Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Last One by Will Dean

5 reviews

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

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.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

collinsd's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol

Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse

A mix of locked room mystery/ The Truman Show/ Wreck/ Black Mirror/Then There Were None and Lord of the Flies. If Trauma Porn, Gaslighting and Father issues was a book. Short snappy chapters but terrible ending if I wasn't reading this on my laptop I would've flung it across the room.

I didn't like any of the characters Caroline just kept going on and on about her father's gambling and it was blood boiling, I would've personally made Frannie climb that mast and push her off and personally drowned Daniel and stuck splinters into both his eyes. As for Smith he was just annoying and didn't add anything to the story. Also fuck Pete why would you sign some one elses consent form. And I hope Michelle got bitten by that one dog.

sarahs9's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Addiction, Abandonment, Suicide, and Death

booksbytheglass's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? No

3.5

what a creative and bizarre story!! it definitely gave me MAJOR manifest vibes with how eerie and unbelievable the plot was! I mean, if you woke up to a completely deserted cruise ship, I think I would just simply lose my mind 🤯

I have no idea what I was expecting from this one after will dean’s previous novel FIRST BORN completely blew me away, but going in blind to this one was well worth it!

this slow-burn thriller left a bunch of clues throughout, like bread crumbs, but it left me feeling very unsatisfied in the end… the plot twists didn’t give a satisfied conclusion, in my opinion, and I felt just as discombobulated as MC caz was. I just couldn’t get around the legal ramifications of this and how f*cked up the entire plot really was. 

for me, I tend to enjoy believable thrillers more than those out of left field, and I highly doubt anything like this plot (which I’m leaving out for spoiler purposes) would happen in real life. it was just a little too out there for my taste, BUT it was truly a heart-pounding adventure from start to finish! 

thank you to netgalley and atria books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! I’m addicted to will dean’s writing!!

rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: columbia valley pinot noir 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Confinement

Moderate: Suicide attempt