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    Last Train to Babylon: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Last Train to Babylon: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Last Train to Babylon: A Novel
    Ebook335 pages7 hours

    Last Train to Babylon: A Novel

    By Charlee Fam

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 28, 2014
    ISBN9780062328083
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Last Train to Babylon

    3.5/5

    29 ratings17 reviews

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    • 3/5
      [Cross-posted to Knite Writes]I thought this was an “okay” book, but it had a quite few issues that hampered my enjoyment of it.Let’s start with the plot.I understand that this is supposed to be an emotional novel that really explores the protagonist’s psyche, but even so, I found the narrative too drawn out and repetitive. The actual plot of the story is quite short, but the execution consists of a bunch of flashbacks interwoven with brief snippets of Aubrey’s sessions with a therapist.I thought a great deal of Aubrey’s conversations with the therapist didn’t really advance anything, characterization-wise or plot-wise. And the flashbacks, which told the main story, could have been condensed, as they often spent a lot of time discussing some of the same issues as the therapy sessions (sometimes, they even included similar, almost identical thoughts, which became kind of annoying after a while).Another issue I had with the story was the issues—the social issues discussed throughout the book. Almost all of them, from teen drinking to rape and slut shaming, were left unresolved in the sense that a definitive answer on the story’s viewpoint was never established from Aubrey’s perspective.The therapist, clearly, is supposed to be the logical and moral compass of the story, who spends some time explaining the nature of the social issues in question and how Aubrey should feel about them—but Aubrey never seems to buy into any of it. And by the end of the book, I don’t really get the sense that Aubrey has developed at all, as her thoughts about the issues appear to remain fairly consistent throughout. This sort of “muddled” handling of such sensitive issues bothered me a bit—largely because this was a first person novel told from Aubrey’s perspective, and her thoughts on these issues were self-destructive and fairly damaging. The fact that her thoughts and feelings were never resolved in any real way made me a little uncomfortable.My next problem with this book was the writing style. I’ve mentioned it was often repetitive, and that was the biggest problem. Reading incredibly similar thoughts (down the word choices) over and over irritated me a bit. Plus, I found the actual style of the prose to be a bit juvenile given the age of the protagonist.I suppose the author might have been going for a sort of “delayed development” thing—showing that Aubrey hadn’t really matured past her teenage years due to her trauma—but it didn’t really come across that well. The descriptions weren’t that interesting. The dialogue wasn’t that compelling. The characterizations were a bit flat because of how the narrative handled conversations between Aubrey and others. It just didn’t work well for me, the style.Overall, I found this book a bit lackluster. The ideas were there, sure, and the flashback-structure was well thought out, but the execution left a lot to be desired. The prose fell flat. The thematic issues weren’t resolved. The skimpy plot was too padded. It wasn’t a terrible book, by any means, but it was nothing to write home about.____... // DisclaimerI received a free paperback copy of this book from the publisher via LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      While this is a depressing story, I enjoyed it immensely. I thought all of the characters were very well written even though most of them were quite unlikeable. I enjoyed the way the novel was told as well, the funeral, growing up, and the breakdown. The characters all lead such a sad existence in this story, but it is a compelling read anyway. I found myself turning the pages from page one. The story also has a great ending. Not everything is wrapped up all nice and neat, similar to real life. This novel also touches on some very sensitive issues: rape, suicide, mental illness, and the woes of relationships. This story would be a great discussion starter for book clubs because of it's many issues. I will most certainly be suggesting this one to customers who like a darker, more realistic story.
