Pooja Peravali's Reviews > The Last Girl Left

Five years after surviving the horrific crime in which all her friends were killed, Tessa returns to the lonely beach house where it occurred in the hopes of overcoming her trauma and writing a book. But as things become increasing sinister, she fears that the danger may not be fully past.

I've been in the mood for a thriller recently, and thought this book should scratch that itch. The summary promised plenty of suspense and chills, and I am a sucker for the 'last girl' horror trope. Unfortunately, the read failed to deliver for me.

In an effort to jolt herself out of her trauma-induced stupor and earn some money, Tessa forces herself to stay for a month in the same house where she was assaulted and her friends murdered and write a book about it. It's an audacious premise but I thought the author did a decent job of setting it up logically. The writing was facile and breezy, the setting well-sketched out and menacing.

However, the novel never really got off the ground for me, let alone conducted itself well. The plot was thin, with no action really occurring until about the 80% mark - until then, we must rely on eerie noises and flickering lights for the fright factor. None of the characters were fleshed out, and I found myself feeling indifferent to the fate of Tessa, her friends, and everyone else in the book. And when the villains of the piece were finally revealed, they too felt cliched, leaving me unable to take them seriously.

I was really disappointed. The premise had seemed promising, but in the end the execution just was not there. Do not recommend.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.