A review by earl_grey_without_lemon
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Really interesting read! I read this in print, started it at the beach and wasn’t sure if I would like the book in the first few pages, but trucked through and found I really enjoyed it once the mystery kicked in.  Stuart Turton’s prose is simple, and the book flies by and is easy to read and digest. I loved the setup, how there are little things in the text that give you pause at first but discard before the twist is revealed (specifically I remember trying to figure
out the difference in ages between familial generations but chalking it up to the rules of their society
). I also think the sci-fi dystopian setting is interesting and not altogether bleak at first glance, which makes it darker when delving into the world’s implications.
In terms of what I didn’t like, I’m still turning over my thoughts on what the book says about humanity. I know the thesis is rebuilding with a kinder and better humanity, and that
Niema ultimately succumbs to her own arrogance, but I can’t get over the really pessimistic way this book looks at humanity. I don’t agree with the idea that we have to stop everything and create a new race of humans in order to achieve better, and I think it’s honestly dangerous rhetoric to imply it. The fact that the villagers aren’t given any agency at all until just about the end of the book, and that Abi was always supposed to die until the villagers got to inherit the earth
felt like like bizarre pacing.  This book would’ve been a 4 star read but I knocked it down because of these issues. In my opinion, the characters also fell a bit flat, feeling like archetypes rather than characters, but that’s a common pitfall for mystery books. Additionally, there were some small line edit issues, such as typos, and the wrong character names being used (like “Emory” instead of “Clara” when Emory was not in this scene). 
I did really like the atmosphere in this book, though. It’s contemplative and melancholy and feels truly like I’m on an island surrounded by the end of the world.  Also I think Abi is a cool concept, especially the
merging of the technical and the biological with her fungal networks
, but my god, what a terrifying concept to have a voice in your head that is essentially the government spying on you from birth. The horror is low in the book, but it is chilling nonetheless. I would recommend the book based on vibes though
Expand filter menu Content Warnings