lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
*I received a free copy of The Last One Home from NetGalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review which is honest and unbiased.*
I can mostly just say wow! Stone has written an incredibly tense psychological thriller here, and I could not put the book down. Unreliable narrators, a mystery, flashbacks and present time seamlessly interwoven.
Pick this up when it releases! You won't regret it :)
I can mostly just say wow! Stone has written an incredibly tense psychological thriller here, and I could not put the book down. Unreliable narrators, a mystery, flashbacks and present time seamlessly interwoven.
Pick this up when it releases! You won't regret it :)
faithgeer20's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
jjj_27's review against another edition
3.0
three stars for me because I really wanted to know what happen with Mary Ellen (ME) I also really wanted to know what happened to the father like how long is he going to stay in jail etc… The plot was a little bit different than I thought so I guess that’s okay,
jennywjordan's review against another edition
5.0
Can people be both good and evil and can we choose to see just one side? Can along the flaws and fears can we do terrible things in the name of love? At the core, the Last One Home is steeped in these questions. For Lauren, her complicated life has been built on her determination of who was right and who was wrong or wronged. When long into adulthood she begins to peel away the layers she discovers the answers of victim and perpetrator are as complicated as her life has been.
Stone does a great job of building the arc. Her novel is written in both present day Lauren and past day Donna. In weaving two stories thirty-five years apart, Stone giftedly holds both attention and clarity and simultaneously pulls you deeper and deeper into the novel.
I enjoyed the read, will be haunted by some details, am searching for my own Carver to have my back, and am further reminded that life and people are like onions—-there are a lot of layers and some just bring out our worst
Stone does a great job of building the arc. Her novel is written in both present day Lauren and past day Donna. In weaving two stories thirty-five years apart, Stone giftedly holds both attention and clarity and simultaneously pulls you deeper and deeper into the novel.
I enjoyed the read, will be haunted by some details, am searching for my own Carver to have my back, and am further reminded that life and people are like onions—-there are a lot of layers and some just bring out our worst
emoraleda's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ceb926's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
barbistull's review against another edition
4.0
This book was the first one for me from Victoria Helen Stone. I love that it was told in dual POV and timeframe--though that made it a little slow to start for me.
We start in 1985 when Donna realizes she is pregnant after an affair with a married man, Michael, that was supposed to be casual. Michael he promises to divorce his wife and take care of Donna and the baby. Even though there was an alleged affair with a waitress and continued broken promises, Donna tries to give him a chance. A newspaper article puts things into place and Donna accuses Michael of murder.
Lauren's Dad (Michael) was exonerated for the murder and she moved in with him and her grandmother at age 10. Now in the present, Lauren has gone through a break up and seizes the opportunity to move into this home on her Dad's land and renovate it to match her style and needs. It is apparent that Lauren's relationship with her mother to be strained because Donna had never admitted that she was wrong for accusing Michael after his exoneration.
It is a bumpy ride as we learn more about what happened all those years ago--was Donna just bitter about things and accused Michael or murder to get back at him? Are the renovations the right thing to do? What will she find?
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
We start in 1985 when Donna realizes she is pregnant after an affair with a married man, Michael, that was supposed to be casual. Michael he promises to divorce his wife and take care of Donna and the baby. Even though there was an alleged affair with a waitress and continued broken promises, Donna tries to give him a chance. A newspaper article puts things into place and Donna accuses Michael of murder.
Lauren's Dad (Michael) was exonerated for the murder and she moved in with him and her grandmother at age 10. Now in the present, Lauren has gone through a break up and seizes the opportunity to move into this home on her Dad's land and renovate it to match her style and needs. It is apparent that Lauren's relationship with her mother to be strained because Donna had never admitted that she was wrong for accusing Michael after his exoneration.
It is a bumpy ride as we learn more about what happened all those years ago--was Donna just bitter about things and accused Michael or murder to get back at him? Are the renovations the right thing to do? What will she find?
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
cassies_books_reviews's review against another edition
4.0
After a breakup with her long term boyfriend Lauren is trying to figure out who she is. She’s headed back to her grandmas house, she feels like spending time at the house and helping her grandma who just had a stroke. Soon after arriving she’s shocked her grandma tells her she’s giving her the house and she would prefer to be at a nursing home. Lauren’s mother Donna is less than thrilled, she tells her she’s making a mistake. Lauren doesn’t trust her mother because her mother lied and sent her father Michael to prison for ten years for murder, until the actual killer confesses and then he was released. Lauren soon finds herself renovating the old home and starting a DIY page and streaming her accomplishments for her new followers. The more she’s at the house the more she questions what really happened all those years ago for her mother to accuse her father of such a horrific crime?
The book bounces to 1985 when Donna realizes she’s pregnant after an affair with a married man Michael. The relationship was casual but he had promised to divorce his wife. Donna moves to california and soon realizes Michael wasn’t completely honest, and he leaves a trail of broken promises and soon Donna accuses him of murder.
As the two stories intertwine we learn more and we begin to question how many secrets are to many secrets? Is Lauren’s decision to renovate such a good idea? Was Donna just bitter or did Michael really commit murder? So many questions and the answers are shocking! Five stars!
The book bounces to 1985 when Donna realizes she’s pregnant after an affair with a married man Michael. The relationship was casual but he had promised to divorce his wife. Donna moves to california and soon realizes Michael wasn’t completely honest, and he leaves a trail of broken promises and soon Donna accuses him of murder.
As the two stories intertwine we learn more and we begin to question how many secrets are to many secrets? Is Lauren’s decision to renovate such a good idea? Was Donna just bitter or did Michael really commit murder? So many questions and the answers are shocking! Five stars!
natalier3's review against another edition
2.0
I'd heard a lot about this author so was looking forward to diving in to this one.
However, it just never delivered. It was way too slow for me, and by the time things happened right at the end, I was no longer invested in any of the characters.
This book was probably not a good one to start with, as it hasn't given me a good impression of Stone's work, but I will still read Jane Doe as that seems to have been received better.
I need a plot to grip me, and from the blurb it sounded right up my street. It needed much more twists to engage me. It was barely even a family drama, and certainly not a thriller.
I'm sorry for not enjoying it, I wanted to love it.
However, it just never delivered. It was way too slow for me, and by the time things happened right at the end, I was no longer invested in any of the characters.
This book was probably not a good one to start with, as it hasn't given me a good impression of Stone's work, but I will still read Jane Doe as that seems to have been received better.
I need a plot to grip me, and from the blurb it sounded right up my street. It needed much more twists to engage me. It was barely even a family drama, and certainly not a thriller.
I'm sorry for not enjoying it, I wanted to love it.