Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an e-copy of The Last One by Will Dean in exchange for am honest and unbiased review.

WOW! Do you looooove Black Mirror like I do? Then this is the book for you! The conflict of how far is too far when dealing with humanity. I definitely have a bit of a book hangover after blowing through this twisty and mysterious thriller! The Last One by Will Dean! Fast paced, short chapters and cliff hangers practically every chapter!

Desperate for some R&R, Caroline Ripley aka Caz, and her new boyfriend Pete have booked and boarded a holiday on the ultra luxurious ocean liner, the RMS Atlantica. Destination the Atlantic Coast of America. Posh amenities, World Class Cuisine, Luxurious sleeping accomodations, everything you could dream for on a much needed vacation. Although on the RMS Atlantica, this dream vacation very quickly turns into the ultimate nightmare. First night onboard, Caz wakes to her partner Pete missing, She soon learns it's not just Pete, the entire ship of passengers are gone, just disappeared into thin air. No luggage left behind. What on Earth could've caused everyone to willingly get off the boat without their loved ones? Were they taken? It becomes increasingly apparent that something sinister has happened. A wrongness heavy in the air. As Caz frantically explores the eerily silent corridors she encounters a small group of passengers also completely in the dark on what is going on. They begrudgingly decide they'll survive better together so they begin preparations on managing life for now on this deeply unsettling ship. Once they get into the swing of things and start feeling a little better about being trapped on a luxury liner filled to the brim with fine rare wine and 5 star meals, they find out they were wrong on so many levels regarding this mysterious incident. Sooooo very very very wrong! Their humanity will be tested in ways they never dreamed. I won't give away more because I absolutely believe it would spoil the book and I feel this one is best jumping in blind! It's fantastic, creepy, tense and so exciting. Just perfect for a late summer read! That last line especially....OMG noooooo!!! That was so wrong!!!! I mean it crushed my brain in the best way possible. That last line is the reason I will be thinking of this book for a long time! Well done Will Dean, well done!

This was one of the best books I have read. It gripping right to the very end. I would love to read more books by Will Dean. Awesome!,,

Well, that was one nightmarish, crazy vacation!!

Caz wakes up to an empty ocean liner. Hundreds of people, including her boyfriend and the crew, have vanished without a trace. The ship's route map shows there wasn't a detour and the ship hasn't stopped. The RMS Atlantica is on a week long journey from England to New York and is now sailing on autopilot.

Where did everyone go? What happened while Caz slept? This is only the first chapter or two and saying anything more would be saying too much and spoiling some pretty epic surprises. This is a book best enjoyed knowing as little as possible about the story.

The Last One is a plot driven, gripping thriller with a number of fantastic twists and a strong sense of claustrophobia and mounting tension. The author came up with a plot so crazy I quickly gave up trying to guess what was going on and just settled in to enjoy the unpredictable ride.

Only a couple things held this back from being a 5 star thriller for me. There were some scenes and conversations scattered throughout the book that felt very similar and repetitive. Also, the final chapter. I'm still thinking over that final chapter and trying to decide how I feel about it, but my initial thought is that I would have preferred the story without the final twist. That's just my personal opinion, though. I expect a lot of people will love the final shocker.

Readers who enjoy a thriller that's heavy on edge-of-your-seat, whiplash inducing entertainment, who can fully suspend disbelief, and who appreciate a story for the pure fun escape it provides will have lots to love with this wild book. I found it impossible to set it down, thanks to short chapters often ending with mini cliffhanger moments, and blew thru the entire thing in a day. A perfect addition to the summer thriller reading list!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for providing me a copy to read and review.

I don’t really like writing negative reviews for books. I always feel like despite what the reviews of a book are, it takes talent to write one and I appreciate that.

That being said, The Last One was just not for me. Once I realized where the story was going, I felt like there was some promise, but I just didn’t enjoy it. I almost didn’t finish about halfway through, but I kept going after remembering all the good reviews and talk of a stunning ending.

I feel as though I read a completely different book than most of the other reviewers. However, everyone has their own interests and that’s what makes the art of writing so beautiful!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Can you even imagine the excitement of your first cruise only to wake up in your cabin all alone? I mean ALL ALONE. Everybody.....the other passengers, all the crew, the Captain....GONE. How could that happen? Who's steering the ship? Where is everyone? The thriller/suspense genre is not typical for me but I have discovered that I love all books by Will Dean. And this one did not disappoint! I want to thank Netgalley, Atria Books, and the author Will Dean for this crazy, roller-coaster ride!

#netgalley #Willdean #thelastone #atriabooks

I requested this ARC after seeing another reader recommend it and was so excited to read it. It's about a small business owner who never takes time for herself going on a cruise ship (liner) vacation with her boyfriend. She wakes up on the second day of the voyage to find that everyone has disappeared. Together with the three other passengers left behind, they start to figure out how to survive and uncover what happened. There were several twists in this book to keep the pacing going and decent character development. I read a lot of mystery/thrillers, so none of it was shocking to me and I guessed most of what would happen. I do think this book was different and has an interesting story and therefore I would recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for the advanced readers copy of The Last One by Will Dean. I don’t even know where to begin, this book is a real page turner and psychological thriller. Caroline and her boyfriend Pete set sail on a cruise to New York. In the morning when Caroline wakes up, Pete is nowhere to be found. As she searches for him, she realizes not only is Pete missing, but so is everyone else that was aboard the ship. Unputdownable, must read thriller. Will Dean has written another great book! I looo forward to your next one.

