Love Is Love Is Love Is Two Books Reviews in One
St Martin's Press has a chokehold on me this week with a review of Finna by Nino Cipri and One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
I’m running on gay time this Pride i.e. I’m running late and the end of the month is now upon us all. We have two reviews for you: one shorter read and the other a full novel.
First up…
Finna by Nino Cipri
“The bus abandoned Ava on the outskirts of LitenVärld’s vast parking lot, nearly three-quarters of a mile from the doors.”
Do you remember your first break-up? I pretend I don’t. When Ava is called in on her one off day, she is forced to team up with her ex, Jules, to go save a customer from the depths of LitenVärld — an Ikea-esqe superstore that happens to also be a hotspot for interdimensional wormholes. Armed with technology that has long been decommissioned, the two have to put their differences aside as they traverse stranger and more dangerous versions of their world to bring their customer back safely.
Finna by Nino Cipri sums up two of my deepest held beliefs in 144 pages: one) capitalism is the root of all evil, and two) don’t shit where you eat. Grown adults can hardly be expected to handle their relationships ending civilly, let alone two teenagers. Throw in the fact that both Ava and Jules are only expected to risk their lives because they are the newest hires and for the paltry reward of some vouchers, and you have a catastrophe waiting to happen.
But still, I can’t deny I have a soft spot for exes who still care for each other despite what they say. Ava and Jules are no way in love, not anymore at least, but their whirlwind relationship is reminiscent of many queer teens’ first foray into romance: one minute you’re in love and willing to die for each other, the next you can’t even look them in the eye without wanting to vomit blood.
Finna is both humorous and emotional, a thrilling adventure that you will find yourself devouring within the span of an afternoon.
Rating: 4/5
Finna by Nino Cipri is published by St Martin’s Press and was released February 2020.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
“Can I touch you?”
Burned out from helping her mother hunt down her long-lost brother, August escapes to New York, where she can finish her college degree in peace. But all hope of peace goes out the window when she chances upon a really hot girl on the train, whom August is enamoured with. That is until they both realise June is no ordinary woman, but rather a time traveller from the 70s, doomed to “haunt” the train unless August can discover who she really is and return her to the right time.
I have had this book on my TBR since its release and only just recently did I manage to get my hands on it, once it was printed as a smaller paperback. I really liked McQuiston’s first novel Red, White & Royal Blue but I can easily say One Last Stop outshines it by far.
For everyone who enjoys a slow burn, especially of the friends-to-lovers variety, this book is it. Watching August and June slowly creep towards each other, denying at every turn that they’re in love, it’s like the most delightful of train crashes.
Of course, with one of your key characters being a lesbian from the 70s, you are born to be given an education in the era. Not everyone is a fan of books that are homages to the past, but One Last Stop manages to balance the callbacks to the 70s—specifically New York and its queer scene then—with the here-and-now very well. But of course, we still have the obligatory 70s music references, as any nostalgic literary piece should.
I also won’t deny that I cried through most of the last quarter of the book. I’m an easy crier, but still, any book that gets me to shed enough tears to drench my pillow is a winner. So really, you should just add this book to your own TBR now so that you can join me in my puddle of tears.
Rating: 5/5
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston was published by St Martin’s Press and released June 2021.
Happy Pride everyone! I hope you had a good month free of discourse and full of excellent reads. I’ll see you in the next month.
I also thought One Last Stop was WAY better than RWRB (this is apparently an unpopular opinion?). I was just so impressed by the way she integrated a love story, time loop and LGBT history.