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creolelitbelle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Very unsettling. Everything from what happened at the camp to events after with Sloan trying to cope in the aftermath was really screwed up. Sloan's mental state and her interactions with those around her made me uncomfortable in a way only a well done slasher that's also worked into a psychological thriller can. Unreliable narrator with missing memories who has an unstable grip on reality and uncertainty of who she can trust. The answers Sloan begs for are not even found by the end... Or are they?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Violence, Gore, Death, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent and Cursing
Minor: Animal death
skye_era_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I thought I fully figured out the ending 30 minutes into the book. I finished the book a few hours ago and I still don’t actually know if I was right or not lmao. I’m genuinely so confused by the ending. The characters were extremely unlikeable. I understand she just went through the most traumatic thing imaginable but oh my god. I did appreciate the sapphic rep but oh my god was it toxic as fuck. Every single relationship in this book was toxic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Grief, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
sonygaystation's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I love it when women are insane!
(i do wish this book had more of the summer camp slasher vibe than it did. It was pretty focused on life after the Event, which did keep me guessing. I feel like I got no answers though and I’ve definitely read better thrillers/horror, queer books, and queer thriller/horror. But it was just unhinged enough to satisfy the insanity palette iykwim. Although the main couple were TERRIBLE together like if I had to hear them fight one more time lmao 😭 as a 29 yo gay person in a committed relationship my young besties if you fight like this I’m gonna need you to do some serious inventory on if “love” is worth it lmfao 😭)
(i do wish this book had more of the summer camp slasher vibe than it did. It was pretty focused on life after the Event, which did keep me guessing. I feel like I got no answers though and I’ve definitely read better thrillers/horror, queer books, and queer thriller/horror. But it was just unhinged enough to satisfy the insanity palette iykwim. Although the main couple were TERRIBLE together like if I had to hear them fight one more time lmao 😭 as a 29 yo gay person in a committed relationship my young besties if you fight like this I’m gonna need you to do some serious inventory on if “love” is worth it lmfao 😭)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Gun violence, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent, Animal death, Suicide, Medical content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
bethbaty's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This book had so much potential to be a dope mystery with a satisfying ending, and then it was just dark with no real rhyme or reason in the end. Which, if you’re into that, I’m sure this was great. But I kind of hated it. She’s literally just crazy by the end due to all her trauma and PTSD and murders her own girlfriend happily? Ugh. I also saw the ending coming and I’ll be honest, I just stopped reading with only a chapter or two left because I knew what was coming and I knew I was going to be mad about it. And then I was right on both fronts.
The book had SO MUCH potential to be a thrilling rollercoaster of uncovering the truth of a horrific event little by little for one big crazy reveal. But it didn’t do that. Instead, we got a show of mental health and unchecked trauma that spirals out of control. And it feels like the actual main premise is simply poor communication or lack of it altogether. In every single relationship. In painfully obvious and annoying ways.
The only character I actually liked was Sloan’s ex best friend, and then that just kind of ✨ went away ✨ and never came back. Even though after understanding and kind he’d been, it seems out of character for him to just never come back?
Also, I hated—HATED—Cherry and Sloan’s relationship. These girls knew each other for what? 3 days before they trauma bonded and decided they were soulmates and entirely codependent on each other in every aspect of their lives?? They were SO toxic it was gross and made me strongly dislike both of them.
Finally, I prefer to understand a story and what really happened once it’s over. But we never actually get answers here. Was Sloan right?? Was Cherry lying? Was her mom in on it?? Her dad?? The whole sister Sasha character also seems so random and unexplained honestly. The ending comes, and yeah, Sloan is definitely mentally unwell no matter what, but like… was she right?? What really happened?
I don’t know. I’m just annoyed and angry now.
The book had SO MUCH potential to be a thrilling rollercoaster of uncovering the truth of a horrific event little by little for one big crazy reveal. But it didn’t do that. Instead, we got a show of mental health and unchecked trauma that spirals out of control. And it feels like the actual main premise is simply poor communication or lack of it altogether. In every single relationship. In painfully obvious and annoying ways.
The only character I actually liked was Sloan’s ex best friend, and then that just kind of ✨ went away ✨ and never came back. Even though after understanding and kind he’d been, it seems out of character for him to just never come back?
Also, I hated—HATED—Cherry and Sloan’s relationship. These girls knew each other for what? 3 days before they trauma bonded and decided they were soulmates and entirely codependent on each other in every aspect of their lives?? They were SO toxic it was gross and made me strongly dislike both of them.
Finally, I prefer to understand a story and what really happened once it’s over. But we never actually get answers here. Was Sloan right?? Was Cherry lying? Was her mom in on it?? Her dad?? The whole sister Sasha character also seems so random and unexplained honestly. The ending comes, and yeah, Sloan is definitely mentally unwell no matter what, but like… was she right?? What really happened?
I don’t know. I’m just annoyed and angry now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Mental illness, Murder, Gaslighting, Gore, and Violence
smugreadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Blood, Body horror, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, and Emotional abuse
islandbookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
Minor: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Biphobia, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, and Animal cruelty
thenovelbookshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The Last Girls Standing pays homage to Friday the 13th and the extreme climate change movement in this slasher thriller.
