Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Last One.

I'm always up for a locked room thriller, especially since I have yet to find a good one.

The Last One wasn't for me, mainly because I despise reality shows.

Second, the entire setup strains believability and I just couldn't suspend disbelief.

Third, the characters were okay, but I didn't find anyone interesting or compelling enough to care what happens to them.

I get that Caz has deep rooted issues relating to her dad's suicide and gambling addiction, but her character and personality seemed only to be related to this simmering resentment and anger over what her dad did to her and their family.

The narrative dragged on far too long, and my interest flagged and I found myself turning to read other books.

The ending is flat out ridiculous and got an eye roll from me.

I have heard a lot of people love this story. I sadly did not. I was bored and felt like I was waiting forever for something to happen so I DNF'ed this book. I may pick it up again one day and buy the book if I get curious. But 20 chapters and it was dilly dallying. no thank you.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚, 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬; 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚, 𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝.

It was just a book, right? Then why did I have a deep and impending sense of dread almost from the very beginning? The premise of this book is the stuff from my nightmares.

Caz and Pete are still in the early stages of their relationship when they board the cruise ship 𝑨𝒕𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂. Despite Caz's fear and reluctance, she and Pete have a great first night. Thinking she was being irrational, Caz wakes up the next morning to find Pete gone, but she's not alarmed. She sets off to find him but instead finds all the cabin doors open and every last passenger gone. To her shock and horror, after exploring the ship, she finds the crew has vanished as well. No one is steering the ship, and she's in the middle of the ocean, alone...or so she thinks.

This was a tense locked room thriller that had me more anxious and curious with each page. At first I was a little disappointed by the reveal, but then it got twistier and made sense for the story. My only real complaint was the very abrupt ending as I did want more closure.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for this early read. THE LAST ONE will publish August 8, 2023.

THIS BOOK!! The theme, characters, setting, the ship, the ending! The questions it makes you ask throughout the whole book. It was pretty much “hold on for the ride” and what a ride it was. I think this will be an either you love this book or you hate it, it’s not for everyone but for me it was everything i needed. It’s such an epic story!

I had to think long and hard about what would be a spoiler and what wouldn’t when I was writing this review. We know from the synopsis that Caroline (Caz) is about to go on her first cruise with her newish boyfriend, Peter. She doesn’t really want to cross the Atlantic, but she’s excited for a trip with the new man in her life.

As we know, she goes to bed and wakes up the next morning to find Peter gone. In fact, everyone was gone. The guest cabins are empty, the dining areas are deserted, and there isn’t even a captain in the bridge piloting the boat. It’s on autopilot, and she’s racing through the middle of the ocean on an abandoned cruise ship.

The part that I don’t want to spoil is WHY this is all happening, but I will tell you this much: she’s not totally alone. After going through the entire vessel, Caz meets her new friends - she doesn’t know them, but they are in this together and they need to get along to find out what’s going on. On the ship, we also have:

-Daniel, a #vanlife Korean-American who is good looking and handy with tools. He has young daughter he rarely sees because of his nomadic lifestyle.

-Frannie, a 21-year-old anxious Welsh girl who was with her parents on their anniversary trip, and

-Smith, your typical cranky older American man with Diamond-level status and a lot of words for his lawyer.

While trying to make a life for themselves until the boat finds land, the group realizes they don’t have it as easy as they originally thought. A power outage locks their access to food and water. Lifeboats, when tried to use, sink. Fire extinguishers are filled with gasoline. The boat must be heading north towards Greenland, because the group is in danger of freezing to death. Eventually we find out the reasons for all of these things, and it’s absolutely shocking! Will all four of them make it off the ship alive?

This was utterly fantastic and a fresh story filled with thrills, horrors, and suspense. The ending was a shock, and left this open to a sequel. I wish I could go into why this all happens, but you’ll just have to read it to find out! Five stars.

(Thank you to Atria, Will Dean, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on August 8, 2023.)

Thank you to Will Dean, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of a digital advanced reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review!

The book follows Caz who is vacationing to New York with her new partner, Pete aboard the RMS Atlantica. Caz and Pete are settling in to the cruise on the first night and are living it up by drinking, eating, dancing, making friends, and enjoying their vacation. Caz goes to bed that night ready to continue the festivities the next day. When she wakes up, her absolute worst fears are a reality. Pete is gone... The passengers are gone... The crew is gone... Caz is on the ship alone sailing out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Where did everyone go?

Wow. Wow. Wow. I fell in love with First Born and I didn't think there was a way to top that. Sure enough, Will Dean did just that. This book is pretty thick, but not once did the story drag. I'm pretty sure my blood pressure spiked the ENTIRE time I was reading this book. This book had me sobbing, terrified, and then a minute later, I'm furious! (Frannie's challenge... IYKYK). I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The ending - PERFECTION. If there is a book that everyone needs to read in 2023, this book is it.

