A review by paulasnotsosecretdiary
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

One Last Stop takes a daily occurrence - seeing the same stranger on the train each day - turning it into a love story to New York, finding community, and between two young women searching for love and a home. One Last Stop will engage readers and not let them go in the best way possible.

August sees Jane Su on the Q train on her way to Brooklyn College, where she has transferred, and her new apartment, where eccentric and supportive roommates embrace her. And then August sees Jane again. And sees her again. And again. An again. The two young women, drawn to each other, become friends over music, food, and fashion discussions. As their relationship blossoms, August discovers Jane can't remember who she is,  is more than she appears to be, and cannot leave the Q train. Using the skills she developed growing up as her mother searched obsessively for her missing uncle, August sets out to discover Jane's identity and how she became trapped in time on the Q train.

Like August, author Casey McQuiston moved to New York from the South, and if she used her life experiences in the story, she has done so with great success. The authenticity of experiencing a new city, finding one's way around, discovering community, balancing work, school, and making rent come through and enriches the story. 

What's especially enjoyable is how the love story develops. It's not rushed; Jane and August move from acquaintances to friends to lovers in a timeline that feel realistic and satisfying. As they get to know each other, Jane's nomadic existence and August's search for a home for herself complement each other. 

Although some readers may not expect or enjoy the science fiction/fantasy aspect of the story, there is so much to like. There is a community of LGBTQIA+ supporting characters who accept and celebrate August in her quest to help Jane, make a life for herself, and succeed in her job at a local diner. Romance readers will enjoy this thoughtful novel, and librarians will have another excellent suggestion to offer High School and adult patrons seeking stories celebrating LGBTQIA+ communities.