While it's an odd combination, this book mainly focuses on Sloan, who lost her memory of that awful day and her girlfriend and fellow massacre survivor, Cherry, as Sloan attempts to remember what happened through hypnosis.
As the story goes on, the plot twists so slightly that you will feel like you are starting to question what is happening with the character's motives and what actually happened during the massacre.
This is a very thrilling and compelling read, the ending is rushed, confusing, and abrupt but leaves an opening for a sequel.
While it's an odd combination, this book mainly focuses on Sloan, who lost her memory of that awful day and her girlfriend and fellow massacre survivor, Cherry, as Sloan attempts to remember what happened through hypnosis.
As the story goes on, the plot twists so slightly that you will feel like you are starting to question what is happening with the character's motives and what actually happened during the massacre.
This is a very thrilling and compelling read, the ending is rushed, confusing, and abrupt but leaves an opening for a sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, and Gore
Minor: Gaslighting, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
hobbithopeful's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thank you Penguin for this ARC
A sapphic horror novel that depicts trauma in one of the worst lights I've ever seen in a book, with a depressing end message.
Sloan and Cherry are the lone survivors of a summer camp massacre. Deeply traumatized they find solace in each other, but Sloan has holes in her memories, and begins to question what really happened.
I honestly have no idea what I just read. And not in a "wow that was so fantastic and different, but in a I had no idea where any of this story was going".
I do think the premise is interesting, as well as the writing. Just like Sloan, I felt completely lost and unsure of who to trust. There are a lot of great tense moments, and so much gaslighting. I was ready to point fingers at literally everyone in this book.
I don't know Dugan's background, I don't know if she has experienced trauma and CPTSD such as Sloan has. I'm not sure if writing this in a way was cathartic for her. For me someone who suffers from CPTSD, I found this book to be an inaccurate and quite frankly offensive depiction of trauma. There is so much wrong in how this book depicts what it is like to go through trauma therapy, and how the characters react to trauma.The end message of the story seems to be one of "you'll never recover from your trauma and instead spiral and continue hurting others". So that was great to read. Sloan just ends up cracking and killing Cherry, to what end? To show that we can't heal? To show that we will continue hurting others?
I do think the ambiguous ending hurt the book, and just further leaned into the "you won't heal from trauma" stereotype.
If you decide to read this, please check your triggers/content warnings.
Personally I didn't have a good time reading this, and wouldn't personally recommend it.
A sapphic horror novel that depicts trauma in one of the worst lights I've ever seen in a book, with a depressing end message.
Sloan and Cherry are the lone survivors of a summer camp massacre. Deeply traumatized they find solace in each other, but Sloan has holes in her memories, and begins to question what really happened.
I honestly have no idea what I just read. And not in a "wow that was so fantastic and different, but in a I had no idea where any of this story was going".
I do think the premise is interesting, as well as the writing. Just like Sloan, I felt completely lost and unsure of who to trust. There are a lot of great tense moments, and so much gaslighting. I was ready to point fingers at literally everyone in this book.
I don't know Dugan's background, I don't know if she has experienced trauma and CPTSD such as Sloan has. I'm not sure if writing this in a way was cathartic for her. For me someone who suffers from CPTSD, I found this book to be an inaccurate and quite frankly offensive depiction of trauma. There is so much wrong in how this book depicts what it is like to go through trauma therapy, and how the characters react to trauma.
I do think the ambiguous ending hurt the book, and just further leaned into the "you won't heal from trauma" stereotype.
If you decide to read this, please check your triggers/content warnings.
Personally I didn't have a good time reading this, and wouldn't personally recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
herohail's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Death, and Mental illness
Minor: Death of parent
tofugal's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’m a fan of Jennifer Dugan’s YA and adult romance novels, and I loved the premise. Unfortunately, the book didn’t measure up to my expectations. I was hoping for a sapphic spin on the Christopher Pike teen horror books I grew up loving. At the very least, I thought we’d eventually get more glimpses of the campground slaughter scattered throughout as Sloan unraveled the mystery.
Instead, it hyperfocused on Sloan and Cherry’s toxic, codependent relationship and Sloan’s rapidly declining mental health. Both were frustrating to read about.
This not a thrills and chills book. This is a mess with your mind book.
Perhaps my disappointment was my own fault. While the title and cover both scream “horror” the book is correctly advertised as a YA psychological thriller.
Part of the problem was that the most interesting part of the story happened before the book started. And since the Sloan had no memory of the events, I was robbed of what drew me to the book in the first place.
I considered giving up several times, but like Sloan, I wanted answers. Heck, I needed answers. After slogging through Sloan’s trauma and screwed up romance, I deserved answers.
There were no answers. The ending was WTF, and not in a good way. And as if that wasn’t irksome enough, this book also checks all three boxes of my least favorite lesbian cliché that has been overdone to death.
Jennifer Dugan is a talented writer, but this wasn’t the right story for me. I’ll stick to her romances from now on. If you’re looking for a gay Gone Girl, however, this book might be for you.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Mental illness
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death