The Last One - Will Dean

An unexpected cliffhanger of a thrill- ride!

Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the eARC of this crazy and amazingly creative novel.

This is my first, but definitely NOT my last Will Dean offering; I was glued to my chair until the book's conclusion.

I would almost classify as light horror, similar to some of Bentley Little or Stephen King's novels rather than classifying this book as a mystery but fans of either should find something to enjoy in this novel.

Without spoilers- this book was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I loved the locked-in trope and found the story fast-paced, imaginative, and unputdownable. I read over 400 pages in a day and a half! I was hoping the ending would maintain the 5 star feel of the book. The last chapter (2 pages) was not necessary in my opinion and knocked a star. Delete that and it’d be near perfect. Overall, it was quite enjoyable and I do recommend!

I've been wobbling between giving this book one star and two stars. I loved the premise - being trapped aboard a cruise ship is a nightmare on so many levels - so the setup was strong. But then... the explanation for what was going on was... not good. There was also not enough character development for Caz -- yes, her dad was a gambler and thief who ruined their family and her sister was a drug addict but now they run a cafe and all is well but her dad was a gambler and thief who ruined their family... and that's her internal monologue on repeat. And the ending was infuriating and kind of undid everything.

I will say this sucked me in, and I wanted to know what was going on, I was just very disappointed in how it all played out. A lot of other reviewers have really enjoyed this book, so I'm clearly in the minority here.

I received a NetGalley copy of this book for an advanced unbiased review. It was a fun, scary, relevant to today idea. I enjoyed the main character Caz being older, although she seemed twenty-ish at times. Some of the things I guessed, but not the entire idea. Fun little thriller and worth a read.

From one of the top suspense writers in the genre comes a new, terrifying thriller that is sure to be a contender for the BTB Book of the Year. The Last One is the latest in brilliant novels by the ultra-talented Will Dean, who year after year proves he is one of the best writers doing it today.

Caz Ripley is aboard the RMS Atlantica for a nice relaxing trip across the Atlantic Ocean with her boyfriend Pete. When she wakes up after the first night, she finds that Pete is not next to her. As she walks out into the hallway, she finds all of the cabin doors open, and EVERYONE is gone. Or are they??? How will she navigate this ship safely back to shore? How will she eat? Can she survive?

Chapter-ending cliff hanger after chapter-ending cliff hanger, The Last One is a horrifying, nightmare-inducing thrill ride. It's rare for me to get so sucked in to a novel like this one. There are times I literally checked my heart rate BPM because this novel was so intense. I must admit, when I got through the first chapter or two, I was thinking, "How in the hell is Will going to keep up this pace for a whole book?" But good lord, did he ever! I'm going to need the next few days to mentally decompress.

This book will expose your nerve endings and touch each and every one of them with a hot fire poker. With twist after twist and turn after turn, your head will be spinning, you'll fall ass over teakettle, and you'll never want to board a cruise-liner again. This book is not for the faint of heart and is a gut-wrenching ball of anxiety that will tug at your heart strings, but it is so damn good.

I enjoyed this book. This is the first book I've ever read by Will Dean and I will say it won't be the last. I will say that I have always had it in my mind that I would never like a cruise and this book simply reinforced it for me! This was a quick read as well.

Ahoy! THE LAST ONE is a fresh take on the locked room mystery and gives new meaning to SOS!

Ready for a week of R&R at sea, Caz and her boyfriend board a luxury cruise liner crossing the Atlantic to New York City. After a memorable night on the cruise, Caz wakes up the next morning to find that she is the only person aboard the RMS Atlantica and all the crew and passengers have disappeared.

The premise alone is incredible and the pages practically turn themselves as this situation quickly devolves. It’s best to go in blind and let the terror of the high seas sweep you away. This story is of the popcorn thriller variety, but it's extremely entertaining if you’re willing to suspend quite a bit of disbelief.; think Distress signals meets The Hunger Games. The plot twists were plentiful and I absolutely could not wait to see how this saga ended.

Thrills and chills aside, Will Dean presents an interesting social commentary on human nature that provides a bit of depth amidst the cliffhangers. Pick up THE LAST ONE for a summer slumpbuster!

READ IF YOU LIKE:
-A Locked Room Mystery with cliffhangers aplenty!
-High seas and heaping disasters
-A unique premise with an ending you won’t see coming

PUB DATE: August 8, 2023
RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)

Many thanks to Atria and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication date

Completed it in one sitting. I had to know what was going on! The situation and the events kept becoming more and more exciting. While I did figure out what happened before the ending, it was a fun ride while getting to the end. The characters weren't necessarily likeable, I still found myself caring about them and wanting things to go okay. The read was atmospheric, I felt like I was on the ship with the characters. All in all, it was a fun read. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

#NETGALLEY #THELASTONE #WILLDEAN

Thank you Netgalley & Atria Books for an eARC of The Last One, Will Dean's latest suspense novel!

