doubleohelix 's review for:

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

3.5

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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We're at the typewriter again, Lenora in her wheelchair and me standing beside her as I place her left hand atop the keys.

This is my second Riley Sager book, and if I could expect anything, I could expect a plot that was deceptively simple at first glance and would end up going completely bonkers in the end. And it kind of did, though not as crazy as I probably would have liked.

I think what kept this from hitting with me as well as his previous book was the continuous piling up of plots and characters who grew increasingly far-fetched and hard to believe. There were just some aspects that I did not buy at all and could not suspend my disbelief entirely.

Instead of Wonderland, though, I've ended up inside the portrait of Lenora Hope and now stare at myself from outside the frame.

The characters in the story were pretty interesting overall, though some of their quirks you could tell were plot-related. I liked the avoidance of a straight up villain, everyone had motivation and it kept me guessing the whole book.

The book had some interesting themes of loss and guilt that I felt could have been explored more deeply, but seemed to be sacrificed in favor of plot twists and reveals. It felt as soon as I got a handle on a character, there would be a new reveal that rendered what I felt obsolete. It didn't feel great to end the book knowing less about the characters than I thought.

Still overall an enjoyable read, with a twisty plot and compelling, if shallow themes.