Last Days

by Adam Nevill

Indie filmmaker Kyle Freeman is a man at the end of his tether. He faces bankruptcy and obscurity, until he lands a commission to make an unusual documentary. The Temple of the Last Days was a notorious cult, which reached its bloody endgame in the Arizona desert in 1975. Ever since, the group's rumoured mystical secrets and paranormal experiences have lain concealed behind a history of murder, sexual deviancy and imprisonment.

Kyle and his one-man crew film the cult's original bases in London and France - finally visiting the desert crime scene where the cult self-destructed in a night of ritualistic violence. But when Kyle interviews survivors, uncanny events plague his shoots. Frightening out-of-body experiences and nocturnal visitations follow, along with the discovery of ghastly artefacts. Until Kyle realises, too late, that they've become entangled in the cult's hideous legacy.

Praise for Adam Nevill

`This novel grabs from the very first page ... Superb' Guardian

`Lean, compelling, dark, at times frightening' The Herald

`Horrifyingly scary ... Nevill sinuously ramps up the tension' Sunday Times

• ISBN10: 1250018188
• ISBN13: 9781250018182
• Publish Date: 26 February 2013 (first published 24 May 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Griffin
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 544
• Language: English

Reviews

[pamela]

This was my first attempt at reading an Adam Nevill novel, and what an introduction it was! It is clearly well researched in to the psychology of cults and violent fundamentalism, and he truly understands the mentality behind those who join causes that seem completely irrational to outsiders (I should know, I grew up Mormon #notacult - the joy of the sarcastic hashtag).

Nevill pulls you in from the beginning. From a creepy encounter in an empty apartment building in London, Nevill takes the reader on a journey, following the cult of The Temple of the Last Days through the eyes and lens Guerilla film maker Kyle. The journey spans continents and decades, and introduces us to some completely sad and sympathetic former cult members, and the suspense and genuine scaries abound throughout.

Kyle and Dan are likeable characters, and I genuinely cared about their survival. There was not a particular amount of depth to them, but they were relatable in a way that not many victims in horror novels manage to be. Nevill also plays with the idea of evil, as everyone seems to be completely complicit in their own destruction, and while there is an overall antagonist in the form of Sister Katherine, the cult's leader, no character is without blame or hubris.

It really was a great book, but I found myself left feeling a little 'meh' at the end. There was a fantastic crescendo as Kyle goes to see a painting in Antwerp which I felt could have been made more of, and as it's right near the end the plot sort of dwindles from there. We have another character introduced in the last few pages who seemed rather unnecessary, and I felt that everything toward the end was a little rushed with no clear sense of what was happening, why it was happening or where it was going. The premise of the final showdown seemed a little contrived, rushed and unbelievable, and the ending I felt didn't live up to the strength of the novel that had gone before. If it hadn't been for the ending this would have been a five star book. It was such a shame to end a novel of such abject terror on such an anti-climax.

For all fans of the horror genre this novel is a must. It's got all the chills and scares you could require, and a lot of things to think about as far as the human condition is concerned.

[layawaydragon]

I won a copy through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

Pros
Dark, creepy, scary horror that had me actively freaked out while reading during the day
Liked the mystery, the suspense,
The premise, the “presences” and what’s behind the curtain..Awesome!
Liked Kyle’s voice and his director’s point of view on things


Cons
I fucking hate the ending. It didn’t finish the story and left it hanging.
It slowed down around the halfway point dragging it along and losing it’s edge
The stereotype use: Finger Mouse and douchebro military man come off as lazy and sloppy. It was down right irritating in the latter’s case.

Kyle is a passionate "I tell it like it is and follow the story" director in financial ruins. I liked Kyle's perspective on settings and people. His voice is authentic and I found myself rooting for the underdog with integrity over the mainstream movie media. Duh, who wouldn’t? Dan, Kyle's long term bro and camera man, is the "I will deny any paranormal activity until it punches me in the face" type. This brings balance and contrast when the questioning of people's sanity starts. Max, the aging producer, delivers Kyle the story to make a once in a lifetime movie and the means to get it done right. Kyle recruits his usual team: Dan and Finger Mouse (the biggest stereotype of the basement dwelling, non-showering, society shunning nerd), who happens to be a video editor. The story is turning out better than anyone could've hoped. This is their big break. Now, if only the settings weren't becoming interactive and Max was as free with the truth as he is with money....

Last Days is about atmosphere and suspense rather than hack ‘n slash gore like Chainsaw Massacre, which works wonders for me. I was intrigued but struggled with the writing style in the opening scene. It does set the terrifying mysterious tone for what follows though. I don't know if it was just me adjusting or an actual change in style but I didn't have a problem with the writing after that prologue. I like the little details being brought out describing the odd things people notice when their brain is scrambling to find a foothold in reality. I was hooked by chapter one and couldn’t wait to find out what happens next. It doesn't take long for things to get going and I was falling for Last Days in all its creepy, horrific, glory. I was seeing things in the corner of my eyes, and jumping at every sound. While I was reading it in the morning no less.


Around page 230, I noticed it was going slower, then soon enough I was skimming over passages, specifically where the smells and sights were being described for the millionth time. I just didn't retain the same fear. My eyes were glazing over due to the redundancy. The action scenes weren't boring or bad but I wanted to get deeper into the story. I wanted the cause, the reasons behind these happenings instead of playing will-they-won't-they for 400 pages. However, the scenes that pulled me back in where the new discoveries, and the subsequent interviews. They gave me what I was looking for. The interview passages were fascinating, and informative all the way through.

My waning interest was remedied when we eventually get to the big reveal of what's behind the curtain. I loved the discovery and found it as horrific, terrifying and creepy as the beginning. This was it. I was back fully hooked into the story and felt my pulse racing again. However, I was disconnected from Kyle because of his reactions. Of course, his actions were in character but I wasn't his biggest fan at that moment. I wanted to yell at Kyle: Just do it. Everything after the reveal was just gravy except the second copy/paste stereotype appearing. Fuck, I hated him, his inclusion. The obvious lazy stereotypes were a let down.

And the ending. I loathe the ending. Specifically, the last fucking paragraph where the story was left hanging. WTF is that bullshit? Is it like another reviewer on Goodreads suggested (I apologize I can’t find the name now) that the ending was a lesson to let sleeping dogs lie like Adam should have? Well, let me tell you (general you), that after 530 pages I deserve a fucking ending. It’s not like Stephen King’s short story The Mist where it’s completely ambiguous. This book and myself could have closure with the addition of one fucking word. One! Yes or no? That’s it. That’s all. And as far as this being a “lesson” ending: If Adam had let sleeping dogs lie with regards to these happenings, that would be a bad thing. As in, a world ending catastrophe if he hadn’t intervened. I call bullshit on this ending. I personally fucking hate it. I do not see the point and do not appreciate being left with a ridiculously stunted cliff hanger on a stand alone novel.

That alone gets -1 star at least for that fucking bullshit.