Member Reviews
What a great book. I just love these type of stories where loves defies space and time. I never felt like I had a true connection to Jane as the story was told from August’s POV but it didn’t detract from the story. The characters were fun and I just loved how the roommates welcomed accepted August unconditionally and immediately.
4.5 Stars. I will be honest, I went into this book with extremely high expectations because RWRB is one of the best books I have ever read. Due to that, I could not go all the way to 5 stars, but I still really loved this book. Casey truly has a magical way with words, the way she uses them to just punch you in the heart and make you feel. It's truly something special. The way that she expresses love and desire and coming into oneself, it just makes you feel understood. August and Jane are just dreamy and swoony and everything else that is good in the world. Every character in this book is beyond lovable and the love just felt instant. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
First of all, I absolutely adored Red, White, and Royal Blue, and I couldn't wait to see what else Casey McQuiston had up her sleeve. One Last Stop did not disappoint. I loved all of the diverse, interesting characters, the paranormal aspect, and the romance between August and June. The author also delved into queer history, which I think is so important and not explored nearly enough in novels about LGBTQ+ people. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an escape from these stressful times.
Thank you for this review copy! I absolutely devoured it.
As a fan of Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston I was very excited to see what she would write next, and this one definitely did not disappoint. The way McQuiston writes broke Millennials is so deeply accurate, especially broke Millennials in New York City. August's roommates were consistently a blast to read about, from psychic premonitions, to Rolly Bangs, to lavish blow-out parties.
This book swept me into August's just-off-of-reality world and I was just as interested as her in finding out June's past and how to get her off the subway.
A well-written fast and romantic New Adult read, perfect for these stressful times. I will absolutely be recommending it to many.
Is it too early to declare my favorite book of 2021?
Typically I’m drawn most toward character-driven stories, and this one was that but SO much more. How can I begin to describe this wonderful whirlwind of emotions? We start off with August coming to New York with barely anything in hand and no connections to anyone, and as the story unfurls she discovers more than anyone can imagine in NYC.
The novel starts off a little slow, but once the thick of it begins, it doesn’t stop until the very last page. August’s prickly personality definitely grows on you, as does Jane’s mystery. The entire diverse cast of characters is hilarious, beautiful, and oh so lovable in each of their own ways.
Also, can we just talk about how fantastic Casey McQuiston is at telling queer stories? Honestly, what put this one at the top for me is the depth of the queerness in this story. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading about happy queer people falling in love and living life, but there is so much self-awareness and history layered into the entire novel that really sets it apart.
This will be a major must-read of 2021. I’ll be putting it on my bookshelf the day it releases!
Casey McQuiston did it again! I loved how this romance had time travel/paranormal elements but was set in the real world. Delightful, distinctive characters.
I'm not even sure how to start this review. McQuiston has such a real and authentic voice and that was no surprise after reading her first book, but this book feels different, more special maybe. I knew every one of these characters and I found myself in all of these characters as well. I have been to the parties that August goes to in the book. This book lets LGBTQ+ people live and not have to justify their existence or explore their trauma. Even better having a character who lived back when there were riots and protests for gay rights and right before the Aids epidemic allows for amazing history that enhances the story.
The relationships in this book are so amazing. They are sincere and healthy. The relationship between August and Jane is truly magical. McQuiston knows how to write relationships, how to make you fall into them with the characters. August's hesitations and nerves are so real and raw. I am in awe at how well the intimate scenes are written. Similiar, to their last book, they are not that detailed but still somehow so hot and steamy.
Overall, One Last Stop is the book I needed right now. A book suspended in time where you can live as queer 20 somethings in New York, just trying to save your time traveler girlfriend and fight against gentrification.
