The Last She is pretty much my jam. We've got an apocalypse plague, some survivors surviving, some traipsing around, and some mysteriousness. What's not to love!? When we meet Ara, she's just trying to survive after losing everything and everyone to a devastating plague. She also knows that historically, females do not survive this illness. Yet, here she is. She is also smart enough to know that she probably doesn't want to be found, with everyone thinking she's the last (or certainly among the last) females in existence.

But despite her best efforts, she's discovered. And although she tries to pretend she's a boy, it doesn't work for long. What ensues is some high stakes, high octane survival, with an added mystery thrown in. Once its clear that Kaden and his cohorts (at least, the ones he trusts) are among the good guys, the enemies become clearer. Kaden's group is split into factions, and of course, one group isn't exactly planning to respect Ara or her uterus.

And while they're trying to remain safe, Ara has a bit of a side project: her father has left her instructions to basically save the world. Ara has no idea what that will entail, but she's determined to figure it out. Kaden, for his part, finds himself willing to follow her to the ends of the earth to do it.

I really enjoyed the characters. Ara was a tough cookie, and was going to try to survive at any cost, which I obviously respected. Kaden had a found family (and some actual family, even) that he was determined to keep safe as well. I loved how Ara bonded with them, too. It was great getting to not only get to know the characters, but to see their relationships develop.

The whole book is just so readable, frankly. The pacing is great, there are plenty of twists and turns, and I simply could not put it down!

Bottom Line: I'm going to need the sequel. Like, immediately.

The world has ended. Everything Ara has ever known has been taken from her. Now the only person she has left has disappeared. Forced to travel through the male infested wasteland that once was Idaho, she does everything possible to stay alive and stay safe. Ara is the last living female on the planet as far as they are aware and that means no where on earth is safe for her. Intent on stealing from a passing group of men, instead she finds herself caught and taken into their territory. Her jailor, Kaden, she hopes might also be her rescuer in the end.

Huge thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss, Wattpad Books, and H.J. Nelson for an advanced copy of this book. You can pick up your own copy out December 7, 2021.

I just want to put a disclaimer that this book touches on SA and I wanted everyone to be aware should you decide to pick up your own copy.

The Last She came out on Wattpad in 2015 and was a huge hit in 2016 earning it a Watty award. It currently sits at #1 in dystopian and numerous other categories on Wattpad and it was announced that it is in the process of being adapted for the screen. It is the first book in a trilogy and it's written in both Ara and Kaden's point of views. During Ara's pov, you are often thrust back in time to when her family was still around.

I can see why this book was such a big hit. 2016 was around the time that dystopian and post apocalyptic books and movies were all the rage. Think Divergent, The Hunger Games, and The 5th Wave. I love a good dystopian, sadly this one fell a little bit short for me. I will start you off with the things I liked, before I move into the where it went wrong. The premise is brilliant. This teenage female braving the world alone, existing as the last known female. You know I also love me some romantic tropes and this one included insta-love AND a love triangle (sort of). I appreciate how well rounded all of the characters were, even the ones with a bit part. Each one made you love them or hate them. It takes an amazing writing ability to have a reader feel something towards every character discussed in the book.

I really could have lived without the back and forth. I'm not going to go into it too much here because I don't want to give anything away, but do we really need all the self sacrifice and constant escaping then getting caught? Once or twice is understandable but it's like all the action was built around how many times Ara or Kaden would escape and then turn themselves in so the other isn't hurt. Honestly, it got boring. It's really the only thing that I didn't like about the book., but when your plot moves in circles, it doesn't make readers want to reach for the next book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dystopian with a little romance, To anyone who appreciates a good insta-love trope. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who gets tired of reading the same thing over and over again.

⭐⭐⭐✨ 3.5 stars from me for The Last She.

HOLY!! This was incredible. A post-apocalyptic book with the world's potentially last female? Sign me up! I was hooked from the very first line. This book kept me enthralled. I love the characters Ara, Kaden, Sam, and Isaac. They are incredible characters. I was so worried for Ara. Most of the world's population is gone, women have not been seen in years. She is believed to be the last woman or one of the last women. What could possibly go wrong?! She is living by herself trying to not run into anyone. When she is captured by Kaden and his group. I do not want to spoil anything so I won't say much more about that. I want to know how did this disease/illness come? Why? I need to know! This book was so suspenseful. The descriptions of the infected animals are chilling. Please please tell me there is going to be a sequel. I need answers. Please read this book. You will not regret it. I felt an array of emotions the entire time. I hated when I finally reached the end, I did not want to be finished. I am going to order a hard copy of the book now!

Thank you NetGalley and Wattpad Books for an advanced reader's copy of this book. I am torn on how many stars to give this one. Was it good? I honestly can't really say. What it does have going for it is that it's easy to get into, fast paced, and I didn't mind the dual points of view as I felt they were distinctive enough to tell which character was speaking. At its core, this book is simple in its premise, a plague happens which seemingly kills off most people and animals and seems to affect those born female at birth more than those born male. In this it reminds me of The Knife of Never Letting Go, except it's not as well done. There are too many questions left unanswered (yes, I know there is to be a second book or a series), but the author starts on one thing and then shifts gears completely. While the "clans" were realistic, the injuries sustained by characters who were suddenly healed the next day was not. Throughout the book I kept trying to grasp at plot lines not finished and twists that left me confused and characters who were not well developed. I'd say 2.5 stars but I'll round up to 3 because I did at least finish it in hopes that the author was going to give the reader something more.

Wow! I was hooked from the start, This was such a captivating read. I enjoyed the plot/setting. Definitely recommend. 5/5 Stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Wattpad books for allowing me to read the book in exchange for a honest review!

A quick post apocalyptic read. Wish there had been a bit more resolution and more character development. It will be interesting to see if there is another book in the series.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

I started this one thinking it was a stand alone. I didn't realize it was a trilogy. So here I am finishing this one up thinking that that was the end. When this killer twist comes out of nowhere. Then another twist pops out of the earth. And now I am crying because I have to wait for the next one. :(do you see my tears?):

This apocalyptic thriller with a light romance reminded me of Resident Evil twisted with The Walking Dead. I think fans of both of those shows will devour this one. I started and finished it in just over 5 hours because I could not put it down.

I would say this one is most likely better set for high young adult fans. There are two attempted rape parts in the story and some gore and a lot of death in this one.

Ara was such a strong female character. I loved how she was head strong and didn't need help saving herself. She knew how to survive and she did. I can not wait to see what happens in book two after the twists at the end of this one. I am so excited to continue the series.



Go Into This One Knowing: Attempted Rape, Gore, Murder, High YA

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early review copy of this book!

This book took me by surprise. I didn’t really know what to expect going into it but the description sounded interesting and I was recommended it by a friend, and honestly I was not disappointed. The action scenes are really well written and the places and people are written with so much detail. The story also ended up being very refreshing and it was a really fun read. I don’t know if I would say it’s similar to the hunger games as they describe but it is a fun dystopian read for those who love the genre.

I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I would say this is probably 2.5 stars. I'm rounding up to 3 since it did hold my interest.

I read a few reviews before I read the book and I'm now wondering if they read something different than I did? I'm not an expert by any means but I can tell when a book is written well and when it isn't. And this one definitely was not. This felt like I read a very rough draft. The hard part of reviewing ARCs is trying not the dwell on the errors that will get corrected by the final editing process. But I feel like this book needs a lot of editing.

First of all, the book description doesn't feel accurate. I don't want to give away any spoilers but I feel like this was less of a quest for a cure as it was... I'm not sure how best to describe it, just survival?

There were many parts that I had to reread because I just didn't understand what was going on, but even rereading didn't help, it lacked description. The world was somewhat vague. For instance, in three years it seems unlikely the ceiling of a mall would collapse all on its own, give some sort of suggestion as to why this happened? A virus itself isn't going to cause all the buildings to go into ruin so quickly, I understand there will be vandalism and such but the way it sounds it's like a hurricane came through the city (which is unlikely in Idaho). It just felt unrealistic, along with a few other aspects of the book, like someone falling asleep while riding a horse and not falling off?

Being written in first person you often see the characters direct thoughts thrown in but typically they are put in italic or you're told that it's a thought. Something to let you know what is a thought and was is part of the story. The author just threw thoughts in all over the place, in between dialogue, in the middle of descriptions. It was throwing me off. Especially close to dialogue where I had to continue to look back at the punctuation to determine if it was a thought of if it was spoken.

With a lot of editing and a better description, the book has as lot of potential, but as it is I can't recommend it. And for a stand alone novel, that was a very unsatisfying ending. Maybe there will be a second book?

I received a “The Last She” e-book free from NetGalley and Wattpad Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

I haven’t read a dystopian that pulled me in completely since Divergent… and The Last She pulled me in completely.

Following the characters Ara and Kaden, we see how they survive in the world after a mystery illness killed all women- except for Ara- as they are faced with human and non-human threats and their own emotions.

This book perfectly mixes romance, mystery, intriguing characters, and the problem of humanity in a dystopian setting, and I ate it up.

With a dual point of view, Ara is introduced first, and she is shown as a woman who is highly cautious of men. Throughout the book, we get flashbacks that all add to the intrigue and show us more of who Ara is and what shaped her into the woman she is throughout the main storyline. We see a woman shaped by the people she’s met and the world around her with the main problem of her being a woman. All while trying to follow her father's (very) cryptic instructions.

We then get introduced to Kaden, a man who is caring and sarcastic, especially when it comes to Ara. His humanity plays a big part in this book and who he becomes. Through his chapters, we get to see the internal war (and external war) he goes through when it comes to Ara and the world, and being torn between choosing his feelings or his duty.

Most of the main action was in the second half of the book, and it was a little hectic for a while. But, that didn’t make the first half any less enjoyable. The first half did a great job of building the world and investing in the characters. It makes you fall in love with the story and the characters before bringing in the main action, and it flowed very well, even though the first half was slower.

I originally read The Last She on Wattpad when it was first written. I remembered very little about it when I started reading this, and I was so glad. Not knowing made this book so much better, and the anticipation of events to come made it all the more worth it. H.J. Nelson built a world that was easy to picture, characters you could invest in, and a story that left me wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for sending me this e-book, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was probably one of my favorite books I’ve read this year.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wattpad for the ARC.

1.5/5

The premise is what had me clamouring to read this book. It brought me right back to 2012 and the years of Hunger Games, The Fifth Wave and what I was hoping it would be like - The Maze Runner.

But The Last She seems much less The 100 or The Hunger Games and much more The Knife of Never Letting Go (and a bit The Fifth Wave). The plot we were given has been seen before with an ending that I feel we had seen before, even though I did not see it coming.

This book broke down as soon as we were introduced to the love interest, Kaden. I felt like the author was trying to convince me that they had a connection, but it was more written as "they had a connection" than anything we could see. I do not understand Ara's relationship with Kaden or even his little brother, Sam.

Kaden is trying to be that 'bad boy' calling her princess, but with the actions in the book, it would've made more sense for Gabriel to be the surprise love interest.

There were also some unbearably cringe moments, such as Victoria's Secret and the 'unspeakable,' and how Ara treats Addison - a literal child. She is so rude to her, and for what reason?

I do imagine this is the kind of world left if it was just men - so props to that.

I would've liked it to focus on maybe one thing so we could get an arc in the story. Family, the cure or romance? I am not sure what to focus on throughout the book. All in all, a miss. It is trying to be many things and doesn't hit any of them.

You had me at, ""The 100" meets "The Hunger Games" in this post-apocalyptic romantic adventure about the last woman on Earth." This is everything I could've asked for in a book and more, truly. "The Last She" was instantly addicting and I had trouble putting it down.

Ara is the only woman who survived a deadly virus and she hasn't seen another person in months, ever since her father disappeared. While attempting to survive on her own, Ara gets caught stealing from Kaden and his group. Surprised to find that their thief is a girl and the first one they've seen in three years they take her captive, but Ara, who was taught to not trust men, is determined to escape and follow through on her dad's mission–to go back to beginning.

Every character felt incredibly realistic, whether I loved or hated them, which was refreshing; the plot is quick paced; the concept is captivating for any dystopian lover; and it's the perfect mix of action and romance. I also enjoyed the change in perspectives as it helped move the story along, never making the reader feel stuck in one place or mind too long.

My main advice would be for the author to develop the main romantic relationship more so it does not appear like instant puppy love. These two characters come to the realization of their feelings for each other rather fast and we miss seeing it all. This is common in young adult stories and is a personal pet peeve of mine. I could've done without the epilogue as well, I don't think it was necessary.

I would recommend "The Last She" in a heartbeat and I can't wait to explore a sequel.

I enjoyed the writing style of the author. I really liked the ending, a good cliffhanger is always something I form a love-hate relationship with. It is definitely written for young adult in the use of language. I would compare the writing and character relationships to that of Maggie Stiefvater's in "The Raven Cycle' series.

I've enjoyed dystopian stories in the past, but it's been a while since I've read one. This sounded like a good one to check out. However, it missed the mark for me. Much of the plot was predictable, and there wasn't as much action or world building as I'd hoped for or expected with this genre. I did like Ara. The romance angle fell flat. Isaac was perhaps my favorite character, though all the characters were quite one dimensional. I'm not sure that I'll check out future books.

