YA Book Club 2025 (paused) discussion

Hi, this is the discussion topic for week 2's progress with our June book, Last One to Die.

This topic can include spoilers up to the end of chapter 16, so only continue reading this post if you have read up to this point.

I’m having a lot of fun with my reread! The way the threat is circling closer to Niamh is making me feel super tense.

❓ What do you think of the historical touches and use of legends?
❓ Is it scary?
❓ Do you think we're dealing with a human or something paranormal?

I will open up the next topic in a week for us to talk (with spoilers) about up to page p217/the end of chapter 25.

📚 JUNE LIVE SHOW + GUESTS 📚

▶️ Set a reminder for the live show (2nd July 7:30pm BST) here: https://www.youtube.com/live/EfnNWzncxb4

For the live show for June’s book, I’ll be joined by…

⭐️ Mollie | https://www.instagram.com/addictedtof...
| https://www.youtube.com/@romantically...
⭐️ Shannon | https://www.instagram.com/booksrlush_/
| https://www.youtube.com/@headintheboo...
⭐️ Gemma | https://www.instagram.com/gemmasbooki...
| https://www.tiktok.com/@geminwonderland

📚 GIVEAWAYS 📚
For June, I'm very excited to announce that Cynthia Murphy will be sending me some signed book plates for Last One to Die. There will be two ways to win book plates signed by the author.

3 signed book plates will be given to people who post a picture of Last One to Die (book or Kindle). Just upload your photo to the photos section of the Goodreads group or tag me in any social media posts you include it in, using the #YABookClub2023 hashtag.

Use this link to upload photos to this Goodreads group:
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/new?p...

3 signed bookplates will also be given to people at random who live comment on YouTube during June’s LIVE SHOW.

▶️ Set a reminder for the live show (2nd July 7:30pm BST) here: https://www.youtube.com/live/EfnNWzncxb4

Happy reading!

I think that the story really manages to keep the tension high. scenes like the one in the library archive had my heart racing, even though I've read it before. I really do like the way it mixes all the creepy victorian history with the myth of Springheel Jack. because it's been a few years since I read it there are plenty of details that I've forgotten

I enjoyed this so much I couldn't wait any more and ended up reading the rest! I always enjoy a bit of myth and legend in books so this was great.

Peter wrote: "I think that the story really manages to keep the tension high. scenes like the one in the library archive had my heart racing, even though I've read it before. I really do like the way it mixes al..."

I'm exactly the same! I remember where the story ends up but not how it gets there. I'm enjoying the horror elements so much!

Sabrina wrote: "I enjoyed this so much I couldn't wait any more and ended up reading the rest! I always enjoy a bit of myth and legend in books so this was great."

Ahh no worries! I love it when myths and legend is worked in too, and I think this book does that really well.

I also read ahead and thoroughly enjoyed it- the ending was excellent and I really liked the dark, suspenseful aspects of the story.

Jen wrote: "I also read ahead and thoroughly enjoyed it- the ending was excellent and I really liked the dark, suspenseful aspects of the story."

Brilliant! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I thought suspense was done really well too.

I think I figured out who the culprit is!

yeah it was a twist but also well executed.

So far this has been an underwhelming read in any aspect.

The novel takes place in London, but makes very little use of the setting. The Tower Bridge is mentioned, there's a scene in a Tube station, but the place is not essential for the story. In comparison, in Good Girls Die First the island with the derelict carnival was an essential part of the story.

There are some scary moments, e. g. the Tube station, the scene with the vault in the library, and the moment Niamh realises her door is open and she has to escape from the eight floor quickly. But these moments are rare and they are quickly resolved before any feeling of terror can manifest in the readers. I wish the writer would take more time for a proper build-up of the scenes, explore a possible inevitability of the situation the character finds themself in.

The novel focuses on one main character. We get some back story about her family and her sister, but that's about it. Though the friendships are handled in a decent way, we learn almost nothing about the other characters and their back stories. There are no issues in the past (such as traumas) that need to be resolved in the present. The character of Jane Alsop and what happened to her and the legend of Springheel Jack are mentioned, but it all feels more like a history lesson - it's told but not shown. These are missed opportunities to add arcs of suspense to the novel.

The novel does not make it clear if we are dealing with something real or something supernatural. This ambiguity is handled in a good way and is one of the strong points of the novel. There's a particularly powerful scene at the museum, when Geoffrey hands Niamh the fortune-telling device. You get the feeling that there's a presence that can be sensed by and perhaps affects certain people. Mesmerism is mentioned, which is a strong hint that someone gains control over people to make them kill the women. But anything we have seen so far hints at something real being behind the kills.

(I made it to the end of chapter 25 in the meantime and it's still a really underwhelming read.)

I should mention that I get something from any book I read (same with movies or music or other forms of entertainment). Even if I do not enjoy a book that much there's always something I enjoy about the journey or can take from it. And I applaud the writers for coming up with something that finds an audience, gets more people to read and fall in love with storytelling, and is cherished. And then coming up with something new and, on their journey, steadily increasing their craftsmanship and skills.

Andreas wrote: "I think I figured out who the culprit is!

"

I'd love to know if you were right! :-)

Andreas wrote: "So far this has been an underwhelming read in any aspect.

The novel takes place in London, but makes very little use of the setting. The Tower Bridge is mentioned, there's a scene in a Tube stati..."

I'm glad you still got something from this one even though it didn't quite land for you! I love how we can discuss the books during this club, and everything is subjective so we can often see the same book in different ways.