In LAST SEEN LEAVING, the police start investigating when Flynn's ex-girlfriend mysteriously disappears.
What intrigued me: Exclusively the hype.
Coming-Of-Age Rather Than Thriller
LAST SEEN LEAVING is a poster child for it's not you, it's me. It's undoubtedly a very skillfully written book, the prose is on point, the characterizations are great - but it's just not my thing. I found myself struggling a lot to get into this and pretty much immediately lost interest when I realized that this is a very character-driven coming-of-age story with a side of mystery instead of a fast-paced thriller.
LAST SEEN LEAVING isn't really about January or her disappearance, it's pretty much simply an incentive to get the story started and fill some pages on the side so Flynn's self discovery won't be the only thing that this book is about. I definitely welcome this, I like that Roehrig wrapped a second story into this instead of just making this a regular thriller. We do need more #ownvoices stories that aren't solely about characters discovering their sexuality. However, the coming-of-age aspect is ultimately also why I didn't care much for it. I'm not really a fan of calm contemporary books that center around characters and their self-discovery, so LAST SEEN LEAVING didn't grip me at all.
Miscommunication and Slow Burn
Besides the very subjective aspects, LAST SEEN LEAVING is a very slowly paced book, which doesn't really work in the story's favor, considering the genre. I was hoping for a page turner, but I really only got a slow burn story about a small town mystery and a small town boy who got too caught up in heteronormativity to realize that he isn't heterosexual at all.
A lot of the story relies on misunderstandings and miscommunication to preserve the mystery, which is probably my least favorite trope in the entire universe and also influenced my reading experience negatively. LAST SEEN LEAVING isn't quite as sharp and clean cut and to the point as I like my thrillers to be, which is highly, highly subjective, and therefore just wasn't my thing. Add flashbacks on top, which I also despise, and you pretty much got a perfect mixture of all the subjective things I don't like that are in no way an indicator about the quality of this book.
LAST SEEN LEAVING is definitely an important story regardless, and if you generally don't mind slow and character-driven books, you'll probably love this.
Rating:
★★★☆☆
Overall: Do I Recommend?
If you're looking for a coming-of-age thriller narrative starring a gay protagonist that discovers their sexuality while investigating a disappearance, I guess this is perfect for you! LAST SEEN LEAVING is definitely well-written and unique, but just wasn't my thing, unfortunately.Additional Info
Published: May 22nd 2017Pages: 416
Publisher: cbj
Genre: YA / Thriller
ISBN: 9783570173343
Synopsis:
Synopsis:
"Flynn's girlfriend has disappeared. How can he uncover her secrets without revealing his own?
Flynn's girlfriend, January, is missing. The cops are asking questions he can't answer, and her friends are telling stories that don't add up. All eyes are on Flynn—as January's boyfriend, he must know something.
But Flynn has a secret of his own. And as he struggles to uncover the truth about January's disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself. "
(Source: Goodreads)
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