Title: One Last Stop
Author: Casey McQuiston
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (Macmillan Publishers)
Date published: June 1, 2021
A complimentary digital copy and audiobook proof of this book were kindly provided by Raincoast Books and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.
But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.
Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.
⤖ My Review ⬻
I remember when I finished reading Red, White & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston’s first novel, that 1) I loved the book and 2) I couldn’t wait to see what McQuiston would write next! Then One Last Stop was announced, and I just knew that I absolutely had to read it and that I needed to get my hands on a copy ASAP.
I was lucky enough to get an early, digital copy as well as an advanced copy of the audiobook, but due to falling behind on my reading schedule, didn’t get to read One Last Stop as early as planned. Alas, I read it early last month and absolutely loved it!
McQuiston’s second book was everything I had hoped for and more! Having read both of their books, I could really tell how their writing has developed since Red, White & Royal Blue. With One Last Stop, McQuiston’s writing has become a lot more poetic in my opinion–there were times when I wanted to take a highlighter to my paperback copy, which is something I almost never think about, and most certainly an urge that I never give in to.
The characters in One Last Stop were incredible. I cannot stress how much I mean this. Even now, one month later, my heart aches with how much I miss reading about them. While August and Jane were, the main characters, their friends and acquaintances almost didn’t feel like side characters at all. They were all so fleshed out and multi-dimensional, and loveable. I could go on forever.
And while on the subject of characters: as I mentioned above, I was also provided with an advanced audio copy of One Last Stop, so I wanted to say a few things about that experience. I had to get used to the narrator a bit at first, due to her vocal inflections (if that’s the right word I’m looking for). But once I got used to her, I found that she was a good narrator for the book. Since One Last Stop is written in the third person, the narrator also didn’t have to sound like any particular character. That being said, she did a great job at altering her pitch and tone when reading out quotes from specific characters–there were a lot of characters, and she did great at sounding different, and true to each character when reading out their parts.
The plot of One Last Stop was also great and ended up being so much more that I’d been expecting while also being something I hadn’t even known I’d needed in my life. One Last Stop felt so unique to me and just so good. I laughed, I cried, I gasped in surprise. Needless to say, I loved One Last Stop, and I can’t wait to see what announcement McQuiston will make next book regarding their third book!
⤖ About the Author ⬻
Casey McQuiston is a New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies and a pie entusiast. They write stories about smart people with bad manners falling in love. Born and raised in southern Louisiana, they now live in New York City with their poodle mix/personal assistant, Pepper.
⤖ Places to Purchase the Book ⬻
⤖ Let's Chat ⬻
Thank you for reading my review! Have you read this book? What did you think? And if you haven’t read it yet, do you plan to? Let me know in the comments!
I was ready to absolutely fall head over heels in love with OLS like with RWRB because duh, but, somehow, I was still not quite ready enough. OLS was truly such a wonderful experience, and I am beside myself with excitement at McQuiston’s recent announcement that book three news is coming next week. I just can’t wait to see what comes next!
Right?! I think I definitely liked it more than RWRB which I wasn’t sure would be possible. And I’m def excited about book 3 just not sure how to feel about it being YA. Curious to see what the author does with that genre though!