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ms_elchert's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Violence, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Death, and Confinement
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Grief, and Physical abuse
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, and Violence
the_rainydayreader's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for sending me this eARC in exchange for my review.
To start off, I had already read Stuart Turton’s book The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle when I requested this title. I had found 7 1/2 Deaths to be a fine book, just not something I thought about much later or wanted to read again. The Last Murder at the End of the World had an intriguing premise but ultimately my feelings about it are also fairly ambivalent. I could see others liking it more than I did (I did like it, to be clear), but this was just kind of forgettable for me.
I was initially intrigued by the premise of an island populated by the last people on Earth, with an AI that wiped their memories of a murder. I like murder mysteries and post-apocalyptic settings, so it seemed like it would work for me. But in the end there were a few too many clues and goings-on for me to keep track of, and the final explanation was a little confusing. It would probably make more sense if I reread the book, but I don’t want to. I was never attached to any of the characters.
The book was easily readable and I was able to finish it quickly which definitely gives this book one of three stars in my review.
To start off, I had already read Stuart Turton’s book The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle when I requested this title. I had found 7 1/2 Deaths to be a fine book, just not something I thought about much later or wanted to read again. The Last Murder at the End of the World had an intriguing premise but ultimately my feelings about it are also fairly ambivalent. I could see others liking it more than I did (I did like it, to be clear), but this was just kind of forgettable for me.
I was initially intrigued by the premise of an island populated by the last people on Earth, with an AI that wiped their memories of a murder. I like murder mysteries and post-apocalyptic settings, so it seemed like it would work for me. But in the end there were a few too many clues and goings-on for me to keep track of, and the final explanation was a little confusing. It would probably make more sense if I reread the book, but I don’t want to. I was never attached to any of the characters.
The book was easily readable and I was able to finish it quickly which definitely gives this book one of three stars in my review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Animal death
chezler24's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
"The secrets on this island have teeth, and they don't like being dragged into the light." p.225
Stuart Turton has successfully blended the genres of mystery, sci-fi, and dystopian fiction to create something quite intriguing! He drops you on this mysterious island which seems to be the last safe haven for humanity in a world consumed by a deadly fog; however, secrets lurk behind this backdrop of idyllic village life. After a brutal murder is committed, the villagers must race against the clock to solve the crime, or humanity as they know it will cease to exist. You're going to need to hang on as the pieces of this ingenious, high-concept puzzle are slowly uncovered, BUT you will be amazed at how Turton has threaded everything together. A read for those who want something to shake up the concept of a murder mystery! I'm honestly going to miss this island setting and world he's created; I can definitely see this as a book I'd love to revisit later.
Read an ARC
Stuart Turton has successfully blended the genres of mystery, sci-fi, and dystopian fiction to create something quite intriguing! He drops you on this mysterious island which seems to be the last safe haven for humanity in a world consumed by a deadly fog; however, secrets lurk behind this backdrop of idyllic village life. After a brutal murder is committed, the villagers must race against the clock to solve the crime, or humanity as they know it will cease to exist. You're going to need to hang on as the pieces of this ingenious, high-concept puzzle are slowly uncovered, BUT you will be amazed at how Turton has threaded everything together. A read for those who want something to shake up the concept of a murder mystery! I'm honestly going to miss this island setting and world he's created; I can definitely see this as a book I'd love to revisit later.
Read an ARC
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Blood, Death, and Vomit
agnela's review against another edition
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Death
shelfofunread's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Confinement, Toxic friendship, and Medical content
Minor: Suicide, Death of parent, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, War, Vomit, and Violence
krysley's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Death
Minor: Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Physical abuse, Torture, and Fire/Fire injury
gemloukay's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
The Last Murder at the End of the World is a post-apocalyptic murder mystery. Set in the near future, humanity has ruined the planet and created a fog that kills everything it touches. An island with 122 villagers and 3 elders (scientists) are all that is left, but when one of the elders is murdered the fog begins to approach to destroy them all. They have just a matter of hours before everyone dies.
I absolutely loved this book, as I did Stuart Turton’s previous two. The murder mystery element wasn’t easy to solve, and the voice of Abi that connects them all in their heads whilst being able to hear their thoughts is a clever plot device that helps the story along. The fact that they’ve all had their memory wiped, so they’re solving the murder with you, adds an element of intrigue and suspense.
All in all, a clever twist on the murder mystery genre, with a bit of sci fi thrown into the mix. Thanks to NetGalley for a free arc in return for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book, as I did Stuart Turton’s previous two. The murder mystery element wasn’t easy to solve, and the voice of Abi that connects them all in their heads whilst being able to hear their thoughts is a clever plot device that helps the story along. The fact that they’ve all had their memory wiped, so they’re solving the murder with you, adds an element of intrigue and suspense.
