The Only One Left
Ratings322
Average rating3.9
I finished this book in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. Lots of interesting twists. I enjoyed it and would recommend.
I was really enjoying this book until the end. Too many plot twists which made the ending cheesy. 2.5 stars.
Why was the book so convoluted?
The caretaker's father just happened to be the old love interest of the paralyzed mute patient? The patient was actually the (not) dead sibling of the patient? Oh and she wasnt mute or paralyzed? Oh and the house is on a crumbling cliff? And the maid is the surprise granddaughter? Geez.
DNF'd on page 29. If you like your female characters portrayed as pathetic, spiteful, and/or stupid “adults” who are just waiting for a male character to validate their existence then this writer is for you! Reader beware. This is immature, lazy writing more on par with cheap, late 20th century porn than anything resembling a book by a bestselling author.
*2.5 stars This started out compulsively readable and had a setting and trope I enjoy, so I was quickly in and thought it would coast easily to at least a 3.5-star rating and maybe a 4. But the book comes off the rails in the later half with too many twists to even stay invested and a closing act that I was just annoyed by. Sager writes good popcorn novels, but you have to find that sweet spot with twists and their plausibility to avoid too many suspensions of disbelief or you end up just not caring.
Believe it or not, I really did want to like this. The story really had me up until about 2/3 of the way through. Then it just falls into a convoluted mess where its biggest downfall is that it tries too hard to explain every single little thing in a sort of Chekov’s universe. Sheesh!
While the end certainly ruined everything for me, I have to give credit where credit is due. I did quite enjoy most of the characters and felt like they were pretty realistic. And the main character’s reactions to how things unfolded cracked me up. It was very self-aware. Much like with Sager’s other work, Final Girls, the author toyed with the reader quite a bit and even poked fun at the genre and its fans’ expectations.
But was the ending really that bad? Absolutely. At first it was like “oh” and then “oh!” and further with “I can see that” and even a little “wtf?!” Sager just didn’t know when to quit though. Just when I thought I’d read it all, the twists and the callbacks and all that jazz just kept coming and coming with no sight in end. As if all of that wasn’t enough, there’s one more shocker thrown in and, to be quite honest, it was beyond dumb. At that point, the book went from dumb fun pulp territory to just straight up insultingly bad. Avoid at all costs.
I read this in one sitting. Those last few chapters had me doing a few “are you serious” eye-rolls. A good and engrossing read for sure, but the final “no wait THIS guy/girl was really the killer after all” was a bit much for me. Like. Come on. You're telling me THAT many people could keep THAT big a secret for all those years without a whisp of gossip getting out? Ffft.
This book was a wild ride full of twists and turns at every corner, especially towards the end. The ending answers all questions and doesn't leave anything unanswered which is nice. The ending had my mouth wide open! Totally recommend!
I guess I just wasn’t all that convinced. I had heard about how twisty this book was, but none of those twists really surprised me. My problem was with how little some of them held. With some of the twists, the author would just flat out gaslight us into believing he had cleverly fooled us into thinking one way, but it really wasn’t. It was more like he ignored that some things had happened, because otherwise it makes no sense. A plot hole, if you will And then, some other twists, you really do have to suspend your belief in order to maintain them as the truth. Also, there were some characters who, out of nowhere, were super detectives and just knew things, just because??? Anyway, it’s not a bad book. But it kind of doesn’t really hold to the light.
Fun gothic melodrama, no surprises but still fun. Enjoyed the narrators on the audiobook.
This was my second book read by Riley Sager and will not be my last. The Only One Left had me hooked with its eerie vibes, suspenseful and easy to read writing, and those chilling plot twists that just kept coming. The letters woven into the story added a unique layer that really pulled me into the setting and the overall creepiness of the tale. The suspense was top-notch, especially as the tension built up toward the end. However, I found the main character frustratingly naive for her age. She often acted without thinking things through, which felt unrealistic, especially when her life was potentially on the line. It made some parts of the story hard to believe, but despite that, I couldn't put the book down as I neared the end. It's definitely an engaging read that keeps you guessing, even if the protagonist's decisions leave you scratching your head. It was a little slower paced than I was expecting at times, but still a solid read.
Contains spoilers
Wow just wow! I loved this book so much, what a rush!
Even though I thought about the twist about Mrs. Baker maybe being one of the sisters and wondering about which sister was which long before it was revealed the overall story still had me in its grips! The end had me sad and happy and just all the feels!
I wish I'd own this book and not lent it from the library. Even though I doubt it's a book I reread or that it would gain anything from a reread, I feel it's a book I would like to own for myself...
This book left me unsettled and creeped out as an avid mystery reader. Which I'm 99.9% certain was due to the creaking house on an eroding cliff.
Guys. Guys. Guys. Riley Sager keeps getting better and better with every book he releases in my opinion.
I really loved the dual timeline in this one, and there were so many twists and turns that I did not see coming.
Also as a medical professional that side of the book was also very interesting to read about and I feel like was done pretty well.
I will continue to read everything this man puts out. A staple in the current thriller genre for a reason.
Going into this I went into it with little to no expectations and I was blown awayy. The twists and turns, the gothic atmosphere, the suspensful and thrilling aspect, how fast paced it was; all elements I love in a thriller!
Finished it in a day tooo thats how you know its good