A review by betwixt_the_pages
Last Things by Jacqueline West

4.0

When strange things start happening to local music idol Anders Thorson, everyone blames his number-one-fan, Thea. But is she out to hurt him? Or protect him?

High school senior Anders Thorson is unusually gifted. His band, Last Things, is legendary in their northern Minnesota hometown. With guitar skills that would amaze even if he weren’t only eighteen, Anders is the focus of head-turning admiration. And Thea Malcom, a newcomer to the insular town, is one of his admirers. Thea seems to turn up everywhere Anders goes: gigs at the local coffeehouse, guitar lessons, even in the woods near Anders’s home. When strange things start happening to Anders—including the disappearance of his beloved cat, then his sort-of girlfriend, and, somehow, his musical talent—blame immediately falls on Thea. But is she trying to hurt him? Or save him? Can he trust a girl who doesn’t seem to know the difference between dreams and reality? And how much are they both willing to compromise to get what they want?

Rating: 4/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: darkly gritty and atmospheric; this puts a new twist on "muse"--in a terrifying way; really loved the building tension from beginning to end; well-rounded, intriguing characters; this was a wild journey

HUGE thanks to Jacqueline West, Greenwillow Publishing, and Fantastic Flying Book Club for sending a complimentary egalley of this title my way! This in no form altered my review of or opinions on this book.

Jacqueline West did a BEAUTIFUL job of writing a darkly gritty, atmospheric novel. The purple prose and air of mystery surrounding Anders Thorson's "gifts," and the forest that watches everyone, only helped to build to the tension that wrapped around me while reading. The unknown answers were thick as fog; I knew no more than what Jacqueline West allowed me to, until it was time for everything to fall into place.

I had a fantastic time reading this, and getting a good "spook" on--it's been a while since I've found a book that managed to so thoroughly creep me out, without giving away much at all. The characters were well-rounded and humanly believable, even in the midst of all the paranormal taking place. Thea Malcom was just as intriguing and mysterious as the watching, listening forest, making me want to peel back her layers one by one.

I'd definitely recommend this title to lovers of the paranormal, seekers of the things that haunt and watch from afar, and purveyors of richly detailed prose. These characters are bound to make you want to uncover all their secrets, even while you try your best to keep your distance lest the watching forest turn its gaze toward you. Don't look too closely at the trees, Penguins...you might see things there you won't be able to forget.