I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This novel started out with great potential, but approximately two-thirds of the way in the story began to splinter off in random directions. At times the novel struggles to be [book:The Shining|11588], [book:Station Eleven|20170404], and [book:The Mysterious Affair at Styles|16343] but ultimately fails at all. The premise of the novel--an apocalyptic event with a sub story of an unsolved murder in a creepy resort--is a solid one and highly intrigued. It is just a shame that the author was unable to deliver on this idea and allowed herself to be pulled off target with a variety of ridiculous side plots. The ending feels rushed and unsatisfying with many loose ends unresolved. A frustrating read.

I admittedly don’t read a ton of dystopian novels, but holy hell did this one scare the crap out of me! The main reason? It seemed entirely possible, it wasn’t all that far fetched and made me think, but what if SO many times.

This is told entirely from Jon’s point of view in journal style entries beginning at day one. He’s writing down his own personal experience after nuclear war begins as a way to document events for future generations. I loved the style, parts felt frantic, almost manic especially in the beginning but that made it feel super authentic. Who wouldn’t be feeling crazed when the world as they know it ends? As the days go by and Jon settles into a new way of life he finds his groove and the writing evens out and you begin to get more details about what happened and how a small group ended up at a hotel. The hotel itself was a fantastic setting, you get a locked room feeling coupled with an eerie, unnerving vibe due to the unknown activity outside the hotel and then you also have a murder mystery at play. Really creepy stuff, and again, so terrifying because it’s plausible.

This one raises tons of moral questions and dilemmas, when the end is nigh you see both the best and worst of humanity and it’s full of untrustworthy and unlikable characters lending to its authenticity once again. It definitely makes you think and would be perfect for fans of shows like The Walking Dead, it’s not out for awhile but put this on your radar for next spring!

The Last in three words: Haunting, Unnerving and Creepy.

This was a really excellent look at a small slice of humanity and how it would behave when everything gets disrupted. Weaved throughout is the murder mystery of a small girl, but it takes second stage to how the characters developed, changed. The setting of a hotel was excellent, a nice neutral and interesting place to set the end of the world. I appreciated that no one fell into a good vs evil trope that sometimes takes over apocalypse stories, they were all just people trying to survive.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys apocalypse stories, mysteries, or the examination of human nature.

This is the second book in a row I've read that touches on what could happen given the political climate in the world - always hinted but never overtly stated...

Nuclear bombs have detonated all over the world leaving those left wondering if they're the only ones. Quickly this becomes a matter of surviving which ultimately leads to paranoia, anxiety and a battle for food and sanity. Have you ever thought how you would react should the end of the world, or what seems like it, should come?

There were parts of this book that reminded me of The Walking Dead. We have a group of people stranded at a hotel. Quickly a leader makes himself known, there are loyalties amongst this group who have spent days/weeks together but also growing dissent amongst them. Unsure if there are more people out there or not, but when there are signs … well, paranoia, distrust and chaos start to ensue.

It seems a running theme that once the world goes to shit, people immediately enact their own rules and/or laws to live by and God help those who aren't following along - if you believe in God, that is. Why does the human race immediately react this way? Survival of the fittest. There were some scary themes thrown in - when thinking if this small group was the only people left for repopulating the world - would men actually force themselves on women to continue the population - are women now just regulated to being baby makers?

I could go on and on about the different things that were happening here. I loved the way this was written. Through Jon's eyes as he kept writing on a daily basis to have a transcript for others to know what happened during this time. I always find these types of reads extremely interesting as, like with anything, when seen through the eyes of one, you only get their perspective and it makes me wonder how the others in the group may have perceived the same situation.

A unique look at the post-apocalyptic/dystopia type read with a little bit of murder/mystery thrown in for good measure (though unnecessary for the main theme in my opinion but I appreciate Jon needing something to occupy his time and mind during these drastic times).

It's scary because I can actually see something like this happening... and really hoping that it doesn't come to pass. Unnerving, scarily plausible and compulsive.

Well...This was NOT what I was expecting. I was pleasantly surprised. It did take me a little while to get into the story fully.
What I loved: Honestly, I loved the flawed characters.
What I liked: This was a fresh look at dystopian lit mixed with mystery. I also liked the way that the MC's story line wrapped up. It felt like the right ending.
What I hated: Part of the story line seemed disjointed and out of sorts with the rest, but it wasn't enough to make me hate the story. Just a "huh" sort of a feeling.

This books makes you rethink "end of the world" literature.
Song that came running thru my head while reading this: Closing Time by Green Day

Jon is in Switzerland for an academic conference. The L’Hotel Sixieme, is miles from the nearest town and tainted by a strange history of suicides and murders. Sitting in the lobby, guests start receiving a string of notifications: Washington DC has been destroyed by a nuclear bomb, then New York, then London, and finally Berlin. After that everything goes silent. Are they the last survivors?

It’s been two months since the nuclear bombs went off and there are twenty survivors at the hotel. Jon has begun writing about the event and their day to day lives in case anyone is still around to read their history. He also is trying to interview other guests to record their stories, but as he is only one of two America’s it is sometimes hard to communicate with the group.

After they notice lower than normal water pressure a group of men go in search of what could be clogging the tanks. Inside one of the tanks is the body of a little girl. How long has she been there? Is one of them a murderer? Are people hiding there that they aren’t aware of? As their supplies start to dwindle and stress begins to take its toll on the survivors it becomes every man for himself as Jon works to piece together who the little girl is and who could have murdered her but someone doesn’t want him to find out the truth.

All the while, they are still trying to survive the end of the world. They are running out of food and medicine. Other survivors have been spotted in the forest but haven’t come up to the hotel. Should they stay where it is safe but will eventually run out of food? Or do they go in search of what is out there? What would you do to survive?

The Last is a dystopian psychological thriller that catches your attention from the start and doesn’t let go until the thrilling end.

Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to review this Arc.

I’ve stepped outside of my genre comfort zone with The Last, and I’m so glad that I took the chance – it paid off!

This is a dark, deeply disturbing tale of one man’s account of what he deems to be the end of the world due to nuclear war. One that is extremely unsettling and anxiety inducing due to the fact that it is completely possible.

Jon is an American historian who finds himself at a secluded Swiss hotel for a writing conference when nuclear war breaks out. This is his story, told from his point of view, as he tries to record everything that happens for documentation purposes. From complete blackout of the internet and news, to attempting to find food in order to survive – you will find yourself questioning what you would do if you were in the same shoes. It is a story of survival, mystery, and trying to find hope in the bleakness of atrocity.

This is super cinematic in its storytelling – I could absolutely see it being picked up as a film or series. Netflix – get on board here, please!🤗

A big thank you to my girl Chelsea for the invitation to read this book, and to Atria for my advance copy!

I liked this book. I didn't love it like I had wanted to though. I suppose I was looking for more of a murder mystery than this ended up being so that really affected how I ended up feeling towards it when it was done. But it did keep my attention all the way through - I read it in one sitting. 3.5/5

This was a really unsettling read, especially because it felt so plausible based on current events. That said, it was also a gripping, fast paced dystopian thriller with a side dish of murder mystery. I don't want to say too much about this one yet, but I'm really excited to see what other people think of The Last as they read/review it. While the plots are different, it gave me similar vibes to The Last One, another post-apocalyptic/dystopian that I adored. I think fans of that book will love this as well. Highly recommended!