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A review by actuallyjusthanne
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was really wary picking up this book, as I had read The House Across the Lake by the same author and hated it, but I saw people really liking this book, so I decided to pick it up, and I'm glad I did! I wish I had read it later on in the year, when the vibes were spookier, because this is a perfect spooky season read. I spent the whole book expecting a paranormal twist, like that in The House Across the Lake, and it never came, which is most of the reason I like this book much more than that one.
The main thing about Riley Sager books is that there is a certain level of suspension of disbelief that you need to enjoy the story, and there was SO much in this story to suspend disbelief about. After that, I thought it was a really fun story!
The story is told in two formats: Kit's present time narration, where she learns to care for wheelchair-bound Lenora Hope in a housewhere a murder just happened and strange things are happening, as well as Lenora Hope's personal retelling of her family's murder via typewriter. I thought the split timeline was super cool and I liked that the two ways the story was told was woven together Lenora pretending she couldn't use the typewriter and Kit trying to figure out how that works present day . As Kit pieces together the mystery of the house, Lenora's story develops more and more and things become more and more apparent.
I enjoyed Lenora's character so much! Although obviously she wasn't a large part of the story, she played a major role and I thought her spirit and her character were so fun, especially as her backstory emerged through her typing. I totally did not see the twist at the end coming, whereMrs. Baker is actually Lenora Hope, and Virginia, the sister that was murdered, was the woman in the wheelchair, posing as Lenora Hope the whole time . I GASPED. I also did not expect that Kit's dad was involved, in both what happened to Kit in the present time, as well as what happened in the past .
I liked that this book covered some things that aren't frequently discussed in books: Kit is a professional caretaker, and Lenora Hope is disabled. There was also mention ofteenage/unexpected pregnancy and abuse . Speaking of which, I thought Virginia's whole summer romance with Ricky was soooo cute, despite the tragic ending! They were so sweet together, and while I hoped it wouldn't happen, the romeo-and-juliet of it all was also really well done
I think the ending tied the whole book together really well, which was actually very impressive with how much had gone on throughout the book. For the last half of the book, it felt like as things got revealed, more questions got raised, then answered, and I really liked the ebb and flow of that instead of having everything all tie together neatly in the last 40 pages.
The very endwhere Virginia goes to live with Kit and eventually walks out of house is SO deeply unrealistic that I was completely thrown out of the story, but it was literally the last chapter, so I wasn't too upset. The story needed to be ended somehow, and I guess that's how Riley Sager chose to end it.
This was a fun read! I think I will continue picking up Riley Sager's other books in the future, and I'm glad I read this one, though I definitely would not recommend if you want a realistic thriller.
The main thing about Riley Sager books is that there is a certain level of suspension of disbelief that you need to enjoy the story, and there was SO much in this story to suspend disbelief about. After that, I thought it was a really fun story!
The story is told in two formats: Kit's present time narration, where she learns to care for wheelchair-bound Lenora Hope in a house
I enjoyed Lenora's character so much! Although obviously she wasn't a large part of the story, she played a major role and I thought her spirit and her character were so fun, especially as her backstory emerged through her typing. I totally did not see the twist at the end coming, where
I liked that this book covered some things that aren't frequently discussed in books: Kit is a professional caretaker, and Lenora Hope is disabled. There was also mention of
I think the ending tied the whole book together really well, which was actually very impressive with how much had gone on throughout the book. For the last half of the book, it felt like as things got revealed, more questions got raised, then answered, and I really liked the ebb and flow of that instead of having everything all tie together neatly in the last 40 pages.
The very end
This was a fun read! I think I will continue picking up Riley Sager's other books in the future, and I'm glad I read this one, though I definitely would not recommend if you want a realistic thriller.