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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
WELL that didn't go the way I expected--in a good way. Review to come!
FULL REVIEW:
4.5/5 stars
The way Last Seen Leaving is set up, it reminded me a bit of [b:Far from You|16151118|Far from You|Tess Sharpe|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389529253s/16151118.jpg|21987409] by Tess Sharpe—another YA with major queer rep in which the protagonist is trying to solve the murder of her best friend. In Last Seen Leaving, however, what happened to January isn't immediately apparent. When the book starts, Flynn learns his girlfriend has disappeared—but did she run away? Did someone take her? Is she still alive? There are immediately a lot of questions, and worse, Flynn can't tell the whole story of the last time he saw her to the police and what they argued about without admitting his huge secret: he's gay.
As the story goes on, the questions build. January's unhappy (but luxurious) home life, the lies she told people about Flynn—and the lies she told Flynn about others—the connections to who she knew and when they last saw her, and through it all Flynn isn't sure who he can trust.
This book had me ripping through the pages to answer all those questions and more—I actually read the second half of the book in a day because I couldn't put it down. I also loved how much this book played with my expectations—even when I was specifically looking for red herrings I still didn't guess what or who was behind January's disappearance. My only super-minor gripe was there were words and phrases throughout that occasionally threw me out of the narrative because it didn't really sound teenager-y to me—but it certainly wasn't distracting enough to take away from the incredible plot and characters that had me exclaiming out loud as I read.
All in all, I definitely recommend this one, especially if you like YA Thrillers and/or enjoyed Far From You. This book and its twists and characters are going to stay with me for a long time.
Diversity note: The protagonist, Flynn, is gay. There's also a minor Japanese character, and the love interest is a gay, Muslim, POC boy.
FULL REVIEW:
4.5/5 stars
The way Last Seen Leaving is set up, it reminded me a bit of [b:Far from You|16151118|Far from You|Tess Sharpe|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389529253s/16151118.jpg|21987409] by Tess Sharpe—another YA with major queer rep in which the protagonist is trying to solve the murder of her best friend. In Last Seen Leaving, however, what happened to January isn't immediately apparent. When the book starts, Flynn learns his girlfriend has disappeared—but did she run away? Did someone take her? Is she still alive? There are immediately a lot of questions, and worse, Flynn can't tell the whole story of the last time he saw her to the police and what they argued about without admitting his huge secret: he's gay.
As the story goes on, the questions build. January's unhappy (but luxurious) home life, the lies she told people about Flynn—and the lies she told Flynn about others—the connections to who she knew and when they last saw her, and through it all Flynn isn't sure who he can trust.
This book had me ripping through the pages to answer all those questions and more—I actually read the second half of the book in a day because I couldn't put it down. I also loved how much this book played with my expectations—even when I was specifically looking for red herrings I still didn't guess what or who was behind January's disappearance. My only super-minor gripe was there were words and phrases throughout that occasionally threw me out of the narrative because it didn't really sound teenager-y to me—but it certainly wasn't distracting enough to take away from the incredible plot and characters that had me exclaiming out loud as I read.
All in all, I definitely recommend this one, especially if you like YA Thrillers and/or enjoyed Far From You. This book and its twists and characters are going to stay with me for a long time.
Diversity note: The protagonist, Flynn, is gay. There's also a minor Japanese character, and the love interest is a gay, Muslim, POC boy.
My review: https://msethnablog.wordpress.com/2016/10/22/last-seen-leaving-by-caleb-roehrig/
This was really good.
I listened to the audiobook of this and it was such a great experience. The narrator did a really good job.
I listened to the audiobook of this and it was such a great experience. The narrator did a really good job.
sigh. was a solid four star read up until the twist at the very very end. literally made no sense and made it seem like the author forgot his own reasoning earlier in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Murder
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book kept me on the edge of my seat. There was no point until the very end that I didn't have a head full of questions that I needed urgently answered. And there are some great plot twists. This book surprised me and that doesn't always happen anymore.
I thought the way the flashbacks were woven in with the present story was something that wasn't easy to pull off so naturally, but Roehrig did it. The characters were interesting because they were flawed and very real in the ways they were flawed. I also really appreciated that even though the story was about a teenage boy who had a girlfriend despite being gay, the relationship between Flynn and January was still very important as it was. Flynn was very insistent on the fact that he didn't love January the way she might have wanted, but he loved her, and there was a genuine bond there. He wasn't just using her; the whole plot is held up by how much he cares about her.
The main romance was okay. I was happy for Flynn and I wanted things to work out between them but there wasn't really anything about them in particular that stood out to me? They were kind of cute by the end of the book, but for the most part I just accepted it as a necessary part of the story that was decent but not necessarily attention grabbing.
I think if this book had one downfall it was over-narration. I think sometimes there would be an excellently crafted situation that had so much tension built up and the author would kill it by having Flynn think through every possible element of the situation. A good example of this was the last plot twist of the book. It's clear from the beginning of the chapter that we're about to find out something huge. My mind was racing. But before Flynn even got to the reveal, he had gone through fifty different possible outcomes, two of which I had guessed and once they were written out on the page, it felt a little flat. I know it's a first person novel and we're in Flynn's head, but it was frustrating because it didn't really leave any room for the readers to have their own thoughts. I think, too, Flynn's big secret isn't revealed for about four chapters, even though it's obvious what that secret is after the second chapter. I think the author couldn't have given the readers a little more credit in that regard.
Overall, though, a good suspense novel with interesting characters and GREAT twists.
I thought the way the flashbacks were woven in with the present story was something that wasn't easy to pull off so naturally, but Roehrig did it. The characters were interesting because they were flawed and very real in the ways they were flawed. I also really appreciated that even though the story was about a teenage boy who had a girlfriend despite being gay, the relationship between Flynn and January was still very important as it was. Flynn was very insistent on the fact that he didn't love January the way she might have wanted, but he loved her, and there was a genuine bond there. He wasn't just using her; the whole plot is held up by how much he cares about her.
The main romance was okay. I was happy for Flynn and I wanted things to work out between them but there wasn't really anything about them in particular that stood out to me? They were kind of cute by the end of the book, but for the most part I just accepted it as a necessary part of the story that was decent but not necessarily attention grabbing.
I think if this book had one downfall it was over-narration. I think sometimes there would be an excellently crafted situation that had so much tension built up and the author would kill it by having Flynn think through every possible element of the situation. A good example of this was the last plot twist of the book. It's clear from the beginning of the chapter that we're about to find out something huge. My mind was racing. But before Flynn even got to the reveal, he had gone through fifty different possible outcomes, two of which I had guessed and once they were written out on the page, it felt a little flat. I know it's a first person novel and we're in Flynn's head, but it was frustrating because it didn't really leave any room for the readers to have their own thoughts. I think, too, Flynn's big secret isn't revealed for about four chapters, even though it's obvious what that secret is after the second chapter. I think the author couldn't have given the readers a little more credit in that regard.
Overall, though, a good suspense novel with interesting characters and GREAT twists.
OMG this is a great book!! I love it as much as I love If We Were Villains. If Caleb Roehrig's next book is as good as this one he will be on my to-go author list.
This book is very thrilling and mysterious. It had me guessing with every page I turned. The ending is very satisfying and the love aspect, which didn't take anything away from the story, is one I enjoyed so much.
Flynn, you are a great guy and I loved being in your world.
This book is very thrilling and mysterious. It had me guessing with every page I turned. The ending is very satisfying and the love aspect, which didn't take anything away from the story, is one I enjoyed so much.
Flynn, you are a great guy and I loved being in your world.
I enjoyed this (and thank god the mystery didn't resolve into a suicide issue) but I just wanted something a little different too. Might be one to revisit at some point.
The last time Flynn saw his girlfriend January, she was breaking up with him. When the cops show up almost a week later and tell Flynn that she's missing, they want to know all about the argument. The thing is, Flynn can't tell them about it without revealing a secret about himself that he's not ready to confront.
As more details come out about January's life in the month before she disappears-- lies she told, how she'd withdrawn from everything and everyone she used to care about-- Flynn knows he has to figure out the truth about what happened to January. The more he digs, the more frightened he gets that January may really be never coming back.
My Thoughts:
Okay, I'm just going to say it: Flynn is gay. It's not a spoiler, I swear.
First off, the author TOLD us this fact when he was describing the book at the book launch.
And secondly, it's told to the reader in the 2nd chapter.... so I really don't know why it's not just told in the blurb?
So, Flynn is gay, but he started dating January because he was hoping that his feelings would change.... they didn't. That doesn't mean that Flynn doesn't genuinely care about January. And it doesn't mean he doesn't feel protective of her or get jealous when other guys seem to be trying to move in on her. It's a complicated relationship.
When January goes missing Flynn starts finding all this stuff out about January that he never knew and doesn't know how to make sense of. I was getting total Gone Girl vibes because January seemed to be leading some kind of double-life and for some reason did things to make Flynn look bad.
This book was utterly fantastic. I loved it so much I had dreams about it (which only happens to me when a book either really creeps me out or is REALLY hooking me-- this one was the latter). The mystery was SUPER suspenseful, but then there was this other side to the book that was totally soft and mushy. When Flynn would flashback to moments with January, you could tell there was real love in their relationship. It was really sweet... and also sort of sad.
I especially loved the complexity that this book gave me. I mean, can you imagine trying to accept your true self, being scared at what the world will think, AND trying to figure out if one of your best friends is dead or not??
This is one that I know will stick with me for years. So many YA Thrillers feel very BLAH and forgettable, but this one is one of the good ones. It's so deep and the main character is so relatable and loveable. I couldn't not like this if I tried.
The ONLY thing I would change: Flynn almost had this weird dual personality. Sometimes he would be "typical teenage guy" and sometimes he would be "weird vocabulary boy". I almost pictured him talking in a Transatlantic accent when those words and phrases were thrown in. Basically, he could've just been a little more teenage-ish in the way he talked and all would've been good.
OVERALL: If you like YA Mystery, PLEASE READ THIS. It's everything I could ever want in a mystery because it's about so many other issues besides the main mystery. I loved Flynn, I loved how all the other characters were developed and real, and I loved how twisty the plot got. Just a big giant YES to this book!
My Blog:
As more details come out about January's life in the month before she disappears-- lies she told, how she'd withdrawn from everything and everyone she used to care about-- Flynn knows he has to figure out the truth about what happened to January. The more he digs, the more frightened he gets that January may really be never coming back.
My Thoughts:
Okay, I'm just going to say it: Flynn is gay. It's not a spoiler, I swear.
First off, the author TOLD us this fact when he was describing the book at the book launch.
And secondly, it's told to the reader in the 2nd chapter.... so I really don't know why it's not just told in the blurb?
So, Flynn is gay, but he started dating January because he was hoping that his feelings would change.... they didn't. That doesn't mean that Flynn doesn't genuinely care about January. And it doesn't mean he doesn't feel protective of her or get jealous when other guys seem to be trying to move in on her. It's a complicated relationship.
When January goes missing Flynn starts finding all this stuff out about January that he never knew and doesn't know how to make sense of. I was getting total Gone Girl vibes because January seemed to be leading some kind of double-life and for some reason did things to make Flynn look bad.
This book was utterly fantastic. I loved it so much I had dreams about it (which only happens to me when a book either really creeps me out or is REALLY hooking me-- this one was the latter). The mystery was SUPER suspenseful, but then there was this other side to the book that was totally soft and mushy. When Flynn would flashback to moments with January, you could tell there was real love in their relationship. It was really sweet... and also sort of sad.
I especially loved the complexity that this book gave me. I mean, can you imagine trying to accept your true self, being scared at what the world will think, AND trying to figure out if one of your best friends is dead or not??
This is one that I know will stick with me for years. So many YA Thrillers feel very BLAH and forgettable, but this one is one of the good ones. It's so deep and the main character is so relatable and loveable. I couldn't not like this if I tried.
The ONLY thing I would change: Flynn almost had this weird dual personality. Sometimes he would be "typical teenage guy" and sometimes he would be "weird vocabulary boy". I almost pictured him talking in a Transatlantic accent when those words and phrases were thrown in. Basically, he could've just been a little more teenage-ish in the way he talked and all would've been good.
OVERALL: If you like YA Mystery, PLEASE READ THIS. It's everything I could ever want in a mystery because it's about so many other issues besides the main mystery. I loved Flynn, I loved how all the other characters were developed and real, and I loved how twisty the plot got. Just a big giant YES to this book!
My Blog: