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A review by allygator
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
This book felt like a giant hug. I don't think Casey McQuiston has ever written a book that has protagonists and side characters I haven't loved. I felt so strongly connected to Jane and August and all the members of their beautiful queer found family.
I was a little nervous to pick this up because I love Red, White & Royal Blue so much and because I was a little scared to see how McQuiston tackled a more sci-fi heavy plot. However, this did nothing but exceed my expectations. The sci-fi elements made this book super engaging to me, and I loved trying to solve the mystery of Jane before the characters did.
I battled through a reading slump while working through this, and I think it's a testament to the quality of this book that I enjoyed every bit of it even when I struggled to pick up any sort of text. My enjoyment of this wasn't hindered by my brain being annoying.
The romance McQuiston wrote was, as always, absolutely swoon-worthy. I was so invested in whether or not Jane and August would get together and stay together that the things that I was worried about (namely: subway sex) weren't as strange as I thought that would be. My little asexual heart was not made uncomfortable by the sexy scenes :)
This is, though, a more adult book than RWRB is. The sex scenes are more explicit and don't just fade to black. Not a problem for me, but something worth noting for anyone considering picking this up.
I do think that it is important to mention that there is a line in this that has been slightly controversial in which August tells Jane that racism isn't as bad now as it was in the 70s. Some reviewers of color have brought up that this is a inaccurate and insensitive statement to make, and while I agree, I do think that the context of the scene has a lot to do with why it is said. Jane is freaking out, and August is trying to calm her down, so she says that times have changed and Jane could be herself in the present. I don't think that August was right (she's definitely very naïve and speaks from a position of incredible privilege), but I do understand why she said what she did. As a reviewer of color myself I don't have a problem with the line, but I understand why so many of my peers do, and it's not my place to judge them for that or say that they're wrong.
I was a little nervous to pick this up because I love Red, White & Royal Blue so much and because I was a little scared to see how McQuiston tackled a more sci-fi heavy plot. However, this did nothing but exceed my expectations. The sci-fi elements made this book super engaging to me, and I loved trying to solve the mystery of Jane before the characters did.
I battled through a reading slump while working through this, and I think it's a testament to the quality of this book that I enjoyed every bit of it even when I struggled to pick up any sort of text. My enjoyment of this wasn't hindered by my brain being annoying.
The romance McQuiston wrote was, as always, absolutely swoon-worthy. I was so invested in whether or not Jane and August would get together and stay together that the things that I was worried about (namely: subway sex) weren't as strange as I thought that would be. My little asexual heart was not made uncomfortable by the sexy scenes :)
This is, though, a more adult book than RWRB is. The sex scenes are more explicit and don't just fade to black. Not a problem for me, but something worth noting for anyone considering picking this up.
I do think that it is important to mention that there is a line in this that has been slightly controversial in which August tells Jane that racism isn't as bad now as it was in the 70s. Some reviewers of color have brought up that this is a inaccurate and insensitive statement to make, and while I agree, I do think that the context of the scene has a lot to do with why it is said. Jane is freaking out, and August is trying to calm her down, so she says that times have changed and Jane could be herself in the present. I don't think that August was right (she's definitely very naïve and speaks from a position of incredible privilege), but I do understand why she said what she did. As a reviewer of color myself I don't have a problem with the line, but I understand why so many of my peers do, and it's not my place to judge them for that or say that they're wrong.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Terminal illness
Minor: Transphobia