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ambeesbookishpages's review
4.0
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to review this book!
I want to start my review off with this: The Last 8 is a book that you aren't going to want to miss this year. This book is being marketed for fans of The 5th Wave and anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE that book and movie with all my heart. The Last 8 exceeded all of my expectations. Filled with finding friendships, aliens, finding yourself in the face of disaster The Last 8 is the perfect way to bring in 2019 and alien invasions.
All of Clover's dreams and actions for working for NASA are thrown of the window when the aliens invade earth and kill off most of earth's population, all except for Clover and seven other teenagers who have been hanging out in Area 51 since the invasion. When Clover hears a radio message that leads her to Area 51 and the other teens, she finally feels like she has a chance to fight back, only: everyone is pretty content with just existing and playing video games and staying safe. Clover isn't having it though and after uncovering some dark government secrets learns that everything isn't exactly what they thought and there might be hope for them after all.
*This paragraph is going to discuss Clover's suicide attempts if you would like to skip a head to the next paragraph!*
I love Clover's character. Clover is a seventeen year old ace/aro pilot who longs to be in the sky even when it is no longer safe. From the beginning of the novel we see how intelligent and resourceful Clover is and how she continues to be through out the entirety of the novel. Though I know not many people are going to take lightly to the talk over Clover's suicide attempts I did actually appreciate them in the novel. Clover doesn't shy away from the fact that she has had struggles since the invasion, that at times she felt like life wasn't continuing. I loved the part where she acknowledges the fact that Adam is developing feelings for and she explains to him how something between them will never happen because she identifies as bisexual and aromantic. I enjoyed the fact that The Last 8 didn't need a romance aspect to move the plot forward.
I never expected a book about aliens to make me tear up but the friendships built between the characters definitely pulled at my heart strings a little bit. The plot of The Last 8 was fast paced and didn't stop for one moment. Each chapter was a new development in the plot to drive it forward. Overall I really enjoyed The Last 8 and I can't wait to see where Pohl is going to take this gang of characters next!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to review this book!
I want to start my review off with this: The Last 8 is a book that you aren't going to want to miss this year. This book is being marketed for fans of The 5th Wave and anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE that book and movie with all my heart. The Last 8 exceeded all of my expectations. Filled with finding friendships, aliens, finding yourself in the face of disaster The Last 8 is the perfect way to bring in 2019 and alien invasions.
All of Clover's dreams and actions for working for NASA are thrown of the window when the aliens invade earth and kill off most of earth's population, all except for Clover and seven other teenagers who have been hanging out in Area 51 since the invasion. When Clover hears a radio message that leads her to Area 51 and the other teens, she finally feels like she has a chance to fight back, only: everyone is pretty content with just existing and playing video games and staying safe. Clover isn't having it though and after uncovering some dark government secrets learns that everything isn't exactly what they thought and there might be hope for them after all.
*This paragraph is going to discuss Clover's suicide attempts if you would like to skip a head to the next paragraph!*
I love Clover's character. Clover is a seventeen year old ace/aro pilot who longs to be in the sky even when it is no longer safe. From the beginning of the novel we see how intelligent and resourceful Clover is and how she continues to be through out the entirety of the novel. Though I know not many people are going to take lightly to the talk over Clover's suicide attempts I did actually appreciate them in the novel. Clover doesn't shy away from the fact that she has had struggles since the invasion, that at times she felt like life wasn't continuing. I loved the part where she acknowledges the fact that Adam is developing feelings for and she explains to him how something between them will never happen because she identifies as bisexual and aromantic. I enjoyed the fact that The Last 8 didn't need a romance aspect to move the plot forward.
I never expected a book about aliens to make me tear up but the friendships built between the characters definitely pulled at my heart strings a little bit. The plot of The Last 8 was fast paced and didn't stop for one moment. Each chapter was a new development in the plot to drive it forward. Overall I really enjoyed The Last 8 and I can't wait to see where Pohl is going to take this gang of characters next!
kpesch's review
2.0
I really wanted to like this story and it started out with promise but it just went downhill fast. So much of the book repeated itself:
1. How many times did character "chew the inside of their cheek" I stopped counting at the 3rd one by the 3rd chapter. Do people actually do this when they're nervous? Try it, it hurts.