    • 4/5
      This debut novel holds promise for the writer. While it took a while for me to get into the story, once I did, I just wanted to know more.The story begins with a prologue that I had forgotten about by the time the events were fleshed out later in the book. The first chapter is Aubrey waking in the hospital. The second chapter jumps back to five days earlier. We soon learn that her childhood friend, Rachel has committed suicide and Aubrey does not want to go to the funeral. Subsequent chapters begin to jump between time periods in Aubrey's life and it was confusing at first.Also, I found myself distracted by brand names and store names in the first quarter of the book.Each chapter is assigned a date, ranging from 1997 to 2014. Aubrey was in second grade in 1997, the first year of high school in 2005, and the last year of high school in 2009. The author states that Aubrey and her best friend Rachel were in second grade together with Eric though later, Eric had graduated two years before the girls. Also, Aubrey was 14 in 2005 and 17 in 2009. Also, I kept wondering two things: what happened to end the girls' friendship and how/why did Rachel commit suicide.Those are just a few of the things that distracted me from the story. However, once the story got going, I got hooked. Learning about the girls' friendship and about Aubrey's high school boyfriend, Adam, drew me in. What happened to kill the friendship? What happened with Adam?The book is also split into two parts. Part one is all about Aubrey's unwillingness to go to the funeral and about her past. Part two is about after she gets out of the hospital. The second part seems so short in comparison to the first, that I almost wanted more of it.A few highlights for me: Self medicating with ONE cigarette per day, Xanax as needed, and Jack Daniels whenever. Adam - a very intriguing characterRachel - loved hating her through most of the bookThe end - LOVED the end of the book.
    • 4/5
      It took about a third of the book for me to actually start to enjoy what I was reading. The beginning seemed so self-indulgent and stereotypically "New York" (I mean, the main character's signature nail polish color is an Essie shade I've been wearing since when I was in my 20's and lived in New York. There is a gratuitous and disdainful mention of hipsters in Williamsburg. She rides the train home to the suburbs for a funeral. Perhaps we swap out the LIRR for MetroNorth and I actually am Aubrey?)I was very uncomfortable with the Rachel character, but I realize that if this was actually a composite of many "types" of Long Island teenager then of course she is a mess. Child of broken home, promiscuous, bulimic, etc, and then to off herself? It may have been laid on a bit thick.But the end result was actually a pretty engaging telling of the aftermath of sexual assault. Anxiety, depression, substance abuse, mental breakdowns- it was exaggerated and quite dramatic, but I kind of liked that about Aubrey. There's no resolution, but that was fine. I don't know precisely who is the audience for this book, but I certainly would recommend it to the frat boys at UVA (or really any man at all) who may be confused about what exactly makes sex consensual.
    • 3/5
      I won a copy of this book from LibraryThing. I can't say I really enjoyed this book - it was so dark and generally depressing. None of the characters were very likable. Even once you knew the cause of Aubrey's drinking and attitude she still did not become a sympathetic character. It baffled me that Aubrey stayed friends with Rachel for so long when it seemed like she was nothing but awful to her and that Aubrey's mother, a middle school guidance counselor, knew nothing about her daughter's issues. For a first time novelist, Charlee Fam did a good job - I think it was just the subject matter that did not appeal to me.
    • 4/5
      This was one of those books where you love to hate the characters. I honestly cannot say I liked a single character in this book, how they thought, or how they acted. However, as with any good literature, the book raised a lot of emotion toward the characters, their story, etc. With that said, it's a book that I think would make an excellent book club discussion. You have dysfunctional characters, dysfuntional stories and lots of interesting fodder to argue about. The story opens with the main character heading home for her previous best friends funeral (because of a suicide). She has had a falling out with the friend and the storyline slowly reveals all of the past hurts and interactions. While I didn't love the story, I thought the writing was excellent as it made me think and feel something outside of my normal world. And isn't that really the point of reading?Reader received a complimentary copy from Library Thing Early Reviewers.
    • 4/5
      This is a book about Aubrey, a young adult who must confront her past when she returns home for the funeral of a friend. I felt the story-telling in this book was very good, and the characters interesting, although not very likable. I would read this author again.
    • 3/5
      When Aubrey discovers her best friend from high school, Rachel, has killed herself, Aubrey returns to her home town to revisit the past that lead to the end of her friendship with Rachel. When the novel begins, the reader is made aware that Aubrey has suffered a breakdown and is in the hospital. As the story slowly moves forward, alternating between the near present and the past, the reasons for Aubrey's cold and distant emotions become more clear. This is a dark and gritty novel with little relief from the unhappiness of Aubrey's life. Given Aubrey's numb emotional state and general nastiness, she is not a likable character, which made the novel hard for me to read. Even though the last section of the book is somewhat redeeming in terms of increasing hope for Aubrey's character, I didn't think it was enough to compensate for her coldness throughout the story. In all, it wasn't a book I particularly enjoyed. It was good enough to keep me reading until the end, but it was too emotionally distant for me.
