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A review by mx_sunshine
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I loved the premise of this book. Time travel, the funky 70’s, girl in leather jacket, girls!
And there were parts of this book that made me laugh out loud.
But from the start I found it a bit.. cringey. The mother seemed one dimensional and I didn’t believe August’s childhood was realistic. It was just kind of told to the reader for us to accept that it’s second-nature for August to solve things and pick locks.
And I kept reading about how tough August was but I never got that from her? I get it, she carries a knife. There’s moments where the reader is told she “breaks character” and becomes “soft”. But it’s not really established.
I don’t feel like there was any character development. Maybe that’s because I didn’t connect with the characters.
I liked August’s roommates, Niko, Wes and Maya. But there was a lot of stuff that was thrown out there that wasn’t relevant.
Like a dog was introduced at the start and not mentioned beside a one-liner at the end?
I feel like this book could’ve been cut down a lot.
I loved the party scene and had a blast reading it. The Drag Queen names and performances were clever and funny.
There was just a lot of exposition. It felt like reading a character sheet at times when being confronted with pages of Jane’s monologue. Except it was just narration? I don’t think third person narration really helped this story as a romance.
I do see why people like this novel. In the first few chapters I realised this wasn’t for me but I was determined to see it through. The concept really excited me and I believed it would get better. Which it did, it picks up after the first half.
Overall it’s a fun, light book that I have taken a tad too seriously.
And there were parts of this book that made me laugh out loud.
But from the start I found it a bit.. cringey. The mother seemed one dimensional and I didn’t believe August’s childhood was realistic. It was just kind of told to the reader for us to accept that it’s second-nature for August to solve things and pick locks.
And I kept reading about how tough August was but I never got that from her? I get it, she carries a knife. There’s moments where the reader is told she “breaks character” and becomes “soft”. But it’s not really established.
I don’t feel like there was any character development. Maybe that’s because I didn’t connect with the characters.
I liked August’s roommates, Niko, Wes and Maya. But there was a lot of stuff that was thrown out there that wasn’t relevant.
Like a dog was introduced at the start and not mentioned beside a one-liner at the end?
I feel like this book could’ve been cut down a lot.
I loved the party scene and had a blast reading it. The Drag Queen names and performances were clever and funny.
There was just a lot of exposition. It felt like reading a character sheet at times when being confronted with pages of Jane’s monologue. Except it was just narration? I don’t think third person narration really helped this story as a romance.
I do see why people like this novel. In the first few chapters I realised this wasn’t for me but I was determined to see it through. The concept really excited me and I believed it would get better. Which it did, it picks up after the first half.
Overall it’s a fun, light book that I have taken a tad too seriously.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Confinement, Homophobia, and Sexual content