Review: Casey McQuiston's ONE LAST STOP.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop surprised me—it went in a direction that I was *not* expecting—& it makes me so excited to see what exactly McQuiston might write next.

August Landry moved from New Orleans to Brooklyn w/ a couple of pit stops along the way because she hasn’t found *her* place yet. She’s left behind her mom & the decades-old mystery that her mom’s obsessed with: the disappearance of August’s uncle.

On the subway August is instantly struck by the sight of Subway Girl; Subway Girl gives her her scarf when August—teasingly christened Coffee Girl by the stranger—spills on her shirt.

Later, August can’t stop thinking about Subway Girl, Jane, for many reasons. Over time, as they continue talking, & gazing, & flirting, August realizes that (1) Jane is *always* on the subway when she is; (2) Jane doesn’t actually know who she is & most of her memories are gone, only slowly revealing themselves when prompted by something August says or does; & (3) Jane’s last real memories before being on the subway are from the 70s, when Jane appeared exactly the same age.

Wow, what a concept. & despite the fact that I knew there could be no “perfect” ending whereby Jane ends up unscathed, McQuiston pulls it off in a way that ultimately feels hopeful.

That hopefulness also comes across in Jane’s consideration of the setting itself, since, as Jane reminisces, it’s a pretty different world for LGBTQIA people in modern Brooklyn as opposed to the 1970s (though not entirely without its challenges or difficulties, obviously).

The relationship between August & Jane is lovely to watch unfold, as is that between August & her winsome & quirky roommates. I love how this is a story about friendship & found family too, in addition to offering lots of laughs & a couple of moving mysteries that August wants to solve.

There are a couple of moments when I personally got a little bogged down by the technical details of time travel, etc., but I think that was more of a mood thing.

Either way, this is a fantastic romance that I’m feeling nostalgic about even now.

5 ⭐️. Release date: 06/01