    • 5/5
      "The last train to Babylon" by Charlee Fam is a coming of age tale set in Long Island New York. It is also the tale of a toxic friendship between Aubrey and Rachel. They meet in grade school and are friends through the end of high school. Rachel is the ringleader, and not a very nice person. The story flashes back and forth in time and centers on Aubrey's homecoming to possibly attend Rachel's funeral. Rachel has committed suicide.Fam's writing grabbed me and didn't let go. I will definitely read her next book.
    • 4/5
      While I don't think I was part of the intended audience for this book, and didn't like the prologue (which I whined about to my patient husband), I finished this book in two sittings. I would have finished in one last night but my three puppies wanted to go to bed! Ms. Fam is a young writer to watch and I look forward to her next books! This book was so well written and believable that I was surprised it wasn't autobiographical. Aubrey Glass returns to her hometown in Long Island after her former best friend, Rachel commits suicide. Once back, we watch as she descends into a kind of madness triggered by events from her past. I just really wish I knew what that last voicemail from Rachel said!
    • 4/5
      This is one of those dark, gritty reads that says a lot in a beautifully written way. The narrator, Aubrey, finds out her former best friend, Rachel, has killed herself. This action forces Aubrey to go back to her hometown and to face up with secret aspects of her past that she has been avoiding for years. The reveals are slow and suspenseful, the story is both heartbreaking and uplifting, and Aubrey is given a unique and affecting voice. I look forward to seeing what Fam has in store for her next novel.
    • 5/5
      "If there's a heaven, I can't picture it," he said. "I just imagine white space. Nothing but this huge white space and all the Catholics I'd ever known standing around in a circle dressed in their Easter best. You know what I'm talking about?"For some reason before I started reading this I thought it would be a comedy. I don't know what lead me to think that but I did. While this was not a comedy it was a profound look at the sometimes manipulative friendships girls can experience and other darker subjects. It may be difficult for some to like the main character, Aubrey, but if you are able to dig past the anger and anxiety you'll see just how complicated she really is.I immediately connected with and understood Aubrey. I could really identify with her in regards to her friendship with Rachel. I never felt like her anger was over the top mainly because I understood that she was using it to mask her feelings. The journey she goes on after Rachel kills herself had me absolutely fascinated. I couldn't put this down because I just had to know what had happened in the past that made her the person she is today.If you really try hard enough it isn't that hard to figure out what happened in the past. The point of the story isn't what happened but how it affects Aubrey. Throughout the story I tended to have differing opinions on each of the characters except for that I like Aubrey throughout. As the events unfolded I felt more sadness for Aubrey and my views towards certain characters really started to conform to her views of them. I really liked where she ended up at the end but there was one thing that I wanted to know that readers don't get to know (I won't say what it was but I was dying to know).
    • 2/5
      I received Last Train to Babylon as part of the Early Reviewers program. I'm not sure if it is because of my age or something else, but this story did not work for me. I found the overall structure of the book reminded me of a YA novel and the writing did as well. The book tells the story of Aubrey Glass who goes home for the funeral of her former best friend. The problem is that I never understood why Aubrey, who has clearly worked so hard to remove herself from her painful past, goes home at all. She is in denial and it is made abundantly clear how much she hates home, hates her family and especially hated the girl who dies. She was not a likable or sympathetic character. None of the characters were likable. The slow, drawn out and teasing reveal of the source of Aubrey's pain is cliched and unsatisfying. I think there are some good ideas in this book, but overall it wasn't for me.
