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The Last to Die
It all started out as a game.
Just a way to have fun. We figured as long as we had rules, it wouldn't be a problem.
RULE #1: Only break into one another's houses.
RULE #2: Only take stuff that can be replaced.
It worked for a while. Whoever's turn it was to break in got a rush, and the rest of us laughed over the trophies they brought back. But then someone went too far. Lives got ruined. Someone is dead.
And I might be next.
Just a way to have fun. We figured as long as we had rules, it wouldn't be a problem.
RULE #1: Only break into one another's houses.
RULE #2: Only take stuff that can be replaced.
It worked for a while. Whoever's turn it was to break in got a rush, and the rest of us laughed over the trophies they brought back. But then someone went too far. Lives got ruined. Someone is dead.
And I might be next.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published April 4, 2017
120 people are currently reading
4092 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Garrett
2 books61 followersKelly Garrett is a writer based in Portland, Oregon, and a 2020 Oregon Literary Fellowship Recipient. Her YA mystery THE LAST TO DIE (Poisoned Pen Press, 2017) was a 2018 Oregon Book Awards finalist and was reissued by Sourcebooks Fire in November 2019.
Kelly also writes under the pen name Emmeline Duncan. The first novel in her Ground Rules series, FRESH BREWED MURDER, came out on March 30, 2021. The second book in the series, DOUBLE SHOT DEATH, will come out in April 2022.
Kelly also writes under the pen name Emmeline Duncan. The first novel in her Ground Rules series, FRESH BREWED MURDER, came out on March 30, 2021. The second book in the series, DOUBLE SHOT DEATH, will come out in April 2022.
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January 18, 2021
Un thriller que atrapa desde el primer momento.
En The Last to Die, la autora nos lleva de la mano desde el primer momento a una historia de locura y adolescentes que no saben cuáles son sus propios límites. La premisa es brutal: un grupo de amigos deciden divertirse robando sus propias casas. La policía y sus familias andan mosqueados, sin entender cómo puede estar habiendo tantos robos en familias de bien, mientras que ellos muestran sus trofeos emborrachándose y riéndose de la situación. Hasta que las cosas se tuercen y empieza una persecución mortal.
Kelly Garrett SABE cómo escribir una novela con protagonistas adolescentes. Tiene un arte increíble para los diálogos, que para mí son la parte fuerte sin duda alguna de esta novela. Eso y por supuesto la protagonista y algunos de los personajes. Con muy pocas palabras, frases o situaciones se te hace la idea mental de cómo son y cómo se comportan. En serio que hacía mucho tiempo que no leía unos diálogos tan buenos y representativos de las actitudes y emociones de los personajes.
La novela está planteada casi como el guion de una película. Se ordena cronológicamente con algún que otro salto temporal, pero siempre se divide en escenas y capítulos cortos que terminan en buenos cliffhangers. El libro atrapa no solo por eso, sino por la fluidez de la autora a la hora de narrar, así como por el misterio que rodeo a los protagonistas. Sin embargo, lo que más me ha atrapado es saber más de la protagonista y cómo se iba a comportar.
Harper es nuestra protagonista. Es mala. Tiene un humor negro que no gusta a casi nadie, no tiene problemas en decir lo que piensa y si se tiene que meter en una pelea se va a meter sin dudarlo. Es impulsiva y llena de contradicciones, y eso le convierte un peligro andante. Me ha flipado la manera en la que Garrett nos muestra todas estas capas de ella y sus tira y aflojas con parte del grupo de amigos.
Las dinámicas entre los personajes son espectaculares. Son un grupo de amigos que no son tal, porque hay rencillas entre ellos que me ponían los pelos de punta. En líneas generales son ególatras, criados como niños ricos, y entre ellos no se soportan, o se ponen los cuernos, o se odian pero fingen no hacerlo. Desde el primer momento quedan claras las intenciones de algunos de ellos para con los otros compañeros, lo que hace que no solo haya tensión por el misterio central del libro, sino en las relaciones que guardan entre ellos. Brutal.
Por otro lado, como comento, hay alguna que otra muerte que hace que el juego de robar casas se convierte en algo peligroso. En ese sentido me ha recordado bastante a las novelas de Sara Shepard o Natasha Preston, pues tenemos la figura del anónimo que conoce los secretos/extorsiona a la protagonista. Me ha gustado cómo se ha tratado ese tema, sin caer -dentro de lo que cabe- en demasiado clichés.
Lamentablemente, el final deshincha un poco la novela. El ritmo pierde fuerza hacia el último acto, con la gran revelación y las explicaciones. La escena final de derrotar al villano me parece super... cringe. Sí, lo voy a decir. Bastante sencilla y un poco peliculera, pero el misterio que se va construyendo hasta llegar hasta ahí no está nada mal. Pero es eso: se me queda un poquito corto. Como se dice: mucho ruido y pocas nueces.
Me ha gustado la inclusión de un personaje sordo y que una parte de la trama recaiga levemente en la lengua de signos, como también se habla del tema del suicidio y las drogas en los adolescentes. No son temas que se exploren demasiado, pero son un constante, y se agradece que un thriller de estas características no solo se centre en misterios principales y en la desesperación de Harper, sino que haya más pequeñas cosas que aportan en la construcción de los secundarios y el misterio principal.
The Last to Die es una novela que atrapa, engancha y con unas dinámicas entre los personajes como no he visto nunca, de lo más interesante. La protagonista no es buena ni noble. Lo recomiendo, que aunque no haya sido una lectura espectacular, tiene elementos bastante interesantes y se lee sin darte cuenta.
En The Last to Die, la autora nos lleva de la mano desde el primer momento a una historia de locura y adolescentes que no saben cuáles son sus propios límites. La premisa es brutal: un grupo de amigos deciden divertirse robando sus propias casas. La policía y sus familias andan mosqueados, sin entender cómo puede estar habiendo tantos robos en familias de bien, mientras que ellos muestran sus trofeos emborrachándose y riéndose de la situación. Hasta que las cosas se tuercen y empieza una persecución mortal.
Kelly Garrett SABE cómo escribir una novela con protagonistas adolescentes. Tiene un arte increíble para los diálogos, que para mí son la parte fuerte sin duda alguna de esta novela. Eso y por supuesto la protagonista y algunos de los personajes. Con muy pocas palabras, frases o situaciones se te hace la idea mental de cómo son y cómo se comportan. En serio que hacía mucho tiempo que no leía unos diálogos tan buenos y representativos de las actitudes y emociones de los personajes.
