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betweentheshelves's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
No One Left but You is about trans teen Max, who is newly out and struggling a little bit with that at school. At least, until he meets Gloss. Gloss throws him into the sort of party scene, and eventually, they find themselves at a party that leaves someone dead. One of the comps for this is Euphoria, and though I've never watched the show, from what I know of it, this is a good read-a-like for that.
Alternating between Before and After definitely helps with building the suspense; it gives you small details throughout, trying to piece the different events together. At its core, this is a thriller, but it also gives you themes of friendship, coming of age, and just trying to find your place in the world.
The characters are really compelling; getting to see Max's thought process and glimpses of what life was like before he came out brought the whole thing full circle. If you're looking for a YA thriller to start your year off with, definitely pick this one up!
Alternating between Before and After definitely helps with building the suspense; it gives you small details throughout, trying to piece the different events together. At its core, this is a thriller, but it also gives you themes of friendship, coming of age, and just trying to find your place in the world.
The characters are really compelling; getting to see Max's thought process and glimpses of what life was like before he came out brought the whole thing full circle. If you're looking for a YA thriller to start your year off with, definitely pick this one up!
Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Death
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
elliott_roi's review
4.0
Thrillers can be hit or miss for me, but I gave No One Left But You a shot because it has a trans MC. And I'm glad I did! It wasn't a new favourite, but I did enjoy my time with this book.
I liked the overlapping timelines of "before" and "after" the murder and how things came together. Although the synopsis made it sound like the "after" would involve a lot more sleuthing and trying to figure out who did it, when really not much happened except a police interrogation and mourning with friends. Regardless, the mystery was sufficiently suspenseful and I didn't figure it all out til the end.
Max was a great MC, with a lot of depth and growth throughout the story. Gloss was also an interesting character, although sometimes a bit unbelievable. I think I would have liked to see some of the side characters more developed. I didn't always get a sense of who they were besides some basic descriptions of their personality and home life.
Overall, I thought this was a great moody read and I will definitely be recommending it to others for its trans rep and readability.
Thank you to Soho Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC. All thoughts are my own.
I liked the overlapping timelines of "before" and "after" the murder and how things came together. Although the synopsis made it sound like the "after" would involve a lot more sleuthing and trying to figure out who did it, when really not much happened except a police interrogation and mourning with friends. Regardless, the mystery was sufficiently suspenseful and I didn't figure it all out til the end.
Max was a great MC, with a lot of depth and growth throughout the story. Gloss was also an interesting character, although sometimes a bit unbelievable. I think I would have liked to see some of the side characters more developed. I didn't always get a sense of who they were besides some basic descriptions of their personality and home life.
Overall, I thought this was a great moody read and I will definitely be recommending it to others for its trans rep and readability.
Thank you to Soho Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC. All thoughts are my own.
Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, Death, Drug use, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, Sexual content, and Homophobia
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