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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
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
gabs_myfullbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. This is by far, one of the most realistic, emotional 'thrillers' I've ever read. It's much more just simply a tragic story then an actual thriller, though the mystery is definitely intriguing. This is all over just simply a good book.
This tells the story of the aftermath of a child abduction. Not the immediate aftermath, but the long-term, ten years ago aftermath, which really isn't focused on as much in many books dealing with the topic (in my opinion). Sam's sister Turtle was stolen on New Year's, never to be found. This is the story of how the family learns to cope, just as much as figuring out what really happened that night.
And let me tell you, it's emotional. My throat was so sore after reading this because I had such a big lump in it nearly the whole time. I'm actually kind of tearing up just thinking about it, because I could not imagine this happening to one of my siblings. I would just die. It's really realistically portrayed, which means it is sometimes difficult to read.
This family is definitely still grieving, though there are times when it is not as apparent. What's worse, Sam is beginning to question what happened that night, and the answers she's getting aren't what she would want. This mystery was So. Good. I was on the edge of my seat; the empathy I felt for these characters only amplified my desire to figure out what actually happened. It's wild, guys. I did not see it coming at all. There were about five trillion plot twists near the end, and my eyes just got wider and wider with each one.
My favorite part of the book was the discussion between Sam and Noah about their sisters. It's so shocking and not what you ever really would expect when reading about abduction, but that's what I love about it. It's so raw and authentic.
Let me tell you, this ending is just...I love it, but it's so freaking CRUEL, because it begs for a sequel that I'm not sure is coming. I have a feeling this book will just be one of those horrifyingly awful yet wonderful cliffhangers, torturing me with its desire to get resolved. Seriously. A bomb got dropped on me and then the book literally ended. Not one more sentence. Not one more word. I was so pissed.
This book was great. It blended emotion with mystery perfectly to make this beautiful book, one where I have never nor probably will ever read something like it.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. This is by far, one of the most realistic, emotional 'thrillers' I've ever read. It's much more just simply a tragic story then an actual thriller, though the mystery is definitely intriguing. This is all over just simply a good book.
This tells the story of the aftermath of a child abduction. Not the immediate aftermath, but the long-term, ten years ago aftermath, which really isn't focused on as much in many books dealing with the topic (in my opinion). Sam's sister Turtle was stolen on New Year's, never to be found. This is the story of how the family learns to cope, just as much as figuring out what really happened that night.
And let me tell you, it's emotional. My throat was so sore after reading this because I had such a big lump in it nearly the whole time. I'm actually kind of tearing up just thinking about it, because I could not imagine this happening to one of my siblings. I would just die. It's really realistically portrayed, which means it is sometimes difficult to read.
This family is definitely still grieving, though there are times when it is not as apparent. What's worse, Sam is beginning to question what happened that night, and the answers she's getting aren't what she would want. This mystery was So. Good. I was on the edge of my seat; the empathy I felt for these characters only amplified my desire to figure out what actually happened. It's wild, guys. I did not see it coming at all. There were about five trillion plot twists near the end, and my eyes just got wider and wider with each one.
My favorite part of the book was the discussion between Sam and Noah about their sisters. It's so shocking and not what you ever really would expect when reading about abduction, but that's what I love about it. It's so raw and authentic.
Let me tell you, this ending is just...I love it, but it's so freaking CRUEL, because it begs for a sequel that I'm not sure is coming. I have a feeling this book will just be one of those horrifyingly awful yet wonderful cliffhangers, torturing me with its desire to get resolved. Seriously. A bomb got dropped on me and then the book literally ended. Not one more sentence. Not one more word. I was so pissed.
This book was great. It blended emotion with mystery perfectly to make this beautiful book, one where I have never nor probably will ever read something like it.
liralen's review against another edition
3.0
I like Jessica Warman's books because she lets the mess in. The Last Good Day of the Year gets dark, and there are problems that just can't be solved, and insofar as there's romance it's as much a complicating factor as anything. Here, Samantha's little sister is gone—has been gone for years, although the timeline jumps around—and there isn't really any hope of finding her. The family's still together, but in many ways they've fallen apart. Sam and her older sister both have guilt over what happened, but it's not guilt they can share.
I'm somewhere between three and four stars on this—really enjoyed it but think it could have gone further. The whodunnit end of things is really well woven in (I pegged it on page 123, but I was looking for it—it's subtle—and there are twists that I didn't expect), and there are things that just don't get fully resolved because that's the way it works. Still, I think it could have been markedly darker, more complicated, even while staying within the sort of 'acceptable' bounds of YA fiction.
[b:Breathless|6449903|Breathless|Jessica Warman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312057592s/6449903.jpg|6640019] remains my favourite of Warman's books, but I will happily read whatever comes next.
I'm somewhere between three and four stars on this—really enjoyed it but think it could have gone further. The whodunnit end of things is really well woven in (I pegged it on page 123, but I was looking for it—it's subtle—and there are twists that I didn't expect), and there are things that just don't get fully resolved because that's the way it works. Still, I think it could have been markedly darker, more complicated, even while staying within the sort of 'acceptable' bounds of YA fiction.
[b:Breathless|6449903|Breathless|Jessica Warman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312057592s/6449903.jpg|6640019] remains my favourite of Warman's books, but I will happily read whatever comes next.
megelizabeth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
"That’s all anybody really wants, isn’t it? More than anything, we want it all to be over."
This is a haunting, devastating story of a family consumed by the grief of not knowing. It's both a tense mystery and a heartbreaking exploration of the long-term effects of horrific crimes on victims' families and communities. The latter is done extremely well in my opinion; I really appreciated how fleshed-out the characters are and how much more there is to the story in addition to the who-dun-it.
