely going to be on my end of year favorites list. This is just the type of Mystery/Thriller I like, and I'm kind of mad it wasn't shoved in my face earlier!!
The first thing that jumped out at me was the setting. This whole thing takes place in a town called Shelocta, which is a real town located about 15 miles from where I live. I always find it fun to read books that are set in Western PA-- it gives me an instant connection to the book. Also, this was set in the 90's!! The references weren't enough to put my 90's nostalgia into high gear, but it was cool to go back in time a little.
Then, there's the characters. Remy, the boy next door, was my fave. I don't know why I like the kinds of book boys that are aloof, but you know that if the m/c breaks through their outer shell they'll be adorable, but I do. Remy is the kind of character that is frustrating, but worth sticking with. Sam wasn't someone I super connected with, but the mystery was enough to keep me with her.
The Mystery: I wanted to know what happened to the sister. I wanted to know why in the hell someone would dress as Santa Claus on New Year's Eve. If Steven was supposedly innocent, I wanted to know how/why there would be 2 people dressed as Santa Claus after Christmas. There was so much grief and pain to wade through to get the heart of what happened, but once we got there, there were more answers than I was expecting.
Bonus: Mixed in are police interviews and excerpts from a true-crime book about the case. I love a good epistolary element to break things up & these ones added a lot to the book.
I gotta talk about that ending!!! I won't give any spoilers, but AHHHHH. This ending totally messed with my head and freaked me out. I don't usually sit around thinking someone is going to break into my house, but the night I finished this, I jumped at every creak and shadow.
OVERALL: A+ YA Mystery/Thriller!! This is just the kind of Mystery/Thriller I like-- very character driven, deals with issues beyond the actual mystery, deep, and twisted. I totally, 100% recommend to anyone looking to get lost in a good mystery.
My Blog:
Pink Polka Dot Books