Love a locked room mystery? What about a locked cruise mystery? Sign me up!

Main character Caz steps on board the exclusive cruise ship, The Atlantica, with her new boyfriend Pete. They have a fabulous first night. That is, until she wakes up and realizes that not only Pete is missing - But so are all of the other guests and crew (Except a select few).

This book oozes tension and is extremely atmospheric. The chapters are quick, ending in cliff-hangers, and will certainly have you flipping through, saying "please, just one more!" It gets to the point where you're wondering - Seriously, what can (and will) happen next?! It's tough to review this one without giving anything away regarding the plot or the ending. That being said, buckle in for a wild ride. I anticipate this one will be a popular 2023 read!

Imagine boarding a luxury liner with your significant other and waking up the next morning with your partner missing. Not only that, but the ship is completely empty. No passengers, no crew, nobody.

This book was all kinds of crazy and I loved every minute of it. I have always been a little terrified of the ocean, especially on cruise ships. The dark vastness of if it makes my mind go to places it shouldn’t, and well, after reading this book I can honestly say I don’t know if I will ever take another cruise again 😮.

This book was terrifying and twisted and I flew through all 448 pages in a day and a half.

And the ending, the very last page. Read it, read it again, and be prepared to gasp out loud.

THE LAST ONE is one of the best locked room thrillers I have ever read! #Neflix needs to snatch this story up right away!

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for my e-ARC.

Wtf did I just read

Insane. Insane in the membrane.

Unputdownable. I read a fair amount of thrillers and most of them are just so...you know..they're fine. But this (THIS!!) is such a nonstop thrill ride and so legitimately creepy it's basically horror. It's about a woman named Caz who hasn't had the easiest life, but she's got herself a good man who's taking her on a luxury cruise across the Atlantic Ocean. She wakes up the first morning and the ship is a ghost ship- all the beds have been made, and all the passengers and crew are gone.

I can't even say anything else because of spoilers. But from Chapter 2 I had no idea where this was going. Holy cow. It's so uniquely scary. There was one part I was so tense that I realized I was holding my breath because I was so worried.

I liked Will Dean's "First Born," but The Last One is lights-out bonkers and incredible. I'm a Will Dean fan now, for sure. (Also, shout-out to Will Dean for dropping a Gastonia, NC reference: as someone from Charlotte I'm offended but it made me laugh). Thanks to the author, Atria, and NetGalley for letting me read this. I genuinely loved it.

A woman goes on a vacation cruise with her boyfriend and the next morning she wakes up to find that she is absolutely alone on the ship in the middle of the ocean.⁣
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Will Dean does it again Folks! Last year my favorite novel was The Last Thing To burn, one of his books that is truly exceptional. So when I saw this one on Netgalley I immediately had to request it and was lucky enough to be accepted.⁣
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This book is amazing and might just be my favorite book so far this year. The twist do not stop coming in The Last One. I literally skipped on sleeping to read more of this novel, the binge was REAl! This is a novel that’s intense and most definitely will keep you guessing.⁣
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You will think it’s going one way only to be stunned at the next second. The Last One is a must read, I could not rave about it more!!

Caz and her boyfriend go on a cruise, leaving England for NYC. After a festive first day aboard, she awakens in the morning to discover she’s the only one on the ship, which is now totally deserted and out at sea. The Last One is a riveting, impossible-to-put-down thriller that will have you guessing until the very end. To reveal any more of the plot would be a disservice, as this book goes in a totally unexpected direction. The tension is palpable, as the author deftly places you right next to Caz throughout the story with descriptive but understated detailing, superb pacing, and a plot that will knock your socks off! Truly a great read that will stay with you long after the last page is turned. Don’t skip this one Five outstanding stars! I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Last One will leave you guessing right up to the end. And in some respects, you still won't figured it out.
Author Will Dean takes the reader on a high seas adventure featuring a party of one. Middle aged Caroline ( Caz to her friends) sets sail on her first transatlantic boat excursion on board the Atlantica (not a cruise ship) with current boyfriend Peter.
The first day is great. Caz and Peter enjoy the ship's beauty and decor, the thousand or so travellers and 600 staff. When she awakes the next morning, Caz is completely alone.
Is this all an Hallucinogenic nightmare? Is it a game? Will Caz find any other survivors? And who will feed the dozen dogs in lockup?
To give away anymore would be mutiny on the high seas. The Atlantica becomes a floating haunted house as Caz searches for answers, food and drinkable water.
New perils wait round every corner, deck and porthole.
Psychologically exhausting and tension-tightening, The Last One is as weird a boat ride as one can imagine. Book your ticket if you dare and climb aboard for a Twilight Zone trip to a holiday from hell.