This is not my first Caitlin Starling book so I went into this knowing that this would be weird and strange, and probably really confusing. Her writing style can be hard for me to understand sometimes (she’s just too smart for me!) but I love how dark her stories are. It’s never full blown horror but also mixes something different like a Victorian gothic setting, or in this case, more of a black mirror sci-fi vibe with the concept of a sinking basement and a double coming through a door that wasn’t there before.

This book was a difficult start for me. I had trouble staying focused because I had no clue what anyone was talking about. I had trouble the wanting to pick this back up because I had zero clue what was going on. The dialogue in this book was super sciencey and basically was all jargon. I had no clue what anyone was saying, ever. It gets much better after she finds the door though, which luckily is pretty soon. Even so, I had trouble getting through this until I got to part 3 in this book.

Part of what made me want to read this was when I read that this was comparable this to Dark Matter and The Hollow Places, two of my favorite books, but I couldn’t see any comparison between these at all until the last 5% of this book. I wish there was more of an explanation too, because while they did touch on it, I didn’t exactly understand why the double would want to stay in this world over her own to begin with? That was my main point of confusion.

I love the ideas Caitlin Starling comes up with, but whenever I finish one of her books, I’m always left with questions and not enough closure. Her interesting storylines always reel me in but I always feel like I need more of an explanation after finishing her books. Nonetheless, I just know if her next book has an interesting synopsis, I’ll still want to read that one too.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Well, that was disturbing. 😳

Last to Leave the Room creeps in with an insidious hallucinatory hook that gradually pulls you into its depths.

It's freaky and bizarre, and I loved it.

And that's all I'm saying. 🤐

*Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC!!*

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for a fair review:

I love Caitlin Starling's horror novels, because I love her pacing. She starts as close to the action as possible, and only includes details relevant to the plot. Both The Luminous Dead and The Death of Jane Lawrence are strong yet lean novels. I'm never bored, and I have trouble putting them down.

So I was a little disappointed when I got five chapters into Last to Leave the Room and found myself bored. Nothing's perfect, though, so I kept going to chapter 15, where I felt like things were finally happening. They weren't. I'll be honest, if I hadn't gotten this book off NetGalley, I may not have finished it.

The thing that makes Starling's books work, for me, is the relentless focus on necessary detail combined with cutting the wheat from the chaff. I never feel like things haven't progressed in a chapter, like things aren't developing. Yet that's a huge problem in Last to Leave the Room. Once the delicious joy of reading Tamsin's neuroses wears off, there's a lot of detail I just don't care about, and the detail I do care about is spread thin with incremental development. I never cared about the node project Tamsin was working on, perhaps because there's precious little detail about it in the actual novel. It's a thing that Tamsin has to deal with to justify her deteriorating mental state, but it's very vague within the novel. Maybe I missed something, but considering how lush with detail The Death of Jane Lawrence is with medical gore and The Luminous Dead is with cave diving, I doubt it. This book ultimately feels like it was originally a novella that publishers wanted stretched out to novel length. In the end, it feels boring and empty, which is the exact opposite of what I go to for a Caitlin Starling novel.

That said, I think it is of great interest to anyone who really, really enjoys unreliable narrator POV, especially when that POV is a very 'problematic' woman. That just wasn't enough for me, personally, to make the book shine.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advance copy about a sinking city, a driven scientist, a mysterious door, all in a genre defying story.

Some books sneak up readers, usually when a reader goes into a story with preconceived notions. That, 'I have read so many many books I know where things are going and what is happening before the writer does', attitude that one gets after reading books that go A=B and followed by C. I know I am very guilty of that. But I love when I am wrong, at least when it comes to books, and this novel is one of those were I kept thinking I knew what was going on, until I flipped the page. And I really enjoyed every minute of it. Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling is a techo-thriller, science fiction novel that defies expectations and takes reader on a journey not only through science, and weirdness, but into the human condition and what we make of ourselves to be thought of as perfect.

