One Last Stop

Let's begin with the author's own description of this novel (lifted from the novel's Acknowledgments: "a lesbian, time-travel, subway rom com." It's an excellent summary and describes a book that is unlike any other you've read. I gave it four stars on Goodreads, which is probably a bit of a gift. 23-year old August Landry has just transferred colleges, moved away from her smothering single mom, and moved to New York City to find her own life. A self-identified bisexual, she lands an apartment in Brooklyn with a supportive group of roommates, and a job waiting tables at a neighborhood pancake house. Then, one day, while riding the subway, spilled coffee leads August to meet a mid-twenties Asian woman, who is destined to transform August's life. This novel offers readers many things. It's a novel about accepting love, even when it requires sacrifice. A chance to get to know a variety of gender non-conforming people, all of whom provide each other with family, love and acceptance. And it's about August trusting others to help her solve a strange puzzle about time and space. Like Casey McQuiston's previous book, RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE, nearly all the characters in ONE LAST STOP speak with the voices of smart Millennials, while displaying a tolerance and loyalty those of us in other generations might well envy. There's plenty of banter and humor. So much so that, for me, it prevented the characters from developing any distinct personalities. They all sound the same. Also, I admit stories about time travelers are not my favorites -- so that aspect of this book was a bit over-the top for me. I suspect others will react much more favorably and playfully to it than I did. Still, I recommend the book overall. It turns out to be quite a lively snapshot of contemporary New York City.

One Last Stop was an interesting concept and one that I have definitely not read before. I devoured McQuiston's Red, White and Royal Blue when it released and while this one didn't draw me in quite the way that one did, it was well written. August has just moved to New York City to attend college. As she's getting settled in, she finds a home with a random group of people, Myla, Wes and Niko, who become her found family. She's got a Nancy Drew like streak in her that she learned from her Mom throughout her life. She meets Jane on the Q train during her commute to school and she realizes that Jane is literally displaced in time from the 1970's. It becomes the focus of August and her friends to free Jane from the train, whatever that means either going back in time or staying in the present. While I didn't love the time travel part of the story, I loved the variety of characters, their varying backgrounds and all of the different quirks. While this wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I'll definitely look for whatever Casey McQuiston releases next.

Indisputably, Casey McQuiston is an extremely talented writer. The way One Last Stop flows, from beginning to end, just took my breath away. Ms. McQuiston goes deep inside the main character, and the way she grows over the course of the novel is beautifully done. What astonished me most, and kept me coming back for more, is the clever way everyone’s stories are tied together. Without giving too much away, there’s something tying Jane to August, a reason why they connect in the first place. As the entire tale unfolds, amazing nuggets in time are uncovered, and it just gets better and better. As a time travel romance: spectacular As a hurt/comfort romance: perfection As a humorous look at a slice of life in modern day Brooklyn: fantastic Do I need to go on? One Last Stop is a gem and I loved every minute of it! I also had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of One Last Stop. Beautifully performed by Natalie Naudus, she adds so much to the personality of each of these characters. This is an extremely vast and varied cast, and Ms. Naudus finds something unique to bring out of each of them. Absolutely wonderful!