One Last Stop
- ravishhertales
- Apr 9, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 8
Review:
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston: A Love Story that Bends Time and Belief
Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is not just a love story—it’s a vibrant, time-bending, heart-stealing masterpiece that makes the impossible feel not only plausible but deeply, achingly real. At its core, this novel is a tale of finding love, finding yourself, and finding home in the most unexpected places—including, apparently, a New York City subway car.
Plot & Premise: A Subway Ride into the Extraordinary
August, a 23-year-old cynic who has never quite found her place, moves to New York City convinced that magic and fairytale love stories don’t exist. She plans to keep to herself, work at a pancake diner, and let the subway be just a means to an end. But then she meets Jane—effortlessly cool, ridiculously attractive, and… seemingly stuck in time. Jane, with her leather jacket, punk-rock aesthetic, and 1970s lingo, isn’t just giving off retro vibes; she’s literally from the past, somehow tethered to the Q train with no memory of how she got there.
August, whose childhood was spent assisting her conspiracy-theorist mother in solving a decades-old missing person case, is uniquely suited to the task of unraveling Jane’s mystery. But as she pieces together Jane’s past, the lines between solving and saving blur—because what if the only way to set Jane free is also the thing that will separate them forever?
McQuiston’s Signature Magic: Characters Who Feel Like Family
If Red, White & Royal Blue proved that Casey McQuiston knows how to craft characters you’d follow into a burning building, One Last Stop cements that skill. The found family in this book is nothing short of spectacular. August’s roommates—Niko, a trans Latino psychic bartender; Myla, a Black queer artist-engineer; and Wes, a grumpy but lovable Jewish tattoo artist—are the kind of people you dream of finding in a big city: chaotic, kind, and unwaveringly supportive.
Even the side characters—drag queens, diner co-workers, subway strangers—are imbued with so much personality and warmth that New York itself becomes not just a backdrop but a character in its own right. The city’s queer history, its underground culture, its electric, unpredictable energy—all of it pulses through these pages, making this book as much a love letter to New York as it is to its protagonists.
Romance & Representation: Love That Transcends Time
The chemistry between August and Jane is nothing short of electric. McQuiston takes the slow burn and turns it into a smoldering, heart-clenching, full-body experience. Their banter is quick and clever, their stolen moments feel like magic, and the sheer yearning between them is enough to make even the most skeptical reader believe in fate.
Beyond the romance, the novel is unapologetically queer. It celebrates identities across the spectrum and pays homage to the LGBTQ+ activists who paved the way for future generations. The story acknowledges past struggles—the Stonewall riots, the UpStairs Lounge fire, the HIV/AIDS crisis—while also embracing a future where queer joy, love, and community thrive.
Themes: Found Family, Identity, and Belonging
At its heart, One Last Stop is a story about belonging. August spends so much of her life in transit—between cities, between ideas of who she should be—that she never lets herself settle. Jane, meanwhile, is quite literally stuck, caught in a limbo between past and present. Their love story is one of breaking free, of daring to believe in the impossible, and of choosing the people who make you feel at home.
The novel also explores the idea that history isn’t just something we read about—it’s something that lives in us. Jane is a walking, talking piece of queer history, and through her, McQuiston reminds us that the past and present are deeply intertwined. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and their stories still shape our futures.
Magic, Romance, and the Importance of Getting the Details Right
Casey McQuiston’s novel is undeniably charming, blending romance and magic with an ode to the city’s transit system. However, while the book captures the spirit of adventure and self-discovery, its depiction of New York City sometimes feels more like a romanticized postcard than a fully realized setting.
The challenge with writing about a real, well-known place—especially one as layered and historically rich as NYC—is that details matter. They ground the story in reality and make the magic feel more authentic. Unfortunately, there are moments in the book where factual inaccuracies about the city’s geography and transportation network break that illusion. These small missteps, though seemingly minor, can pull readers out of the narrative, especially those familiar with the setting.
Additionally, the book attempts to address themes of gentrification, community, and historical erasure, which are important and relevant. However, these themes feel somewhat surface-level, more of a narrative backdrop than an integrated part of the story. A deeper engagement with the social and historical realities of the city—beyond just using them as aesthetic elements—could have made the book’s message more impactful.
That said, the novel still shines in many ways. The relationships feel warm and engaging, and the love story at its heart is easy to root for. McQuiston’s talent for crafting endearing characters is evident, and the book’s premise is undeniably creative. With a bit more attention to setting and historical nuance, future works could strike an even more powerful balance between fantasy and authenticity.
Final Thoughts: A Book That Stays with You
One Last Stop is more than just a romance—it’s a beautifully written, deeply moving, wildly entertaining story about love, community, and the belief that some people are meant to find each other, no matter the odds. McQuiston’s prose is sharp, witty, and emotionally rich, making every subway ride, every diner shift, and every stolen glance between August and Jane feel impossibly significant.
It’s the kind of book that makes you want to stay up all night reading, not just because you’re desperate to know what happens, but because you never want to leave the world it has built. It’s a love story, yes, but it’s also a reminder that magic exists—not in fairy tales, but in the people who see us for who we truly are and choose us anyway.
Whether you’re a die-hard romance fan or a skeptic like August, this book will find a way to make you believe. Because sometimes, the impossible happens. Sometimes, love really is magic.
₹450
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