From the TBR Pile: Blog Tour: Last Train to Babylon by Charlee Fam

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Blog Tour: Last Train to Babylon by Charlee Fam

Author: Charlee Fam
Publisher: William Morrow
Date of publication: October 2014

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 Aubrey has left 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 voice mail from her former friend, left only days before her death, that she 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.

Last Train to Babylon was definitely not what I expected. It ended up being a DNF book for me. Well, I read about half and then skimmed the rest to find out what happened between Rachel and Aubrey. The book was kind of depressing and not one I recommend if you are looking for an upbeat read. I didn't care much for Aubrey. I just have a hard time liking a character who is so self destructive. I can understand why she ended up being that way after finding out what happened to her personally, but I still didn't like her. Once I got to the reason for the break up of the friendship, I felt a little cheated. I was expecting something really horrible. Instead it was the result of jealousy and stupid mistakes. Mistakes that wouldn't have been made if they had been really close in the first place.

The book has received mixed reviews. I say skip it. But just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean you won't like it.

About Charlee Fam

Charlee Fam is a twentysomething novelist living in New York City. A native of Long Island, she graduated from Binghamton University in 2010 with a degree in creative writing and several awards to her name. Last Train to Babylon is her first novel.

Find out more about Charlee at her website and follow her on Twitter.

Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Charlee’s Tour Stops

Tuesday, October 28th: A Bookish Way of Life

Thursday, October 30th: Kritters Rambling

Monday, November 3rd: BookNAround