Reviews

Last House by Jessica Shattuck

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sssnoo's review

dark hopeful informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Last House is a breath of fresh air within historical fiction. The post-WWII Cold War era is rarely covered in fiction. I grew up in this era, just a bit behind Kat from the book, and the atmosphere and details felt real and nuanced. They resonated with my memories of the protest era in the '60s and covered the transition to the increased violence as it occurred in the early 1970s. This novel is a "dysfunctional family" drama but in a good way. There are generational conflicts, but the family members never stop loving each other.

This novel is medium-paced and full of compelling, complicated, and interesting characters. Early foreshadowing of a dark event to come worked well to keep this reader engaged. Underlying the action in the book is the global quest by the USA to control Iranian oil—I went down the Google wormhole several times as I delved into topics brought up by the book. This is the best compliment I can give a book.

In short, if you enjoy historical fiction and are looking for underrepresented eras and themes, this book will appeal to you. If you are a Baby Boomer or Gen Ex, this book may also speak to you personally (maybe some to the Silent Generation).

Bookclubs will find many topics to discuss.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for a review.

vlaniganfoffimreading's review

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4.0

An epic family saga spanning almost 80 years. This book reflected on almost every major touchstone in American history while also focusing on one family during these major generational shifts. It was beautiful done.

Huge thank you to #williammorrow and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

julie817's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

3.75

The evolution of time over the novel along with the different view points were interesting. I had to remind myself that this was fiction because it did read like non fiction and there was parallels that could be applied to current day as well.

This book started off slow for me but I was glad I stuck with it as the story captivated me more in part two when it shifted to Katherine's POV. The ups and downs of the family saga could stand alone but when intertwined with the events of the Vietnam war and the impacts of the oil industry, it was quiet the journey and an interesting one. While sometimes slow for me, it was thought provoking.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley an eARC and opportunity to read this book.

uwidinh's review against another edition

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I don’t think this was for me. I struggled to determine the point of the book. 😳🙈

It fell flat for me.
And it was hard to want to pick it up when I wasn’t particularly attached to any of the characters.

cmyrup's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I had a difficult time with the first third of this book. I wasn’t able to connect to the characters or the story. I’m glad stuck with it. Everything changed when I got to Katherine’s section. I started connecting with her and her brother Harry, and through them their parents Nick and Bet who I previously wasn’t vibing with.

The story spans 80 years and is told from multiple POV’s.

I loved the idea of Last House and felt the author really brought it to life for me. I could see myself living there.

There were a couple of things I didn’t see coming, provided a roller coaster of emotions and gave me a lot to think about.

I’d like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

andreamanuel13's review

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

candacesiegle_greedyreader's review

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4.0

A smart, ambitious novel, Jessica Shattuck's "The Last House" is about oil. From the first page where she lists everything made of oil-based products. The novel begins in 1953, when WWII veteran Nick Taylor, now a corporate lawyer, hooks up with an old friend who leads him into the international world of Big Oil. Nick's wife Bet, a code breaker and artist, now a housewife, She's busy raising their two children while Nick, a thoughtful man, travels with an old friend all over the world to secure oil for the US in the post-war world. He is not open with Bet about what he does, but the income keeps them well, including the purchase of the Last house; Last being the surname of former owners. Their children come of age in the 60s and join the opposition without quite realizing their father's role in what they are protesting. "The Last House" touches on just about every important event from 1945 to the near future.

I can see this book sparking conversation and and possibly heated discussion. The characters are empathetic, but I found the earlier parts of the story more interesting than the latter. The ending filled me with trepidation--what if I don't have my own Last house when everything Nick and his buddy set in motion pays off in unexpected ways? This story does what fiction does best; provoke thought while laying the case before us , even if it may be too late.

rothney14's review

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I was bored and not interested in it.

gretel7's review against another edition

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challenging informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.75

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Wow, really good read. This book is kind of challenging. It's stuffed full of historical information with relatable characters who lived and survived the ups and downs of what life was like during those eras.

thecriticalreader's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

As the world begins the transition away from oil toward renewable energy, Jessica Shattuck reflects on the greed, hubris, and optimism of the Age of Oil in Last House, a historical fiction novel that follows an American family whose fate becomes inextricably intertwined with the oil industry. Upon his return from World War II, veteran Nick Taylor prioritizes material and domestic stability. He finances a house in the suburbs for his wife, Bet, and their children, Katherine and Harry, with his job as a lawyer for an American oil. As part of his work, he plays a small but not insignificant role in the CIA-backed coup in Iran that places the Western-friendly Shah in power. Nick buys a house in rural Vermont called Last House as a summer retreat alongside several other American power brokers in Iran. Last House alternates between the perspectives of Nick, Bet, and Katherine as their family’s connections with the oil industry prove to be their greatest blessing and their greatest source of sorrow throughout the 1950s and tumultuous 1960s.

Although it positions itself as a meditation on themes of ambition and hubris, at its heart Last House is an engrossing historical family saga. Shattuck paints Nick, Bet, Katherine, and Harry as complex and vibrant characters who struggle to navigate the challenges of their time. She demonstrates a strong sensitivity to the rifts and bonds that develop between the characters throughout the story. The chapters from Katherine’s perspective are particularly compelling. She captures Katherine’s voice so vividly and completely that it’s easy to forget that we are not, in fact, reading the words of an aging Baby Boomer reflecting on her life. Part of what makes Katherine’s chapters so remarkable is that Shattuck recaptures the unique socio-political atmosphere of late-1960s America in a way that feels authentic and textured. These elements combine to make an utterly riveting story that chronicles how the Taylor family’s connection to oil inches them closer and closer to tragedy.

Last House succeeds brilliantly as a family story, but Shattuck stumbles when she attempts to bring broader thematic commentary into the narrative. At times, her characters philosophize about their lives in a pointed and inorganic matter; at others, Shattuck simply asks the novel’s thematic questions outright rather than let her readers come to them on their own. Additionally, the chapters at the end of the book, which take place in 2026, feel shoehorned in to connect the story to present-day political and climate concerns. Not every literary fiction book needs to explicitly meditate on the current state of the world to be considered worthy; sometimes, it’s enough to just tell an emotionally impactful and engaging story, which Last House undoubtedly accomplishes.

TL;DR: Last House is an engrossing family historical drama with complex and vibrant characters, a riveting plot, and an evocative setting. Much like some of its characters, however, it fails to realize some of its more grandiose ambitions.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Last House by Jessica Shattuck in exchange for an honest review.

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