Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Flight by Julie Clark

33 reviews

simplyinthemoment's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.25

The storyline kept me interested in what the outcomes were going to be for the characters. The beginning started out strong & the ending was also nail biting but the middle dragged a bit. A few of those chapters could have been condensed to speed the story along. The ending left me a bit confused but it was overall satisfying. 

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alexisreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book will pull you in like a tsunami. I was hooked for the beginning especially towards the end as well. I think this a great thriller read it keeps you on your toes!!

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gigiof5's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Julie Clark’s, The Last Flight, was a gripping, intense novel, about desperate women who are ready to change! Powerful and inspiring.

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Title: The Last Flight
Author: Julie Clark
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: June 2, 2020

T H R E E • W O R D S

Thoughtful • Entertaining • Bittersweet

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Two women. Two flights. One last chance to disappear.

Claire Cook has a perfect life. Married to the scion of a political dynasty, with a Manhattan townhouse and a staff of ten, her surroundings are elegant, her days flawlessly choreographed, and her future auspicious. But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems. That perfect husband has a temper that burns as bright as his promising political career, and he's not above using his staff to track Claire's every move, making sure she's living up to his impossible standards. But what he doesn't know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish.

A chance meeting in an airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision to switch tickets--Claire taking Eva's flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. They believe the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away. But when the flight to Puerto Rico goes down, Claire realizes it's no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva's identity, and along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden.

💭 T H O U G H T S

The Last Flight was my final book for my 12 recommendations from 12 friends challenge in 2023. I tried reading it earlier in the year, but knowing I was going to be flying in July made me put it aside until afterwards.

Told in dual POV format, Claire and Eva are both strong, vulnerable characters. Each came across as a real person escaping an equally dangerous situation. The novel sure starts out with a bang - a plane crash - and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough through the first third. There's definitely a lull in the action through the middle, where it becomes more suspenseful than thrilling, yet it picks back up towards the end. I think the plot structure really worked for the story Julie Clark was trying to tell. It allowed me to really get to know each of the two women and how they ended up where they were, and it slowly unravels their connection. I definitely did not figure out how Eva came to be at the airport until it was revealed.

Beyond the story, what I appreciated so much about this book was the depth beyond the words on the page. Because the male characters were background here, there's a sense of female strength and empowerment. It also shines a light on how neither woman could trust the system to help them, and how they each had to take matter into their own hands. This is a reality many people continue to face on a daily basis and I just thought it added another layer to the story.

While The Last Flight was less than thrilling in my opinion, it definitely had an element of suspense and was an escape read during the frantic holiday season. What I appreciated most about it was the social commentary that was there, yet wasn't there. I'd recommend this to readers who like thrillers with depth.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Lisa Jewell fans
• readers who like psychological suspense

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"I believed my voice alone wouldn't be enough. That nobody would want to hear the truth and step in to help. But when I needed it most, three women showed up. First Eva, then Danielle, and finally, Charlie. If we don't tell our own stories, we'll never take control of the narrative."

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radhikag's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was a quick, easy & good read! I also wonder if this is what prompted me to finally watch big little lies on HBO lol idk similar themes in a way? Characters ish? 

Enjoyed this and while I kinda wish there was a different end, I think it was pretty good overall. 

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rhiannaoliviab's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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callistabanks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The ending was so unexpected (I finished it on my work break and may or may not had to hold back tears so I didn’t look like a crazy person 😝). But I loved the writing style and learning about what both Claire and Eva were running from. Both those women were so beautifully written and I really enjoyed the stress I was feeling for both of them, surprisingly. 

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grazeea's review against another edition

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tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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annaofjesup's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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siobhanward's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

 This book had a strong and interesting premise, and the beginning was great, but it just kind of plateaued after that. I'll give the ending some credit for being interesting for sure, but even then it almost felt disconnected from the rest. The last chapter was really well-executed though, I'll give Clark that.

The middle of the book is where I had problems
because I don't get why Claire adopted Eva's life? Like why not get a side gig and start a new life entirely? She'd already managed to get a bunch of faked documents once, I'm not sure why it wasn't doable again. She knew from her encounter with Eva that Eva might be headed for trouble (even if it was a lie), so why did she try to adopt her life? It just felt like her life would have been much easier if she had just gotten to California and disappeared.


I do applaud Clark for a cool premise. I can't say it's unique, I've definitely read it before, but it was decently well-done. I just wish the middle of the book had been as good as the beginning and end. 

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