La novela está planteada casi como el guion de una película. Se ordena cronológicamente con algún que otro salto temporal, pero siempre se divide en escenas y capítulos cortos que terminan en buenos cliffhangers. El libro atrapa no solo por eso, sino por la fluidez de la autora a la hora de narrar, así como por el misterio que rodeo a los protagonistas. Sin embargo, lo que más me ha atrapado es saber más de la protagonista y cómo se iba a comportar.
Harper es nuestra protagonista. Es mala. Tiene un humor negro que no gusta a casi nadie, no tiene problemas en decir lo que piensa y si se tiene que meter en una pelea se va a meter sin dudarlo. Es impulsiva y llena de contradicciones, y eso le convierte un peligro andante. Me ha flipado la manera en la que Garrett nos muestra todas estas capas de ella y sus tira y aflojas con parte del grupo de amigos.
Las dinámicas entre los personajes son espectaculares. Son un grupo de amigos que no son tal, porque hay rencillas entre ellos que me ponían los pelos de punta. En líneas generales son ególatras, criados como niños ricos, y entre ellos no se soportan, o se ponen los cuernos, o se odian pero fingen no hacerlo. Desde el primer momento quedan claras las intenciones de algunos de ellos para con los otros compañeros, lo que hace que no solo haya tensión por el misterio central del libro, sino en las relaciones que guardan entre ellos. Brutal.
Por otro lado, como comento, hay alguna que otra muerte que hace que el juego de robar casas se convierte en algo peligroso. En ese sentido me ha recordado bastante a las novelas de Sara Shepard o Natasha Preston, pues tenemos la figura del anónimo que conoce los secretos/extorsiona a la protagonista. Me ha gustado cómo se ha tratado ese tema, sin caer -dentro de lo que cabe- en demasiado clichés.
Lamentablemente, el final deshincha un poco la novela. El ritmo pierde fuerza hacia el último acto, con la gran revelación y las explicaciones. La escena final de derrotar al villano me parece super... cringe. Sí, lo voy a decir. Bastante sencilla y un poco peliculera, pero el misterio que se va construyendo hasta llegar hasta ahí no está nada mal. Pero es eso: se me queda un poquito corto. Como se dice: mucho ruido y pocas nueces.
Me ha gustado la inclusión de un personaje sordo y que una parte de la trama recaiga levemente en la lengua de signos, como también se habla del tema del suicidio y las drogas en los adolescentes. No son temas que se exploren demasiado, pero son un constante, y se agradece que un thriller de estas características no solo se centre en misterios principales y en la desesperación de Harper, sino que haya más pequeñas cosas que aportan en la construcción de los secundarios y el misterio principal.
The Last to Die es una novela que atrapa, engancha y con unas dinámicas entre los personajes como no he visto nunca, de lo más interesante. La protagonista no es buena ni noble. Lo recomiendo, que aunque no haya sido una lectura espectacular, tiene elementos bastante interesantes y se lee sin darte cuenta.
October 1, 2019
While experienced readers may find the conclusion predictable, this was still a solid debut from an author that I look forward to following in the future. Teens may find the characters more relatable than I did, although I think this is a fun, light mystery for all ages! If you're searching for a YA caper that feels modern with a captivating cover-look no further.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley.
April 4, 2017
A 3.5 rounded up to a 4. It's a strong start for a debut novel, and I'm excited to see what the author comes up with next. There were a couple of things that kept me from a higher rating: I occasionally had a hard time keeping track of the characters and their motivations, particularly in the beginning. And I didn't completely buy the ending. It's still a nice quick read that I enjoyed. Good for YA readers, particularly those that love a little mystery.
Teenager Harper and her friends have a strange hobby: breaking into houses. It's certainly not to steal what they think they're lacking, or get ahead in life. They only steal from their own homes, friends going in with a key and alarm code while the family that lives there is on vacation. They have rules: no stealing from each other. Don't take anything that's irreplaceable. It seems to be for the thrill and a kind of "screw you" to the parents they have resentment for. They go too far, and break into the home of a classmate who isn't part of their group. Harper starts to feel a little guilty, and she and her boyfriend decide that they're done with the break-ins. Another couple in the group follows suit, but two more don't agree. Cocky Alex isn't ready to stop, and his girlfriend Sarah (who is sort of a frenemy to Harper) goes along with him. The burglaries end up the least of their worries when a member of the group overdoses and dies. Harper isn't believing that it was an accident, but figuring it out might bring her transgressions to light at the cost of her future.
I received an ARC of this novel from Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
Teenager Harper and her friends have a strange hobby: breaking into houses. It's certainly not to steal what they think they're lacking, or get ahead in life. They only steal from their own homes, friends going in with a key and alarm code while the family that lives there is on vacation. They have rules: no stealing from each other. Don't take anything that's irreplaceable. It seems to be for the thrill and a kind of "screw you" to the parents they have resentment for. They go too far, and break into the home of a classmate who isn't part of their group. Harper starts to feel a little guilty, and she and her boyfriend decide that they're done with the break-ins. Another couple in the group follows suit, but two more don't agree. Cocky Alex isn't ready to stop, and his girlfriend Sarah (who is sort of a frenemy to Harper) goes along with him. The burglaries end up the least of their worries when a member of the group overdoses and dies. Harper isn't believing that it was an accident, but figuring it out might bring her transgressions to light at the cost of her future.
I received an ARC of this novel from Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
September 1, 2020
So the premise of the book totally had me in a pseudo-Bling Ring kind of way:
A group of teens who are seemingly rich and privileged, but become bored with just drinking and recreational drugs for a good time, devise a "game" where they break into people's houses for the thrill of it. There are a bunch of rules they have to follow and they up the ante to keep things interesting....
....And then someone dies!
Sign. Me. Up.
Unfortunately, that's about the time the book fell flat on its face. And given that the book is ~240 pages the flat fall happened fast. From the time of the death (Murder? Accident?), our main character Harper is convinced one of her friends is behind it and the whole (short) book was her just saying "It was X", "X did this", "I'll get X". Ummmm....go tell the cops. Why are you even friends with these people? This friend group barely seems to even like one another. And also no one seems remotely upset over one of their friends dying.
I was intrigued enough to see what was going to happen next because surely it was going to get better, right? WRONG. No tension. Fairly flat characters. Questionable parents. Cliche moments.
Points for the idea, but this book was a hard no for me.
And that ending.
Hate to say it, but wouldn't waste your time with this one. There are far more compelling YA thrillers out there to check out.
A group of teens who are seemingly rich and privileged, but become bored with just drinking and recreational drugs for a good time, devise a "game" where they break into people's houses for the thrill of it. There are a bunch of rules they have to follow and they up the ante to keep things interesting....
....And then someone dies!
Sign. Me. Up.
Unfortunately, that's about the time the book fell flat on its face. And given that the book is ~240 pages the flat fall happened fast. From the time of the death (Murder? Accident?), our main character Harper is convinced one of her friends is behind it and the whole (short) book was her just saying "It was X", "X did this", "I'll get X". Ummmm....go tell the cops. Why are you even friends with these people? This friend group barely seems to even like one another. And also no one seems remotely upset over one of their friends dying.
I was intrigued enough to see what was going to happen next because surely it was going to get better, right? WRONG. No tension. Fairly flat characters. Questionable parents. Cliche moments.
Points for the idea, but this book was a hard no for me.
And that ending.
Hate to say it, but wouldn't waste your time with this one. There are far more compelling YA thrillers out there to check out.
November 12, 2019
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, via Netgalley and Edelweiss+ for an honest review.
Opinion:
Burglaries, Teen Angst, Competition and Murder?!
Why, it’s positively sinful!
Harper and her friends have spent the last weeks of their summer doing what regular teens do. Drinking, beach days, trips to the mall, a smattering of experimental drugs and a casual burglary or two. With strict rules to only steal replaceable items from each of their houses, marking their personal bedrooms as off-limits, the teens take turns stealing items and pawning them off. The rush of adrenaline and excitement to be doing something illegal gives each of them a high like no other, that is until one of them is found dead. Though the police believe it to be a suicide, Harper knows better and searches frantically for the culprit. But as the deaths begin to stack up, she realizes she may be next.
If you’re looking for a quick-paced book that you’ll have no problem reading in one sitting, this one is for you.
This group of teens is far from your normal squad wanting to enact in a little rebellion and mischief. They are each a little crass, moody and fairly disrespectful to one another on a daily basis…which makes for some pretty interesting dynamics. There are six friends in total – Harper, Paisley, Sarah, Gin, Benji and Alex. Early on into their Summer, the gang decides they need some excitement and a new game to spice things up. They decide to take turns breaking into each other’s homes, using house keys and alarm codes, and taking items from their parents and selling them in pawnshops. They steal things like luxurious watches, alcohol, subscription bottles and other random decorations. Never personal, irreplaceable items.
Harper is an interesting character and voice of this story. She has a snide comment and blunt opinion about any and everything, and literally no filter. Most of the time I enjoyed her freedom to say whatever she wanted (f<3ck politeness) but at times I wish she would just get her head out of her ass. Harper is dating Gin who seems to be the most responsible and levelheaded one in the group. Paisley is innocent and sweet and is dating Benji who is laid-back and has the vibes of an all-around good guy. Sarah is the slightly promiscuous and overly catty teenage girl that makes you want to smack yourself in the face, and she is dating the equally cringey and creepy Alex. The weirdest dynamic here is the one between Harper, Sarah and Alex. Alex makes constant suggestive comments to Harper, which gets a huge rise out of Sarah, which amuses Harper to no end. But the real strangeness is between Sarah and Harper.
These two are supposedly friends, but oh my gosh do they go at it!! And not just figuratively, Harper literally punches Sarah and they are constantly making comments about how much they hate each other.
Anyways, eventually things go a tad too far (as they always do) and one of the characters turns up dead. Harper has a very strong opinion that they hadn’t committed suicide, and that one of their friends was actually behind it. Needless to say, things get a little wild and you’re left having no idea who to trust. In natural fashion for me, I was blaming Harper herself. But that’s probably because I’ve been listening to WAY too many murder podcasts in my spare time.
Basically, this book goes by really fast and before you know it, you find out ‘who done it’. Though it WAS a TOTAL blindside, I am still left with a scrunched-up face and thinking the ending was a tad silly and ridiculous. There is that dramatic moment of when the killer explains why they did it, and guys…it was cringey. Call the Soap Opera Awards, because this takes the cake for the most eye-roll worthy forced anger and jealousy award!
But that painful exchange aside, this was a fairly decent book and one I didn’t hate giving my time to. It had an interesting premise, very quirky and edgy characters, and a special something that we’re all looking for this November – Murder. <3
Opinion:
Burglaries, Teen Angst, Competition and Murder?!
Why, it’s positively sinful!
Harper and her friends have spent the last weeks of their summer doing what regular teens do. Drinking, beach days, trips to the mall, a smattering of experimental drugs and a casual burglary or two. With strict rules to only steal replaceable items from each of their houses, marking their personal bedrooms as off-limits, the teens take turns stealing items and pawning them off. The rush of adrenaline and excitement to be doing something illegal gives each of them a high like no other, that is until one of them is found dead. Though the police believe it to be a suicide, Harper knows better and searches frantically for the culprit. But as the deaths begin to stack up, she realizes she may be next.
If you’re looking for a quick-paced book that you’ll have no problem reading in one sitting, this one is for you.
This group of teens is far from your normal squad wanting to enact in a little rebellion and mischief. They are each a little crass, moody and fairly disrespectful to one another on a daily basis…which makes for some pretty interesting dynamics. There are six friends in total – Harper, Paisley, Sarah, Gin, Benji and Alex. Early on into their Summer, the gang decides they need some excitement and a new game to spice things up. They decide to take turns breaking into each other’s homes, using house keys and alarm codes, and taking items from their parents and selling them in pawnshops. They steal things like luxurious watches, alcohol, subscription bottles and other random decorations. Never personal, irreplaceable items.
Harper is an interesting character and voice of this story. She has a snide comment and blunt opinion about any and everything, and literally no filter. Most of the time I enjoyed her freedom to say whatever she wanted (f<3ck politeness) but at times I wish she would just get her head out of her ass. Harper is dating Gin who seems to be the most responsible and levelheaded one in the group. Paisley is innocent and sweet and is dating Benji who is laid-back and has the vibes of an all-around good guy. Sarah is the slightly promiscuous and overly catty teenage girl that makes you want to smack yourself in the face, and she is dating the equally cringey and creepy Alex. The weirdest dynamic here is the one between Harper, Sarah and Alex. Alex makes constant suggestive comments to Harper, which gets a huge rise out of Sarah, which amuses Harper to no end. But the real strangeness is between Sarah and Harper.
These two are supposedly friends, but oh my gosh do they go at it!! And not just figuratively, Harper literally punches Sarah and they are constantly making comments about how much they hate each other.