San Siroco is a company town in the 21st century way, bought and paid for by corporation to exploit and use in anyway they see fit. Myrica Dynamic is the corporate owners, controlling and adapting the town for their underground labs for tests that they are trying to keep secret, while building a transit system that will revitalize the area. Things are progressing well, until Dr Tasmin Rivers discovers that the city is somehow sinking into the earth. Not the suburbs but the city itself. Tests show the ground is strong, but somehow the city has sunk 27 millimeters in only two months, but where it is going no one, including Dr. Rivers knows. However there is a larger secret Tasmin is keeping, one that could put her job at risk, and one that she is using all her political skill and selfish sneakiness in keeping. The basement under Tasmin's house is sinking at a much more rapid rate than anywhere else, almost double what the city is experiencing. And in a sealed basement a door has appeared on the far wall, and when opened a person who looks very much like Tasmin Rivers is on the other side.

A book with so many ideas it could easily have gone off the rails, into the trees and been lost forever. Caitlin Starling, however has a real skill in balancing both the ideas, the story, the weirdness that floats just outside the plot and more importantly the characters. Creating a science thriller and making it make sense, and easy to follow, and being able to trust the reader to follow along, and not lose the pace, very few writers could do that. The plot is good, but the characters really make it. Rivers is fascinating and changes a few times, but never becomes someone you don't want to know more about. The story telling is very good, and never loses the reader, and more importantly never gives anything away.

A story that goes in many place and defies the readers expectations. Recommended for readers who enjoy science fiction thrillers with a bit of the odd. This is the first book I have read by Caitlin Starling but I can't wait to read more.

This premise was interesting. It gave me a Stephen King/Dean Koontz feeling but without the spine tingling anxiety they create. This rang more of a mystery to me rather than horror but maybe the “horror” was the situation of the city sinking and an unexpected double.

It was well written enough to keep me reading and wanting to know what happens. I have to admit, I didn’t predict the ending completely. In fact, I had to read the last few chapters again to make sure I understood it properly.

I do recommend this book but I will tell you, if you are desensitized to fear/horror, I feel you won’t get the full effect of the story the author was going for. That’s what happened to me but I enjoyed the story, nevertheless.

Last to Leave the Room is an absolutely crazy story about a woman who finds her basement is elongating and a door appears. An exact physical copy of her comes from the door and the roller coaster ride takes off. Yes, the beginning is a bit slow and the scientific talk is a lot, but the story is so good that it really does not matter. I had no idea about any of the science stuff and found the story fantastic. There is a fair amount of body horror so brace yourself. The setting makes the story feel super claustrophobic, the tension and pressure are amazing. This is one of those books where either you love it or you don't get it, I myself loved it. I have the say that when it flipped to Nought about 3/4 through I was blown away. I was like, what is happening? It blew me away. Great story.

3⭐️

I ended up liking this one ok. It's an interesting sci fi horror premise. The basement and underground's of the city appear to be sinking. Tamsin, a scientist, has been tracking this change when a door suddenly appears. She can't get it open but then randomly one day a copy of her self walks out.

I really struggled with the writing style of this book. I found that I couldn't connect with the character and found myself missing alot of what I had read. I think part of this was that it is a slow buildup. The beginning of this book is weighed down by the information regarding the company and those dynamics. I believe I just wasn't the audience for this book but could be s favorite for many others.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martins press for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own..

This wasn't as good as The Luminous Dead, but still a very punchy horror novel. It's a bit of a slow starter, but by the time you notice how good it is, you're already sucked in.

Love the premise and enjoyed other novels by this author but with this one the spark didn't quite ignite. It felt a bit slow to me and a lot more scientific than the others—might be a taste thing.

A truly stunning, fascinating book. As a lover of all things weird and scary, this was everything I've ever wanted. The concept was phenomenal and the writing was superb. This is a *must* for Halloween and, quite frankly, any other time of the year. But especially Halloween! I'll be recommending it to others very highly.

I've loved Caitlin Starling's other work - I've read all of it - so I'm particularly upset that this one didn't land for me. Here's what I loved and what I didn't:

The plot follows Tamsin Rivers, a Very Important Scientist up to her eyeballs in corporate bureaucracy as she attempts to manage a strange phenomena: her city is sinking. What's even worse is that her basement appears to be sinking at a faster rate, and there's a door there that *wasn't* there before. What's on the other side of that door?

If you've read any sort of weird spatial horror a la "House of Leaves", you know whatever's on the other side isn't gonna be *good*. And if you've read any Caitlin Starling, you know that things are gonna get psychedelic with a side of unexplained - that's part of her appeal for me, in that she doesn't always neatly wrap up every occurrence. And while Tamsin Rivers isn't a likeable *person*, per se, I did enjoy her as a character - competent people are always interesting to read about in a horror/thriller like this because you know they're going to make decisions that by-and-large make sense.

Unfortunately, there was just too much padding here. This absolutely feels like this might have been a novella, but just had too *much*. By the time we find out what's behind the door, we've sat through corporate meetings and vibed with Tamsin as she ponders the dangers of having her basement sink. The story took a wild turn about halfway through, but it's telegraphed pretty obviously by the nature of *what* is behind the door, so it's not shocking. I was thoroughly checked out by the time the ending met me - this one was just too long and (in my opinion) could use a drastic edit.

Naturally I still adore Starling's other work - I just found this one too ponderous with not a good enough pay-off.

3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.

This one had me for the first 2/3 of the book, then it seemed to take a left turn and became another story. I liked it, I looked forward to reading it, but ultimately I was disappointed in how things turned out.

This was my first Caitlin Starling book -- I read enough good things here to read another.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Last to Leave the Room is Caitlin Starling at her best yet!!

Last to Leave the Room took me by storm and I can't stop thinking about it and its conclusion. This story heralds Starling's return to science fiction in such a way that I truly was terrified. The story focuses on Dr. Tamsin Rivers, a scientist who is investigating why the city seems to be sinking. When Tamsin notices that there seems to be a new door in her basement, all hell seems to break loose when an exact copy of her comes out of the door. What begins as a simple scientific investigation, soon becomes a fight to maintain her own identity.

Though this story takes a little moment to build up, I found myself setting the stage for something big to come. I knew that something was about to happen (boy was I right). Starling starts this story off by introducing the world, and I was left feeling horror, suspense, intrigue, and a looming sense of dread for this entire novel. I genuinely was beyond terrified at some of the actions that happened in this story. The idea of losing your own identity by watching someone assume it piece by piece is absolutely awful. By the last portion of this novel (titled Tamsin(0)), I knew that it was going to be a race to the finish to figure out how this would end.

If you loved "The Luminous Dead," then you are going to love this novel too. It is claustrophobic, disgusting, horrifying, and gross. Readers everywhere are going to love it.

Perfect for fans of Channel Zero: Dream Door, Black Mirror, and Orphan Black!

The Last to Leave the Room is a story that I am a bit torn on in a few regards. The main character, Tamsin, isn’t just unlikeable. She’s bland, boring in her drive to explore the mystery of the subsidence and what is in her basement. There’s nothing else really given or shown about her. Along with that, the ending explains things a bit, but how it is resolved went well over my head.

There is a lot of interesting stuff here too, though, that actually made this a great page-turner if you get over the initial few chapters. The experiments on her double and that double’s changes and growth along the way were really well done, and the direction that goes was very successful. I would recommend this to people who like the more medical and doppelgänger type of stories that explore the aspect of what makes a person actually themselves.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐️ 4.5/5
⚠️ Trigger Warnings: Violence/Torture

This is my first sci-fi fantasy novel this year. What intrigued me the most was the interesting title and alluring cover. I rarely, if ever, read the full description because I love the wonder and surprise of going into a new book blind.

Let me tell you, Caitlin Starling did not disappoint! Last to Leave the Room is so smartly written. It was clear that Caitlin took so much pride in the story with how deeply researched the content was.

Dr. Tamsin Rivers, the lead researcher in a new revolutionary communications project, finds herself challenged to handle multiple fronts of discovery, secrets, and a city wide crisis. Tamsin is the apittimy of an unlikable character with so many personality flaws. Her ambitious nature pushes her to achievements at the behest of those around her.

Throughout, we experience how circumstances and context influence both our choices and decisions. The ultimate question that plauged me while reading this novel was, can wiping the slate clean and relearning, change who you are at your core? Or are we who we are always?

A special thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the review copy of Last to Leave the Room. Please check out this author and her amazing work.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. The premise was intriguing to say the least I’m a sci-fi fanatic and loved the psychological depth the author created. The book started a bit slow but picked up considerably till the last few pages. I stayed up late to finish! I took off 1 star for the ending as the build up was extensive and wasn’t quite as satisfying as I expected. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, had my eye on the X-ray of Jane Lawrence and will definitely be reading more by her.

Dr. Tamsin Rivers is a researcher with a mega corporation. I couldn't follow all of the creepy science in the book. But the city is falling/shrinking/expanding? Suddenly a door appears in her basement that she is unable to open or even damage. Later her twin/clone/doppelganger shows up in her home with limited knowledge. Rather than reporting this anomaly to her supervisors, she starts experimenting--and losing her mind. The twin starts to take over his life and Tamsin loses control. I was intrigued as to how the plot would play out. However I did not understand a lot of the background science in the story. Also Tamsin was not a very sympathetic character.

I swear if you looked at my fitbit heart rate, you’d be able to tell when I was reading this book--I found it that viscerally stressful. I say this as a good thing, as this is the kind of horror that gets to you on a physical level. I found my palms sweating, and my heart racing. I kept putting the book down thinking “I can’t keep reading this; I’m too stressed,” and then, not a minute later, picking it back up again because I had to know what happened next.

I mean, what would you do if a carbon copy of you--physically identical--came out of a door in your basement that wouldn’t open, and definitely wasn’t there yesterday. (I think the correct answer is c, burn it down and maybe call some religious figure to do an exorcism on the ashes.) Does your answer change if you’ve been doing some maybe not so legal and definitely super secret research in quantum physics for a tech company that is very shadowy and your boss has maybe too much control over your life? What about when you start sleepwalking and the memory gaps start to become longer and longer?

I read Caitlin Starling’s previous novel The Death of Jane Lawrence, and enjoyed it--but I’d say this is more my speed. Like many horror novels, I thought the falling action was not as strong as the rising action, but there was enough tension to carry me through even if some of the psychological tension was fading. I enjoyed our scientist main character (in both iterations) but the other characters were weakly drawn. And, because so much of the focus is on the two Dr. Rivers and their relationship, some of the rest of the world and the other characters are less well fleshed out.

If you’re looking for a high-tech, high-concept horror novel to read this spooky season, The Last to Leave the Room should deliver. A final disclaimer--I don’t know enough about quantum physics to know how much this book is gibberish and how much is based in actual physics.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for this honest review.

(Will post in September, and will update with links at that time)

The premise of this book was very intriguing. A researcher at an experimental communications lab realizes her city is facing a crisis that defies the laws of physics- and that might be connected to her work. When a duplicate of herself suddenly appears, she struggles to balance between saving the city and satisfying her need to know what is happening regarding herself and her double.

My main issue with the text was the amount of time it took me to feel invested in the characters and plot. While the second half was much more compelling, the first half of the text seemed to drag for me.

Overall, this is probably my least favorite of Caitlin Starling's novels. In the past, I have adored the complex storylines and characters in unique settings, however I feel as if everything wasn't the same in LAST TO LEAVE THE ROOM. The ending wasn't as intricately explained to us, instead getting a weirdly metaphorical thing going on. I feel, though, that my biggest qualm was with the pacing. It was all basically the same (Tamsin acting out, Tamsin questioning herself, Tamsin obsessing over the basement/door) up until the last part, where stuff actually started to happen. Additionally, we were introduced to Lachland Woodfield, who I would have LOVED to learn more about, but we only got to really know her later on in the book and by then it really just felt like it was being crammed in at the end. While I overall enjoyed the story, the pacing knocked everything out of sorts and I just couldn't get into it as I have with Starling's past masterpieces.