Last She
3 primary works
Book 1
2023 University of Wisconsin Madison English Department Early Career Alumni Award
Survival is everything. So is love.
Ara hasn’t seen another human in months―not since her father disappeared. As the only female to survive a devastating virus, her world is haunted by the ghosts of her former life. Her mother. Her sister.
Kaden and his crew live by a code: stay alert, stay alive. When they catch Ara trying to steal from them, they are furious―and confused. She’s the first girl they’ve seen in three years. And while Kaden knows taking her captive is wrong, he tells himself it’s for her protection. That the only place she’ll be safe is with the clan, his new home. The world of men.
However, Ara is determined to discover the truth about the plague, and nothing will stop her. And as Kaden becomes mesmerized by her will and beauty, he realizes that he will do anything to help her, even if it tears their worlds apart.
But the world of men isn’t prepared for The Last She, and the odyssey to save themselves means Kayden and Ara have to leave behind everything they’ve come to know. To burn it down to the ground. In the ashes they can start again.
Book 2
Ara
Is desperate to reunite with her father and put the events that happened in Boise behind her. Ara hopes to find sanctuary in The Last City, an almost-mythical place where the plague is nonexistent and she can finally discover the truth about her family. Once she arrives, she discovers the truth is stranger than fiction, and Ara wonders if she’s made a huge mistake . . .
Kaden
Will go anywhere for Ara, will do anything, but he’s tested to his limits in The Last City. Forced to join a dangerous expedition, Kaden soon finds himself separated from Ara and, once again, on the run for his life. Now he needs to risk it all again to find Ara in The Last City . . .
Sam
Has hooked up a rigged electrical system, blasting away the silence with music, feeling almost normal since he nearly lost his life. He doesn’t know where Kaden and Ara are, and when he meets a mysterious girl named E, they embark on an adventure that will bring all of their lives crashing together . . .
All three must uncover the secrets of The Last City if they have any hope of getting out of this apocalypse alive.
Book 3
In the final installment of H.J. Nelson’s dynamic The Last She series, Ara, Kaden, and Sam risk everything to save what’s left of the world when it’s threatened by the Creation.
Ara and Kaden are above ground. Now that they know the truth, they want nothing more than to move forward. To find their way in this new world, together. They also want to find their way back to Sam, who is both alive and back with the clan. They all want their happy-for-now ending.
The Creation have other plans. They, too, want to exist above ground—but in a world that does not include humans. The battle will happen and only one side can win. Will Ara be the last one standing again, or can she, Kaden, and Sam save what’s left of humanity?