Anyways, eventually things go a tad too far (as they always do) and one of the characters turns up dead. Harper has a very strong opinion that they hadn’t committed suicide, and that one of their friends was actually behind it. Needless to say, things get a little wild and you’re left having no idea who to trust. In natural fashion for me, I was blaming Harper herself. But that’s probably because I’ve been listening to WAY too many murder podcasts in my spare time.
Basically, this book goes by really fast and before you know it, you find out ‘who done it’. Though it WAS a TOTAL blindside, I am still left with a scrunched-up face and thinking the ending was a tad silly and ridiculous. There is that dramatic moment of when the killer explains why they did it, and guys…it was cringey. Call the Soap Opera Awards, because this takes the cake for the most eye-roll worthy forced anger and jealousy award!
But that painful exchange aside, this was a fairly decent book and one I didn’t hate giving my time to. It had an interesting premise, very quirky and edgy characters, and a special something that we’re all looking for this November – Murder. <3
April 2, 2018
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I went into this book with fairly high expectations. The synopsis of it intrigued me, but I'm sad to say that I was left feeling disappointed. This book had such great potential, but it unfortunately couldn't pull through. Although this book is a light murder mystery, there was hardly any suspense at all. People's houses are broken into, friends are murdered, yet, there wasn't any tension. Everything was regarded in a "what's done is done" manner, and the friend group moves on, without dwelling long on the matter.
One of the reasons I didn't enjoy this novel, was because I wasn't a fan of the protagonist, Harper. I understand that her moral compass isn't exactly straight, but lacks all emotion and empathy. Her close friends die, and she replies to their fate with sarcastic remarks? I also didn't feel as if she had a genuine connection with any of the other characters, except her younger sister. There was multiple opportunities for her to form deeper bonds with her boyfriend, Gin, and brother, Daniel, but she chooses to ignore these moments. The dialogue between the characters wasn't very unique, and all of the friends were cliche, cookie-cutter teenagers. They didn't have any depth or layers to them, which was unfortunate. While this book deals with break-ins, we hardly every see any actual burglaries, which was disheartening. Also, it was hard for me to believe that no one connected all the burglaries back to the teenagers. It's well known that most of them are close friends, yet they didn't find it the least bit odd that all of their houses were robbed?
The mystery was very predictable, but it was still entertaining enough, watching it unfold. There was great potential with the story, but I didn't enjoy the bland characters or their unrealistic actions and decisions. I did really liked how the story never dragged on; the whole book is barely 150 pages, so the pacing remained consistent. Overall, I wasn't very impressed by the execution of this novel, but it still had a few redeeming qualities and is an easy read to fly through in a few hours!
I went into this book with fairly high expectations. The synopsis of it intrigued me, but I'm sad to say that I was left feeling disappointed. This book had such great potential, but it unfortunately couldn't pull through. Although this book is a light murder mystery, there was hardly any suspense at all. People's houses are broken into, friends are murdered, yet, there wasn't any tension. Everything was regarded in a "what's done is done" manner, and the friend group moves on, without dwelling long on the matter.
One of the reasons I didn't enjoy this novel, was because I wasn't a fan of the protagonist, Harper. I understand that her moral compass isn't exactly straight, but lacks all emotion and empathy. Her close friends die, and she replies to their fate with sarcastic remarks? I also didn't feel as if she had a genuine connection with any of the other characters, except her younger sister. There was multiple opportunities for her to form deeper bonds with her boyfriend, Gin, and brother, Daniel, but she chooses to ignore these moments. The dialogue between the characters wasn't very unique, and all of the friends were cliche, cookie-cutter teenagers. They didn't have any depth or layers to them, which was unfortunate. While this book deals with break-ins, we hardly every see any actual burglaries, which was disheartening. Also, it was hard for me to believe that no one connected all the burglaries back to the teenagers. It's well known that most of them are close friends, yet they didn't find it the least bit odd that all of their houses were robbed?
The mystery was very predictable, but it was still entertaining enough, watching it unfold. There was great potential with the story, but I didn't enjoy the bland characters or their unrealistic actions and decisions. I did really liked how the story never dragged on; the whole book is barely 150 pages, so the pacing remained consistent. Overall, I wasn't very impressed by the execution of this novel, but it still had a few redeeming qualities and is an easy read to fly through in a few hours!
October 18, 2019
I am getting really tired of books with non-endings. Seriously?
January 25, 2020
* I received an arc of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review *
The mystery was intriguing to keep reading but wasn’t anything to particularly write home about. It was pretty easy to find out who was behind everything even though there were plenty of red herrings.
I loved the setting of this book. A good isolated location with a small amount of characters. Unfortunately I didn’t really like any of the characters enough to care about what happened to them.
I do think this was a strong debut from a promising author that I will be checking out again.
Overall, I didn’t hate the book. I just think I’m growing past YA mystery. I can see this being a really fun and exciting read for teens or people just starting out in the mystery genre.
The mystery was intriguing to keep reading but wasn’t anything to particularly write home about. It was pretty easy to find out who was behind everything even though there were plenty of red herrings.
I loved the setting of this book. A good isolated location with a small amount of characters. Unfortunately I didn’t really like any of the characters enough to care about what happened to them.
I do think this was a strong debut from a promising author that I will be checking out again.
Overall, I didn’t hate the book. I just think I’m growing past YA mystery. I can see this being a really fun and exciting read for teens or people just starting out in the mystery genre.
April 13, 2021
I liked the premise of this book. A group of seniors - supposedly friends - decide to have a little fun by breaking in to each other’s houses when families are away. I guess it’s boredom or for the thrill, but they don’t even really seem to care or know why they’re doing it. Then someone commits suicide - but you know it’s not suicide - then an accident, then uh oh a kidnapping. The reason behind it all is totally dumb! The main character is a whiny bitch and the other characters are not believable. The ending is so out there and stupid. The best part of this book is the idea and the very cool cover. Sorry, based on this debut I don’t think I’d read any other books by this author.
July 20, 2022
RERATING
The only reason I continued to read this was because I though the main girl and the guy that she thought was the murder were going to get together which makes no sense now that I think about it but the book was predictable and trash no offense
The only reason I continued to read this was because I though the main girl and the guy that she thought was the murder were going to get together which makes no sense now that I think about it but the book was predictable and trash no offense
July 12, 2020
This was a book with a cool concept that suffered from too many YA tropes and character flaws to deliver anything other than disappointment. Usually YA books focus more on characters than plot or world building, but I felt like I got none of the above. The characters were caricatures, with the main character had a ridiculous level of callousness and "I'm way too cool to be bothered by any of this but I also have massive anger issues that make me cute and not-like-other-girls."