2. The author had to keep reminding us that aliens had invaded. "These are the aliens that took my family", "these are the ones that took over my planet", "they're the reason everyone is dead." We get it, it doesn't need to be retold again and again. It felt like the author didn't know what to say next.
3. Multiple times while a character is explaining their encounter with the aliens, Clover would think a variation of "sorry didn't need to be said, we all felt the same thing." Which if sorry didn't need to be said, why are you thinking that as every character tells you about who they lost "when the aliens came"
So much if the story just felt like it wasn't flushed out, like the author had an idea and didn't think it all the way through. Chapter just end when it feels like more should be flushed out and the just chapter we've had a jump in unknown time where they're doing some based off the last chapter. It would have been nice if they were more connected.
I will say there was a twist that I didn't see coming, so props for that.
I usually really enjoy YA but I think this one may have been a bit too much on the younger side of YA for my taste. The teenagers went back and forth too quickly from being children, to acting like full adults, to back to being children, but now they're incredibly smart children who can just figure out things that adults hadn't figured out in 20 years. All in all, it just wasn't very believable.
Finally, who ever decided to compare this to The 5th Wave messed up. The 5th Wave was awesome this falls short.
1. How many times did character "chew the inside of their cheek" I stopped counting at the 3rd one by the 3rd chapter. Do people actually do this when they're nervous? Try it, it hurts.
2. The author had to keep reminding us that aliens had invaded. "These are the aliens that took my family", "these are the ones that took over my planet", "they're the reason everyone is dead." We get it, it doesn't need to be retold again and again. It felt like the author didn't know what to say next.
3. Multiple times while a character is explaining their encounter with the aliens, Clover would think a variation of "sorry didn't need to be said, we all felt the same thing." Which if sorry didn't need to be said, why are you thinking that as every character tells you about who they lost "when the aliens came"
So much if the story just felt like it wasn't flushed out, like the author had an idea and didn't think it all the way through. Chapter just end when it feels like more should be flushed out and the just chapter we've had a jump in unknown time where they're doing some based off the last chapter. It would have been nice if they were more connected.
I will say there was a twist that I didn't see coming, so props for that.
I usually really enjoy YA but I think this one may have been a bit too much on the younger side of YA for my taste. The teenagers went back and forth too quickly from being children, to acting like full adults, to back to being children, but now they're incredibly smart children who can just figure out things that adults hadn't figured out in 20 years. All in all, it just wasn't very believable.
Finally, who ever decided to compare this to The 5th Wave messed up. The 5th Wave was awesome this falls short.
readerlatte's review
5.0
My Review: OMG this book was so good. I was up until 3am just to finish it and I did that in just over 4 hours. This alien invasion/dystopian was freaking great!! The characters were awesome and the story just kept going. I was kind of sad about the ending but I am so excited to see what the author does with book two.
This young adult story has almost no romance so if that isn't your thing don't worry about it this book doesn't have a lot in it almost at all. Theres really only like two parts that deal with it and that's it.
This is kind of how I hoped The Fifth Wave would have been. With the world going to the trash heap and the aliens taking over. If you have been searching for a great alien story then look no further than right here!!
The characters in this one were diverse and amazing. I loved everyone!!! And the author did a wonderful with all of the twists and turns that came at me. The world was full of everything from creepy creatures to real questions about life. The author didn't shy away from creepy scary action and man o man this was one for the best reads list!!
This young adult story has almost no romance so if that isn't your thing don't worry about it this book doesn't have a lot in it almost at all. Theres really only like two parts that deal with it and that's it.
This is kind of how I hoped The Fifth Wave would have been. With the world going to the trash heap and the aliens taking over. If you have been searching for a great alien story then look no further than right here!!
