One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston; narrated by Natalie Naudus
Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1250803184
August Landry arrives in New York City with all of her possessions in five boxes. She’s 23 years old and her move to New York lets her escape the earlier years of her life which were spent working with her mother, an amateur detective, trying to track down August’s missing uncle. August moves into an apartment with Niko, a psychic, his girlfriend Mya, an artist, and Wes, a tattoo artist. August never had time for friends and fun when she was helping her mom, but she quickly becomes a part of Niko, Mya, and Wes’ chosen LBGTQ+ family. Then, August meets Jane on the Q Train. Jane isn’t like any other girl August has met before. Their relationship is full of the twists and turns of first loves. McQuiston asks the listener to travel along with them on a slightly sci-fi route, because, as August soon discovers, Jane has been stuck on this particular train since the 1970s.
McQuiston portrays a whole cast of LGBTQ+ characters with ease and wit. The dialogue sparkles with popular culture references, and the time-travel aspect of the book lends itself to a discussion of LGBTQ+ civil rights in the 20th century. Naudus’ narration works well with both the snark and wit between friends and the more tender love scenes between Jane and August.
McQuiston fans will enjoy this one just as much as Red, White, and Royal Blue. Other read alikes include You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan. For viewers, fans of Love, Victor and Love, Simon will appreciate how McQuiston navigates the confusion of first loves and self-discovery.
–Annie Jansen
Other Nominated Titles
- How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland; narrated by Kyla Garcia (August 2021)
The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.
Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten. The previous years’ lists are available on The Hub.