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A review by whenimreading
Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
3.5
The premise of this book sounded very interesting to me. It’s sometimes difficult reading books about cults, even fictional, but this was very respectful even with similarities to real tragic events.
While I really loved Michallon’s debut, this sophomore novel also delivers a gripping mystery, albeit a bit quieter, no pun intended!
Frida and Gabriel are siblings by circumstance, choosing each other while living in an unthinkable situation. The flashback chapters were an interesting character study, we see how Frida develops into the cunning and smart woman she is in the present. Despite her upbringing, I thought she was a very strong personality. While Gabriel suffered more emotionally and mentally in their life after. Even though they grew apart, the unconditional love and desire to protect each other is strong in them both.
The story unfolds slowly but I really liked the tension and Frida’s drive to absolve her brother of any wrongdoing. She was a better investigator than the cops! When I thought the story would go a certain way, it still surprised me a little. Sure you can see the result a mile away but I liked how the reveal was handled.
To talk about obvious triggers, both characters grew up in a cult. Lead by a single man Émile, there are moderate mentions of rape but it’s stressed the persons are 18 and over. I found similarities to real events that happened in Waco in 1993 so please read with care.
3.5⭐️
Thank you to Knopf for the review copy.
* I finished the last few chapters on audio with Saskia Maarleveld narration, she just has an awesome voice for mysteries so I highly recommend the audiobook!
While I really loved Michallon’s debut, this sophomore novel also delivers a gripping mystery, albeit a bit quieter, no pun intended!
Frida and Gabriel are siblings by circumstance, choosing each other while living in an unthinkable situation. The flashback chapters were an interesting character study, we see how Frida develops into the cunning and smart woman she is in the present. Despite her upbringing, I thought she was a very strong personality. While Gabriel suffered more emotionally and mentally in their life after. Even though they grew apart, the unconditional love and desire to protect each other is strong in them both.
The story unfolds slowly but I really liked the tension and Frida’s drive to absolve her brother of any wrongdoing. She was a better investigator than the cops! When I thought the story would go a certain way, it still surprised me a little. Sure you can see the result a mile away but I liked how the reveal was handled.
To talk about obvious triggers, both characters grew up in a cult. Lead by a single man Émile, there are moderate mentions of rape but it’s stressed the persons are 18 and over. I found similarities to real events that happened in Waco in 1993 so please read with care.
3.5⭐️
Thank you to Knopf for the review copy.
* I finished the last few chapters on audio with Saskia Maarleveld narration, she just has an awesome voice for mysteries so I highly recommend the audiobook!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Murder