ONE HOTEL. TWENTY SURVIVORS. ONE OF YOU IS A KILLER.
'BRILLIANTLY EXECUTED...HAUNTING...EXTRAORDINARY' EMILY ST JOHN MANDEL
'A CLEVER, ORIGINAL, SCARILY PLAUSIBLE WHITE-KNUCKLE READ' ERIN KELLY
The most exciting literary thriller of 2019, you won't be able to put THE LAST down.
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BREAKING: Nuclear weapon detonates over Washington
Historian Jon Keller is on a trip to Switzerland when the world ends. As the lights go out on civilisation, he wishes he had a way of knowing whether his wife, Nadia, and their two daughters are still alive. More than anything, Jon wishes he hadn't ignored Nadia's last message.
Twenty people remain in Jon's hotel. Far from the nearest city and walled in by towering trees, they wait, they survive.
Then one day, the body of a young girl is found. It's clear she has been murdered. Which means that someone in the hotel is a killer.
As paranoia descends, Jon decides to investigate. But how far is he willing to go in pursuit of justice? And what kind of justice can he hope for, when society as he knows it no longer exists?
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'GRIPPING, AND THOROUGHLY AND FRIGHTENINGLY BELIEVABLE. I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN' JENNIE MELAMED
'DARK, ORIGINAL, COMPELLING' CJ TUDOR
'IT IS JAMESON'S PORTRAYAL, BOTH IMAGINATIVE AND PLAUSIBLE, OF HOW HER CHARACTERS ADAPT TO THEIR NEW LIFE THAT MAKES HER NOVEL SUCH COMPULSIVE READING' TELEGRAPH
'JAMESON DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB OF EXPLORING WHAT NUCLEAR WAR WOULD MEAN FOR US . . . AND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE CONSEQUENCES NO LONGER EXISTED' OBSERVER
'STEPHEN KING MEETS AGATHA CHRISTIE IN THIS FANTASTIC AND HIGHLY ORIGINAL NOVEL . . . I LOVED EVERY SECOND . . . THIS IS THE BOOK OF 2019' LUCA VESTE
'A POST-APOCALYPTIC VERSION OF AGATHA CHRISTIE'S AND THEN THERE WERE NONE . . . THE LAST DELIVERS ON ITS INTRIGUING PREMISE AS THE VENEER OF CIVILISATION WEARS AWAY AND A COLLECTIVE SAVAGERY STARTS TO TAKE HOLD' IRISH TIMES
'CHILLINGLY NIGHTMARISH - A GRIPPING READ' SOPHIA TOBIN
'A FANTASTIC SETTING, GREAT CHARACTERS AND A SLOW BUILDING TENSION MAKES THE LAST ONE TO WATCH' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
'WE DEFY YOU TO PICK UP THE LAST, READ THE FIRST PAGE, THEN PUT IT BACK DOWN AGAIN' STYLIST
'DARK AND COMPELLING' CLOSER 'MUST READS'
'MOVES LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN WITH NO BRAKES ON AND RACES TOWARDS AN EXPLOSIVE SET OF REVELATIONS' CRIME TIME
'SHOCKING, INTRIGUING AND RAWLY HUMAN. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK' ONE EMPTY SHELF
Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!
DNF @ 50%
I don't remember precisely how I came across The Last, but I was hooked after reading the description! I absolutely adore post apocalyptic fiction and I loved Annihilation, so I knew this would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, this book failed to deliver in almost every aspect.
The Last is a book that really doesn't seem to know what it's doing. At the very start, Jon finds himself stranded in a Swiss hotel as the world around him and everyone he loves ceases to exist. It's spectacular. But once the initial action ends, things begin to meander and get lost. This book quickly became a story about watching random people go throughout their days with no purpose other than getting high and having sex. Which, I mean, sure. If the world is ending, why not? But why is this marketed as a dystopian thriller?
There were also several plot lines that literally went nowhere. One character sees ghosts, but nothing ever comes of it. The main character briefly mentions that he doesn't think they're alone in the hotel, but that is never mentioned again either. There's also a pointless murder mystery that, although I didn't finish the book, I did see had a very unsatisfactory outcome.
I fully expected to be blown away by this book that compares itself to Annihilation, but it was one of the biggest letdowns I've had recently. There was SO much potential here for a great story. If you're looking for a post apocalyptic thrill ride, this is not the one for you. There's no tension here. If you want to read a story about a few people going through the motions in a remote hotel, maybe you'll enjoy it.
Reading updates
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1 June, 2019:
Reviewed
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Started reading
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1 June, 2019:
Reviewed