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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
This book was impossible to put down! The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. Family and friend dynamics reminded me of We Were Liars, but it also sets up a variety of suspects with motivation for murder. Almost anyone could have been the killer or the next victim. As someone who reads/watches a lot of mystery, this unpredictability was wonderful.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for a review copy of this title.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for a review copy of this title.
Stevens' knack for writing mystery & suspense is ever-growing. On the heels of "We Were Kings" comes "Last Girl Breathing", a striking continuation down the road of suspicion and murder in Stevens' list of titles.
Lucy Michaels has big dreams of achieving olympic success on the U.S. air rifle team. But she is also haunted by the tragic loss of her younger brother Clay in a town tragedy that occurred years before. Many lives were lost when that dam broke. And now another tragedy is striking her home town and Lucy feels a personal responsibility to solve the case before more people she loves are lost in the crossfire.
I received a copy of the novel-in-progress from Court Stevens in January 2023 and a NetGalley arc a handful of months later. I have become an avid fan of Court's work. I count her as a friend, but I also admire her as an artist. This review is given with an eye towards the quality of the work and with gratefulness for the ability to access stories before they are out there in the wider world.
Lucy Michaels has big dreams of achieving olympic success on the U.S. air rifle team. But she is also haunted by the tragic loss of her younger brother Clay in a town tragedy that occurred years before. Many lives were lost when that dam broke. And now another tragedy is striking her home town and Lucy feels a personal responsibility to solve the case before more people she loves are lost in the crossfire.
I received a copy of the novel-in-progress from Court Stevens in January 2023 and a NetGalley arc a handful of months later. I have become an avid fan of Court's work. I count her as a friend, but I also admire her as an artist. This review is given with an eye towards the quality of the work and with gratefulness for the ability to access stories before they are out there in the wider world.
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn’t know this was a YA thriller when I listened to the audiobook, which if I think about it explains so much more about this book.
Teen shooting champion Lucy has lost so much, and when you’re only just starting to understand how much, her step-brother disappears and is found murdered, along with one of the town’s police force. Another teen is missing. The prime suspect is Lucy’s boyfriend Neil, another crack marksman, and Olympic hopeful.
Lucy and a private investigator (who joins the story mid way through) work to solve the mystery, unearthing secrets, lies and presenting Lucy with more heartache.
The finale was a bit of a whimper rather than a bang, and I kind of worked it out. No spoilers but this was enjoyable, just needed a little more punch!
Thanks to Libro.fm for the copy of the audio!
Teen shooting champion Lucy has lost so much, and when you’re only just starting to understand how much, her step-brother disappears and is found murdered, along with one of the town’s police force. Another teen is missing. The prime suspect is Lucy’s boyfriend Neil, another crack marksman, and Olympic hopeful.
Lucy and a private investigator (who joins the story mid way through) work to solve the mystery, unearthing secrets, lies and presenting Lucy with more heartache.
The finale was a bit of a whimper rather than a bang, and I kind of worked it out. No spoilers but this was enjoyable, just needed a little more punch!
Thanks to Libro.fm for the copy of the audio!
⭐️⭐Last Girl Breathing by Court Stevens
I was excited about this book because I live in the western part of Kentucky where she’s from and next to the town this novel is set in, if it weren’t a fictional town. So it was interesting when she would throw real things in the book. But that’s about it.
I found so many things about this book lacking. The plot was slow, predictable, and is a story that’s been told over and over. There was nothing new in this story. The characters were obnoxious and unpleasant. Lucy was so strange and mind-boggling. Her step-brother is murdered and she and Neil are constantly talking about the Olympics. Other tragedies are happening, and they’re talking about the Olympics. It makes no sense that that’s the focus of their lives with what’s going on. The other book characters aren’t much better. Tragedies are happening and the people affected are acting so apathetic and casual.
I hate to be so negative about a book, especially a local author. I finished the book in order to post a review but there were many times I thought about quitting. It just wasn’t hitting the spot.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.
I was excited about this book because I live in the western part of Kentucky where she’s from and next to the town this novel is set in, if it weren’t a fictional town. So it was interesting when she would throw real things in the book. But that’s about it.
I found so many things about this book lacking. The plot was slow, predictable, and is a story that’s been told over and over. There was nothing new in this story. The characters were obnoxious and unpleasant. Lucy was so strange and mind-boggling. Her step-brother is murdered and she and Neil are constantly talking about the Olympics. Other tragedies are happening, and they’re talking about the Olympics. It makes no sense that that’s the focus of their lives with what’s going on. The other book characters aren’t much better. Tragedies are happening and the people affected are acting so apathetic and casual.
I hate to be so negative about a book, especially a local author. I finished the book in order to post a review but there were many times I thought about quitting. It just wasn’t hitting the spot.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Suicide, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Dementia, Kidnapping
Minor: Child abuse, Infidelity, Abandonment
I really enjoyed this book. More than I thought I would. I thought I knew who the killer was but I was wrong. So good
This is one of my favourite reads of the year! A YA thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
From the very beginning I was hooked. You have fantastically fleshed out characters who just step out from the pages. And no-one is safe - absolutely no-one! From the very beginning it’s clear that everyone is at risk and everyone is a suspect. The brilliance of this book is how much you come to like each and every character, which makes the continuous twists and turns even more brilliant.
I sometimes find that YA crime thrillers are a little more simplistic and shy away from being ‘too real’. ‘Last Girl Breathing’ does not have that problem. You’ll fall down the rabbit hole of trying to piece this crime together and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be nowhere near the truth by the end.
This one is dark, it’s real, it’s nail-bitingly good. Reading this book was a pleasure and I’ll certainly be reading more of Court Stevens work.
From the very beginning I was hooked. You have fantastically fleshed out characters who just step out from the pages. And no-one is safe - absolutely no-one! From the very beginning it’s clear that everyone is at risk and everyone is a suspect. The brilliance of this book is how much you come to like each and every character, which makes the continuous twists and turns even more brilliant.
I sometimes find that YA crime thrillers are a little more simplistic and shy away from being ‘too real’. ‘Last Girl Breathing’ does not have that problem. You’ll fall down the rabbit hole of trying to piece this crime together and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be nowhere near the truth by the end.
This one is dark, it’s real, it’s nail-bitingly good. Reading this book was a pleasure and I’ll certainly be reading more of Court Stevens work.