Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig

Let me start by saying that I think this blurb is pretty misleading. That isn't necessarily a bad thing-the 'secret' that Flynn is keeping is fairly obvious to guess and when I started this book, I was quite worried that it would be expected to carry the whole thing. Thankfully that doesn't happen and it gets revealed relatively quickly. This led to a much stronger book than I was expecting from the first few chapters but I can also see some people potentially being disappointed or annoyed that the story isn't exactly what the blurb implies. This isn't a 'doubt the narrator' kind of thriller.

What Last Seen Leaving is is a fantastic and engaging story with a vibrant plot that keeps you on your toes. I must say that I found the book to be incredibly well-paced. Excluding my little niggle with the beginning, the author weaves in nuggets of information precisely where they should go to keep the story flowing. There is plenty going on in this story and while it could easily have come across as unrealistic and childishly dramatic, the mature tone and the characters keep it grounded in reality.

Speaking of the characters, they're all pretty strong here. There is quite a bit of the frustrating 'why don't they just tell the police' thing going on but on the whole, people behave realistically and understandably given their respective personalities. Flynn is average but likeable, and the more you learn about January, the more your heart breaks for her. January's parents were very well done and they made for interesting characters. Her stepbrother I felt could have been developed more and I would have liked some more information about him than what we got. There is one thing in particular with him which never gets explained, which I will mention below in my spoiler section.

Spoiler section here (highlight to read): Okay, so I did not like the fact that January survived at the end. The stuff with her family made sense (kind of) but it was too contrived and convenient for me. Also it kind of turns her into a bitch because it makes her responsible for Reiko's death (as Reiko wouldn't have confronted the drama guy and gotten killed without January running away). Speaking of which, I had absolutely no idea who the drama guy was when he was initially revealed as being the suspect. I'm sure he appeared earlier in the story but I wasn't so much surprised as confused because he was such a non-entity to me. Finally, what was the deal with the banana scene her stepbrother described? Did that really happen or not? I assume he was just a creep but some confirmation would have been nice.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I haven't had much luck with YA thrillers as they tend to be over-dramatic and unrealistic, but Last Seen Leaving stands out from the crowd. If you want to read an intriguing and well-paced mystery with a bit of a lighter tone than most adult thrillers, then this is the book for you.

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