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kaneebli's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
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
3.5
WARNING TO PEOPLE TRIGGERED BY ANIMAL CRUELTY AND DEATH:
I don't know why more people put "animal death" in the "minor" category for trigger warnings, but that's straight up not true. there is animal death all throughout this book. MOST of the animal deaths are not super graphic, but dead animals are seen throughout the book from beginning to end.
also, there is one animal death that i consider VERY graphic, along with graphic animal cruelty: one of the scientists grabs a vulture and smashes it on the ground multiple times, and then throws it off to the side, where it is described as "twitching" and "dying" so you know it's a painful slow death. so yeah i genuinely do not know why more people haven't listed the animal death in this book as "graphic" because i think it was pretty graphic.
I don't know why more people put "animal death" in the "minor" category for trigger warnings, but that's straight up not true. there is animal death all throughout this book. MOST of the animal deaths are not super graphic, but dead animals are seen throughout the book from beginning to end.
also, there is one animal death that i consider VERY graphic, along with graphic animal cruelty:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Suicide, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Genocide, Slavery, Vomit, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and War
tamara_joy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Slavery, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
bessadams's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
gabulous's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Medical content
Moderate: Animal death and Suicide
lisett's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was my first read by Stuart Turton, and I had such high hopes for it. The premise was intriguing: only 125 people remain on Earth, living on a post-apocalyptic island surrounded by an insect-infested fog. The narrator is an AI advisor communicating through the thoughts of the villagers and scientists, created to keep them alive and safe. When a murder is committed, we are thrown into a murder investigation with only 92 hours to solve the crime or all of civilization will die. Why? Because... well... reasons? I still don't have a clue.
The setting is fascinating. The idea of a dwindling human population isolated on a desolate island enveloped by a deadly fog sets the stage for a gripping story. Turton’s choice of an AI narrator is a unique move. This AI, designed to protect and guide the remaining humans, offers a unique perspective on the unfolding events. The blend of science fiction and mystery is compelling, and the stakes couldn't be higher with the survival of the last humans hanging in the balance.
The first half of the story had me completely invested. I loved the originality, and I thought I knew where the book was heading. The buildup was intense, and the premise held so much promise. However, once the murder investigation really took off, I found myself losing interest. The plot began to meander, and the urgency that initially hooked me started to dissipate.
The murder investigation left me with more questions than answers. The 92-hour deadline to solve the crime added tension, but the reasons behind this ticking clock were unclear and, ultimately, unsatisfying. I struggled to stay engaged. By the end, I was left feeling confused and frustrated, with too many questions unanswered.
This is a book that I feel I would get a lot more out of on a second read-through, but I just don't have the desire to go through it a second time. I love Turton's out-of-the-box writing style, and I'm excited to give his book The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle a read. I'm so sad this one didn't work for me. While it has an intriguing premise and a unique narrative approach, the execution left much to be desired.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
lmcclel's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Slavery, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Finished reading: July 20th 2024
“The secrets on this island have teeth, and they don't like being dragged into the light.”
It kind of has become a tradition to buddy read Stuart Turton's books with Nicki, so of course we ended up doing the same with his newest title The Last Murder At The End Of The World. One of the things I love about his writing is just how completely different and unique each of his books is, and you never know what genre or story you are going to get. It's true that I don't exactly read a lot of dystopian stories, but I'm game for just about anything as long as Stuart Turton writes it. And I have to say that it turned out to be yet another very successful buddy read! The Last Murder At The End Of The World uses a multiple POV structure and there are a LOT of different characters to keep apart. A list of names is provided in the beginning, which definitely helped... But it still slowed down the pace a little in the beginning, especially since most are not the easiest names to remember. The dystopian world itself is intriguing, and I loved how you only slowly started to learn more about what was REALLY going on. This isn't just a murder mystery or a race against the clock, as it also shows you both sides of humanity and gives you plenty of puzzles to tackle along the way. The story started out slower than expected and this is not my favorite Stuart Turton, but especially the second half was brilliant. It was fun going back and forth with Nicki talking about and processing yet another shocking reveal... And of course there was also the obligatory baking involved. I'm keeping this review short as it's hard to properly talk about the plot without spoiling certain things... The Last Murder At The End Of The World is one of those books where it's best to go in blind. I can say that I never did guess the full truth about it all though! It's without doubt a very satisfying read, and I will already be looking forward to his next book (supposedly a more contemporary thriller; can't wait!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
aseel_reads's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
this was super easy to read and i was hooked very quickly from the start. i pretty much had no real thoughts as to who could be the killer, we weren't given enough information to try and solve it ourselves. it was pretty obvious who it wasn't but the reason relatively well-developed and logical.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
jstilts's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Hugely compelling page-turner!
A murder mystery set in a small near-utopian agraian village of less than 200 people plus three scientists and an AI that speaks in their minds - the last remnants of our society.
Everyone's memory of the night of an unprecedented murder has been wiped, and the murder is causing the deadly fog to roll in - unless the murder is solved in a few short days the AI won't be able to put the barriers back up to save the island.
Luckily, one of the villagers has never found their place in their rural life due to an uncontrollable urge to ask awkward questions, and she will do anything to save her family and village - making her the perfect detective in a world that has always spurned her skills.
It's a brilliant setting for an enthralling book that keeps up the pace, but still has time to build characters with depth and feeling, places you can picture in your mind and a society worth saving - everything a reader needs to make them desperate to keep turning pages to see if this beautiful world and it's people will survive.
Honestly, despite some of the hardships and controls and secrets that keep this island from being a full Eden of leisure, it's a place I'd love to be. I'd happily read prequels of this book where nothing happens but experiencing their lives!
Touching, mysterious, packed with twists and exciting revelations, heartfelt relationships (and a few egoists) - and a whodunnit to boot complete with map! - I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Highly recommend!
One thing of note - as the AI can read everyone's thoughts, the book is basically narrated by the AI. That may sound a little kooky, but the book flows perfectly normally, it's just that occasionally the book refers to itself and talks directly to the reader - an endearing and perfectly charming touch!
A murder mystery set in a small near-utopian agraian village of less than 200 people plus three scientists and an AI that speaks in their minds - the last remnants of our society.
Everyone's memory of the night of an unprecedented murder has been wiped, and the murder is causing the deadly fog to roll in - unless the murder is solved in a few short days the AI won't be able to put the barriers back up to save the island.
Luckily, one of the villagers has never found their place in their rural life due to an uncontrollable urge to ask awkward questions, and she will do anything to save her family and village - making her the perfect detective in a world that has always spurned her skills.
It's a brilliant setting for an enthralling book that keeps up the pace, but still has time to build characters with depth and feeling, places you can picture in your mind and a society worth saving - everything a reader needs to make them desperate to keep turning pages to see if this beautiful world and it's people will survive.
Honestly, despite some of the hardships and controls and secrets that keep this island from being a full Eden of leisure, it's a place I'd love to be. I'd happily read prequels of this book where nothing happens but experiencing their lives!
Touching, mysterious, packed with twists and exciting revelations, heartfelt relationships (and a few egoists) - and a whodunnit to boot complete with map! - I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Highly recommend!
One thing of note - as the AI can read everyone's thoughts, the book is basically narrated by the AI. That may sound a little kooky, but the book flows perfectly normally, it's just that occasionally the book refers to itself and talks directly to the reader - an endearing and perfectly charming touch!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death
beepbeep101's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Mental illness, Torture, Vomit, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic