All in all, I really enjoyed this read. While the events leading up to Tessa returning to the scene of her almost-murder were pretty inconceivable, once she was there the suspense really ramped and the story kept me guessing throughout. Definitely a thriller I could only read during the day! As an anxiety-ridden person myself, I could definitely resonate with Tessa’s inner monologue back and forth deciding whether she was right to be afraid or overly paranoid. Frankly, my only gripe was with the idea of her going back to the house to begin with or her own volition - it just didn’t seem like a believable step that someone so traumatized would willingly take. In any event, this novel kept me on my toes and I didn’t guess the twist at all.

No words can truly describe how good this book was! Tessa went back to face her fears from the horrific mass murder she experienced. All alone on Cassadaga Island Tessa keeps hearing things and keeps thinking is it real, is it in my head, is it the house that's making me jumpy. Ah it was just amazing!! The main character, Tessa, was perfect and had great character development, there were so many nail-biting moments, and so many twists. It was just perfect and by far one of the best books I have ever read!

Five years ago, Tessa Chamberlain was the lone survivor of a beach house massacre that left three of her friends dead—and Tessa with an inescapable, unending dread. Now she’s going back to face her fears.
Renting the same beach house where she almost died, Tessa returns to lonely Cassadaga Island off the coast of Maine long after the tourists and summer residents have departed for the winter. But as the fog rolls in and the nights grow longer, she wonders if she made a terrible mistake. There are footsteps on the porch, creaks from the second floor, and an unsettling feeling of being watched. If only someone believed her. Because the terrors Tessa thought were long behind her are starting again. And this time, trapped and alone, she might not be lucky enough to survive them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for giving me an advance copy.

Ooo we loveeeee a psychological thriller around here!
This one had plenty of good characters & a setting that got spookier when dark that really kept me on edge the whole read.

I know this genre is known for their slow burn/slow build plot with a big final showdown & truth reveal at the end but unfortunately that's not always for me. I can appreciate the build because it creates more intensity and paranoia -- but the unfolding of the mystery was part of where this story that was a struggle for me.

Overall. 3.5/5 - will be recommending to my friends who are looking for a new thriller - thanks NetGalley!

4 🌟

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book very interesting with twists I couldn't quite pin down. I was close with my guess of the ending, but not quite right which I always enjoy. I read a lot of thrillers so it's nice when I can't guess the ending.

It was a haunting story, one where I couldn't tell if it was going to turn into horror, paranormal or otherwise. I loved reading something that felt different from other thrillers I've read. It was a fun, fast paced read. I wish I connected more with the characters, but this is definitely one I would recommend.

Really enjoyed this one. It starts out crazy and makes you want to keep going. Lots of who done it and I was constantly trying to figure it out. This one will definitely keep you guessing til the end.

3.5 rounded up.

Setting the Scene: 🇺🇸 A remote island off the coast of Maine, accessible only by ferry or boat.
POV: We follow a survivor in their twenties grappling with the trauma of what happened to them and their friends five years ago while on vacation.

Mood Reading Match-Up:
-Return to scene of the crime, investigative author trope
-Psychological suggestive thriller/horror
-Who-to-trust small town isolation with late autumn/early winter weather
-Themes, exploration, and light commentary on trauma, problematic true crime consumption and publishing, survival, self-preservation, bravery, healing, fear, isolation, and redemption.

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🐺 Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐕

🗣️ Tale-Telling: The narrative is past tense third-person, in a style where we feel like a fly-on-the-wall in Tessa, our main character’s, life. We are close enough to understand her thoughts and motivations, but also distant enough to feel the chill of the unsettling events and memories without feeling stuck in her head or ruminating on it.

👥 Characters: Everyone was a mystery here! We don’t know who we can trust, everyone seems to be either a red herring or a red flag, but only because we are also on edge after all the unsettling things Tessa has been experiencing, not because of some contrived attempt to make everyone obviously ‘evil’. Tessa can be so frustrating sometimes in the poor judgement and snap decisions she makes in a self-guided (more like self-misguided) attempt to heal, but I think that was authentic to someone living in the shadow of a tragic past while trying to figure out how to move forward.

🗺️ Ambiance: The island was a character in itself – serene by day, menacing by night. It captured that home-alone vibe where you’re not sure if you’re scaring yourself or something really is amiss. This is also where I usually demand the need for a layout or floorplan lol. Not for this one, the scenes were given with context for how different areas of the island or home looked and where they were in relation to each other without it feeling overly detailed or descriptive.

🔥 Fuel: The suspense is very drawn out on this one, but if you’re into slow-burn thrillers that keep you guessing (as in “is anything even really happening?” type guessing), this could be a real treat. It was for me (until the end). There’s this web of trust issues, fragments of memory, heightened awareness from trauma, and eerie occurrences that are all colliding.

🎬 Scenes: Expect a lot of suggestive, unsettling moments. The narrative kind of uses Tessa’s trauma to create tense atmospheres where there wouldn’t be one if she wasn’t in that house and the one who survived, so the line between paranoia and real danger is constantly blurred. I predicted one element of what was happening and who was involved, but it didn’t take away from the story because I still wanted to see what happened. How that unfolded was the disappointment for me.

🤓 Random Thoughts: I worried that having Tessa return to the island in the same house would feel contrived or cringey, but her battle with PTSD, and the choices she makes felt believably woven into the narrative, even if they are convenient at times. The let down for me was the final showdown was over the top, with lots of villain monologuing (lots) and action scenes that were fast-paced but read slow (where we lose track of characters and they seem like they’re just standing there waiting for us to read about what some other character is doing). At one point Tessa has a sudden shift to being put-together that felt too fast, convenient, and unconvincing to me.
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Content Heads-Up: Violence (descriptive, on page). Gun violence. Stalking/peeping. PTSD. Rape (mention, flashbacks). Murder. Death of a friend. Anxiety. Financial insecurity. Corruption.
Rep: White American and ambiguous / open to reader interpretation. Cisgender.

👀 Format: Digital review copy from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley

“Reviews are my musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶 refined by my AI bookworm bestie ✨”

I read this while staying with family in the blur of time between Christmas and New Year’s, which made it even more disorienting. The Last Girl Left follows Tessa, who returns book to the scene of the crime, a vacation home on an isolated island, five years after she and her friends were brutally attacked. The only survivor, Tessa has been living as a shadow of her former self, and, in a desperate desire to face the past, she travels, alone, to the island. There, it quickly becomes clear that things aren’t what they originally seemed - and that she really doesn’t know what happened that night at all. A very fast, very creepy read. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

The story has great character development, complex plot braiding and an overall engaging structure. Loved it!

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer, for my complimentary digital copy for review.

This narrative is a study in suspense—every page is a testament to the authors' skill in maintaining a tight grip on the reader's psyche. The atmosphere of the novel is palpable; the claustrophobic setting and the locked-room scenarios amplify the tension to an almost unbearable degree. As Tessa confronts the buried memories of her past, the readers are taken on an emotional rollercoaster, their suspicions growing with each chapter.

The character development is a cornerstone of this work. Tessa's evolution is as much an internal journey as it is a physical one. As she navigates a landscape of mistrust and the slow process of social reintegration, readers witness the profound changes in her demeanor. The interplay between memory and identity, and the courage to trust again, are themes that resonate deeply throughout the story.

The authors' use of distraction is a clever narrative device that serves to keep readers on their toes. It is easy to become so engrossed in Tessa's perspective that one might miss subtle clues, only to be startled by the revelations as they unfold.

"The Last Girl Left" is a riveting exploration of the extremes of human resilience. Strong and Sargent have composed a thriller that not only provokes deep reflection on the decisions made in dire situations but also offers a visceral, edge-of-your-seat experience.

I found this to be very unthrilling, very predictable and I don't know I just didnt connect much to the main character.

This was a fun creepy read. There was plenty of twists and misdirection, and the ending was completely unexpected. I have always loved “final girl” stories and this was executed really well. I’m looking forward to more from this author duo.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book, but it felt like it was missing a few things to make it great. Tessa is going back to the place her friends were brutally murdered to "face her fears" which is a terrifying concept. The authors definitely got the creepiness down because I was spooked while reading. I wish there were more flashbacks to connect us more with the friends who died (not just from the night of the murder). I felt like there was not a ton of mystery behind some of the big twists at the end... I felt like the authors made it pretty obvious throughout the book which isn't my favorite. This was a decent read that kept me entertained but I will not think about it often.

This book wasn’t 100% but it is definitely a 5 star in my books. I will be recommending this to loads of people! The writing was so amazing that I really felt Tessa’s fear! I found myself locking my car while I was driving at night myself because I was so scared. If a thriller book makes me feel like this then it’s a 5 star. I also didn’t have a clue who the culprit was! Wow big twists and turns throughout.

ARC provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

i gave this book 2/5 stars. the book was a pretty cookie-cutter whodunnit type thriller book- but i thought some of the execution left something to be desired. a few things i wish were different:

- her disregard for the utility of therapy makes sense for her character, but i wish that they circled back to that concept at the end of the book. the idea that now she's happy and can move on with her life after the trauma she endured throughout the book makes honestly no sense
- there were not enough actually interesting characters in the book. i felt everyone felt very two-dimensional and it made the reveal not shocking in the slightest
- roxanne and tessa.... just friends..... yeah okay

A classic final girl story with so many great twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat while making me second guess everything! Not many mystery books surprise me at the end, but this one definitely did. It’ll be a great book to recommend to many of the library patrons I encounter!

I love the isolated island in Maine setting. It was spooky and eerie with its fog rolling in and November chill. There were just a couple things that had me scratching my head and thusly not giving it a full 5 stars.

Overall, this would be a good read for those who enjoy psychological thrillers, unreliable narrators and lots of twists.

Ok this one gave me nightmares. Not a great idea to read right before going to bed. Everything about it is haunting and creepy!

Tessa decides to return to the scene of a horrific crime that she was involved with five years earlier. She was the only one to survive the night of a horrible massacre that left her three friends dead. Now she is going back to face her fears head on, she's decided to stay in the same house for one month. All alone. She begins to hear footsteps, creaking, and feels like she is being watched. This time she is alone and may not survive.

The Last Girl Left was suspenseful and scary. The plot surrounded one of my worst nightmares. Minus one star because at times there were so many warning signs that Tessa just straight up ignored. Remember that movie Scary Movie, at times the writing reminded me of that. Which I guess is good because it lightened up the scariness of it for a me a bit. Overall a great read that I hope won't haunt my dreams for nights to come.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! Tessa has had it rough. 5 years ago while on vacation with 3 friends things did not go exactly as planned. Mass murder happened instead of beach days and drinks at night. Now she will revisit the scene of the crime in hopes of getting her life back on track. Very good book. All kinds of twists every time I thought I figured it out. No wrong. I recommend this book.

Horrifying thriller with a killer twist. Tessa survived a brutal mass slaying 5 years ago that claimed the lives of her three closest friends. After living with her sister for years Tessa decides to face her fears and return to the beach house that the massacre occurred in. Almost as soon as Tessa arrives at the house strange things start to occur that leads her to question all the things she believes happened. Extremely fast paced and difficult to put down.

There’s a running joke that many authors of psychological thrillers use a line where the character releases a breath they didn’t know they were holding. Well, as the reader that happened to me—more than once! This book had a complex and unpredictable plot. It kept me guessing, thinking, and holding my breath. I was rooting for the main character, Tessa, the whole time, yet I never could’ve predicted what she had been through and what she would go through over the course of her story. I’m still trying to return my breathing to normal!