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A review by olivialandryxo
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
[second read, July-August 2022]
I think??? I love this even more than RWARB??? Don’t get me wrong, I adore them both, but like… I basically am August—queer, early 20s, doesn’t know how to people, has no clue what she’s doing with her life, has a massive crush on Jane. And yes, I’m aware that that probably describes a lot of people, but I even look like August. Multiple people have said so. I can see it. So.
And Jane?? Ohmygod. I have the biggest crush on her. She’s single-handedly responsible for making me realize my type™️ is girls with dark hair, tattoos, and an attitude. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more gay than I did while reading this.
While both this book and RWARB are favorites, both comfort books, the fact that this one is sapphic gives it the slightest edge over Casey’s debut. They both have lovely found families and hilarious banter and serotonin practically radiating from the pages, but OLS also has Jane Su. I rest my case.
(I’m pretty sure this is the gayest review I’ve ever written, but it’s all true. And, jokes aside, I really do love this book with all my heart.)
[first read, August 2021]
As excited as I was for this book, I didn't actually think Casey McQuiston could top Red, White and Royal Blue. Their debut is one of my favorite books of all time, one that I consistently reread both in part and in entirety for comfort and amusement. I have more Firstprince fan art on my phone than I do of any other couple. (2022 Liv: This is no longer true because I’ve since discovered Romajuliette and Cressworth lol.)
But here I am, proven wrong. One Last Stop was just as brilliant, and has a place as close to my heart as RWARB. Don’t ask me which crew I love more, or which couple I ship more, or which book I prefer. I don’t know the answer to any of those questions.
August and Jane have my heart. I love them and Myla and Niko and Wes and Isaiah and the Billy’s crew. I love how delightfully queer this book is. Every character is an icon. The banter is brilliant. The friendships are brilliant. The found family is brilliant. Are you sensing a theme here? ‘Cause there is one: everything is just freaking brilliant. And I do mean everything.
The only thing that could’ve made this book better—and this is wishful thinking, not actual criticism—is some sort of RWARB cameo. As far as I know, McQuiston never actually confirmed whether or not this is set in the same universe as their first book, but I’m imagining that it is. That Ellen Claremont is president and August and Jane’s story is happening alongside Alex and Henry’s. Anyway, my point here is that I would’ve loved to see a little reference to my boys, since they have a brownstone together in NYC by the end of 2020. I can absolutely imagine the OLS crew seeing Firstprince at Billy’s or somewhere around town. Or maybe the whole RWARB crew was at one of the drag shows. Nora or Pez would totally convince everyone else to go, and they’d get drunk and have a blast. I don’t know. Something that involved my 12 fave queer disasters having fun together. Anything, really.
So, yeah. I loved this book. I may or may not have a major crush on Jane. I’ll almost definitely reread soon, maybe even before 2021 is over. ❤️ (2022 Liv: ‘may or may not’? Lmao, girl, who are you kidding??)
Representation
I think??? I love this even more than RWARB??? Don’t get me wrong, I adore them both, but like… I basically am August—queer, early 20s, doesn’t know how to people, has no clue what she’s doing with her life, has a massive crush on Jane. And yes, I’m aware that that probably describes a lot of people, but I even look like August. Multiple people have said so. I can see it. So.
And Jane?? Ohmygod. I have the biggest crush on her. She’s single-handedly responsible for making me realize my type™️ is girls with dark hair, tattoos, and an attitude. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more gay than I did while reading this.
While both this book and RWARB are favorites, both comfort books, the fact that this one is sapphic gives it the slightest edge over Casey’s debut. They both have lovely found families and hilarious banter and serotonin practically radiating from the pages, but OLS also has Jane Su. I rest my case.
(I’m pretty sure this is the gayest review I’ve ever written, but it’s all true. And, jokes aside, I really do love this book with all my heart.)
[first read, August 2021]
As excited as I was for this book, I didn't actually think Casey McQuiston could top Red, White and Royal Blue. Their debut is one of my favorite books of all time, one that I consistently reread both in part and in entirety for comfort and amusement. I have more Firstprince fan art on my phone than I do of any other couple. (2022 Liv: This is no longer true because I’ve since discovered Romajuliette and Cressworth lol.)
But here I am, proven wrong. One Last Stop was just as brilliant, and has a place as close to my heart as RWARB. Don’t ask me which crew I love more, or which couple I ship more, or which book I prefer. I don’t know the answer to any of those questions.
August and Jane have my heart. I love them and Myla and Niko and Wes and Isaiah and the Billy’s crew. I love how delightfully queer this book is. Every character is an icon. The banter is brilliant. The friendships are brilliant. The found family is brilliant. Are you sensing a theme here? ‘Cause there is one: everything is just freaking brilliant. And I do mean everything.
The only thing that could’ve made this book better—and this is wishful thinking, not actual criticism—is some sort of RWARB cameo. As far as I know, McQuiston never actually confirmed whether or not this is set in the same universe as their first book, but I’m imagining that it is. That Ellen Claremont is president and August and Jane’s story is happening alongside Alex and Henry’s. Anyway, my point here is that I would’ve loved to see a little reference to my boys, since they have a brownstone together in NYC by the end of 2020. I can absolutely imagine the OLS crew seeing Firstprince at Billy’s or somewhere around town. Or maybe the whole RWARB crew was at one of the drag shows. Nora or Pez would totally convince everyone else to go, and they’d get drunk and have a blast. I don’t know. Something that involved my 12 fave queer disasters having fun together. Anything, really.
So, yeah. I loved this book. I may or may not have a major crush on Jane. I’ll almost definitely reread soon, maybe even before 2021 is over. ❤️ (2022 Liv: ‘may or may not’? Lmao, girl, who are you kidding??)
Representation
- fat bisexual protagonist
- Chinese-American lesbian love interest
- sapphic romance (f/f)
- side characters of color (includes Ghanaian, Puerto Rican, Jamaican, and Black rep)
- queer side characters (includes trans, achillean, bisexual, and pansexual rep)
- achillean side couple (m/m)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Vomit and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Police brutality, Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Nearly all things tagged as minor happened prior to the story and are briefly mentioned throughout. There was one death (August’s grandma) that happened in present time, but she’s never actually on-page and they don’t have a close relationship. The racism and homophobia are also mostly references to things that occurred prior to the story. There are a few instances where the characters face those things in present time, but no slurs are ever used on-page. It’s not explicit.