Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

65 reviews

yvo_about_books's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.75

Finished reading: May 23rd 2024


"You want to know if I’m as evil as everyone says I am. The answer is no. And yes."

It's true that I seem to be having a bit of a love-hate relationship with Riley Sager's writing, and his books can go either way for me. Some I absolutely loved (Home In The Dark), while others somehow didn't work at all (Survive The Night). That said, I can never resist a good gothic thriller and I had a good feeling about The Only One Left. The blurb is nothing but enticing, that's for sure! And I'm now happy to announce that this particular book falls firm into the first category. I basically knew I was going to love this story almost immediately, and I loved every single minute spent with this book. The crumbling Hope's End mansion makes for such a perfect setting for a gothic story; the unresolved multiple murder back in 1929 and rumors about the only surviving family member Lenora Hope only adding to this ominous atmosphere. The main story is set in 1983, and Kit makes for the perfect character to help us tell the story of Lenora in past and present. Why? Well, her story is similar to Lenora with her being accused of murder/assisted suicide, but no real proof to have her convicted... In other words: guilty by public opinion. The great thing about how this story is written is that you honestly don't know for sure if both women are guilty or innocent until the very end, and it only made me want to turn those pages even faster. I also loved the flashbacks to 1929 with Lenora typing her story with Kit's help... The plot structure is clever, and there were a couple big twists I never saw coming. I had such a fantastic time reading The Only One Left, and I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys atmospheric and creepy gothic thrillers where nothing is as it seems. 

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carysefirebrace's review

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0


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emmalwooten's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.5

really great writing by sager. some twists were predictable but he still made them such a shock when you read it, and other twists i couldn’t have seen coming a mile away 

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kfergy's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

An enjoyable enough read, though the last third is all over the place in terms of narrative and twists - by the 3rd or 4th twist, I was no longer shocked but rather awaiting the next that would undo previous assumptions and not in a good way? Still, good for a beach read or a weekend. 

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antidietleah's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0


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tabea1409's review

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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veronicandoit's review

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75


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loglancy's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I could only read 10-20 pages at a time cuz this book was frustrating and intense. However I really enjoyed the story and have found myself trying to explain it to friends and family. 

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beauty_and_thebooks's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0


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chantejames's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0


I gave this book a perfect 5 stars. I've heard great things about Riley Sager and I can say, they were true. 
The writing is incredible! Easy to follow but very immersive. The writing was so intense, which is a plus because it is a thriller book, that I had to stop reading and breathe before continuing. This book was hard to put down and hard to pick back up because of the intensity and emersion. The world building was perfect. The descriptions were perfect. It was like watching a movie. 
The characters were very diverse and when they were on the page you saw their personalities, their flaws and their trauma not just their appearance. 
The TWISTS and TURNS almost gave me a heartattck. Just when you think you finally understand... You don't. There was something new at every single turn. At times I had to put down the book, scream, freak out and it have me anxiety - the kind you want from a thriller book. I normally read cozy books because my anxiety can't handle suspense and this book had a LOT of it but it was worth it so I kept reading. 
This is the type of book you can't tell someone about, they need to read it and experience it for themselves and I'd recommend it to any Thriller reader. 
Amazing author. Amazing concept. Amazing book. An easy 5 stars. 

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