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blodeuedd's review
3.0
After reading her other book I knew something bad would happen, and the blurb does hint at that too. I so wanted to google and see what happened in that village. But I braced myself.
The book is told in present day and in 1952. I was not that fond of Irene who was fixing up an old bureau and started to wonder about its history. See I was all about reading about what actually happened.
In the past we follow Abigail who moves in with her sister. Not the best place to stay. But the village is nice, romance is on the horizon and something is looming in the distance. I also liked Abigail, she was, well not shy, just not that outspoken and she did not always dare to say things she wanted too. Which was totally understandable in the situation.
It was a good book and I kept racing towards the end so I would know what would happen, what was the big bad? Would there even a big bad this time around?
It was a lovely summer that turns into a mystery decades later.
The book is told in present day and in 1952. I was not that fond of Irene who was fixing up an old bureau and started to wonder about its history. See I was all about reading about what actually happened.
In the past we follow Abigail who moves in with her sister. Not the best place to stay. But the village is nice, romance is on the horizon and something is looming in the distance. I also liked Abigail, she was, well not shy, just not that outspoken and she did not always dare to say things she wanted too. Which was totally understandable in the situation.
It was a good book and I kept racing towards the end so I would know what would happen, what was the big bad? Would there even a big bad this time around?
It was a lovely summer that turns into a mystery decades later.
portybelle's review
5.0
The Last Night is another wonderful captivating read from Cesca Majors. It is just the kind of book I love: written from different perspectives, set in different times and with secrets at its heart. From the first few chapters I was caught up in the stories of Abigail and Irina.
Irina's is the contemporary part of the story. She is a furniture restorer and is working on a large bureau. As she begins to restore it, mysterious things begin to happen which she can't explain. She has a sense of someone watching her, feels chills and hears water dripping where there shouldn't be any. Irina has scarring on her face caused by an accident when she was younger. The cause of the incident isn't revealed till much later. Irina cannot talk about it even with those closest to her. The guilt she feels related to the incident has weighed heavily on her mind for years.
In the 1950s, Abigail has gone to live with her older married sister following the death of their mother. She is married to an respected councillor but it soon becomes clear that he is not as upstanding as he would like to appear. Abigail too feels compelled to keep secrets from her sister, her best friend from home Mary and from Richard, a young local man she is falling in love with.
Like The Silent Hours, The Last Night is inspired by a true event. The author writes about this after the end of the book explaining what happened on that night. When it happens in the story, it was very vividly described showing the fear, the bravery and the devastation linked with the event. Since reading I have looked at some pictures from that night and the extent of the destruction is clear. Sorry to be mysterious but you don't find out what happens until further into the book so you will need to read it yourself to find out!
The Last Night is a wonderful story which had me captivated. Both storylines were strong and both central characters were convincing. I was so curious to find out the secrets of the bureau and what the connection between the two stories would be. The sense of other-worldliness surrounded the bureau added to the intrigue. Initially Abigail seems to be the character who your heart goes out to, with Irina seeming more reserved, but by the end as all was disclosed, I felt equally emotional about both women's experiences. The Last Night is a perfectly paced poignant read, a book to lose yourself in.
My thanks to the publishers Corvus for sending me a copy of this book.
Irina's is the contemporary part of the story. She is a furniture restorer and is working on a large bureau. As she begins to restore it, mysterious things begin to happen which she can't explain. She has a sense of someone watching her, feels chills and hears water dripping where there shouldn't be any. Irina has scarring on her face caused by an accident when she was younger. The cause of the incident isn't revealed till much later. Irina cannot talk about it even with those closest to her. The guilt she feels related to the incident has weighed heavily on her mind for years.
In the 1950s, Abigail has gone to live with her older married sister following the death of their mother. She is married to an respected councillor but it soon becomes clear that he is not as upstanding as he would like to appear. Abigail too feels compelled to keep secrets from her sister, her best friend from home Mary and from Richard, a young local man she is falling in love with.
Like The Silent Hours, The Last Night is inspired by a true event. The author writes about this after the end of the book explaining what happened on that night. When it happens in the story, it was very vividly described showing the fear, the bravery and the devastation linked with the event. Since reading I have looked at some pictures from that night and the extent of the destruction is clear. Sorry to be mysterious but you don't find out what happens until further into the book so you will need to read it yourself to find out!
The Last Night is a wonderful story which had me captivated. Both storylines were strong and both central characters were convincing. I was so curious to find out the secrets of the bureau and what the connection between the two stories would be. The sense of other-worldliness surrounded the bureau added to the intrigue. Initially Abigail seems to be the character who your heart goes out to, with Irina seeming more reserved, but by the end as all was disclosed, I felt equally emotional about both women's experiences. The Last Night is a perfectly paced poignant read, a book to lose yourself in.
My thanks to the publishers Corvus for sending me a copy of this book.
kittyp3777's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
steph1rothwell's review
5.0
The Last Night was a novel that arrived unexpectedly but I liked the look of it straight away. I enjoy fiction that is told by several different narrators across different time zones. In this case, it was Abigail, Mary and Richard in 1952 and Irina in 2016.
Abigail has recently lost her mother and decides to leave her home town to live with her married sister in Lynmouth. She falls in love with the area, has very strong feelings for Richard but misses her best friend Mary and feels very uncomfortable with her new living arrangements.
Irina is a furniture restorer who has been sent a bureau to work on by a client she has done work for in the past. She has had her problems and has facial scarring that she feels very conscious of. She also has suffered a loss in her childhood that she refuses to discuss. She has a strong sense of unease regarding the bureau. Unexplained events happen when she is near it, and when she finds items that have been hidden the fear increases.
Sometimes when reading a novel that is told by different narrators/ time zones there is a weaker story. But there is no problem here, I liked both equally and the chapters that featured Mary and Richard added to the tale. Neither of them aware of what was troubling Abigail but wanting to help.
Both stories had levels of intimidation, the ghostly occurrences were just enough to be believable and the situation that Abigail was in was very intense and worrying. When the events of the last night were revealed and its aftermath it was devastating. That this novel is loosely based on a true event was quite upsetting, more so when I looked at old photographs after finishing it.
Definitely one of my favorite novels of 2016 I would like to thank the publisher for the copy received.
Abigail has recently lost her mother and decides to leave her home town to live with her married sister in Lynmouth. She falls in love with the area, has very strong feelings for Richard but misses her best friend Mary and feels very uncomfortable with her new living arrangements.
Irina is a furniture restorer who has been sent a bureau to work on by a client she has done work for in the past. She has had her problems and has facial scarring that she feels very conscious of. She also has suffered a loss in her childhood that she refuses to discuss. She has a strong sense of unease regarding the bureau. Unexplained events happen when she is near it, and when she finds items that have been hidden the fear increases.
Sometimes when reading a novel that is told by different narrators/ time zones there is a weaker story. But there is no problem here, I liked both equally and the chapters that featured Mary and Richard added to the tale. Neither of them aware of what was troubling Abigail but wanting to help.
Both stories had levels of intimidation, the ghostly occurrences were just enough to be believable and the situation that Abigail was in was very intense and worrying. When the events of the last night were revealed and its aftermath it was devastating. That this novel is loosely based on a true event was quite upsetting, more so when I looked at old photographs after finishing it.
Definitely one of my favorite novels of 2016 I would like to thank the publisher for the copy received.
patriciajoan's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
casacostello's review
4.0
My full review of this book can be found at http://2adults3children.com/books/october-reads-roundup/. I really enjoy Cesca Major's writing. You get enveloped in the characters and the storyline. Thoroughly looking forward to her future books for a dose of escapism.
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