A review by chelsea_shelves
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

There were things I really liked about this book and things I didn’t. It was tough for me because I found the premise so promising and engaging, but the story lacking. I loved the focus on the stepmother-stepdaughter relationship. I liked the protagonist’s backstory and how it all tied back in with the decision she makes at the end. But, I don’t love her decision and am not convinced it was necessary. We don’t get enough in my opinion to believe that there is real danger. It doesn’t work for me. I loved the last line though. That touched me and brought tears to my eyes. Having said that I think throughout the book there was too much moralizing and explaining. The characterization was good and I would have had even more emotional response just hearing their story without the excessive reflection. Why can’t we just let a story speak for itself? The mystery and search kept me rapt though. It was good. The resolution just didn’t match up to me. Maybe we needed more details or just a different way to come to the same conclusion. 

Also I realized while reading this that I just don’t like 1st person present tense narrative. It grates on me. Past tense feels more natural and third person even more so. But that’s just my preference. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings