One Last Stop
*INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
*INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER*
*INSTANT #1 INDIE BESTSELLER*
From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes a new romantic comedy that will stop readers in their tracks...
For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.
But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.
Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.
Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.
"A dazzling romance, filled with plenty of humor and heart." - Time Magazine, "The 21 Most Anticipated Books of 2021"
"Dreamy, other worldly, smart, swoony, thoughtful, hilarious - all in all, exactly what you'd expect from Casey McQuiston!" - Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal and Party for Two
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Readers say *One Last Stop* by Casey McQuiston is a heartfelt, quirky queer romance blending magical realism with strong found family themes. Many pra...
Jane and August made me gush. Their relationship is so cute and electric. It just works. McQuiston has a great skill in making her characters engaging, relatable, and witty. Sure, the fairytale ending McQuiston does both in OLS and RW&RB is undoubtedly idealistic, but the characters themselves feel down-to-earth. They all have issues they are working through at their own pace and the relationships, like the characters, are diverse in nature. LOVE the friend/roommate group. The book felt sweet but it also had a prevalent undertone of commentary on the lived experiences of queer folk in the 70s.
Where this book loses points for me is all the private, intimate, scenes in the damn subway. Even in the fantasy of OLS, I cannot, for the life of me, wrap my head around how Jane and August were able to be as intimate as they were without more onlookers. Even in the deadest hours on the Q train, the subway will ALWAYS have people lingering about and their intimacy felt voyeuristic to me. Then again, maybe semi-public displays of sex just aren't for me.
Where this book loses points for me is all the private, intimate, scenes in the damn subway. Even in the fantasy of OLS, I cannot, for the life of me, wrap my head around how Jane and August were able to be as intimate as they were without more onlookers. Even in the deadest hours on the Q train, the subway will ALWAYS have people lingering about and their intimacy felt voyeuristic to me. Then again, maybe semi-public displays of sex just aren't for me.
OMG!! This book takes readers on such an emotional journey!! I had high hopes for this book after so many friends and BookTubers talked about it, and for me, it did not disappoint!
In this story, we follow August, a slightly pessimistic young woman who has just moved to New York with hopes that a new city will be better for her and give her a chance to take college courses somewhere new. She quickly finds a new home with a diverse group of characters who make her feel loved right away. One day while on the train to her classes, she meets a girl named Jane, with her leather jacket and tattoos and gorgeous smile. It seems odd but August is so happy that every time August takes the train, Jane is there. Soon, however, August and her friends realize that there may be something off with Jane. She is stuck on this one train and cannot get off. Can August and her friends help her escape? Can August help her without falling in love with her?
I loved this book! For me, there was just enough spice without being over the top. August and Jane's friendship/relationship takes quite a few twists and turns as August researches ways to help Jane remember her life and get her free. The story did feel a little longer than it needed to be but I really enjoyed the dialogue between August and Jane was well as between August and her flatmates. Also, being someone who doesn't really love a ton of fantasy, the magical-realism in this book was just enough to take me out of reality without making it too confusing.
There is so much representation in the different characters and I absolutely loved this in addition to the relationship between August and Jane. We have a trans Latino psychic, queer Black engineer with a Chinese adoptive mom, a queer Jewish tattoo artist, two amazing NY drag queens, a bi woman who is scared to stay in one place for too long, and a Chinese lesbian stuck in the 70s as the world around her continues. I feel that there was a ton of pieces to learn from and enjoy in this story. But be ready to have your heart broken a few times.
Overall, I really enjoyed the different issues this book brought up (anxiety, loss of a loved one, homophobia, racism, hate crimes) and the great variety of diverse representation. I understand how some might not love this book as much as I did but I would still highly recommend that everyone give it a chance!
Quotes:
"Do you ever hear yourself talk, though? You're cool. You're smart. Maybe people at your stupid Catholic school were just dicks, man. You've got a brighter glow than you realize" pg. 51
"1976. Jane. A simple dimple at one side of her mouth. Barely a day younger than she looks every morning on the train" pg. 80
"I remember moments. Sometimes days, or only hours. I knew I was stuck here, somehow. I know I've tried to get off and blinked and opened my eyes in a different car. I remember some people I've met. That half the things in my bag are something I traded for, stole, or found. But it's - it's all fuzzy. You know when you drink too much and black out except for random pieces? It's like that." pg. 110
"It drops quietly into the space between them: maybe it's them. Maybe it's August. Maybe she's the reason" pg. 127
"August, you said it yourself - if she doesn't see you for a while, she starts to come unstuck. It's not like she's on every train all the time - she's flickering to the one you're on. You're what's keeping her here. You've watched Lost - you're her constant" pg. 235
"It's like I died, she cuts in. Her voice cracks in the middle. I died, except I have to feel it. And on top of that, I have to feel everything else I've ever felt all over again. I have to get the bad news again every day, I have to deal with the choices I made, and I can't fix it. I can't even run from it. It's miserable, August" pg. 293
"There was this girl. I met her on a train. The first time I saw her, she was covered in coffee and smelled like pancakes, and she was beautiful like a city you always wanted to go to, like how you wait years and years for the right time, and then as soon as you get there, you have to taste everything and touch everything and learn every street by name. I felt like I knew her. She reminded me who I was. She had soft lips and green eyes and a body that wouldn't quit. Hair like you wouldn't believe. Stubborn, sharp as a knife. And I never, ever wanted a person to save me until she did" pg. 373
"You are the most important person I've ever met. And I should have never met you at all" pg. 404
In this story, we follow August, a slightly pessimistic young woman who has just moved to New York with hopes that a new city will be better for her and give her a chance to take college courses somewhere new. She quickly finds a new home with a diverse group of characters who make her feel loved right away. One day while on the train to her classes, she meets a girl named Jane, with her leather jacket and tattoos and gorgeous smile. It seems odd but August is so happy that every time August takes the train, Jane is there. Soon, however, August and her friends realize that there may be something off with Jane. She is stuck on this one train and cannot get off. Can August and her friends help her escape? Can August help her without falling in love with her?
I loved this book! For me, there was just enough spice without being over the top. August and Jane's friendship/relationship takes quite a few twists and turns as August researches ways to help Jane remember her life and get her free. The story did feel a little longer than it needed to be but I really enjoyed the dialogue between August and Jane was well as between August and her flatmates. Also, being someone who doesn't really love a ton of fantasy, the magical-realism in this book was just enough to take me out of reality without making it too confusing.
There is so much representation in the different characters and I absolutely loved this in addition to the relationship between August and Jane. We have a trans Latino psychic, queer Black engineer with a Chinese adoptive mom, a queer Jewish tattoo artist, two amazing NY drag queens, a bi woman who is scared to stay in one place for too long, and a Chinese lesbian stuck in the 70s as the world around her continues. I feel that there was a ton of pieces to learn from and enjoy in this story. But be ready to have your heart broken a few times.
Overall, I really enjoyed the different issues this book brought up (anxiety, loss of a loved one, homophobia, racism, hate crimes) and the great variety of diverse representation. I understand how some might not love this book as much as I did but I would still highly recommend that everyone give it a chance!
Quotes:
"Do you ever hear yourself talk, though? You're cool. You're smart. Maybe people at your stupid Catholic school were just dicks, man. You've got a brighter glow than you realize" pg. 51
"1976. Jane. A simple dimple at one side of her mouth. Barely a day younger than she looks every morning on the train" pg. 80
"I remember moments. Sometimes days, or only hours. I knew I was stuck here, somehow. I know I've tried to get off and blinked and opened my eyes in a different car. I remember some people I've met. That half the things in my bag are something I traded for, stole, or found. But it's - it's all fuzzy. You know when you drink too much and black out except for random pieces? It's like that." pg. 110
"It drops quietly into the space between them: maybe it's them. Maybe it's August. Maybe she's the reason" pg. 127
"August, you said it yourself - if she doesn't see you for a while, she starts to come unstuck. It's not like she's on every train all the time - she's flickering to the one you're on. You're what's keeping her here. You've watched Lost - you're her constant" pg. 235
"It's like I died, she cuts in. Her voice cracks in the middle. I died, except I have to feel it. And on top of that, I have to feel everything else I've ever felt all over again. I have to get the bad news again every day, I have to deal with the choices I made, and I can't fix it. I can't even run from it. It's miserable, August" pg. 293
"There was this girl. I met her on a train. The first time I saw her, she was covered in coffee and smelled like pancakes, and she was beautiful like a city you always wanted to go to, like how you wait years and years for the right time, and then as soon as you get there, you have to taste everything and touch everything and learn every street by name. I felt like I knew her. She reminded me who I was. She had soft lips and green eyes and a body that wouldn't quit. Hair like you wouldn't believe. Stubborn, sharp as a knife. And I never, ever wanted a person to save me until she did" pg. 373
"You are the most important person I've ever met. And I should have never met you at all" pg. 404
Amazing read. The perfect emotional rollercoaster that leaves you more addicted as the story progresses!!
I really wanted to like this book! I thought it'd be a cute wlw story that I could enjoy as a nice audiobook. Instead I got really bored and had to force myself to finish it. It's weird because this book has stakes! It had a plot that was kept at least somewhat moving with multiple mysteries and a psychic and side plots... yet I just didn't find myself getting invested in really any of the characters, and I didn't enjoy the writing style much either, giving me almost nothing to really enjoy about the book. To be clear, I really think this was personal preference! Objectively, there is so much to like about this book, and I'm really happy for the representation it has and that it has a happy ending for a gay story without too much inherent tragedy in the gayness of its characters. I know a lot of people liked it, but I have to write down everything I didn't like about it so when I see this in the future, I remember why I gave it such a low rating.
First of all, the constant descriptions of Biyu (Jane) using sugar and sweets really got on my nerves. The first couple times, it was okay, but eventually, it got so tiresome. Actually, a lot of the descriptions felt over the top. I don't think the audiobook narrator's voice I was listening to helped.
Also, I think Jane was supposed to be iconic, but she ended up just feeling two-dimensional to me. And again, I like that McQuiston put so much representation into the book, but there were just so many side plots, and I just did not care that much about any of them.
I didn't really understand the point of Myla's character, but somehow she was talked about so much? Niko actually had plot purposes, but Myla just... did art sometimes. Wes and Isaiah had a whole drawn out love story that honestly felt like it could've been another book entirely. Instead, it just felt like it had been tacked on. Also, the saving of Billy's felt so juvenile. The group decides to throw a drag fundraiser and magically, it's a massive success. They sell out a month in advance and have to get a new venue to host double the amount of people? Be honest, how? I'm not saying it's impossible, but there aren't many descriptions showing that it took a lot of effort at all, even though it seems like a massive undertaking.
Speaking of things that felt unrealistic, how was August always buying Jane so much stuff? She bought her tons of food all the time and even a phone! This is after she talked about how she was drowning in student debt! I understand she had a job... but in the second half of the book, she's practically never working. She also seems to stop needing to go to class. Because every page is about her spending time with Jane (or having sex with Jane, really) and I really have no clue how it's all possible. I wouldn't care about the classes so much if it wasn't supposed to be such a big deal that she was finally graduating! She has a whole existential crisis about it! She moved to NYC to finish college there, that was the entire reason! Why is it suddenly not important at all to the plot?
The magic realism parts were fine. I didn't have an issue with that. I just found the whole book so boring, which really disappointed me. It took me forever to get through, partially because the audiobook narrator has a lot of fun moaning and acting out the sex scenes. Which, good for her. But that meant I had to keep pausing when I just did not feel like listening to that. I'm aware this is my own fault/personal preference and not technically an issue with the book. I will say the sex did actually have plot reasons and wasn't just gratuitous sex! So a point for McQuiston there! But overall, I unfortunately really did not enjoy this book, and I felt nothing when it ended. 2.5 stars.
First of all, the constant descriptions of Biyu (Jane) using sugar and sweets really got on my nerves. The first couple times, it was okay, but eventually, it got so tiresome. Actually, a lot of the descriptions felt over the top. I don't think the audiobook narrator's voice I was listening to helped.
Also, I think Jane was supposed to be iconic, but she ended up just feeling two-dimensional to me. And again, I like that McQuiston put so much representation into the book, but there were just so many side plots, and I just did not care that much about any of them.
I didn't really understand the point of Myla's character, but somehow she was talked about so much? Niko actually had plot purposes, but Myla just... did art sometimes. Wes and Isaiah had a whole drawn out love story that honestly felt like it could've been another book entirely. Instead, it just felt like it had been tacked on. Also, the saving of Billy's felt so juvenile. The group decides to throw a drag fundraiser and magically, it's a massive success. They sell out a month in advance and have to get a new venue to host double the amount of people? Be honest, how? I'm not saying it's impossible, but there aren't many descriptions showing that it took a lot of effort at all, even though it seems like a massive undertaking.
Speaking of things that felt unrealistic, how was August always buying Jane so much stuff? She bought her tons of food all the time and even a phone! This is after she talked about how she was drowning in student debt! I understand she had a job... but in the second half of the book, she's practically never working. She also seems to stop needing to go to class. Because every page is about her spending time with Jane (or having sex with Jane, really) and I really have no clue how it's all possible. I wouldn't care about the classes so much if it wasn't supposed to be such a big deal that she was finally graduating! She has a whole existential crisis about it! She moved to NYC to finish college there, that was the entire reason! Why is it suddenly not important at all to the plot?
The magic realism parts were fine. I didn't have an issue with that. I just found the whole book so boring, which really disappointed me. It took me forever to get through, partially because the audiobook narrator has a lot of fun moaning and acting out the sex scenes. Which, good for her. But that meant I had to keep pausing when I just did not feel like listening to that. I'm aware this is my own fault/personal preference and not technically an issue with the book. I will say the sex did actually have plot reasons and wasn't just gratuitous sex! So a point for McQuiston there! But overall, I unfortunately really did not enjoy this book, and I felt nothing when it ended. 2.5 stars.
"Jane is spun sugar, switchblade girl with a cotton candy heart,” pretty much sums Jane up to the T. Jane was ahead of her time and is a lover to all. She is gay and she is proud. She marches on demonstration just so she can love more. She is a girl without much of a past. August prefers to pretty much forget hers.
They met on the subway. Twenty-three-year-old August, who is distant from everyone, including her own mother, just doesn’t connect with anyone for the fear of getting hurt. Jane is a vivacious, free-spirited woman with a killer leather jacket and a great big scarf. They somehow clicked and like the blinking lights of the subway, one minute you are here and the next, the person who you connected with, vanishes.
Together, they formed a union, and August’s roommates formed a family August never knew she desperately needed. Not want but needed. Love was unconditional and non-judgmental. Love this sexy, funny, warm love story. Now, who’s in the mood for a Su Special, which is a fried egg, bacon, maple syrup, and hot sauce sandwiched between two pieces of Texas toast?
They met on the subway. Twenty-three-year-old August, who is distant from everyone, including her own mother, just doesn’t connect with anyone for the fear of getting hurt. Jane is a vivacious, free-spirited woman with a killer leather jacket and a great big scarf. They somehow clicked and like the blinking lights of the subway, one minute you are here and the next, the person who you connected with, vanishes.
Together, they formed a union, and August’s roommates formed a family August never knew she desperately needed. Not want but needed. Love was unconditional and non-judgmental. Love this sexy, funny, warm love story. Now, who’s in the mood for a Su Special, which is a fried egg, bacon, maple syrup, and hot sauce sandwiched between two pieces of Texas toast?
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