Caz finds herself in a frightening situation. She goes to bed happy with her partner on an ocean liner and wakes up all alone on the ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Where did everybody go?

This is just the start of her troubles. While frantically searching the ship, she finally stumbles upon a few others, and together, they experience the cruise of their nightmares. One bad thing after another keeps happening, and things escalate. Just when Caz and her cohorts get a breather, something more threatening happens to them. Who is the force behind the evils making their lives so difficult?

Anticipation for what is going to happen next makes this a page turner. This might be classified as a psychological thriller or a survival novel. It also captures the idea of making friends with strangers in life and death situations. Who can they trust? The characters begin to have faith in each other; then mysterious things happen to throw them off-kilter, but if they don’t work as a team, they could all die. Will they all die anyway? As some questions are answered, others are presented.

Readers may find themselves thinking about what they would do in this situation. It’s a thinker of a story and filled with surprises. Things aren’t always as they seem. Mixed emotions are inspired, and confusion can set in.

What a big ending this book has, but then the ending, well, let’s just hope the author continues the story.

Caz embarks on a cruise with her boyfriend, Pete..... but wakes up to find herself seemingly alone on the ocean liner.

I absolutely love this author but this one totally bananas. The other two books I have read by this author were quick-start, gritty novels with pretty grounded stories. This was the total opposite. Off to an extremely slow start, I was fully 30% in before the book maybe started to go anywhere. I was fully 50% in when it finally got interesting. Now I love a good locked room mystery, but the sheer magnitude of set up involved in the twist is mind boggling to the point where I found myself distracted from the story by how absolutely preposterous this whole thing was.

While the very end had a pretty interesting twist (though I have SO many questions), this one was as much a nightmare for me as it was for the main character. LOVE Will Dean but hated this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and author Will Dean for this wild rollercoaster of a thriller.

I am as they say, shook from this book! I can imagine a blockbuster movie made from this.
It held me as captive (pun intended) as the Atlantica viewing audience was shown to be.

I am a watcher of reality television even as I loathe all its depictions of flawed human nature.
I am not a fan of social media for its attention-farming greed and hungry-dog demographic viewership.

This story depicted both of those industries and just how pervasive in human existence they have become in our modern online, tele-connected world.

Aside from the moral examination of the above, this book was loaded with action, suspense, horror, and mystery.
The ship itself functioned as tormentor and prisoner.

I was utterly fascinated by the premise and rooted by the physical and emotional torture Caz endures along with her other passengers.

Spoiler:
I did not care for the last page. I would have liked a happy ending after all that I felt *I’d* endured in my reading experience!

Five stars.

Thank you to Atria books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow, just wow. All I can say is this book took my breath away. It gave me Hunger Games vibes and I could easily see this book being adapted into a movie fit for the big screen!

After embarking on a cruise from England heading toward NYC with her new boyfriend Pete, Caroline (who goes by Caz) finally lets herself relax for the week. But relaxation is the opposite of what she gets. She awakes on the cruise liner Antarctica to find that she is the only passenger left on board. How and why is this happening? Well you’re have to read to find out the truth about how it all came to be. And to see how Caroline’s story ends.

This story was intriguing, risky, and had all the components of a truly bone rattling mystery to solve.

Although, I was able to sense the twist that came on the last page I was still left shocked. And I have high hopes that in the future a sequel could be delivered!

Whatever you’re doing, drop it and get your hands on this book!!!!!

Thanks so much Atria Books and NetGalley.

Caz is on this exclusive ocean liner on vacation with her boyfriend, Pete. When she wakes up the next morning, he is missing. In fact, everyone is missing. She's trapped.

I thought this was a fun and thrilling adventure as Caz tries to figure out the mystery of what happened to everyone on board. I thought the ending was way too far fetched and unnecessary.

This book begins with our main character, Caz, boarding a luxury cruise liner with her boyfriend Pete. They are looking forward to a relaxing vacation aboard the Atlantica. The first night on the ship was filled with dinner and dancing. As Caz woke up the next morning Pete was gone. She soon finds out that everyone on the ship is gone as well. How could this happen ?
Soon you are hit with the twist and it was just kinda farfetched for me. I liked the idea of everyone mysteriously disappearing from a ship but this story left me with too many questions.
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book for review.