When the world ends thanks to a mysterious illness that effects females more than males, Ara knows she has to be more than just careful. She’s separated from her father and he tells her “go back to the beginning” before sprinting off. Ara then has to find her way back to her childhood home where she and her father abandoned her younger sister at the signs of the illness in her eyes. She meets Kaden and the clan of men he lives with and once her gender is discovered there are power struggles and many vie for her attention. But she HAS to find the beginning and find her family again, and these men are in her way.

Very good story, kinda I Am Legend meets Scottish war clans. I enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to a sequel for these characters!

I have a feeling that this is the first book in a new series by H. J. Nelson and I really hope I'm not wrong! I struggled at the beginning but quickly got sucked in and invested in everyone's lives. It's an interesting premise but I do wish the plague and everything that followed had been explained a little better. I can't wait to read the next book in the series so hopefully I will get approved for that one too when it's time. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

TW there is some animal violence which I was not a fan of, but one instance made for a hell of scene. Ugh

The Last She is a dystopian YA novel based in a post-apocalyptic world. A deadly disease (maybe not great to premise in a COVID world!) starts killing off people and animals - but especially females. Ara is one of the last living females. She hasn’t seen another human in months, until she meets Kaden and his crew. They are so confused that a girl is still alive and not sure what to do with her.

There would have been a time I would have been obsessed with this book, but I think I’m mostly over YA dystopian books. It was interesting enough though and I read it in about 3 hours, so a super quick read! If you’re a fan of The Grace Year or Hunger Games then pick up this book.

Let me just start by saying that these post-apocalyptic books terrify me, always have an always will. It probably does not help that I read this in 2021. While this is not my typical genre to read, I did think this book had a lot of positives. The book follows Ara, who has not seen another female in years due to a pandemic and then is subsequently captured by a group of men. She quickly joins their clan, but she has another mission from her father, to find out how this all started.

What I liked: This book was nonstop action, and if you are a big YA fan, this is for you. While there is a romance, it is not over the top and the plot mostly focuses on Ara’s need for survival. The book moved quickly and kept you on your toes to try to find out what would happen next.

To keep in mind: Make sure to check trigger warnings before reading because there are a bunch of potential ones. There were some odd time jumps in the middle that if they were explored more in depth could have given us more insight into the characters. There was also a character at the beginning who is quickly removed and we never hear about him again; however, it is clear that there is going to be a sequel so it may be addressed then.

Rating: I would recommend this to anyone who loves YA literature and is looking for something that is not focused solely on the romance aspect. I found the writing to be overall very clear, and the book had a lot of action that kept it interesting.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

In a post-apocalyptic future, Ara is the only woman who's survived a deadly virus. Her father disappeared on her months ago and she hasn't seen another human being since. When Ara gets caught stealing from Kaden and his group of men, they're shocked to see a woman and they take her captive. Ara, however, is determined to follow through with her father's plan, to find a cure for the virus.

I didn't love this book, hence the rating of two stars. I am by no means dismissing Wattpad as a platform, some great books have originated there, but this book very much feels like it was published on Wattpad. It's cheesy and relatively predictable, and immediately obvious that Kaden and Ara were being set up to be together. I was about 25%-30% through the book and they were already pretty much in insta-love, which isn't a trope I enjoy. There was very little romantic build-up to their relationship and it just felt a bit fake and forced.

I also had more questions than answers, which is sometimes a good thing, but in this case, I was just confused. The writing was a bit choppy and I felt like the pacing was off. The timeline was all over the place – I couldn't figure out if we were in the present or the past, and how much time was passing in between chapters. Like, I had to read the summary to figure out that her father's been missing for months –– the beginning of the book made it seem like it happened three days ago, which I logically knew couldn't be possible based on Ara's skills. And speaking of her skills – she's lauded at being really good at using a bow and surviving and stuff but that's not shown. She really isn't the badass I would have expected from being the last woman in existence

This book ends abruptly, very obviously setting up for the sequel. However, I think it could have been resolved a bit more so the reader wasn't left hanging in an unsatisfying way. I almost would have preferred if the sequel was combined with this one to make a longer book? Honestly, I'm not sure, but there definitely could have been more of a conclusion even with a cliffhanger. It just didn't work.

At first I thought this was going to be another end of the world boy-meets-girl and falls in love book. In a way it is, but in other ways it isn’t. The story involving Ara’s sister and Gabriel’s clan made this book one of a kind.