A suicide impacts everyone....
Aubrey Glass was best friends with Rachel through high school until one night's events changed everything. Aubrey has kept her own hidden cache of suicide letters since leaving her hometown but instead it is Rachel who actually does the deed. Will Aubrey finally face her past and learn how to live?
Aubrey isn't initially a likable character. She appears heartless as she drinks and smokes far too much, seemingly showing no regard for the recent suicide death of her ex-best friend. However, all is not as it seems and Aubrey's brittle layers soon start crumbling away as we begin to see the hurt Aubrey has sought to hide from everyone. Aubrey's relationship with Rachel has been nothing short of toxic and it's hard not to start cheering for her as she begins to face the trauma of her past and finally move forward.
LAST TRAIN TO BABYLON is not an easy read. Instead, LAST TRAIN TO BABYLON is the sort of tale that jerks your emotions around, leaving you floundering as you try to decide if you love or hate the characters. Charlee Fam creates realistic, very uncomfortable situations for her characters but it's also a story that is impossible to put down.
LAST TRAIN TO BABYLON is told through a series of flashbacks as Charlee Fam seamlessly weaves together past and present. Charlee Fam paints a cautionary tale that is as gritty as it is compelling. While LAST TRAIN TO BABYLON will probably never be required reading due to the strong content, it is a novel that should be required as Charlee Fam addresses real world issues that are often hidden rather than discussed. The impact of LAST TRAIN TO BABYLON resonates far past when the reader turns the last page.
Fans of Alice Sebold and John Green will be transfixed by this sophisticated, edgy debut novel packing dark humor, biting wit, and a lot of Jack Daniels. Who put the word fun in funeral? I can’t think of anything fun about Rachel’s funeral, except for the fact that she won’t be there. Aubrey Glass has a collection of potential suicide notes—just in case. And now, five years—and five notes—after leaving her hometown, Rachel’s the one who goes and kills herself. Aubrey can’t believe her luck. But Rachel’s death doesn’t leave Aubrey in peace. There’s a voicemail from her former friend, left only days before her death, that Aubrey can’t bring herself to listen to—and worse, a macabre memorial-turned-high-school reunion that promises the opportunity to catch up with everyone . . . including the man responsible for everything that went wrong between Aubrey and Rachel. In the days leading up to the funeral and infamous after party, Aubrey slips seamlessly between her past and present. Memories of friendship tangle with painful new encounters while underneath it all Aubrey feels the rush of something closing in, something she can no longer run from. And when the past and present collide in one devastating night, nothing will be the same again. But facing the future means confronting herself and a shattering truth. Now, Aubrey must decide what will define her: what lies behind . . . or what waits ahead.
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