Last Stay by Brennan LaFaro is a terrifying slasher novella that is set in a rough-looking motel located on the side of a roadway. The rooms themselves aren’t much better… But it’s not just the splatter on the ceiling and sink that could be blood or the potential bedbugs hidden in the old bedding that they should fear. In this motel, there are also monsters lurking.
When you read this one, you will be very grateful that you don’t have any road trips planned anytime soon, but be prepared to look under your bed before you go to sleep at night.
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on Last Stay by Brennan LaFaro –
That first chapter… PHEW, it’s intense!! This opening is truly a scene from my darkest nightmares. With each element, it just keeps getting worse and more horrifying!
One of my favorite elements of horror stories is when they start with a bang, before taking slowing down a bit, and that’s exactly what Brennan did here! After that shocking first chapter, we take a step back into the past to get to know the motel owners and see where it all started to go down the steep hill that led up to the first chapter.
This step back really allowed the reader to get more into the minds of the hotel owners to understand their struggles and their relationship with one another. Even though you already knew these two were up to no good, Brennan develops these characters in a way that makes readers also root for the bad guys.
There are also various victims that come into play here and there, and you’ll want to root for them as well. Especially a character named Morgan, who just wants to get to California to take care of something.
The writing style throughout is so vivid that this read plays out like a film! I would love to see this tale on the screen. It’s just screaming for a Shudder exclusive!
That ending…. it was so unexpected and refreshing. This had all the makings of a great final girl situation, but it ended up being so much more.
My Favorite Passages from Last Stay –
TREAD LIGHTLY HERE.
I recommend avoiding this section if you want to go into the story dark!
“The closet,” he repeated. “Door’s open. Were you rootin’ around in there?”
Millie’s stomach dropped and the blood drained from her face. “I didn’t open the closet.”
A hand shot out from under the bed, clamped vise-like fingers around her ankle, and yanked her off her feet.
Peter uttered a wet, gurgling sound as the blade tore through his ribcage and erupted from the front of his shirt. His eyes relayed everything his voice was incapable of.
The husband lay on the bed, one arm draped over the side. He would’ve looked almost peaceful if not for the deep gashes in his abdomen and the pool of blood keeping his corpse afloat.
The business of life and death was a tiring one, and it belonged to him now.
John knew the expression about one’s jaw hitting the floor, but in that moment, he legitimately feared getting a patch of rug burn on his chin.
“Still, turning the stairway to heaven into an escalator don’t quite feel right.”
Dover’s teeth clacked as he bit at the bag, the sound dulled through the plastic, but they couldn’t find purchase.
“Always wondered why they never tried that in the movies,” said John. “Guess it don’t work all that well.”
There were so many flies in there, he ought to be charging them room and board.
Buck smirked and flicked the cigarette. The phantom butt flew to the floor in a wide arc, vanishing into the carpet.
In addition to the ethereal glow, he noticed Buck Corley appeared worse off than their last meeting just that afternoon. Not sick, exactly, but rotten. The look a pumpkin gets about a week after Halloween when it’s a little wider and shorter than it used to be. Buck was settling.
My Final Thoughts on Last Stay –
I had so much fun reading this and could not put it down. When you pick this one up, you’re in for a real treat!
If you enjoy slashers with a lot of heart and a positive spin, then you gotta check this one out ASAP!
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