The plot and motivations were trivial. The big reveal (which I saw from a mile away because of overused YA writing styles, like excessively using the name of the red herring in order to "shock" the readers that it didn't in fact end up being the person involved) was so lackluster, and the entire situation was over-the-top and unrealistic. To add insult to injury, the book suffered from introducing convenient things right before a big scene that needs that thing in order to work, like wi-fi on a bus. Finally, there were so many plot holes and loose ends that this felt like reading a first draft of a book.
Since the plot was so weak, it would've been a better direction to do a character study on these character archetypes. Why did the perky, bubbly girl feel the need to get involved with a game of breaking and entering? Why is the main character so annoyingly callous and angry all the time? What was it like to live such a materialistic and financially comfortable life that it drove you to steal? And most importantly, since there were three couples in the story and these relationships along with the overall friendships supposedly drove the action of the book, how did these characters feel about each other, and if they couldn't stand one another (in a few cases), why did they still hang out?
All of that would've made the book at least a little more interesting to read. As it were, the only part I found interesting was the main character's deaf younger sister, but she was clearly just thrown in as a plot device and got no actual personality. The facts surrounding d/Deafness and the little things in a d/Deaf person's life (like the light doorbell, making sure to have the person's attention before speaking or signing to him/her, and not getting an entire conversation when forced to lip read) were accurate, but it didn't do much to create a believable and representative d/Deaf character. We didn't get to see how Maggie felt about being isolated in her world with her only refuge being school and her sister. And I felt so annoyed on Maggie's part for all the times her sister told her to "wait" or that she'd "explain later" what was being talked about. You would think a sister who really cared about d/Deafness would be much less obtuse about how infuriating that would be.
So all in all, I was more irritated by the book than entertained by it.
The plot and motivations were trivial. The big reveal (which I saw from a mile away because of overused YA writing styles, like excessively using the name of the red herring in order to "shock" the readers that it didn't in fact end up being the person involved) was so lackluster, and the entire situation was over-the-top and unrealistic. To add insult to injury, the book suffered from introducing convenient things right before a big scene that needs that thing in order to work, like wi-fi on a bus. Finally, there were so many plot holes and loose ends that this felt like reading a first draft of a book.
Since the plot was so weak, it would've been a better direction to do a character study on these character archetypes. Why did the perky, bubbly girl feel the need to get involved with a game of breaking and entering? Why is the main character so annoyingly callous and angry all the time? What was it like to live such a materialistic and financially comfortable life that it drove you to steal? And most importantly, since there were three couples in the story and these relationships along with the overall friendships supposedly drove the action of the book, how did these characters feel about each other, and if they couldn't stand one another (in a few cases), why did they still hang out?
All of that would've made the book at least a little more interesting to read. As it were, the only part I found interesting was the main character's deaf younger sister, but she was clearly just thrown in as a plot device and got no actual personality. The facts surrounding d/Deafness and the little things in a d/Deaf person's life (like the light doorbell, making sure to have the person's attention before speaking or signing to him/her, and not getting an entire conversation when forced to lip read) were accurate, but it didn't do much to create a believable and representative d/Deaf character. We didn't get to see how Maggie felt about being isolated in her world with her only refuge being school and her sister. And I felt so annoyed on Maggie's part for all the times her sister told her to "wait" or that she'd "explain later" what was being talked about. You would think a sister who really cared about d/Deafness would be much less obtuse about how infuriating that would be.
So all in all, I was more irritated by the book than entertained by it.
April 25, 2017
I received this book from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
2.5 While I liked this book fine I wasn't overly impressed with it. Harper, the main character narrator, was very cold, like her friends are dying around her and she reacts to their death in the coldest manner. There should be a hell of a lot emotion, yet Harper barely reacted. This book is a mystery, yet the characters didn't really think hard about looking for clues, they just had this one suspicion and barely did anything with that either. Did it keep me changing the pages? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Yes.
This book is about a group of friends who break into each others houses for fun. When the ring leader of the group Alex decides to go after bigger and greater things like other people's houses and stealing higher valued objects, one of the group members ends up dead of an expected overdose, or was it murder?
With this novel, I really expected more. It felt like there was this baseline and then not much was built on it. Like the brother in rehab whenever he came home, he was just there and then gone, not much was put into his character. The parents were very one dimensional, they were just the asshole father and the mother who loves her alcohol too much. Harper was very closed off and cold, and it was hard to like her. The friends weren't layered enough either. Like I said with the baseline, there was this potential to be built on it but it never was.
What was good about this novel was that I really enjoyed it. There wasn't a point where I was at all disinterested or found it unlikable. It's easy to devour as it's so short and set at a decent pace, meaning that there weren't any lags and was a breeze to get through. The sister bond was really well done. The boyfriend was cute.
So what I thought on the mystery. Be aware that it's a very light mystery in that there's not a lot of urgency and panic about being the next victim, and the characters don't really think hard about it, they are just like oh it's that guy and that's that.
2.5 While I liked this book fine I wasn't overly impressed with it. Harper, the main character narrator, was very cold, like her friends are dying around her and she reacts to their death in the coldest manner. There should be a hell of a lot emotion, yet Harper barely reacted. This book is a mystery, yet the characters didn't really think hard about looking for clues, they just had this one suspicion and barely did anything with that either. Did it keep me changing the pages? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Yes.
This book is about a group of friends who break into each others houses for fun. When the ring leader of the group Alex decides to go after bigger and greater things like other people's houses and stealing higher valued objects, one of the group members ends up dead of an expected overdose, or was it murder?
With this novel, I really expected more. It felt like there was this baseline and then not much was built on it. Like the brother in rehab whenever he came home, he was just there and then gone, not much was put into his character. The parents were very one dimensional, they were just the asshole father and the mother who loves her alcohol too much. Harper was very closed off and cold, and it was hard to like her. The friends weren't layered enough either. Like I said with the baseline, there was this potential to be built on it but it never was.
What was good about this novel was that I really enjoyed it. There wasn't a point where I was at all disinterested or found it unlikable. It's easy to devour as it's so short and set at a decent pace, meaning that there weren't any lags and was a breeze to get through. The sister bond was really well done. The boyfriend was cute.
