Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: October 4th, 2016
Synopsis: Flynn’s girlfriend, January, is missing. The cops are asking questions he can’t answer, and her friends are telling stories that don’t add up. All eyes are on Flynn–as January’s boyfriend, he must know something.
But Flynn has a secret of his own. And as he struggles to uncover the truth about January’s disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself.
This book sort of took me by surprise. I thought it looked like a fun YA mystery, which is why I requested it, but I honestly didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. What makes this such a great story is its characters. Fifteen-year-old Flynn is a someone one that readers will like, and teens will relate to. I’m not going to give away any spoilers, but let’s just say he’s dealing with some weighty issues, and that’s before his girlfriend, January, goes missing. He can be stubborn and a bit pig-headed, but he’s also sweet, loyal, and absolutely determined to discover the truth behind January’s disappearance. His relationship with his parents is one of warmth and love, even if they do embarrass him at times. The secondary characters are for the most part wonderfully written and diverse. There were a couple of minor issues I had though. I found January to be extremely unlikable and some of her actions prior to her disappearance were puzzling and there was never an explanation offered. The second problem I had was with her mother and her politician stepfather. The mother was portrayed as an empty-headed trophy wife, and the stepfather as your stereotypical corrupt politician. I wish they had been written with a few more layers to them. The mystery itself, which had more than one twist, wound up not being a huge surprise for me, but that didn’t make the story any less enjoyable. Overall, I found Last Seen Leavingย to be a enjoyable mystery which pays equal attention to the importance of friendship and self-acceptance. This is a book that older teens will love as well as adults who enjoy YA fiction and mysteries like Gone Girl.ย
I immediately thought of Gone Girl when I read the blurb! That’s been on my list for a while.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is definitely the teen version of Gone Girl. The funny thing is I actually liked this more because of the characters!๐๐ป
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve heard some interesting complaints about Gone Girl mostly around Nick. I didn’t read too much into them though, because I didn’t want to be spoiled. I have some suspicions though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought the book was okay, but because I didn’t like any of the characters, it didn’t quite live up to the hype for me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That would be a downer for me, too. I have to like at least one of the characters to have someone to root for. It doesn’t even have to be the main. Someone I spoke to said they liked Nick’s sister, and that held them to the story. Sometimes I can get through if the plot is compelling enough. That’s how I managed to finish The Maze Runner, just the first book though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did like Nick’s sister. I just wasn’t hugely invested in her. But honestly, you should definitely read the book. I did like it well enough. If I had, had the time to review it I probably would have given it 3.5 stars.โบ๏ธ
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish I could read more than three books at once! There are so many on my TBR list and so many people recommend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know! I’m usually juggling 2-3 books at a time, and it can get a little dicey.๐
LikeLiked by 1 person
Three is the number I try to purposely stay at. At one point I was reading six at a time! What the heck was I thinking lol.
The three books are a fiction/fantasy, a classic (so Shakespeare, Milton, Socrates, etc.), and a reference (so something like Campbell’s Hero With a Thousand Faces, anything informative/non-fictional, though this and classics can definitely cross over as I’m seeing now). Once I finish one of each type I pick up another of the same type. It’s not a perfect system, but I have been getting through books at a fairly steady pace!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I pretty much do the same. Right now I’m reading a children’s fantasy, an urban fantasy, and a mystery.๐
LikeLiked by 1 person
Three is a nice solid number. I try to read something every day! Even if it’s only a page. I should probably also count the online reading I do, too with WordPress, and now I’m following more writers on DeviantArt.
LikeLiked by 1 person