Caroline and Pete set off for adventure on the RMS Atlantica, and exclusive automated cruise liner. Caroline thinks it will be a good way to destress until she wakes up to discover Pete is missing. Upon further inspection she soon discovers all of the passengers aboard the ship have seemed to disappear...a modern day ghost ship

The Last One is a new thriller/mystery by author Will Dean. This author is typically a 4 to 5 star read for me so I was excited to get the chance to get an early look at his newest novel. I have to say this was my least favorite read of all of his novels which was quite disappointing. I wasn't a fan of any of the characters and despite having an interesting plot twist I just didn't find the plot as entertaining as I had hoped. For those who have never read anything by this author; please take this review lightly as I have really loved all of his other novels. I just don't think this particular read was a good fit for me but I look forward to reading future works by this author.

A whiplash ride of a thriller!

Honestly I can't recall the last time I spent so much time picking apart a mystery. This story was the perfect slow drip of character background and current tension that there was always something to discuss. The setting on a cruise ship was incredible, the characters varied and for the most part were likeable, and how the challenges unfolded I really believed the response and reaction by the characters. Some suspension of disbelief was necessary but that didn't affect my enjoyment. As the ending drew near Dean cranked the fear up to 11 and I was all in for whatever was about to happen!!

Except what did happen. The ending would be a 2 star from me. Gosh I loved 95% of this book. I was so excited to have a near perfect 5 star thriller. Sadly the ending did not work for me.

I would still highly recommend this to any thriller reader! The rest of the book is worth it.

The Last One by Will Dean is an adrenaline-pumping thriller that will leave you breathless. From the moment I picked up this book, I was hooked. The suspense and mystery had me racing through the pages, desperate to uncover the truth. I had no idea what was happening, but that only added to the thrill. The author kept me guessing until the very end, and oh boy, that ending! It's the kind that will leave you stunned and craving more.

The setting of the story, an empty cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic, was brilliantly depicted. I could vividly imagine the terror and isolation that Caz, the protagonist, experienced when she realized she was completely alone. With no way to communicate with the outside world, the sense of helplessness and fear was palpable.

I won't go into detail about the plot because it's best experienced firsthand without any spoilers. Just trust me when I say that The Last One will keep you on the edge of your seat, questioning what happened to everyone and how it will all end. Will Dean has crafted a masterpiece of suspense, intrigue, and relentless thrills. The twists and turns are abundant, and each chapter ends with a cliffhanger that compels you to keep reading. It's a book that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this gripping novel. If you're a fan of suspense, mystery, and thrillers, I highly recommend picking up The Last One. You won't be disappointed.

I’m sorry, WHAT?! This book wasn’t what I expected AT ALL, and I’m here for it! This was like a locked room mystery on steroids! I mean, WHAT?! I’m still trying to grasp that ending.

After reading this book, it’s safe to say I’m never taking a cruise again or if I do, I’ll definitely read the fine print 😉

Y’all need to add this to your tbr! Save! Preorder! Whatever you have to do, but you are going to WANT to read this book.

🛳️🛳️🛳️🛳️🛳️🛳️🛳️🛳️🛳️🛳️/5

Releasing in August. Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

O.M.G.

I have no words to describe how I felt when I got to the last page of The Last One. Will Dean created a world where I felt as though I was living on the edge from the first page to the last.

Cas (short for Caroline to her family and close friends) finally agrees to go on a cruise with her boyfriend. At one point she mentions she's gone on a total of 13 dates with Peter. [At that same point I thought to myself, that I'd never have agreed to go away with someone I've seen a grand total of 13 times... and perhaps Caz should have listened to me!]

They board the ship and when Caz wakes up the next morning, she's alone in the cabin. But in fact, she is actually alone on the ship.

Or is she?

This story had my blood pressure much higher than it should be from start to finish. And I certainly don't believe in spoilers so just let me say this: O.M.G. Just WAIT until you read the last page!!!

4.5 stars.
I am a SUCKER for survival stories. (Can thank my fifth grade teacher for making us read Hatchet) This book took me on a ride, that's for sure. It made me feel uncomfortable many times, especially when talking about how unexplored the sea is o•
This was a lot darker than I anticipated, which is a plus.
The only thing keeping it from being a full blown five star was the ending, not that it was bad, it just wasn't what I was hoping for.


Review will be posted to tiktok shortly

4.5⭐️

I have never read a premise like this before. It was like a combination of The Hunger Games and Yellowjackets (showtime). It was utterly original and SO much fun to read. I would recommend this to people who love a good thriller mixed with life or death competition.

Caroline, Daniel, Francine, and Smith (four strangers) have the opportunity to take the cruise of a lifetime. One morning, Caroline wakes up alone without her boyfriend. She looks everywhere on the ship to realize, that she is the only one left aboard. After frantic searching, she comes across Daniel, Francine, and Smith. All four of them team up together to try and find out where the rest of the passengers have gone. In their search, they realize that all the luggage is gone, the lifeboats are locked, they have no access to food or water. As they become increasingly more desperate to survive, they begin to receive televised messages from "her" who tells them they must complete different tasks. They tasks are dangerous and will push them to their limits.

This book was the ULTIMATE thriller. I hope that this gets adapted to the big screen because this would be such an amazing show to watch. This is also definitely worth a preorder if you ask me!!

Thank you to to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the ARC!