All in all, a clever twist on the murder mystery genre, with a bit of sci fi thrown into the mix. Thanks to NetGalley for a free arc in return for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Death, War, and Grief
912jae's review
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Gaslighting, Grief, Slavery, and Medical content
skylarkblue1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Why are book synopsis' going the way of movie trailers where they seem to aim to reveal way too much about the thing it's trying to introduce/describe? I loved seven deaths of Evelyn hardcastle so I requested this book without reading the full description, just knowing it was a dystopian sci fi, and honestly that was a really good choice. I read the full description when I got near the end and was so shocked to just see how much got revealed in the description alone.
I honestly absolutely loved this book. Complex characters, fast paced story and intricate plot threads that slowly weave together. So many questions but answers are given at a good pace and I believe most if not all the questions did get an answer by the end - I can't think of anything major right now at least!
I loved the characters so much. They're all so complex and unique with so many goals and motives and ideas, it was just so delightful to read about these characters! I normally struggle quite a lot with remembering who was who, who was what name, etc but I actually never had that problem once throughout this whole book despite there being actually quite a lot of characters because of how unique to each other they were.
The plot was just so incredibly thick with mystery and questions, but it manages to handle all of that incredibly well. The world gets established in good time while still leaving a ton of mystery to drip through the rest of the book. The questions felt believable, so did the whole premise honestly - despite how apocalyptic sci-fi it is. The prologue sucked me in instantly and really set up the story perfectly.
I think the only negative about this is the same negative I had with 7 deaths - the ending. It's miles better than how 7 deaths handled it's ending imo but it's still very... I'm not even sure how to explain it. It feels a bit rushed, incredibly lore dumpy and it's just constant explanation monologues with a solution that feels a teeny bit underwhelming in my opinion. It is an answer that fits and makes sense, and the additional information that plays out during the ending is quite nice so it's better than 7 deaths in that regard. It's just.. not sure about it honestly. But also like 7 deaths, it really didn't change my overall opinion of the book that much because the rest of the book is just that good.
Suprisingly, there's also queer representation in this. A very nice sapphic relationship and in all honesty I think it was done very nicely. It's not something that's pointed out, it's just a normalised relationship and treated within the book as any other relationship. It is really nice when books have that. It's not a book that's heavy in romance though, if you dislike romance you'll be fine with it. There's people missing loved ones, relationships that get torn apart - so there's certainly conversations about relationships - but not really much romance at all.
I would strongly recommend this book if you enjoy mysteries. Absolutely perfect for a book club as well!
This probably means I should read Stuart's first book now as I've enjoyed everything else from him haha!!
Why are book synopsis' going the way of movie trailers where they seem to aim to reveal way too much about the thing it's trying to introduce/describe? I loved seven deaths of Evelyn hardcastle so I requested this book without reading the full description, just knowing it was a dystopian sci fi, and honestly that was a really good choice. I read the full description when I got near the end and was so shocked to just see how much got revealed in the description alone.
I honestly absolutely loved this book. Complex characters, fast paced story and intricate plot threads that slowly weave together. So many questions but answers are given at a good pace and I believe most if not all the questions did get an answer by the end - I can't think of anything major right now at least!
I loved the characters so much. They're all so complex and unique with so many goals and motives and ideas, it was just so delightful to read about these characters! I normally struggle quite a lot with remembering who was who, who was what name, etc but I actually never had that problem once throughout this whole book despite there being actually quite a lot of characters because of how unique to each other they were.
The plot was just so incredibly thick with mystery and questions, but it manages to handle all of that incredibly well. The world gets established in good time while still leaving a ton of mystery to drip through the rest of the book. The questions felt believable, so did the whole premise honestly - despite how apocalyptic sci-fi it is. The prologue sucked me in instantly and really set up the story perfectly.
I think the only negative about this is the same negative I had with 7 deaths - the ending. It's miles better than how 7 deaths handled it's ending imo but it's still very... I'm not even sure how to explain it. It feels a bit rushed, incredibly lore dumpy and it's just constant explanation monologues with a solution that feels a teeny bit underwhelming in my opinion. It is an answer that fits and makes sense, and the additional information that plays out during the ending is quite nice so it's better than 7 deaths in that regard. It's just.. not sure about it honestly. But also like 7 deaths, it really didn't change my overall opinion of the book that much because the rest of the book is just that good.
Suprisingly, there's also queer representation in this. A very nice sapphic relationship and in all honesty I think it was done very nicely. It's not something that's pointed out, it's just a normalised relationship and treated within the book as any other relationship. It is really nice when books have that. It's not a book that's heavy in romance though, if you dislike romance you'll be fine with it. There's people missing loved ones, relationships that get torn apart - so there's certainly conversations about relationships - but not really much romance at all.
I would strongly recommend this book if you enjoy mysteries. Absolutely perfect for a book club as well!
This probably means I should read Stuart's first book now as I've enjoyed everything else from him haha!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Racism, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicide, Medical content, and Gore
Loss of a Loved One,