Staff Review – One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

If you’re looking for something quirky, queer, and takes place on the Q train, you’ve come to the right place. “One Last Stop’ by Casey McQuiston is an exciting and entertaining ride from start to finish. Filled with a diverse cast of characters living in New York City, “One Last Stop” follows 23 year old August, a young bisexual woman who has just moved to the city for school (after years of transferring from city to city). On her subway commute to school on the Q train, she meets a beautiful woman named Jane whom she can’t stop thinking about. This may sound like your average romance story, but there is a twist. While August and Jane interact daily on the subway, they can only interact on the subway. August soon learns that Jane is not only stuck on the Q train, but she actually has been there for quite a long time. About 45 years or so. Jane has been displaced from the 1970s and can’t remember what has led her to spending the last 4 decades on the subway train. As August tries to simultaneously help Jane get back home and not fall in love with her, those two plans start to conflict.

As mentioned, this novel is filled with diverse characters, many of which are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Along with August (who is bisexual) and Jane (who is a lesbian), we also meet August’s roommates: Niko – a transgender psychic, Myla – his engineer girlfriend, and Wes – who is not-so-secretly in love with the drag queen who lives across the hall, Isaiah. These characters are filled with life and take every moment to celebrate it. They are young, in love, and in New York City, and you can bet they make the most of it. This “new adult” novel follows these young friends through various scenarios, from their difficult relationships with their parents to trying to save the local pancake diner August where works now (and where Jane worked in the 70s).

Author Casey McQuiston, who identifies as non-binary, has written other popular queer romance novels, including “Red, White, and Royal Blue, opens a new window” and her newest release “I Kissed Shara Wheeler, opens a new window“. They are a pro at writing love stories about the LGBTQ+ community, and their books have grown in popularity over the years. “One Last Stop” is a great read for anyone looking for a fun, flirty book that has some steamy love scenes, roommate antics and a touch of mystery. Figuring out why and how Jane became trapped on the subway is an interesting journey and a story you won’t forget! If you haven’t already, check out One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston today!