I requested a Netgalley digital arc of Last Girl Breathing by Court Stevens after loving Dress Codes for Small Towns and enjoying The June Boys.
About The Book 📚
Title: Last Girl Breathing

Author: Court Stevens

Publication Date: November 7, 2023

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Young Adult

ISBN: 9780840707109

Pages: 400

Content Warnings: grief, murder, injury, child death, gun violence, suicide, abduction, self-harm, uncomfortable relationships, on-page description of teenage sexual content
› Let's start with the cover. I love this image of the water and the bare branches barely sticking out of the river. They almost look like hands desperate to survive. The clouds tell me this story is going to be dark and stormy.

› First Line
"The bulk of Mom's messages come through in a span of thirty-eight minutes."

› Told in first-person with two timelines, Last Girl Breathing takes place in Kentucky. Lucy lives in a small town near the Tennessee River. Previously home to the LaRue Dam which broke ago during severe flooding and killed fourteen Boy Scouts and Lucy's little brother Clay.

› Ten years later, Lucy is training for a shooting competition called The Walther Cup, hoping to compete at the Olympics like her ex-boyfriend, Neil.

› The story doesn't waste any time getting right into action. Lucy's stepbrother is missing. Then Sheriff Owl's son, Deuce, is missing. Then Neil's younger sister Astrid is missing. Then they find a shoe...and dead bodies. The suspense builds as Lucy tries to uncover the truth of what happened when the dam broke and what happened to Martin, Deuce, and Astrid.
› I liked the characters, but they were one-dimensional. The story lacked diversity and side characters were boring. I didn't feel anything. I should have felt worried, sad, anger, however, I just felt nothing. I had a hard time getting through the book and forced myself to finish it. I do enjoy the writing style itself. It's quality writing, with high readability, and authentic dialogue. I liked the beginning but felt bored throughout the middle and disliked the ending.
› Characters: 5
› Atmosphere: 4
› Writing Style: 6
› Plot: 3
› Intrigue: 2
› Logic: 5
› Enjoyment: 4

Average 4.1
My Rating ★★


Average Story Graph Rating 3.89
Average Goodreads Rating 4.10

› Final Thoughts
• I really wanted to like Last Girl Breathing as I am a big Court Stevens fan. This one just wasn't for me. I recommend this thriller to fans of YA fiction. I am in the minority on this - 77% of Goodreads reviewers gave Last Girl Breathing 4 or 5 stars. I'm looking forward to checking out Stevens's next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

I found this book easy to read as it was fast paced so the momentum was exciting. I would definitely recommend this book.

Stevens last novel, We Were Kings, held me spellbound, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of her newest YA mystery.

Tragedy struck the small Kentucky town of Grand Junction several years ago when the dam broke after excessive rain, and lives were lost. Among the victims was Lucy’s little brother, Clay. Eight years later, Lucy is focused on making the US Olympic air rifle team and taking care of her mother, who is still very fragile after Clay’s death. Tragedy strikes again when two of Lucy’s closest friends are found murdered in the same vicinity where her brother died.

Small towns seem to hold the biggest secrets, usually deeply buried, and Grand Junction is no different. Some characters have held them close for decades. The author created realistic and flawed characters, making it easy for readers to empathize with them. A wide net of suspicion is cast over the town, and there’s no shortage of red herrings to throw readers off the trail. I never got to a point where I felt as if I knew without a doubt who was behind the murders, and I love it when that happens. When all was said and done, it’s nothing I could have predicted.

The story moves seamlessly as chapters alternate from present day to the past, the weekend Clay died, and my heart went out to Lucy after the gut-wrenching nightmare she lived through. With Grand Junction being such a tightly knit community, the whole town grieved when the dam burst, and wounds are still fresh eight years later.

Passages of this story will break your heart, and the gripping mystery will keep you guessing until the end. I listened to the audiobook, and narrator McKenzie Fetters does a fantastic job. If you’re a fan of small town mysteries with realistically drawn characters, you can’t go wrong with Last Girl Breathing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Looooooooved this!!! Fast paced, kept me guessing. A typical whodunnit but with some interesting twists and no loose ends. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I quickly devoured this twisty thriller centering around a girl who has encountered more trauma than any child should. The town, including herself, is still recovering from a dam failure that claimed the lives of her little brother and several boy scouts. After her step brother goes missing years later, it seems that the mystery continues down the same path and she will have to dig deep into the lives of those she thought she knew to find out what really happened that horrific day.

I really enjoyed the plot twist of this book and the character development that is often missing from a thriller. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good murder mystery and thriller!

Be advised as there are several trigger warnings in this book.

This book took me on a completely unexpected ride. Full of twists and turns, suspense and emotional moments I never had clue about what was going to happen next, Last Girl Breathing sucked me in from the first page until the last and I will definitely be checking out this authors other work.

#FirstLine ~ The bulk of Mom’s messages come through in a span of thirty-eight minutes.

What makes Last Girl Breathing truly captivating is its compelling characters and their emotional depth. Lucy's journey, filled with guilt and determination, is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. The novel keeps readers on the edge of their seats as it unravels the truth, revealing the intricate web of lies and deceit in the town.

Court Stevens delivers nonstop suspense, creating a story that keeps you guessing until the very end. Last Girl Breathing is a riveting exploration of the human spirit, the power of redemption, and the resilience of the last girl standing. With its well-crafted characters and suspenseful plot, this novel is a must-read for those who enjoy thrilling mysteries and stories that tug at the heartstrings.

I was able to read and listen to this book via @netgalley eARC and audiobook!!! Thanks so much!!

This book was gut-wrenching
I always love a story where a main character returns to their home town to investigate a crime, it brings so much emotional weight to the story.
I really liked Lucy's character, she was likable from page 1. She was well developed and I appreciated the way she was written along with the setting and relationships in the book.
I was kind of shocked when Obama made an appearance, it kind of reminded me of the whole vibe Nickelodeon had with cameos of Michelle and Barack back in the day, it hit a nostalgic spot.
The thing that really put me off what the way the author approached Astrid's reaction to a recent Supreme Court ruling. I am assuming here, but the recent Supreme Court ruling this is probably about is the overturning to Roe vs Wade. The author made it sound like Astrid was overreacting when she expressed her worry and anger when the loss of bodily autonomy is a completely valid thing for a young woman, or rather a teenager, to be emotional about. Saying she was making "wild, psychotic suggestions" really rubbed me the wrong way and felt like it was invalidating her emotions.
Also this is a personal preference, but I find it annoying when authors include a lot of pop culture references in their work. It's especially interesting when authors choose to include J. K. Rowling references. Harry Potter is mentioned a few times and while I don't think this necessarily has to be a bad thing, I find it weird to include this series over any other, it can quickly go into the territory of support and I don't like that. I just rarely like pop culture references in books, especially when it's Harry Potter in 2023, there are so many others that can be used to similar effect.
I also expected it to be more fast paced, I think it really dragged in the middle, that part could have been so much shorter and I didn't like the amount of exposition the book had. The pacing in general was just a struggle. The ending was good, but the middle was... not.
The ending feels very fitting to the story, it was predictable, but predictability isn't necessarily a bad thing.
The book was good, and despite the pacing issues I had, the writing itself was good in my opinion. I also always prefer shorter chapters because it makes me read faster.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A tragedy changed their lives forever. A damm broke and took more than little Clay's life. It started a wave with consequences well into their future. Murder, lies, love, friendship, family all bring together in a great story that keep you reading/listening until the end. The audiobook is great.

Seventeen-year-old Lucy Michaels wants to live without the drama of the past inserting itself at every turn. But she can’t forget how her younger brother died in a flood when the dam in their small town broke. Nor can she forgive herself for her part in the tragedy.

Now, her slightly neurotic mom won’t stop texting Lucy about her stepbrother, Martin, who hasn’t shown up for the regional football championship game. Lucy must quiet her mind to practice sharpshooting to make the Olympic team. She doesn’t have time to worry about her mother, stepbrother, or ex-boyfriend, Neil.

But when someone discovers blood on and around Martin’s Hummer, the town turns out to search for him. Lucy worries Martin’s disappearance has something to do with the dam break that killed her brother. Will Martin’s last words to Lucy put a target on her back?

When Deuce goes missing, too, Lucy feels the walls of a conspiracy closing around her. Everyone she’s ever trusted seems like a suspect. If anyone knew what she knew, she might end up the next victim. Can she trust anyone?

What I Loved About This Book

Stevens’ tense tale will keep readers hooked from the first page. Readers will relate to Lucy’s need to provide strength for those she loves—even at great personal cost. The author highlights the conundrum of children acting as parents and the generational distrust between parents and their adolescent offspring. Parents don’t share the whole truth to shelter their children. Teens don’t share the whole truth to shelter their parents.

Above all, Stevens helps readers understand the need to question and investigate everything. Taking things at face value could be a deadly mistake in a sinful world.

Fans of Jaime Jo Wright and Yamile Saied Méndez will enjoy this book.

3.5 ⭐️’s
Eight years ago, Lucy’s young brother was killed in a flood while on a camp out when a dam burst in an unprecedented rain storm. Many in the town have still not recovered from that devastating flood, but Lucy has stayed strong throughout for her mother. When her stepbrother doesn’t show up for a very important high school game, panic sets in, especially when his car is found covered in blood! Located near where the dam burst, the search is on, but Martin isn’t the only one missing, an officer is also missing along with the sister of Lucy’s ex boyfriend. Is it possible that the dam incident is connected. Martin was questioning what really happened the day the dam burst and suspects his dad of wrong doing, especially after he benefited so much from building the new hydro electric plant. When all things point to Lucy’s ex, Neil, being involved, she doesn’t believe it for an instant, but as more and more evidence is presented, it’s hard not to doubt. As Lucy digs deeper, it becomes harder and harder to know who to trust, but if Neil didn’t kill Martin and Duece. who did? This was a very good YA book with a host of suspects and a well rounded plot. This book was equally entertaining as either a read or a listen. The narrator voiced Lucy perfectly! While everyone was searching for answers in the book, the perp was an easy spot for me, but didn’t take away from the overall story. Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

Last Girl Breathing is a complex story about a warrior heroine haunted by past and present events. This YA thriller keeps the reader on edge with flashbacks, twists, and turns until the shocking ending.

Lucy tries to keep her family together after the death of her younger brother, Clay, who drowned in a flood eight years ago. She feels guilty for not saving him. In addition to dealing with graduation and training for the Olympics, Lucy becomes involved in the sudden disappearance of her stepbrother and friend. The evidence points to her ex-boyfriend, but as she uncovers many secrets, her life is in danger.

Sabotage, blackmail, a disappearance, and a killer on the loose add to the suspense and mystery of this novel. I enjoyed this YA thriller; however, there were many characters to keep track of, and the plot was hard to follow with the blending of the flashbacks. I thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Last Girl Breathing. #NetGalley #LastGirlBreathing #YA #Thrillers

Wow, I was not ready for that, but I am so glad that I experienced it. This author has to be on your TBR when you are in the market to read a YA thriller. Characters that jump off the page and captivate your mind and heart. The storyline was smooth and had you pacing the floors, wishing you could read faster. I couldn't put it down until the last page turned and then I wanted to read it slower so it could last. Bravo, bravo.

I have not read a young adult book in such a long time. This was a very refreshing and spooky read! I give this one a 9/10!

"Last Girl Breathing" is full of suspense. It takes place in a small town where everyone is at risk and nothing is as it seems. Great character development that kept me guessing and intrigued. Recommended for teen/YA's as well as adults who love YA thrillers. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is the epitome of "lightning never strikes the same place twice"--which is a false statement, and instead of lightning, it's tragedy.
8 years ago, the town of Grand Junction suffered a tragedy-a dam broke and killed fourteen boy scouts and one other boy, Lucy Michaels' younger brother. Now, Lucy is 17, her mother is remarried and she has a stepbrother. But when her stepbrother and another friend turn up murdered, and all the evidence points to Lucy's ex-boyfriend, she starts to uncover a conspiracy that could change the entire perspective of the dam flooding and consequential rebuilding. Some people will kill to protect their secrets, and Lucy may be next.

Ow. Pain. Sad. This was more gut-wrenching than "We Were Kings." It takes place in three parts, with the second part being almost negligible, but it can be divided into the Before Before, the Before, and the After.

The Before Before: details the day of the flood and how Lucy came to lose her brother. She blames herself, while others find her to be a hero. Barack Obama makes an appearance????? I'm surprised you can include a living person in a book but okay.

The Before: Martin (Lucy's stepbrother) and Deuce start as teens reported missing who are found to be dead. The initial evidence points directly to Neil, Lucy's ex-boyfriend. Martin was investigating the flooding of the dam before he died, but Lucy didn't believe him. Now, with her (semi) ex=boyfriend's future on the line, she starts to look into it more fervently.

The After: I can't get into too much here because of spoilers, but Lucy is older and working for a freelance private investigator. She's done her best to put the past behind her, but with new evidence resurfacing, Lucy ends up more dedicated than ever to finding the truth.

Lucy is great. Very flawed, homegirl needs some therapy, but she's smart, resourceful, and dedicated, not to mention loyal. I ached for her throughout the book and especially at the end. I liked seeing her grow and change throughout the novel, it felt like keeping in touch with someone you know, but like reaaallllllly closely considering we're in her head the entire time.

Now for some complaints:
There's a weird section where Astrid fervently discusses what "...The Supreme Court is doing to "ruin her life"..." (reminder that this is from an uncorrected e-arc copy). and then proceeds to "...make wild, psychotic suggestions about what should happen to certain politicians who disagree with her beliefs." This isn't cool. This takes place in 2023ish, and the only major Supreme Court ruling as of late has been the overturning of Roe v. Wade. That's a valid thing to be upset/angry/impassioned about. It's really weird to have subliminal messaging about how teenage girls are blowing the LITERAL repeal of their rights to bodily autonomy out of proportion. And to then suggest she's making deranged statements about what should happen to politicians? I don't think I've ever seen a democrat/leftist/liberal suggest anything other than the removal of certain politicians/justices from office due to not upholding their job/duties. This book takes place in Kentucky, but the fact that this is just a throwaway statement made my blood boil. Reducing a very hot-button, nuanced issue down to "angry teenage [social justice warrior] (my take)" is really problematic.

Why are we supporting the TERF Queen J.K. Rowling in the year of our Lord 2023?? Harry Potter makes multiple appearances in the book, and I'm so, so tired of dealing with her and her books. Major yikes.

I would give this a four, but I'm sticking to my guns (pun intended) and giving this a three.

Last Girl Breathing is about a town struck by tragedy that has come back to haunt them.

This book really showcased complicated family dynamics after tragedy strikes. I really related to Lucy being the person who always has to be strong for everyone around her. The cast of characters of this book was vast, well developed, and so well intertwined that it made it hard to figure out who might be guilty of what because everyone was guilty of something.

I thought the story was really well thought out and unique. It set the stage perfectly for a small town murder investigation and cast suspicion on everyone. The corporate negligence plot line gave me Stranger Things vibes so I was super into it.

There were two things about this book that I didn't particularly like and that caused me to drop my rating of it by a star.

First, this book is three parts but they have odd spacing and I felt have a part two that was only a few paragraphs long was unnecessary and ruined the pacing of the book for me. The part three time jump also threw me off, but I think it was because part two really killed the tension and took me out of the story. I just wish it had been structured a little differently to keep me completely immersed in the story.

Second, I know this book is set in small town Kentucky and all, but the way literally everyone was alluding to Lucy being romantically involved with her step brother to the point that her ex was jealous absolutely blew my mind. It was so casual coming from adults and there was no acknowledgement of that being weird. I really hated that, especially in a young adult book. It just gave me the creeps.

All in all, aside from those two things, I enjoyed the book. It was heart breaking and tense. Watching Lucy relive the worst day of her life and work to bring justice for all the people she lost was captivating. I could have done without all of the stepbrother stuff though.

This is one of those books that after finishing, I still can't quite decide how I feel about it...

It took a little bit of time for me to get into the story. I think in part, I just couldn't connect with the characters as well and that kept me from engaging with the story right away. About 30% or so in, it picked up for me more. The characters were complex and well-written, though I still found I didn't quite connect as much as I would have liked... perhaps this in part because this is a YA book and I'm obviously not the target age group. (Though in many ways, this really didn't read like a YA book to me.) I'm not sure. The plot was great and kept me wondering what was going to happen next--- it's most certainly a page turner with lots of twists and turns I didn't see coming. I think I've gotten a little too used to reading romances with their guaranteed happy ending, so I will say that the ending disappointed me a bit... but that was definitely a me thing. It was actually very well written, just not how I'd hoped things would go. There were many things I really loved about this book and several lines that really stuck out to me that were really thought provoking... but I just didn't enjoy it quite as much as I wished I would have. That said, if you enjoy YA suspense, this is definitely worth checking out for yourself.

While this is from a Christian publisher, there was just a handful of minor language used. It does also deal with some heavier topics like abuse, murder and suicide, so may not be ideal for more sensitive readers.

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All opinions are my own.

Maybe I've read way too many mysteries and thrillers in my lifetime, but I was able to spot the culprit from the very beginning.

But the worst of it is that Court Stevens created such likeable, true to life, (mostly) decent characters, that all of the various tragedies and injustices woven into this tensely atmospheric novel gave me a perpetually uneasy feeling - as if the events in this story were happening to people close to me, that I cared about.

I suppose that this is the mark of great storytelling. You may not always like what you are reading, and may have to cringe a time or two, but you are riveted nonetheless. I dare you not to grow to love Martin, or Neil - and Lucy is a true champion in so many ways..

I won't drop any spoilers. I'm just going to encourage you to read this well written tangled web of misdirection, lies and murder. (I felt compelled to deduct one star from my rating because Dana's character (the private investigator) did not ring true for me, but every other main character in this story lived and breathed and seemed so real to me. ) My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Highly recommended!