Generally the mystery element was strong too; the resolution to the main element of it definitely caught me off-guard, and I thought the ending was very well-done. However, there are a few loose ends which are never quite tied up, which frustrated me and which is my main criticism of the book. Also, whilst on the whole there is a lot of great social commentary, there are a couple of mildly homophobic remarks in the narrative, which I felt let down by and which were extra frustrating as they didn't add anything to the story and thus could've easily not been included.
This is a haunting, devastating story of a family consumed by the grief of not knowing. It's both a tense mystery and a heartbreaking exploration of the long-term effects of horrific crimes on victims' families and communities. The latter is done extremely well in my opinion; I really appreciated how fleshed-out the characters are and how much more there is to the story in addition to the who-dun-it.
Generally the mystery element was strong too; the resolution to the main element of it definitely caught me off-guard, and I thought the ending was very well-done. However, there are a few loose ends which are never quite tied up, which frustrated me and which is my main criticism of the book. Also, whilst on the whole there is a lot of great social commentary, there are a couple of mildly homophobic remarks in the narrative, which I felt let down by and which were extra frustrating as they didn't add anything to the story and thus could've easily not been included.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Self harm
msteen02's review against another edition
1.0
When I first picked this book up off the shelf I was so excited to start reading. Boy, had I made a mistake. I thought this book would be a thrilling murder mystery, but the plot was very slow and didn't have a lot of action. I almost quit reading multiple times. The story was good, but the plot was too slow and not very exciting.
erinlynn1989's review against another edition
5.0
My full review can also be found on my blog, The Hardcover Lover.
In accordance to FTC guidelines, I must state that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for review purposes.
When I first requested The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman, I really thought I had no chance for approval. I don't really read thrillers, so why would Bloomsbury take a chance on me with no solid evidence of me reading the genre? Spoiler alert... I don't... well I didn't until now. I was shocked when it showed up in my mailbox, and afraid to give it a chance. You'll soon find out why this book may have been the game changer for me because I absolutely loved it!
While The Last Good Day of the Year gets off to a slow and confusing start, it's hella intense and scary enjoyable. I'm only saying that it's confusing because there are so many characters. There are the obviously important ones, and then there are some ones that are thrown in that just seem misplaced. By the time I was at the end of the book, I understood the inclusion of these characters, and why Warman was keeping me on my toes. OMG. It's just so crazy!
The reader probably shouldn't be enjoying a story about a four-year-old being abducted and most likely murdered, but it's hard not to enjoy. I don't want to compare it to a train wreck, but readers definitely won't be turning their eyes from this one once they start reading. Warman writes with an intensity that draws readers in and makes them crave more. It becomes a need to finish this book and figure out what happened to Turtle that New Year's Eve in 1986.
The book is told with a before and after perspective, and it jumps around a lot. Sometimes Sam is reflecting on what happened in 1986, and other times, it's 1996 when she and her family have moved back to the home where Turtle was taken. There are even a few times when Sam reflects on what happened a few months prior to her move back to Shelocta. You definitely have to piece together the puzzle, but it's worth it when you get to the shocking ending.
Now here's the part where I normally recommend the book to readers of certain books, but I have nothing to go on! So... if you are a fan of thrillers and mysteries, this might be the book you'll want to kick off your recreational summer reading. Trust me... you don't want to miss this that will keep you up at night!
In accordance to FTC guidelines, I must state that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for review purposes.
When I first requested The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman, I really thought I had no chance for approval. I don't really read thrillers, so why would Bloomsbury take a chance on me with no solid evidence of me reading the genre? Spoiler alert... I don't... well I didn't until now. I was shocked when it showed up in my mailbox, and afraid to give it a chance. You'll soon find out why this book may have been the game changer for me because I absolutely loved it!
While The Last Good Day of the Year gets off to a slow and confusing start, it's hella intense and scary enjoyable. I'm only saying that it's confusing because there are so many characters. There are the obviously important ones, and then there are some ones that are thrown in that just seem misplaced. By the time I was at the end of the book, I understood the inclusion of these characters, and why Warman was keeping me on my toes. OMG. It's just so crazy!
The reader probably shouldn't be enjoying a story about a four-year-old being abducted and most likely murdered, but it's hard not to enjoy. I don't want to compare it to a train wreck, but readers definitely won't be turning their eyes from this one once they start reading. Warman writes with an intensity that draws readers in and makes them crave more. It becomes a need to finish this book and figure out what happened to Turtle that New Year's Eve in 1986.
The book is told with a before and after perspective, and it jumps around a lot. Sometimes Sam is reflecting on what happened in 1986, and other times, it's 1996 when she and her family have moved back to the home where Turtle was taken. There are even a few times when Sam reflects on what happened a few months prior to her move back to Shelocta. You definitely have to piece together the puzzle, but it's worth it when you get to the shocking ending.
Now here's the part where I normally recommend the book to readers of certain books, but I have nothing to go on! So... if you are a fan of thrillers and mysteries, this might be the book you'll want to kick off your recreational summer reading. Trust me... you don't want to miss this that will keep you up at night!
skillwithaquill's review against another edition
3.0
This was a truly haunting book in many ways. It pulls absolutely no punches. The emotional aftermath of a kidnapping is explored in such nuanced and impactful ways. Different characters grieve in different ways and it's a realistic, if difficult, look at such unfathomable pain. The ending was a genuine surprise for me. I can't say it's an "enjoyable" book, given the content, but it's definitely compelling.