I would describe this book as a thriller with some horror mixed in. Tessa is the lone survivor of a mass murder that killed her three best friends, They were in college on a spring break trip. After the death of her friends,Tessa is extremely traumatized and lives with her sister unable to hold down a job or leave the house. She finally decided that she wants to go back to the crime scene and gets a book deal along with it. While back at the house, she keeps getting spooked and meets some interesting people in town. I found this book was long for the amount of action that it had. I also did not like most of the characters

A great suspense read. It felt like someone was watching me from inside the book. I did think that the ending was a little abrupt, but it was overall a good book.

This was a very unique and unexpected story! It definitely held my interest until the end but i feel it was just a little too long, especially in the middle, and was bogged down with Tessa’s “thoughts”. But definitely a really good read that I would recommend. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.

Tessa has returned to the island off the coast of Maine where three of her friends were murdered. She’s come back during the cold, dark days of winter to try face the fears she’s been trying to outrun for five years. But with the freezing winds and empty desolate island, she begins to wonder if she would have been better off leaving the past buried. Better the past then Tessa herself

This engaging story invites readers in, skillfully introducing a sense of doubt around each character, including the main protagonist, whose sanity is left uncertain. The unexpected twist, though not easily foreseen, adds complexity, prompting reflection after finishing the book. While the conclusion may raise questions about the main character's established history, the overall experience is quite pleasant.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Last Girl Left releases April 23, 2024

2.5

Tessa is the lone survivor of a mass murder that left three of her friends dead while they were vacationing on Cassadaga Island.
Five years later with no progress made through therapy, Tessa has decided to face her trauma head on by returning to the place where she was almost killed.
When her sister refuses to fund Tessa’s month long trip, she reaches out to a publishing house and offers them the exclusive rights to her story with the stipulation that the first draft must be completed while staying at the beach house where the murders happened.

Will Tessa be able to overcome her fears long enough to recount her experience in great detail while learning how to write a novel for the first time? Or will the remote setting paired with her paranoia and frightening memories of that fateful night get the best of her?

If you’re looking for your next serial killer thriller, this might be the book for you. However, I personally felt that it was a little too long in comparison to how little actually happened.
Nothing particularly shocked me, and there wasn't enough focus on her inner healing/closure or writing process.

cw: mentions of past rape

This is the perfect book to read in the spring. I loved the setting. It was damp and all consuming. Definitely felt unsettled while I was reading this.

This was quite haunting and disturbing!!!
Almost like a horror that will keep you haunting and all your guesses might come true but will come with a cost of not just a simple who dunnit.

As always I am not going to write anything about the blurb or the plot in my review when it comes to thrillers. I will just say there’s a traumatised character who survived a mass murder and is haunted by the killer all her life.

The writing is quite interesting and I would say there’s not a boring moment. The chapters are short and the characters stand out. I would say the plot twist would not make your jaw drop but expect very nasty twists and scenes. The ending is good!

Damn. I had quite a fun time reading this one. Perfect for picking up during travel, vacations and weekends.

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the advance reading copy.