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dbooknerd's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
The book is about Emma, a woman isolated in a beach house in the Pacific Northwest. She spends her days reading e-books and gives one a one-star rating. Then she is haunted and hunted, and it could be by the author of the book.
The Last Word is an excellent thriller. It was so eerie at the beginning that I had to read it in the daytime. There are lots of twists, it kept me interested, and it is filled with tension, excitement, and raw emotions. This is my first time reading a book by Taylor Adams and he did not disappoint!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, and Murder
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Emma gets more than she expects when she leaves a one-star review of a book…only to begin being stalked by the author.
Thus concludes my mini Taylor Adams marathon! This was probably the one I was most excited to get to because the premise sounded so interesting, and it ended up being the scariest of the bunch—seriously, I’m not even sure why, but it freaked me out SO much I had to only read during the daytime.
That said, I did find most of the twists predictable and felt like, while this one was engaging, it moved along more slowly than the previous Adams books I read. I definitely wouldn’t say I disliked this one (seriously, I wouldn’t, and neither would you if you read what an angry author might do!) (kidding, I think) but it was not my favorite either.
Overall, though, I had a good time and I’m glad I read this. It’s a pretty solid thriller with some creative moments, and a great choice if you’re not ready to let go of spooky season just yet!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: isolated settings; grief recovery mixed with thrillers; books about books
CW: Suicide; death/murder; child death; animal harm; gore/blood/violence/gun violence; infertility
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Murder
likeagilmoregirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The first 50% of this book was incredible. I was thoroughly creeped out and was having a great time coming up with theories about what the twists would be. And even when many of my theories were proven right, they were done in such a way that left me invested in the story and frequently wanting to throw my e-reader across the room.
The weak points for me were after the halfway mark. While the book was engaging all the way through, it sometimes became frustrating to see what was happening way before some of the characters did. The main twist involving the heroine’s past also made it difficult to sympathize with her the way I would have like to as a reader. And there was also a very very brief, seemingly last-minute decision to include an explanation/excuse of mental illness concerning the killer that left a bad taste in my mouth. These things brought this down from a 4 to a 3.5 for me.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. I couldn’t put it down and I was a little sad when it was over. Love the premise, mostly love the story. Going to sleep with my lights on now!
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Mass/school shootings, and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
nightowl_cherry's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Stalking
Minor: Infertility
kat_rowlen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Dementia, Grief, and Murder
lauren_shilling's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Gore, Infertility, and Car accident
Minor: Domestic abuse and Stalking
danielle70's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Car accident, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Infertility, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
mizmanderz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Infertility, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
Minor: Vomit
alibi313's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
stephmcoakley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail