Divya Manian reviewed The Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen
Boring thriller at least without copaganda
3 stars
Apparently the author set out to write a "feminist Shining" and I dont think this is it. There is something about the white cis-het femme experience that just has been done to death. Cheating spouses, lots of wine-based alcoholism, breaking up with your bestie, constantly having your husband hovering over you and apparently feeling good about it, finally, constantly feeling afraid and yet not been practical in your fright leading to very silly Final Girl scenes.
After reading thrillers by Ramona Emerson, Cynthia Leitich Smith, who all have people who are pragmatic & practical who end up dying, and then to read this where a woman drinks herself & pops pills AFTER feeling scared someone was in the house is just a let down. It reminds me of The Flight Attendant. I was like wtf is this show and yet so many people were raving about it.
The saving grace …
Apparently the author set out to write a "feminist Shining" and I dont think this is it. There is something about the white cis-het femme experience that just has been done to death. Cheating spouses, lots of wine-based alcoholism, breaking up with your bestie, constantly having your husband hovering over you and apparently feeling good about it, finally, constantly feeling afraid and yet not been practical in your fright leading to very silly Final Girl scenes.
After reading thrillers by Ramona Emerson, Cynthia Leitich Smith, who all have people who are pragmatic & practical who end up dying, and then to read this where a woman drinks herself & pops pills AFTER feeling scared someone was in the house is just a let down. It reminds me of The Flight Attendant. I was like wtf is this show and yet so many people were raving about it.
The saving grace for me is that this book does not have copaganda. Thank you. I appreciate that.