So what I thought on the mystery. Be aware that it's a very light mystery in that there's not a lot of urgency and panic about being the next victim, and the characters don't really think hard about it, they are just like oh it's that guy and that's that.
June 17, 2020
2/5
that ending was awful. why tf would she go to jail? after killing in self defense, killing a murderer? after he essentially tried to kill her? sorry but that's not how it works. I liked Harper a lot as the MC and that ending I will pretend does not exist. awful. other than that this book i felt was too short to be a good mystery.
that ending was awful. why tf would she go to jail? after killing in self defense, killing a murderer? after he essentially tried to kill her? sorry but that's not how it works. I liked Harper a lot as the MC and that ending I will pretend does not exist. awful. other than that this book i felt was too short to be a good mystery.
June 12, 2022
THE LAST TO DIE
Kelly Garrett
HO HUM... what I thought was going to be great, was in fact barely doable. The book fails to live up to the intriguing synopsis that promised more than the book could deliver. Rich brats, bored and doing stupid games.
2.4 stars
Happy Reading!
Kelly Garrett
HO HUM... what I thought was going to be great, was in fact barely doable. The book fails to live up to the intriguing synopsis that promised more than the book could deliver. Rich brats, bored and doing stupid games.
2.4 stars
Happy Reading!
August 15, 2020
The premise sounded intriguing enough. I shuld have noticed all the 2 & 3 star reviews, but, I took a chance.
I shouldn't have done that.
The MC, Harper, is truly awful. She doesn't care about anyone. She make stupid comments about everyone. She is an awful person who has an awful attitude and speaks and thinks critically of every person she is in contact with, except her 'precious' sister.
And if I had to read about 'grim' smiles one more time...
And the ending made no sense at all. Maybe my disinterest in th ebook had something to do with it, but the whole orchestrating multiple deaths and the elaborate set up felt so off from the rest of the story. ANd the ending left about a million loose ends. I'm not goign to both to mark them as spoilers becuse I really don't care about spoiling anything.
Did Harper actually kill the guy? Why was she in juvie? Whatever happened to Alex? (This book was BEGGING for some kind of side-plot with Alex and probably could have been improved had Harper talked to him instead of accusing him of murder). How did what's his bucket actually kill Paisley? Is Maggie really so stupid as to climb into a random car with one of Harper's so called friends? Why did Gordon go by Gin? Did anything thing happen regarding the stupid email Haper sent with her incredibly false information? Did anyone else get in trouble for the house burglaries? Why did Harper keep a supply of tissues in her locker, yet never need them? Did Maggie ever got to that escape room? Why did Gin stay with such a netagive person like Harper? Did Harper not understand how long her sentence would be? Why did Gin know more about her sentence than her? Didn't anyone get in trouble for staling Taylor (was the name Tyalor?!?)'s identy on the stupid non-FaceBook school page?
I could keep going. But I won't.
This book needed a good critical read-through. There were various tense issues through out the book. And most of the time Haper had a 'tablet' but for one scenen (only one) it turned into an iPad. Yes, they are the same thing, but pick one or the other.
I struggled to get through it and to care about any of the characters. I wouldn't recommend.
I shouldn't have done that.
The MC, Harper, is truly awful. She doesn't care about anyone. She make stupid comments about everyone. She is an awful person who has an awful attitude and speaks and thinks critically of every person she is in contact with, except her 'precious' sister.
And if I had to read about 'grim' smiles one more time...
And the ending made no sense at all. Maybe my disinterest in th ebook had something to do with it, but the whole orchestrating multiple deaths and the elaborate set up felt so off from the rest of the story. ANd the ending left about a million loose ends. I'm not goign to both to mark them as spoilers becuse I really don't care about spoiling anything.
Did Harper actually kill the guy? Why was she in juvie? Whatever happened to Alex? (This book was BEGGING for some kind of side-plot with Alex and probably could have been improved had Harper talked to him instead of accusing him of murder). How did what's his bucket actually kill Paisley? Is Maggie really so stupid as to climb into a random car with one of Harper's so called friends? Why did Gordon go by Gin? Did anything thing happen regarding the stupid email Haper sent with her incredibly false information? Did anyone else get in trouble for the house burglaries? Why did Harper keep a supply of tissues in her locker, yet never need them? Did Maggie ever got to that escape room? Why did Gin stay with such a netagive person like Harper? Did Harper not understand how long her sentence would be? Why did Gin know more about her sentence than her? Didn't anyone get in trouble for staling Taylor (was the name Tyalor?!?)'s identy on the stupid non-FaceBook school page?
I could keep going. But I won't.
This book needed a good critical read-through. There were various tense issues through out the book. And most of the time Haper had a 'tablet' but for one scenen (only one) it turned into an iPad. Yes, they are the same thing, but pick one or the other.
I struggled to get through it and to care about any of the characters. I wouldn't recommend.
October 6, 2019
I read this book as an ARC provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher -- all opinions are my own.
This book is set to publish on November 5th, 2019.
Harper and her friends are basically an average group of teenagers until one day they decide to take a little risk. One friend in their group--Paisley--is going out of town for vacation so the rest of the group decides to try their hands at burglarizing her house. They set a list of rules: only steal things that can be replaced (i.e. no precious family heirlooms), don't completely trash the place, things like that. Eventually they hit everyone's house within their group. They thing the fun and games are over until someone suggests they branch outside of themselves. Now the stakes are raised.
I won't talk plot much more than that for fear of spoiling the book if you decide to read this one. Here are my opinions: I picked the book up because I thought the cover looked dark and creepy, the synopsis looked unique, and it sounded like a mystery/thriller. What I took away from the book was the most angsty main character I have ever encountered, no darkness or creep factor (maybe one scene and it wasn't the ending or with the ultimate bad guy/killer, I actually figured this one out early on and I never figure books out (and I mean, literally--this is the first book EVER!!)!! And on top of that, my logic for choosing who I chose to be the killer wasn't even the person's logic! Or at least, they didn't mention it. Harper tried to use it against him/her (as in, she probably figured it out, but the killer had no reaction. So like, what??!!
In the book's defense though, it did keep me reading. It was short and quick so I did want to find out how the title tied in with the story and how the book played out. Its terribly tragic to have a chain of teenagers dying in books. AND Harper's little sister, Maggie, is deaf and I thought she was a really strong side character. All of the main characters acknowledge her fairly and take great care of her so I loved seeing that as well.
This book is set to publish on November 5th, 2019.
