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shakira19's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Addiction, Death of parent, and Suicide
megelizabeth's review against another edition
2.5
I was really intrigued by the first quarter or so of this, but after the first big reveal, I for some reason (as in theory I didn't dislike the turn things take) lost interest and found the middle section a huge slog to get through. Things did then pick up for me towards the end, and I was invested to an extent, but then ultimately everything just didn't quite make sense and there were multiple - some pretty significant - unanswered questions. I ended up wondering what exactly the point was supposed to have been, and feeling impacted by some of the dark themes and events but frustrated at how this book just wasn't what it could've been with such an interesting premise.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Suicide, and Addiction
Minor: Emotional abuse
soobooksalot's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
When I skim to the end of a book, I don't often post about it on here.
However, my experience with The Last One lends to listing pros and cons.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for my eARC for review.
Caz and her new-ish bf Pete board a cruise ship and when she wakes up the next morning, absolutely nothing is as it was the day before.
Pros:
- short chapters usually ending on a cliffhanger.
- unique take on a locked-room (ship) mystery.
- a big twist happens very early on to set the stage for what's to come, then another about 1/3 in.
- the ending! Eek!
Cons:
- after the first few chapters, the action wasn't sustained for me.
- I really enjoyed the author's previous The Last Thing To Burn, but this didn't work for me like that one did.
- much longer than I anticipated, with characters I never really connected with.
- a lot of ruminating from Caz about her family life that bogged the story down for me.
But don't go by my opinions. There are many a mixed review on this one, so check it out for something different!
Released on Aug. 8.
However, my experience with The Last One lends to listing pros and cons.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for my eARC for review.
Caz and her new-ish bf Pete board a cruise ship and when she wakes up the next morning, absolutely nothing is as it was the day before.
Pros:
- short chapters usually ending on a cliffhanger.
- unique take on a locked-room (ship) mystery.
- a big twist happens very early on to set the stage for what's to come, then another about 1/3 in.
- the ending! Eek!
Cons:
- after the first few chapters, the action wasn't sustained for me.
- I really enjoyed the author's previous The Last Thing To Burn, but this didn't work for me like that one did.
- much longer than I anticipated, with characters I never really connected with.
- a lot of ruminating from Caz about her family life that bogged the story down for me.
But don't go by my opinions. There are many a mixed review on this one, so check it out for something different!
Released on Aug. 8.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
danscoada's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was immediately drawn into Will R. Dean's new book The Last One simply based on the premise alone. I love a locked-room thriller and I LOVE cruise ships, so this one sounded promising. Thankfully, it delivered on every front. It will be difficult to review because I believe readers should go in knowing next to nothing about this. Actually, I really appreciated how little the synopsis gave away. Nowadays it seems that synopses give away too much about a book's concept, so I was happy with how short The Last One's was.
When I realized Dean set the whole thing up in the first two chapters, I was a little worried about how he would maintain the momentum for another 131 chapters of first-person POV on an abandoned cruise liner. My worries were almost as instantly quelled, though, because I could not put this down. If I hadn't made the mistake of starting it right before going to bed, this would've been a book I could've easily finished in one sitting. The chapters were short, breezy, and almost always ended with a cliffhanger that required me to keep reading.
I don't read mysteries or thrillers with any intention on trying to guess the twists or solve anything. Even still, I didn't see any of it coming. Every few chapters the stakes changed and I was left with whiplash. It takes a lot for me to vocalize my thoughts while reading, but I let out a few "Oh my god"s throughout. May others be able to guess what happens? Surely. I wasn't, so I count that as a win.
We follow Caz's point of view throughout, so we naturally get some background information, especially in regards to her family and their issues. I would say we get information in about 60-75% of the chapters, ranging from a paragraph to two pages. With that much real estate, there were times that I felt her stories to be a bit repetitive, but Dean didn't spend long enough to make me bored or feel the need to skip past a paragraph. I can see how it might be problematic for other readers, though.
With most thrillers, the ending is a true make or break point of the book. For me, I felt Dean (almost entirely) nailed it. It did wrap up very quickly and I do wish we got a little more of the after, but overall I was satisfied.
The Last One wasn't entirely perfect, but I still thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it. With the way my reading has gone this year, I anticipate this showing up in my top reads of 2023 list. I anticipate the publication date so I can interact with other readers and see their takes on this gripping thriller.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC ahead of publication.
When I realized Dean set the whole thing up in the first two chapters, I was a little worried about how he would maintain the momentum for another 131 chapters of first-person POV on an abandoned cruise liner. My worries were almost as instantly quelled, though, because I could not put this down. If I hadn't made the mistake of starting it right before going to bed, this would've been a book I could've easily finished in one sitting. The chapters were short, breezy, and almost always ended with a cliffhanger that required me to keep reading.
I don't read mysteries or thrillers with any intention on trying to guess the twists or solve anything. Even still, I didn't see any of it coming. Every few chapters the stakes changed and I was left with whiplash. It takes a lot for me to vocalize my thoughts while reading, but I let out a few "Oh my god"s throughout. May others be able to guess what happens? Surely. I wasn't, so I count that as a win.
We follow Caz's point of view throughout, so we naturally get some background information, especially in regards to her family and their issues. I would say we get information in about 60-75% of the chapters, ranging from a paragraph to two pages. With that much real estate, there were times that I felt her stories to be a bit repetitive, but Dean didn't spend long enough to make me bored or feel the need to skip past a paragraph. I can see how it might be problematic for other readers, though.
With most thrillers, the ending is a true make or break point of the book. For me, I felt Dean (almost entirely) nailed it. It did wrap up very quickly and I do wish we got a little more of the after, but overall I was satisfied.
The Last One wasn't entirely perfect, but I still thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it. With the way my reading has gone this year, I anticipate this showing up in my top reads of 2023 list. I anticipate the publication date so I can interact with other readers and see their takes on this gripping thriller.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC ahead of publication.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Car accident and Vomit
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