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gene_vieve_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
So I really love thrillers normally and I really walked into The Last Girls Standing thinking I was genuinely going to enjoy the book. I wanted so, so, so badly to enjoy the read.
Sloan is a character you want to love, you want to wrap her in your arms and cradle her because of her lack of memory after the traumatic events that happened to her. Cherry is a doll, she's protective and kind maybe to a fault. I think I was really endeared to her because she's almost a picture perfect representation of the kind of person you want after experiencing trauma.
I found myself confused, throughout the book, by the kind of relationship the two shared, by the lack of boundaries, by the way Sloan holds on to Cherry so tight. At times I was rooting for them, other times I wanted them to practice having space.
I cannot emphasize enough how endeared I got to these two children, how much I wanted them to win, whatever a win would look like.
Spoilers ahead:
I hated the ending of this book. It feels incredibly dark for a YA novel as well as unnecessary. I wanted nothing more than for Cherry to have a break by the time the ending came around. I wanted nothing more than for Sloan to let people help her.
And I can't help but wonder about a kill your gays trope mixed with the validity of making trauma bound toxic queer characters. We don't need more of that. For so many reasons these young ladies deserved a happy ending and instead Cherry is dead, Sloan never got help with her PTSD and killed somebody. I just can't find it in myself to enjoy this book as much as I thought I was going to.
Sloan is a character you want to love, you want to wrap her in your arms and cradle her because of her lack of memory after the traumatic events that happened to her. Cherry is a doll, she's protective and kind maybe to a fault. I think I was really endeared to her because she's almost a picture perfect representation of the kind of person you want after experiencing trauma.
I found myself confused, throughout the book, by the kind of relationship the two shared, by the lack of boundaries, by the way Sloan holds on to Cherry so tight. At times I was rooting for them, other times I wanted them to practice having space.
I cannot emphasize enough how endeared I got to these two children, how much I wanted them to win, whatever a win would look like.
Spoilers ahead:
I hated the ending of this book. It feels incredibly dark for a YA novel as well as unnecessary. I wanted nothing more than for Cherry to have a break by the time the ending came around. I wanted nothing more than for Sloan to let people help her.
And I can't help but wonder about a kill your gays trope mixed with the validity of making trauma bound toxic queer characters. We don't need more of that. For so many reasons these young ladies deserved a happy ending and instead Cherry is dead, Sloan never got help with her PTSD and killed somebody. I just can't find it in myself to enjoy this book as much as I thought I was going to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Death, Blood, and Child abuse
nrogers_1030'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
In this YA thriller, Cherry and Sloan are the "last girls standing" in a camp massacre. Once Sloan begins investigating what happened, she finds out more than she bargained for. The story is told in Sloan's POV.
I was really excited to read this - the cover art is amazing and the book description sounded right up my alley. After what they experienced at the camp, it's not unimaginable to see how these two ended up being together and being each other's everything. But the relationship is very toxic (to the point of full-blown obsession, including stalking). Things started picking up in Chapter 5. Once I hit Chapter 15, I couldn't put the book down because I *needed* to know what happened next. Without giving away the meat of the story, I wish the storyline didn't feel rushed. The progression from being paranoid about her girlfriend's involvement in the cult-related murders to believing in the doctrine of the cult was a bit rushed. There was no gradual decline of mental facilities. Bam, boom, it's done. One chapter she's investigating, the next shes in a full fledged mental break. I would have liked to have seen more development in that regard.
That being said, I really enjoyed The Last Girls Standing. It's dark, it's LGBTQIA inclusive and it definitely sets itself apart from the standard lone survivor trope. Being geared towards ages 14+, I feel like the content is appropriate for those not wanting to read heavy sexual content.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.
That being said, I really enjoyed The Last Girls Standing. It's dark, it's LGBTQIA inclusive and it definitely sets itself apart from the standard lone survivor trope. Being geared towards ages 14+, I feel like the content is appropriate for those not wanting to read heavy sexual content.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Gore, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, and Sexual content
kayceeisbookish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Grief, Death, Gore, and Murder
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