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firefly8041's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. I liked the plot, but it didn't really affect me like it could have.
kristianawithak's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked/almost loved 90% of The Last One. The reality tv structure added to an end of the world survival story is really well executed and perfect for today.
I think it would have been more jarring if it had concluded a little earlier. I got super creeped out reading this alone in my house.
It definitely brings to mind the Joan Didion quote, "we tell ourselves stories in order to live." Part way through the book you can't help but put yourself in Zoo's place and contemplate what narrative you would choose to believe about the world around you. It's something we likely do all day, multiple times a day.
I think it would have been more jarring if it had concluded a little earlier. I got super creeped out reading this alone in my house.
It definitely brings to mind the Joan Didion quote, "we tell ourselves stories in order to live." Part way through the book you can't help but put yourself in Zoo's place and contemplate what narrative you would choose to believe about the world around you. It's something we likely do all day, multiple times a day.
kirstenrose22's review against another edition
5.0
So creepy, so effective, so good. I read the whole thing in one gulp. Yikes.
bex_knighthunterbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I don't normally read thrillers but the premise of this one really appealed to me, and I'm glad I picked it up! We follow a contestant on a survival style reality TV show, when something in the wider world starts to go wrong.
I really liked the way the story flipped back and forth between two timelines from two very different perspective styles. Our present perspective follows 'Zoo' (our MC) a few weeks into her solo challenge, and is a very close perspective with lots of her reflections where we see her doubts and interpretations of events (with unreliable narrator elements). Then there are flash backs to the first half of the competition from an omniscient perspective with an editorial view on the proceedings (no real names for characters etc.), which gives some good opportunity for commentary on the ethics and exploitation inherent in these kinds of shows. This means there is a gap between the two times, building tension very naturally.
The 'twist' of what happens to the outside world is delivered right at the start from this omniscient perspective, so we the reader are much more clued in than Zoo on what is going on and can see with dread how she is potentially misinterpreting events - the psychological impact was really interesting.
Overall, this made for a wild ride with definite dark themes and descriptions. My only criticism would be that some of the parts in Zoo's head were a little repetitive with her thoughts going back to the same significant events, which slowed the pace slightly - I'd have rather have a little more time either with the group challenges because I did really enjoy those parts but there wasn't quite enough time for all the characters to stand out. However, we do get a good character study of zoo, which I enjoyed including exploring her motivations for being there (themes of motherhood), and also seeing her mental state evolve.
This was exactly what I hoped it would be - so would recommend for those that enjoy wilderness survival and reality TV set-ups with an apocalyptic edge.
I really liked the way the story flipped back and forth between two timelines from two very different perspective styles. Our present perspective follows 'Zoo' (our MC) a few weeks into her solo challenge, and is a very close perspective with lots of her reflections where we see her doubts and interpretations of events (with unreliable narrator elements). Then there are flash backs to the first half of the competition from an omniscient perspective with an editorial view on the proceedings (no real names for characters etc.), which gives some good opportunity for commentary on the ethics and exploitation inherent in these kinds of shows. This means there is a gap between the two times, building tension very naturally.
The 'twist' of what happens to the outside world is delivered right at the start from this omniscient perspective, so we the reader are much more clued in than Zoo on what is going on and can see with dread how she is potentially misinterpreting events - the psychological impact was really interesting.
Overall, this made for a wild ride with definite dark themes and descriptions. My only criticism would be that some of the parts in Zoo's head were a little repetitive with her thoughts going back to the same significant events, which slowed the pace slightly - I'd have rather have a little more time either with the group challenges because I did really enjoy those parts but there wasn't quite enough time for all the characters to stand out. However, we do get a good character study of zoo, which I enjoyed including exploring her motivations for being there (themes of motherhood), and also seeing her mental state evolve.
This was exactly what I hoped it would be - so would recommend for those that enjoy wilderness survival and reality TV set-ups with an apocalyptic edge.
defaultnamespace's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
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? No
3.0
fillechaude's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
smashingreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Abandonment
mbcovarrubias's review against another edition
4.0
At first I was drawn in by the very interesting premise, then I stayed for the very real character. I loved it for the incredible subtext. I'm drawn to these stories recently that examine the human character and our odd struggle with identity.
This is a great read. Especially if you are a fan of Post-Apocalyptic novels. This was a new take on the genre, and is as much a commentary on our current obsession with"Reality (read scripted) Television" and our tenuous grasp on a present reality. I was rather surprised by this book. I had not heard of it until a GoodReads suggestion. It took a few chapters for me to really engage with the plot and characters, but once I did I saw a lot of myself and others I know in them.
Overall, I was drawn deeper into the subtext of the lies that we tell ourselves to keep our curated identities intact. How we create our own "realities" that are just projections for other people to hide the horrible truths about ourselves. These curated identities end up owning us and turning us into people we do not wish to be. Until a traumatic event, or other such catalyst, forces us to face the truth. I think this was beautifully drawn out in [b:The Last One|27245997|The Last One|Alexandra Oliva|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1465634920s/27245997.jpg|45572184].
The protagonists journey of self-discovery is all of us. As much as we'd like to not admit it. In the dawning of the digital age we have become curated identities and have fractured ourselves into different shattered pieces. This novel is a wondrous story of one woman's struggle in becoming "whole".
This is a great read. Especially if you are a fan of Post-Apocalyptic novels. This was a new take on the genre, and is as much a commentary on our current obsession with"Reality (read scripted) Television" and our tenuous grasp on a present reality. I was rather surprised by this book. I had not heard of it until a GoodReads suggestion. It took a few chapters for me to really engage with the plot and characters, but once I did I saw a lot of myself and others I know in them.
Overall, I was drawn deeper into the subtext of the lies that we tell ourselves to keep our curated identities intact. How we create our own "realities" that are just projections for other people to hide the horrible truths about ourselves. These curated identities end up owning us and turning us into people we do not wish to be. Until a traumatic event, or other such catalyst, forces us to face the truth. I think this was beautifully drawn out in [b:The Last One|27245997|The Last One|Alexandra Oliva|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1465634920s/27245997.jpg|45572184].
The protagonists journey of self-discovery is all of us. As much as we'd like to not admit it. In the dawning of the digital age we have become curated identities and have fractured ourselves into different shattered pieces. This novel is a wondrous story of one woman's struggle in becoming "whole".
ronuhhhhh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
nheinz18's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Horrible. Premise was good but the fact that the main character didn’t know that it wasn’t part of the show for 75% of the book was incredulous and very frustrating from the readers point of view.