Earlier this year, I published a list of Sapphic books that I had either read or intended to read, and now one has a very special place in my heart. One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston is exactly the sapphic college love story I needed as I finish out my degree and prepare to go into the world. Casey McQuiston has managed to make several relatable characters that are multi-dimensional and feel like real friends that I would want to have while also telling a beautiful and compelling love story.
One Last Stop follows August Landry as she moves to New York, finds love and a family in her new roommates and coworkers. If you are a lover of the found family trope then this book is perfect for you because you get to see August who has never stayed in one place and find some people worth staying for not only Jane, her love interest, but also her roommates Niko, Myla, Wes and Noodles. Niko takes the role of psychic dad friend while his girlfriend Myla is their very own frog bones sculpting mom friend. We then have Wes the nocturnal tattoo artist and unwilling child to Niko and Myla and his dog Noodles the Poodle.
Not only does McQuiston do a great job in making you care about every character introduced but she has also made an incredibly relatable character in August. One of the first things we ever learn about August is her distrust for people which can be overruled by her trust in fried chicken. While she has several other funny quirks that make her relatable, the reason I really felt drawn to this character is that she has no idea what she’s doing. Other times whether I’m reading or not it feels like everyone knows exactly what they are doing and what they want to be. That isn’t the case for August. She has accumulated a mountain of student loan debt from switching schools and majors and still doesn’t have life figured out at 23. As a twenty-year-old who like August has been robbed of her childhood due to circumstances beyond her control reading about someone like me gives me hope. You get to see that even not having everything figured out you can find joy, love and friendship like August.
Now, to focus on what we really came here for which is August and Subway Girl, Jane. August first meets Jane on the subway soon after she has moved to the city and is mortified when as she describes one of the most gorgeous women she has ever seen sees her crying and smelling of coffee that she has just spilled on herself. Jane in turn becomes August’s subway crush for that ride as she imagines their life together between the stops until they part ways and she assumes she will never see Jane again. But lucky for August and lucky for readers, this is far from the case. As they grow closer on their rides, August begins to develop feelings for the elusive subway girl. The reader then gets to follow along as this romance blossoms and August learns that sometimes she doesn’t need all the answers she just needs the moments shared with those around her.
I cannot recommend this book enough and have even bought 4 copies of it 2 that are mine, one of which is marked up and one for my 2 best friends. I won’t say too much else because I really want anyone who decides to pick this book up from my recommendation to be able to form their own opinions and interpret the story in their own way so it can be that much more meaningful to them.
Happy reading!