It took me a little while to get into this one. I was a little skeptical of the premise. But I ended up not being able to put the book down until I knew what was going to happen to Jane! ONE LAST STOP is a smart, dreamy, heartwarming love story with unexpected and delightful twists.
first of all, let's talk about that cover! it's so STUNNING i'm in love.
second of all, it's a sapphic romance with a time traveling aspect to it! SIGN ME UP!!
i was so fascinated by the premise of this book! i loved the ~mystery~ and the representation was just GREAT.
i absolutely adored august's friends!! it was so nice to see how she adapted to suddenly having people to depend on and how quickly she blended into the group. their antics and banter was hilarious i wish i was their friend. every single relationship was just great and so wholesome.
the way august and jane immediately connected is something that can be so special. i was rooting for them from the moment they laid eyes on each other. they have my whole heart.
the only reason i didn't give this 5 stars is because the first half of the book was so SLOW but everything else was behind perfect.
Faith in humanity restored.
Was I scared to read to Casey McQuiston's newest book? Yes. I was afraid that the magic of Red, White, and Royal Blue may have been a one time phenomena. But I am so happy that I was wrong.
I really needed this book and had no idea until I started sobbing 70 percent through. Books that make you break down in happy tears are needed right now. Books that highlight love, acceptance, the LGBT community and the world I want to live in, are NEEDED. It made me feel hope and love. It made me see the world I want to live in.
23 year old August has just moved to New York City to find a new life. Her life has been hallmarked by taking care of her mother and helping her track the cold case of her missing uncle. August doesn't know what she wants out of life or who she wants to be, but is hopeful New York will be the place to lose herself to.
Then August is on the Q train and runs into Jane. Instant sparks. Jane is amazing and an instant connection feels set between the two of them in the form of an electric current of emotions. But Jane never leaves the Q line but is also on every train that August boards. Weird coincidence? Is Jane just a ghostly hot girl in August's mind?
I will not talk too much about the plot because it is an experience. But what this book succeeds in doing is creating a found family that you wish was your own. It creates a place full of people you wish you knew. It creates a sense of belonging and drags the readers into a world of love and laughter.
It is a love letter to the LGBT community of New York City. It is a love letter to queer culture and history. If you need to feel found read this book.
Casey McQuiston's latest book is absolutely gorgeous. August, our tough, loner heroine, falls head-over-heels in love with a girl she meets on the Subway... who just happens to be displaced in time from the 1970s. August has to figure out if she should follow her heart; her head; or maybe even both. With a lovely cast of charming characters, this book is perfect for a cozy stay at home night or a beach read. Thank you SO much to netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this beautiful ARC!
Impressively imaginative, but I wasn’t crazy about this one (I don't read much speculative fiction, so I blame myself, not the author!). Overall, it is a funny, interesting, and readable book with an extremely lovable cast of characters, and I think it would do well as a movie.
Representation is so important, and I'm so excited to have another LGBTQ+ affirming book to recommend to older students!
I love this book. It wasn’t quite RWRB-level for me, but RWRB was one of my absolute favorite books ever, six stars out of five, so OLS definitely deserves the full five. McQuiston is so good at writing atmosphere and I just loved the world she created here, queer and loving and supportive and full of drag shows and people showing up for each other. The dialogue was, as I was fully expecting from McQuiston, perfectly rendered and relatable, no sour notes at all. Oddly, despite the premise of the story, I didn’t really need to engage in active suspension of disbelief - I just fell into the story and was passionately invested in how it played out. The romance, of course, was the crux of the story and it was complex, fun, hot, and engaging. I also really loved the friendships she built, and I especially appreciated that unlike most time travel books, people weren’t keeping secrets from their most important friends - instead they were all in it together. The characters and relationships were all beautifully developed, messy and complicated and delightful. The whole book just exuded positivity, its world is warm and loving and accepting even as its characters grappled with real shit. As expected, the writing was top notch, the pacing was on point, the story was compelling, the whole thing was funny, and I couldn’t put it down. Another winner from McQuiston.
This book means so much to me, as I'm sure it will for many other queer young people. The love story within these pages is heartwarming, complicated, and perfect. It is the perfect combination of messy and idealistic. Casey Mcquinstion did a spectacular job of capturing the reality of queerness, found family, and the whirlwind headiness of first true love while still telling an unbelievably compelling story about a girl lost in time. The way they managed to make the subway seem like this incredibly magical place is a feat in and of itself and I am now desperate for a version of 2020 where we could just ride the subway all day and night.
