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A review by kayaj
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
3.0
genre blends are actually some of the greatest inventions of authors, and all the more so when they actually WORK. the last murder at the end of the world blends mystery and science-fiction very, very well. i don’t even like sci-fi but hey, i was actually able to understand most of what was happening!!
this story essentially follows a small cast of characters who are trying to solve a murder on their island within two days. why within two days? because a fog that killed the rest of humanity, a fog that has been held at bay for decades due to some type of science technology (i’m barely a woman in stem okay?!) is fast approaching and the only way to stop it is to solve the murder. which…might not make sense but i promise you that the book makes the logic work.
i was genuinely bored for the first part of the novel. i did not care! i was a little confused! the book is told from the perspective of an omniscient narrator named Abi, and i struggled to truly connect with the characters because of it. that issue was true for me throughout the entire book.
however.
the mystery is unique, detailed, and thorough. you HAVE to pay attention to all the details, otherwise, you will not be able to solve it. stuart turton is brilliant at creating scenarios with fantastical elements and then weaving details in that might be passed over if you aren’t used to it.
once the story got going, i was hooked. it was more than just a mystery, there were multiple characters with their own agendas that opened the door for quite a few twists. i was definitely shocked!
of course, all that being said…i will probably give this book a 3, 3.5 star rating. it’s creative, unique, and twisty. i just truly struggled to care sometimes about the characters, and about some of the elements of the world. occasionally, the timeline would become very confusing which could just be a me problem. overall, i didn’t love it in the same way i did evelyn hardcastle but it was still a fun blend of genres that kept me guessing!
this story essentially follows a small cast of characters who are trying to solve a murder on their island within two days. why within two days? because a fog that killed the rest of humanity, a fog that has been held at bay for decades due to some type of science technology (i’m barely a woman in stem okay?!) is fast approaching and the only way to stop it is to solve the murder. which…might not make sense but i promise you that the book makes the logic work.
i was genuinely bored for the first part of the novel. i did not care! i was a little confused! the book is told from the perspective of an omniscient narrator named Abi, and i struggled to truly connect with the characters because of it. that issue was true for me throughout the entire book.
however.
the mystery is unique, detailed, and thorough. you HAVE to pay attention to all the details, otherwise, you will not be able to solve it. stuart turton is brilliant at creating scenarios with fantastical elements and then weaving details in that might be passed over if you aren’t used to it.
once the story got going, i was hooked. it was more than just a mystery, there were multiple characters with their own agendas that opened the door for quite a few twists. i was definitely shocked!
of course, all that being said…i will probably give this book a 3, 3.5 star rating. it’s creative, unique, and twisty. i just truly struggled to care sometimes about the characters, and about some of the elements of the world. occasionally, the timeline would become very confusing which could just be a me problem. overall, i didn’t love it in the same way i did evelyn hardcastle but it was still a fun blend of genres that kept me guessing!