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A review by thenovelstitch
The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Jason!!! You did it again!!
The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak is a thriller, yes, but it is also the story of the devotion of parents, the complicated relationships within families, and how we make meaning of the sum of our choices over our lives.
Frank Szatowski lives by strict value system: in everything you show up for, show up all the way. He has spent the last 26 years driving for UPS without a single incident. He parented despite the heartache and loss of losing his wife. He's saved for his retirement, he's saved for emergencies, and he's always keeping up with the insurmountable task of house work. There is one thing that Frank feels like he can't show up for is his only daughter, Maggie, with whom he had a falling out three years earlier and hasn't spoken to since. It's the one thing in his life he can't fix or change, and it's eating him alive.
Until suddenly she calls him out of the blue to announce she's getting married and she wants Frank at the wedding. This phone call spurrs into action a chain of events that leave Frank feeling more and more at odds with his daughter who he is also trying desperately to rehabilitate a relationship with. As Frank uncovers secret after secret during the few days leading up to the wedding (at a beautiful and secluded private lake resort) he is convinced that Maggie's fiance is dangerous and Maggie is in serious trouble.
I loved this book, and I appreciated all the ways in which it was different from Rekulak's first book Hidden Pictures. I like that he didn't try to write another ghost/horror story and I think it landed really well. I particularly liked the subtle exploration of nature vs. nurture throughout the story -- do children turn out the way they do because of their parents? Or because they were just born that way? Can anyone intervene? Is there a certain age where intervention is possible? Are parents blind to the ways their children manipulate? A really interesting philosophical theme to weave into the story, especially given that Maggie and Abigail act as mirrors towards each other, and I guess for Frank too.
I think this was a great thriller and I will always recommend Rekulak's books to any one who wants a well executed story.
The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak is a thriller, yes, but it is also the story of the devotion of parents, the complicated relationships within families, and how we make meaning of the sum of our choices over our lives.
Frank Szatowski lives by strict value system: in everything you show up for, show up all the way. He has spent the last 26 years driving for UPS without a single incident. He parented despite the heartache and loss of losing his wife. He's saved for his retirement, he's saved for emergencies, and he's always keeping up with the insurmountable task of house work. There is one thing that Frank feels like he can't show up for is his only daughter, Maggie, with whom he had a falling out three years earlier and hasn't spoken to since. It's the one thing in his life he can't fix or change, and it's eating him alive.
Until suddenly she calls him out of the blue to announce she's getting married and she wants Frank at the wedding. This phone call spurrs into action a chain of events that leave Frank feeling more and more at odds with his daughter who he is also trying desperately to rehabilitate a relationship with. As Frank uncovers secret after secret during the few days leading up to the wedding (at a beautiful and secluded private lake resort) he is convinced that Maggie's fiance is dangerous and Maggie is in serious trouble.
I loved this book, and I appreciated all the ways in which it was different from Rekulak's first book Hidden Pictures. I like that he didn't try to write another ghost/horror story and I think it landed really well. I particularly liked the subtle exploration of nature vs. nurture throughout the story -- do children turn out the way they do because of their parents? Or because they were just born that way? Can anyone intervene? Is there a certain age where intervention is possible? Are parents blind to the ways their children manipulate? A really interesting philosophical theme to weave into the story, especially given that Maggie and Abigail act as mirrors towards each other, and I guess for Frank too.
I think this was a great thriller and I will always recommend Rekulak's books to any one who wants a well executed story.