Harper and her friends are basically an average group of teenagers until one day they decide to take a little risk. One friend in their group--Paisley--is going out of town for vacation so the rest of the group decides to try their hands at burglarizing her house. They set a list of rules: only steal things that can be replaced (i.e. no precious family heirlooms), don't completely trash the place, things like that. Eventually they hit everyone's house within their group. They thing the fun and games are over until someone suggests they branch outside of themselves. Now the stakes are raised.
I won't talk plot much more than that for fear of spoiling the book if you decide to read this one. Here are my opinions: I picked the book up because I thought the cover looked dark and creepy, the synopsis looked unique, and it sounded like a mystery/thriller. What I took away from the book was the most angsty main character I have ever encountered, no darkness or creep factor (maybe one scene and it wasn't the ending or with the ultimate bad guy/killer, I actually figured this one out early on and I never figure books out (and I mean, literally--this is the first book EVER!!)!! And on top of that, my logic for choosing who I chose to be the killer wasn't even the person's logic! Or at least, they didn't mention it. Harper tried to use it against him/her (as in, she probably figured it out, but the killer had no reaction. So like, what??!!
In the book's defense though, it did keep me reading. It was short and quick so I did want to find out how the title tied in with the story and how the book played out. Its terribly tragic to have a chain of teenagers dying in books. AND Harper's little sister, Maggie, is deaf and I thought she was a really strong side character. All of the main characters acknowledge her fairly and take great care of her so I loved seeing that as well.
January 5, 2017
Thank you to Poison Pen and NetGalley for allowing me to review this complimentary ARC copy of LAST TO DIE in exchange for my honest review.
Harper and her wealthy friends rob each others' homes for fun, following careful rules. Steal nothing that can't be replaced, and nothing personal. When two in their group die under separate, mysterious circumstances, she wonders whether someone is targeting them and if so, is that individual one of their own.
Kelly Garrett created an imperfect, not always likable narrator in Harper. At times she seemed to lack a conscience, allowing her drug addicted brother to take the wrap for the theft in her home, while also having a heart of gold looking out for her younger, deaf sister. She grew considerably throughout the novel. The minor characters were also interesting.
I devoured LAST TO DIE, a compulsory readable light mystery, in a few hours. Garrett's writing style kept me turning pages. Plot wise, the mystery aspect of the story felt bland and lacked the twists and turns that add a WOW factor. I liked the wrap up better than the mystery resolution. Covers can make a book, and unfortunately this one wouldn't draw me to this very enjoyable novel.
I recommend LAST TO DIE as a quick, satisfying read.
Harper and her wealthy friends rob each others' homes for fun, following careful rules. Steal nothing that can't be replaced, and nothing personal. When two in their group die under separate, mysterious circumstances, she wonders whether someone is targeting them and if so, is that individual one of their own.
Kelly Garrett created an imperfect, not always likable narrator in Harper. At times she seemed to lack a conscience, allowing her drug addicted brother to take the wrap for the theft in her home, while also having a heart of gold looking out for her younger, deaf sister. She grew considerably throughout the novel. The minor characters were also interesting.
I devoured LAST TO DIE, a compulsory readable light mystery, in a few hours. Garrett's writing style kept me turning pages. Plot wise, the mystery aspect of the story felt bland and lacked the twists and turns that add a WOW factor. I liked the wrap up better than the mystery resolution. Covers can make a book, and unfortunately this one wouldn't draw me to this very enjoyable novel.
I recommend LAST TO DIE as a quick, satisfying read.
September 5, 2019
This was a fine debut but not particularly original or heart-stopping. I was disappointed in a lot of the misogynistic language in the beginning and I'll be honest I had to force myself to continue. I don't think we should encourage that especially if this is geared towards teens, Saying that drinking makes a teen aged girl easy isn't a nice message.
The protagonist sucked point blank. She was crude to the point of being flat out unlikable and made me not care about the story line altogether. There were some really great suspenseful parts however and that was its saving point along with the quick read.
The protagonist sucked point blank. She was crude to the point of being flat out unlikable and made me not care about the story line altogether. There were some really great suspenseful parts however and that was its saving point along with the quick read.
November 30, 2016
This YA mystery is completely binge-able. I received an ARC, and I devoured the whole thing in one gulp. The story follows a group of six bored high-schoolers who rebel against their wealthy parents by robbing each other's homes. The narrator is Harper, a tough, edgy bad-girl. She's not entirely likable at the beginning (and she's not supposed to be), but she has her reasons for acting the way she does. As things go awry and the tension builds, her character is forced to grow and confront her own mistakes. I was rooting for her wholeheartedly by the end. Bravo!
May 19, 2024
Started: 16 May 2024
DNF: 18 May 2024 @ 53% (page 129/220)
After finding The Last to Die at a local Little Free Library, I also borrowed the audiobook from Hoopla for the dual-media reading experience. I started reading it when I DNF-ed a magical realism book that didn't snag my interest.
Unfortunately, this book was a waste of a Hoopla borrow! The pace is painfully slow, and the characters are caricatures of annoying, entitled high schoolers, and the parents are the usual flat, stereotypical characters so common in teen movies and YA books. Everyone is a Flat Stanley.
The Goodreads reviews that claim to contain spoilers are as annoying as this book. Spoiler = disclosing the plot, the red herrings (none in this book), twists, and the killer. None of the so-called spoiler reviews delivered on naming the killer! Thankfully, one reviewer mentioned the chapter in which the killer is revealed, so I skimmed that chapter.
Given that I haven't published anything, and I know that writing Is difficult, I hate to slag a published author. There Is promise, but this first book was boring.
DNF: 18 May 2024 @ 53% (page 129/220)
After finding The Last to Die at a local Little Free Library, I also borrowed the audiobook from Hoopla for the dual-media reading experience. I started reading it when I DNF-ed a magical realism book that didn't snag my interest.
Unfortunately, this book was a waste of a Hoopla borrow! The pace is painfully slow, and the characters are caricatures of annoying, entitled high schoolers, and the parents are the usual flat, stereotypical characters so common in teen movies and YA books. Everyone is a Flat Stanley.
The Goodreads reviews that claim to contain spoilers are as annoying as this book. Spoiler = disclosing the plot, the red herrings (none in this book), twists, and the killer. None of the so-called spoiler reviews delivered on naming the killer! Thankfully, one reviewer mentioned the chapter in which the killer is revealed, so I skimmed that chapter.
Given that I haven't published anything, and I know that writing Is difficult, I hate to slag a published author. There Is promise, but this first book was boring.