As a character August truly means so much to me. I remeber the first time I saw the cover for this book and realized that August looked just like me. It truly brought tears to my eyes, and reading the way she felt about her body truly mai justde me feel better about the way I looked. (This isn't the most articulate but I hope I am getting the point across).
This is truly my perfect book and I'm just so grateful it exists.
Loved the characters in this books so much, devoured the book in an afternoon. A lovely story with a sci-fi/fantastical twist. A wonderful follow up book to Ms. McQuiston’s first novel
I've been desperate to read this book since loving Red White and Royal Blue last year, and I was even more excited when I found out the main character was bi and it involved a ff romance
We follow August, shortly after she's moved to New York for college. Soon after moving, August spots a beautiful, butch Asian woman on the subway who she instantly falls in love with. She soon realises that there's something strange about the woman, Jane, and that perhaps Jane doesn't belong in New York, in the 21st century, at all...
I really appreciated all of the queer rep in this book, they were all chaotic and I loved it. I liked that the story wasn't about the sexualities and genders, they just happen to be bi/gay/trans etc. I loved Niko and Myla and would read a book about their meet cute and general day to day life
Even though August looks like me I felt a bit of a disconnect. I don't know if it was the way it was written, and possibly written on purpose as she is a person who keeps others at arms length, but I never fully warmed to her
I can't put my finger on why...but this book just didn't fully work for me, and I'm sad about it. A LOT of the plot points were super convenience (like "hey, my friend knows that guy who owns that place that we need access to") which really started to bother me. Also I didn't feel like the speculative element was...thought out very well. It didn't make much sense to me, and I think suffered from being over explained to the point where it gave itself holes in the concept
Authors, particularly those whose debut novels made a splash, face a career-defining dilemma with their sophomore novels. I impatiently started this book, hungry not only for story, but also for an answer to how Casey McQuiston would evolve as a writer. Would she give us Red, White, and Royal Blue redux, or would she offer something different, which doesn't necessarily equal good?
She gave us different. I miss Alex and Henry. They are larger-than-life characters on the archetypal quest for identity. I experienced the joys of falling in love with them as they fell in love with each other.
But One Last Stop is a damn good novel. The premise is fantastical and mysterious, but these characters provide a comforting, warm familiarity. McQuiston's technique is stronger; at times, her lyricism is somewhat reminiscent of Fitzgerald. Similarly, New York City is as much a shibboleth in One Last Stop as it is in Gatsby.
In short, Casey McQuiston is not a one-trick pony. She's growing as an artist. She mentioned on Twitter that she has finished her third novel while in quarantine. I look forward to seeing where she'll take herself and us on her next stop.
She did it again, folks 🏆😭
I requested ONE LAST STOP fully expecting to be denied, but since it’s how I first discovered RWRB, I hoped. And it worked! Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.
This book is SO different from RWRB, but McQuiston’s skills are even better: hilarious dialogue, deeply built characters, and feels for days. There’s a diner in ONE LAST STOP that’s described as having a magical energy, and that is exactly what this book is, too.
I don’t want to spoil anything, just know you need this book in our life when it comes out next summer.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (really just infinity stars for this one)
Thanks to St. Martin and NetGalley for this eARC!
This was obviously a delight! Though her two books are different, it seems one of Casey's true talents is writing an ensemble cast. I remember rereading <i>RWRB</i> and thinking how much FUN they all were and how much FUN they all have in that book. This one has a similarly wonderful group of friends and lots of fun times (sob, miss my buds).
August and Jane are lovely protagonists, the time elements held together for me, mostly, and this was just a lovely world to sink into. Also, there are pancakes. And enough drag queens for a whole season of drag race. Finally, because one of the characters has a lot of experience with queer history, this history is present in this book more than in <i>RWRB</i>. If you liked <i>RWRB</i>, I think you'll get into this one.