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syd002 's review for:
The Last Murder at the End of the World
by Stuart Turton
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Gosh I loved this book! Fast paced, thrilling, and twists that kept me hooked, I truely couldn’t put it down. I may be a little biased because there has yet to be a Stuart Turton book I haven’t loved but truely this was a satisfying ending that most mystery readers won’t feel was so left field it was impossible.
I really loved the messaging regarding the progression of science/AI and the conversation regarding what makes real art/real humans. While the murder mystery plot was interesting, I found myself much more captivated by characters like Clara, Emory and Seth dealing with the world ending truth that they weren’t human.
Additionally the commentary on humans own demise being that they are human and the very real-life merging of classism and capitalism creating a class that could pay their way out of the apocalypse was introspective and thought provoking, I often found myself wondering if this really could happen in the near distant future.
The suicide trope ending was a little bit of a bummer but I didn’t feel let down or caught off guard by its use. Where most mystery’s use it to say “I bet you didn’t see that coming” and belittle the reader, I found it very on brand for Niemas goals and aspirations by the end of the book. It truely showcased her growth past her ego and the depth of her passion for a better future (with the context of her guilt still being present).
tldr; mystery lovers will be kept captive by its twists and turns, but the mixing of sci-fi, mystery and apocalyptic themes help differentiate it and bring interesting commentary into the mix.
Additionally the commentary on humans own demise being that they are human and the very real-life merging of classism and capitalism creating a class that could pay their way out of the apocalypse was introspective and thought provoking, I often found myself wondering if this really could happen in the near distant future.
The suicide trope ending was a little bit of a bummer but I didn’t feel let down or caught off guard by its use. Where most mystery’s use it to say “I bet you didn’t see that coming” and belittle the reader, I found it very on brand for Niemas goals and aspirations by the end of the book. It truely showcased her growth past her ego and the depth of her passion for a better future (with the context of her guilt still being present).
tldr; mystery lovers will be kept captive by its twists and turns, but the mixing of sci-fi, mystery and apocalyptic themes help differentiate it and bring interesting commentary into the mix.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism