Through the majority of this book I was SO INTO IT! I loved the journey it took me on! I was constantly guessing. It didn’t drop to 3 stars for me until I finished the book. The ending left me a bit unsatisfied. Without giving any spoilers: through the entire book we are finding clues as to why these 2 girls survived the massacre at the camp they went to over the summer. The build up with all of these clues was huge! Now, after finishing this book, I feel like I still have no answers. I loved where this book was going but I just feel like it could have been tied up at the end a bit differently so that it all made more sense. I enjoyed the journey but not the destination 😕

This was so intense that I genuinely don't know what to say! It felt slow at times, and very predictable at others...but I read the whole thing in a day so I can't exactly complain. I liked it! And the ending was WILD.

[Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!]

I'm such a fan of final girl situations, books and characters and this book delivered on that and the feel good nostalgic trip back to the 80s of my childhood... written amazingly. The story fell a bit flat for me and most of the characters weren't remarkable or memorable so that sucked but it was easy to get through it and I'm glad that I read it

a really fun and escapist read.

i had a few challenges while reading this book. i think it took a while to actually get into the story. we are just kinda thrown into it, and it’s a little staggering at first.

i think the way the author weaved in aspects of 80’s horror was really cool. i enjoyed the characters, and once the book did pick up, i did enjoy the overall arching of the story.

i felt like the exposition was clunky at times, and a little overly explained, but i enjoyed it still.
it was a fun ya horror!

WOW. I’m not even quite sure where to start with this one. The Last Girls Standing was an intense psychological thriller that kept me turning pages wanting to know what happened. With an ending that I did NOT see coming. LGS was an ode to all your favorite slasher movies with a sapphic romance and a splash of dark humor.

Sloan, who’s POV the story is told from, heads to Camp Money Springs to be a counselor for the summer. It’s there that she meets Cherry and they begin what was supposed to be an incredible summer romance. Except a week into the summer…there’s a massacre. And Sloan and Cherry are the only ones who survived it.

I was expecting the story to begin before the camp massacre happened, but it actually starts after the event. Sloan can’t remember what happened that night. She remembers being in her cabin, hearing screams, and seeing a man in a fox mask. But most of her memories are locked away inside her mind. Sloan was also adopted at a young age and can’t remember anything of her birth parents, where she came from, or what her life was like before. Her quest for answers is the driving force behind the plot and I found myself DYING to know the answers just as much as Sloan! On the edge of my seat with each new lead, wondering what it means.

Sloan and Cherry became grossly enmeshed after the massacre. They trauma bonded in a very unhealthy way and the dynamics of their relationship play a huge role in the story.

While this story was not at all what I suspected, and I didn’t get all the answers and cozy solutions I was hoping for, I really enjoyed reading it. It was one heck of a wild ride! 😯🤯

LGS is a book about love, murder, family, conspiracy theories, secrets, trauma, and the search for answers and belonging. It is also a dive into the dangers of cult psychology and how it preys on the most vulnerable people.

MINI SPOILER ALERT - It was NOT an HEA. I had a feeling as I progressed that it wouldn’t be, but I had very different ideas for how I thought it would turn out. I. Was. Wrong. I’m literally still processing the ending…😳

First off, thank you for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was very excited about this book since it features a summer camp mass murder. Not to mention that the cover is hauntingly beautiful. There was so much potential and it was such a great concept, but THE LAST GIRLS STANDING missed the mark plenty of times.

The beginning definitely had me curious, but on the first few pages, it felt too info-dumpy. There were things about Sloan's life that could have been mentioned later in the story. Jennifer Dugan probably put it so early in the book to raise the stakes, but it wasn't the right time to insert those details.

My main concern with the book is that it was very repetitive. Cherry and Sloan would have the same conversation in most of their scenes whenever the massacre is mentioned. I also believe that the idea of Cherry possibly being involved would have been so much more significant if it were mentioned later in the story and wasn't even mentioned in the summary of the book. It would have made such a great potential plot twist/train of thought for Sloan to consider.

I also felt the reveal of the murderers' intentions to be rushed. Dugan did a decent job inserting information bit by bit as the plot progressed, but the overall reveal felt so sudden. That plus the rushed ending ruined it for me. I wasn't a big fan of the ending because it undermines the C-PTSD that Sloan was experiencing. I wish there was a chapter following the events where Sloan tries to regain her life again. This usually happens in thrillers/horrors, but the end being cut off ruined the story for me too.

The reason why I rounded it up to 3 ⭐️ instead of 2.5-2.75 is because Jennifer Dugan did a good job of making me want to find out what happened. Sloan's progress in trying to regain her memories raised the stakes despite the issues I mentioned before. She also did a fair job of portraying trauma bonding and toxic relationships, as they are big parts of the book.

Overall, THE LAST GIRLS STANDING unfortunately did not meet my expectations.

Thank you netgalley for the arc. That was a crazy ending not all what I expected to happen. Crazy! Would recommend.

Gosh, this book was just plain old bad, and what makes it worse is that I think this has A LOT of potential, the ending just flushes it all down the drain. Let's start at the start though. Almost immediately the main character was just absolutely EXHAUSTING. Being in her brain was just A LOT. I could understand where she was coming from though. Especially because she's in an extremely toxic relationship, which I thought was going to be adressed and part of the book but NOPE. I honestly was starting to feel gaslit by this book because how obviously toxic the relationship was and it just never got adressed. They do mention that they are a bit unhealthily codependent but that's only a very small fraction of the toxicity of that relationship. So yeah, keep this away from your teens just for that. They don't need to read this and think a relationship like that is "soulmates". The plot was interesting. I do think about halfway through we started talking in circles, and that got extremely annoying, and then the end was just dog shit. Truly, what the fucking fuck was that? Nothing about it makes sense. It also answers 0 questions that were raised throughout the novel. It was just a big load of nothing. So yeah, this wasn't good at all. I'm sorry.

I don't even know what to believe anymore, apart from that this book becomes more bizarre as it goes on (and it's pretty bizarre from the start). Cherry and Sloan are trauma-bonded after surviving a ritualistic murder spree at a summer camp. But Sloan's memories aren't all there and she quickly begins to spiral. As secrets and lies come between Cherry and Sloan, their relationship begins to unravel. At the end of this, I don't even know what's real. But I do agree with most reviewers in that there should've been more of a focus on mental health as Sloan was clearly suffering from some PTSD, rather than just sending her to an unlicensed hypnotist and letting this wild ride just go on.

*Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC*

WHAT the FUCK….! I - what - huh - um - what did I just read. WOW. What an ending!!!

You know what, I read most of this like “what a fun YA slasher horror book, good stuff good stuff, love a traumatized girlie trying to figure out if her girlfriend was in on the summer camp mass murder they survived together, what a fun time” but…!!!

Yes that’s the sound of my horrified cackling you’re hearing.

Also fwiw the publication date for this is listed as 8/15 but I absolutely saw it on a display table in a bookstore about (checks phone) three hours ago so your moment is here!!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Jennifer Dugan is one my new favorite writers for LGBTQ+ fiction, and I was intrigued by her transition into thriller with The Last Girls Standing. I was immediately drawn to the creative premise, with the typical “horror movie” event being the backstory of the main characters instead of the main event. While for some, that might be a drawback, I was intrigued by how the story would build from there.
The trauma from that event is central to what bonds Sloan and Cherry. They had a budding relationship prior, but the shared trauma solidified it. Both of them grieve differently, with Sloan being particularly impacted and going off the deep end. While I personally don’t deal with PTSD and have never dealt with anything near what they experienced, I felt the story explored their issues with compassion, especially the survivor’s guilt they each carry.
While it is a thriller, it’s quite insular, focusing a lot on how their lives and relationship are complicated by their experiences, turning their promising budding love into a toxic relationship, especially with Sloan being suspicious of Cherry’s possible involvement. However, even with the real danger in the past, the story remains intriguing, and I remained glued to the pages, even as though I was watching these characters go down a dark path to their own potential destruction.
This is a darkly original take on some familiar tropes, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for a more introspective take on the thriller and horror genres.

I received an uncorrected proof from netgalley for an unbiased review.

This book hooked me from the beginning. I found the premise interesting. I'm not a big horror/thriller fan so ultimately I felt unsettled by this book, which honestly is probably a winning review because of how much of a wuss I am. Considering I read an uncorrected proof, perhaps some of the writing was tightened as parts felt like running in circles a bit. Overall I enjoyed it, but it also left me uncomfortable.

I first came across Dugan's books from listening to the audiobook for "Love at First Set" which I enjoyed a lot! listened to other audiobooks from her as well including "Some Girls Do" and "Hot Dog Girl". This book is tonally different and a bit spooky, so if you're a wuss like me: you've been warned.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP penguin Young Readers Group for the opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is available August 15!

This is a queer psychological YA thriller. It is also a summer camp slash fest. I actually dig it. It is about Cherry and Sloan. They met only days before masked men with machetes decided to Voorhees the crap outta everybody at the summer camp where they worked. They trauma bond naturally. But new evidence comes to light and Sloan begins to question everything months later. Gaslighting or reality? Is Cherry a victim or the perpetrator?

Yes there is some moments where you wanna throw the book but honestly this was refreshing and spooky and had me biting my nails to the quick.

The Last Girls Standing is a great YA thriller about Cherry and Sloan who are survivors of a camp massacre. I really enjoyed it and thought the characters were well-written. The plot was nuts and it really keeps you guessing as to what is going on all the way through the end. The ending was crazy and I am not entirely sure how I feel about it. I feel like I am missing something and that some of the threads did not connect, however, it was really unexpected, and in some ways that is a good thing. This will make for a great spooky season read.

Jennifer Dugan proves once again why she is the queen of sapphic YA books, this time with a physiological thriller bound to keep you guessing till the very end!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. This book hooked me right away! I love camper/slasher movies and the beginning of this book is just that! But, the rest of the book is all about Sloan and Cherry, the two sole survivors of the camp massacre.

Sloan and Cherry somehow survive a complete massacre that might be connected to a cult of some sort. Cherry says she remembers everything, but Sloan's memories of that night are nonexistent. Sloan and Cherry are in an intense relationship which is definitely stronger because of their survival. But, Sloan can't handle not remembering what happened and she begins to question everything that she thinks is true. She spins further and further into paranoia as she goes deeper down the "rabbit" hole (pun not intended!)

I was gripped by this story and couldn't decide who was telling the truth up until the end. But, I wasn't satisfied with the ending, which is what knocked it down to 3 stars for me. Still a good read!

3.75 / 5 stars

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, the idea of two survivors of a horrific event coming together and becoming fixated on what happened. I would have liked to see more of Sloan uncovering more of her memories, that part was interesting to me. Personally, it felt like it started to drag in the middle to the end and then the ending felt extremely rushed. I had a hard time finishing the book, but I needed to know how it ended.


!!!!SPOILERS!!!!!
The ending was not my favorite, it felt rushed and maybe a bit dark for a YA novel. I tend to like more clarity with the ending. With Sloan killing Cherry at the end, I felt it was a bit strange how quickly she started to buy into the soul mate theory.

Yet another Summer Camp Slasher book. How does this one hold up -

Summer Camp - Sloan took a job at a summer before she starts college and meets Cherry.

Survivors - and a few days later she and Cherry are the sole survivors of a tragic event

What’s true - this sets Sloan out to try to get her memories back, because she doesn’t know what’s true, and why it all happened to them.

Jumping into this book, I was really excited because it seemed like a fun mystery. I compulsively read and read, and went through it fast, trying to figure out what was happening. But overall I felt like I had whiplash. Sloan would jump on one theory to the next and then come back around in the circle without gaining any concrete evidence. You found yourself mistrusting everyone, and there were characters introduced that you never really get a full depth or handle on. The ending was disappointing, and while the story is a very interesting take on mental health, I’m not sure it was quite as solid as I wished it had been.

What was meant to be an easy job working as a camp counselor turns into a bloody massacre, a reimagining of slasher films like Friday the 13th. The only two to survive are Cherry and Sloan, who have become inseparable, sharing trauma that no one else can understand. Sloan can’t remember much of the night her fellow camp counselors met their untimely demise, but Cherry has helped fill in the gaps. Or at least that’s what Cherry wants Sloan to believe. Was Cherry part of the group that killed everyone? Are the memories Cherry claims to have real? Was it really a coincidence that these two specific girls made it out alive when everyone else died? Or was that always the plan?

I loved the idea behind this book. Psychological thrillers are some of my favorites, I’ve always found cults interesting, and I love queer stories. The execution left much to be desired. The story starts slowly, and the pace is a mess throughout the book. Multiple characters are mentioned in the book, but we rarely see them (or worse, they show up just to move the plot along). Included in characters who exist but do nothing for the story are Sloans previous best friend, Conner, and her mother, Allison, who seems to exist to solely hate Cherry. The last 30 pages were the best part of the book, but I wish there was better build-up, and we got to know more about our two main characters so they felt more natural.


Pros:
- Really fun premise
- An interesting queer relationship that isn’t completely healthy but also not blatantly toxic or abusive.
- An interesting doomsday cult (though I wish the story focused more on the cult)

Cons:
- Instead of seeing a therapist, Sloan sees a woman who isn’t medically trained and uses hypnotism (This just felt really weird)
- Sloan’s mother, Allison, makes no sense. She seems to want what’s best for her kid but doesn’t like the only person who understands what Sloan has gone through and even goes out of her way to make sure Sloan and Cherry can’t see each other.
- All the characters needed more work to feel real. The majority of characters only had one or two personality traits.
- The middle of the book is boring and drags
- The build-up to the ending felt rushed

Thank you to Jennifer Dugan, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I will start with this, this book wasn't what I thought it was going to be. Honestly, this book dragged for me.

Also, I did not like Cherry and Sloan’s relationship. Cherry was too controlling, Sloan just lets it happen. I couldn't connect with either one of them. There was more than one time when Sloan made me so mad. She wouldn't see the truth. And the way it ended still has me baffled.