lindzboots 's review for:

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

4.5

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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 I really, really loved that. Heartbreaking and horrifying, beautiful and inspiring. The characters were all so interesting and flawed and human, and so the conflicts were just so utterly human as a result. The atmosphere - a Lizzie Borden-reminiscent story set in a spooky mansion on a cliffside - seeped through every page, sending chills up my spine and raising the hairs on the back of my neck with its eeriness. 

The end felt like a rapidly descending snowball of twists and turns. It got a little outlandish for a moment, but I admit I got swept up in it, finding myself gasping and sitting on the edge of my seat, watching the puzzle pieces click into place: especially at the very end, where

I couldn’t help but feel honestly pretty overjoyed, chuckling and shaking my head - relieved, even

. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Classism

I've tagged "gaslighting," but for those who have issues of reality-bending: I didn't find anything in this book uncomfortable in that respect.