    • 4/5
      The next book this author puts out, I'm going to read. And the next one. And probably the one after that. She is a talented writer, with a gift for taking an awful reality and making it relatable, or if not quite relatable, understandable. Her main characters here are terribly flawed, and frankly, hard to like. Poor Aubrey has so little self-respect, that it's almost impossible for us to respect her, and that's what I require in order to like someone; I must respect them on some level. I think what I ended up respecting about Aubrey was her inability to accept that she was a victim. So many of us feel the need to control everything about ourselves, but the honest truth is that sometimes the things that happen to us are out of our control. So her inability to see herself as a victim was her grasping at a sense of control, an ownership of not just the good in her life, but also the bad. Rachel, of course, was a despicable person. And terrifying (especially to this mother of young girls) to imagine the depths of manipulation and levels of cruelty she was capable of. This book was no doubt dark, edgy, and depressing. The plot and the characters alike. But what makes Fam such a talented writer is that I wanted to stay in that dark world she created to see how it all worked out. I think I needed closure just as much as Aubrey did. We are all guilty on some level of destroying ourselves, and sometimes destroying others. I ached for Aubrey and Adam. And the great thing about this book was that every time something was revealed, it became apparent that something else was lurking deeper. I stayed engaged in the story until the very end.
    • 3/5
      As my own children grow ever closer to young adulthood and to striking out on their own, I worry more and more about the world and them making their way in it. The choices they make will change them. Those choices can harm them or help them; either way they will certainly be life altering. As they move out into the world, their friendships, once so solid seeming, may change or fade or end and they may one day have to face the betrayal of a friend. It is a hard lesson and one so many of us have had to learn. Books like Charlee Fam's debut novel, Last Train to Babylon, don't help to assuage my fears for my kids. In fact, it even reinforces some of them, but it is so realistic and true as a possibility for today's twentysomethings that it cannot be dismissed. The prologue opens with Aubrey Glass waking up in a hospital bed. She doesn't quite remember how she ended up there but it is clear that something deep and unhappy haunts her since there is a psychologist at her side asking her questions. And from this, the rest of the novel takes off. Moving backwards in time to before the hospital bed, Aubrey is surprised to hear from her mother that her former best friend, Rachel, has committed suicide. In fact, it is Aubrey who has five years worth of suicide notes in case she chooses to end it all. (She also has break-up notes to leave for the boyfriend with whom she lives if it comes to that rather than suicide.) She is angry that everyone wants her to grieve over someone who hurt her as badly as Rachel once did, not that she allows the reader to know what happened between them, at least not to start. As she works through her own internal rants about Rachel, she paints a picture of an unequal and unrewarding friendship. Rachel sounds awful but Aubrey doesn't sound any better. And she has no intention of going home to the funeral and the after party being organized in Rachel's memory. But she does go home where she is faced with the memories of everything that was right and then went so very wrong. The novel moves back and forth from the past to the present as Aubrey works through her feelings both about what happened years ago to irreparably break their friendship then and how she feels now knowing that Rachel is gone. Aubrey tells the story herself, allowing her to give an incomplete accounting, continue to hide just what Rachel did to her, and to avoid the elephant in the room of the trauma that drives her whole existence now. She's a cold character, afraid of feeling emotion, who drinks to forget, to mute life, to self-medicate. She has fooled herself into thinking that she is over what happened but by never addressing it, she has allowed it to close her off to life, enjoyment, and connection. Aubrey is clearly damaged and cannot start to heal until she addresses the pain and truth of her past. She is not particularly likable and she portrays Rachel as a controlling, toxic, mean girl, queen bee too; even so Aubrey's lashing out at those who want to change Rachel's character after death is violent and self-destructive. The tone of the book is edgy, angry, and dark. Despite the bleakness of the story, especially once Aubrey allows herself to admit what happened to her, it still contains the seed of the importance of forgiveness and acceptance. Your choices can lead you into nightmares but holding onto them, internalizing them, and forever shouldering the blame robs you of the chance for future happiness. In capturing the voices of the Millennial Generation so clearly, Fam has written a hard nosed novel about truth, victimhood, and the end of friendship, one that is hard to read, with characters it is hard to like, but that still compels the reader to keep turning pages.
    • 3/5
      This book is about how incidents that happen as we are in the formative teenage years shape who we become and how we feel about ourselves. The main character was depressing, as was the storyline, but it was good to see she was finally getting the help she needed and was moving forward in the last chapter
    • 4/5
      Fam perfectly captures the Millenial voice. Audrey may be a tough character to get to know, but she is the epitome of many younger Millenials. Fam also creates a wonderful blend of suspense, coming-of-age, and dark humor.