February 18, 2020
Hmmm when I started this book I was enjoying it a lot, but then nothing happens. It has no sense. Harper was such a Brat, her friends die and she’s just saying jokes and things. My favorite character was Gin, he always was so sweet to Harper and Kind to Maggie.
July 25, 2022
Another cover pick up from Hoopla, it really yelled my name. Turns out this is genre Teen Fiction. I had Nancy Drew and Laura Ingalls to read.
This starts out strong. There is expected teen behavior. The story reminded me of an episode of The Closer. Teens go on vacation with their parents and leave their house key and alarm code so the friends can get in. The story itself sounded better in the synopsis than what I got. It drug so slowly after the halfway point, with gibberish. The dialogues between friends was not what I expected. However, what really soured me was the dialogue between a father, his daughter, and his other deaf daughter. I didn't feel the relationship the author was going for.
Overall, this is just meh for me.
This starts out strong. There is expected teen behavior. The story reminded me of an episode of The Closer. Teens go on vacation with their parents and leave their house key and alarm code so the friends can get in. The story itself sounded better in the synopsis than what I got. It drug so slowly after the halfway point, with gibberish. The dialogues between friends was not what I expected. However, what really soured me was the dialogue between a father, his daughter, and his other deaf daughter. I didn't feel the relationship the author was going for.
Overall, this is just meh for me.
July 28, 2020
rubbish
October 15, 2020
Such a disappointment. I won’t give away any spoilers, but this book just wasn’t very good. The plot, the characters, the ending. None of it was satisfying.
June 8, 2020
Welcome Back!
This is such an exciting time here on the blog! I spent a lot of time this past weekend making a ton of updates and changes to the blog and I am loving how everything is turning out so far. I have a bunch more changes planned and I intend to keep rolling them out as the week goes on. I am excited to see how the final product looks as I finish bringing the changes to the site in the near future! If you see any new features you like (or any you would like to see) definitely let me know in a comment. While I was working on all of these changes, I was of course listening to an audiobook! I saw this audiobook on my Hoopla and decided to jump on the chance to listen to it, it was only about four hours (meaning I could finish this in one sitting, which is a huge plus for me)!
SPOILERS AHEAD
A group of high schoolers decides the play a game, but this is not your normal game. They decide to break into each other's houses when their families are away. There are only a few rules to the game. Only break into people's homes who are in the group, only 1-2 people at a time will participate in the break-in, and they will only take things that can be easily replaced. The game worked out for a while until one robbery goes wrong and a pair almost gets caught. After this mishap, most of the people in the group decide to stop playing the game. However, one member refuses to let the game come to an end.
I was really interested in reading this book. I thought the plot sounded super interesting and that when things started to go wrong we might even dive into thriller type territory. However, things fell a little flat for me in that aspect. I felt like we spent a lot of time building up to the robbery that went wrong and then we had very little time on the action of the plot. Something I did enjoy about this book, was the main group of characters. My favorite characters were the narrator as well as her sister (I honestly wish we got more time with both of them and that the plot had been extended a bit, maybe we got more time with the action). If you are interested in giving this book a try for yourself check out your Hoopla or Libby app through your library!
Goodreads Rating: 2 stars
**Thank you to the publisher for the Netgalley copy
This is such an exciting time here on the blog! I spent a lot of time this past weekend making a ton of updates and changes to the blog and I am loving how everything is turning out so far. I have a bunch more changes planned and I intend to keep rolling them out as the week goes on. I am excited to see how the final product looks as I finish bringing the changes to the site in the near future! If you see any new features you like (or any you would like to see) definitely let me know in a comment. While I was working on all of these changes, I was of course listening to an audiobook! I saw this audiobook on my Hoopla and decided to jump on the chance to listen to it, it was only about four hours (meaning I could finish this in one sitting, which is a huge plus for me)!
SPOILERS AHEAD
A group of high schoolers decides the play a game, but this is not your normal game. They decide to break into each other's houses when their families are away. There are only a few rules to the game. Only break into people's homes who are in the group, only 1-2 people at a time will participate in the break-in, and they will only take things that can be easily replaced. The game worked out for a while until one robbery goes wrong and a pair almost gets caught. After this mishap, most of the people in the group decide to stop playing the game. However, one member refuses to let the game come to an end.
I was really interested in reading this book. I thought the plot sounded super interesting and that when things started to go wrong we might even dive into thriller type territory. However, things fell a little flat for me in that aspect. I felt like we spent a lot of time building up to the robbery that went wrong and then we had very little time on the action of the plot. Something I did enjoy about this book, was the main group of characters. My favorite characters were the narrator as well as her sister (I honestly wish we got more time with both of them and that the plot had been extended a bit, maybe we got more time with the action). If you are interested in giving this book a try for yourself check out your Hoopla or Libby app through your library!
Goodreads Rating: 2 stars
**Thank you to the publisher for the Netgalley copy
Read
February 27, 2021*currently reviving braincells… RTC
January 17, 2025
A fast-paced twisty read. I was not expecting all this drama. Loved that there was a deaf person involved. The main character, Harper, was something else. She was very hateful. A good read.
September 24, 2024
Such a good quick mystery. I really enjoyed the story line and did not see that coming at the end !!!!
January 9, 2020
This book is just...not good. I was really looking forward to reading this one because the concept is very original: a group of friends agreeing to break into each others' houses for fun, but gets taken too far. I received this book for Christmas as it's not available through my library system, and I brought it with my on my plane ride to Japan as I'm resolving to read more books I own this year. To say I was disappointed is an under-statement. The characters lack depth and are frankly written...oddly. There is an unexplained lack of emotion from the main character, Harper, that throws the entire book off, and the rest of the characters are so bland and one-dimensional that I couldn't really care less about any of them. The ending is so disgustingly predictable, it was infuriating to read. There was so much potential to take the ending into many much more interesting directions, but the path chosen was the absolute most generic. Even the editing and structure were poorly done as I found a typo, and the date-entries were unnecessary and even confusing. I think Garrett has some decent ideas and potentially a future in writing, but there is quite a bit of work to do before I'm going to want to read another of their books. I wouldn't recommend this book, and will likely donate my copy.
November 12, 2016
What can go wrong when group of bored, rich kids decide to liven things up by stealing from each other's homes while their families are on vacation? Take an interesting cross-section of bright, but bored high school-aged characters, add in parents in various stages of "don't get it." Apply the pressure of self-destructive competition and then start killing them off one at a time. What you get is The Last to Die by Kelly Garrett. The I-didn't-see-it-coming ending is truly the best part, but getting there is so much fun.
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