Comment on theme

Throughout her novel, One Last Stop, the author thematically correlates fear and loneliness through her characters August and Wes. She asserts that making fear-based decisions leads to avoiding taking risks that could foster deep and meaningful connections. At the beginning of the novel, August lives through her childhood “fear of rejection [that] made it impossible for her” to feel connected to others (280). As a child, she felt emotionally abandoned by her mother, who prioritized finding Augie over raising her daughter. Subsequently, August believes that she is not worthy of love and avoids forming relationships or attempting to make friends. She “spend[s] a long time alone on purpose, just to avoid the risk of what might happen” if she attempts to develop connections (351). Her solitary pattern keeps her from pursuing both platonic and romantic relationships despite her desire for connection.