In the age of the internet, it’s easier than ever to meet someone… But how do you know the person you see online is the one you’ll actually meet IRL? And if you aren’t catfished, how do you know your date isn’t an axe murderer?

Simply put: You don’t.

That’s the simple but oh-so-creepy premise of Lisa Unger’s Last Girl Ghosted, wherein Wren Greenwood falls hard for a guy from a dating app, only to be… yes, you guessed it… ghosted.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Unger does a great job keeping the reader engaged and wanting to know more and bringing the characters to life. It was easy for me to empathize with Wren, even not knowing what her terrible past was. The characters’ backstories are held back until the point when revealing them would have the most impact. There was a good balance of introspection, dialogue, and action, so I didn’t often feel bored.

Which brings me to my first criticism: The book was a bit preachy at times, particularly in the flashbacks to Wren’s childhood. That got to be a bit repetitive, so I found myself skimming over her father’s diatribes on the end of the world. Certainly there is something to be said for going back to a “simpler time”—or at least not putting your whole life on social media—but I felt like the argument was being rammed down my throat, at length, at every opportunity.

Another thing? I found it hard at times to suspend my disbelief. For instance: The fact that multiple women fell for the antagonist’s ploys, especially after only dating him for a few months, was a bit of a stretch. Can that many women be that stupid? (D’oh. I suppose I know the answer to that.) Another: The fact that it took the cops five weeks to figure out the connection between Wren and Adam and where to look for her, but then everything magically fell into place at just the right time.

All in all, this was a riveting book, and I will definitely read more by Unger. Next up: Confessions on the 7:45.