The characters in this one were diverse and amazing. I loved everyone!!! And the author did a wonderful with all of the twists and turns that came at me. The world was full of everything from creepy creatures to real questions about life. The author didn't shy away from creepy scary action and man o man this was one for the best reads list!!
kassidyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
caenerys's review
4.0
The Last 8 reads like The Fifth Wave meets War of the Worlds meets Gone. The novel opens and it seems like a normal day. That is until millions of what look like shooting stars plummet to earth. When they realise these shooting stars are actually space ships, the aliens inside take it upon themselves to wipe out the human race. As soon as they see you, they shoot to kill, turning every human being to dust. Within days, everyone is gone. But they can't see Clover and, for a long time, it seems like she is the only person on the planet left alive.
Six months after the end of the world Clover, along with her adopted Bernese Mountain Dog Sputnik, are in the car when the radio accidentally turns on. Clover expects nothing but static, but is instead greeted with a message telling anyone left out there to "come to the okay where the used to be." Clover heads to Area 51 and there she finds the 7 teenagers, the last humans left alive.
I really enjoyed the plot of this novel and I was definitely pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the novel. The premise seems really good, but the plot is generally quite basic. The first few chapters move quickly, but once Clover gets to Area 51 everything seems to slow down a little bit. I think there were about 10 chapters where there was no progress in the plot. However, while I felt that the plot didn't move very quickly, overall it didn't take anything away from the novel as a whole.
I quite like Clover as a main character. She's not my favourite protagonist ever, but she's easy to like and she's not annoying like a lot of headstrong protagonists can be. However, what's strange about her is that I feel like she's the most 2-dimensional character and she doesn't let across many emotions. I feel like we know more about the secondary characters and we can connect to them a lot more easily. Brooklyn is definitely my favourite character, and I even warmed to Violet by the end of the novel. Apart from them, and Adam, though, I feel like the other four characters were kind of interchangeable and I had to keep reminding myself who was who.
Overall a solid read and I am definitely glad that I had the opportunity to read this novel. If you are a fan of sci-fi, aliens and/or post-apocalyptic dystopias, this is a must read.
Six months after the end of the world Clover, along with her adopted Bernese Mountain Dog Sputnik, are in the car when the radio accidentally turns on. Clover expects nothing but static, but is instead greeted with a message telling anyone left out there to "come to the okay where the used to be." Clover heads to Area 51 and there she finds the 7 teenagers, the last humans left alive.
I really enjoyed the plot of this novel and I was definitely pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the novel. The premise seems really good, but the plot is generally quite basic. The first few chapters move quickly, but once Clover gets to Area 51 everything seems to slow down a little bit. I think there were about 10 chapters where there was no progress in the plot. However, while I felt that the plot didn't move very quickly, overall it didn't take anything away from the novel as a whole.
I quite like Clover as a main character. She's not my favourite protagonist ever, but she's easy to like and she's not annoying like a lot of headstrong protagonists can be. However, what's strange about her is that I feel like she's the most 2-dimensional character and she doesn't let across many emotions. I feel like we know more about the secondary characters and we can connect to them a lot more easily. Brooklyn is definitely my favourite character, and I even warmed to Violet by the end of the novel. Apart from them, and Adam, though, I feel like the other four characters were kind of interchangeable and I had to keep reminding myself who was who.
Overall a solid read and I am definitely glad that I had the opportunity to read this novel. If you are a fan of sci-fi, aliens and/or post-apocalyptic dystopias, this is a must read.
eamelyk's review
3.0
3/5 stars!
I would've rated this higher if it wasn't for that last part with Violet. The later half part of the story was honestly the best because they're all finally getting together and kick ass but unfortunately some of the stuff in the story didn't make any sense to me and I thought that the driving force that was driving the characters to do important stuff was particularly weak? I didn't feel any dread or sense of desperation from the characters when they were first introduced like I just felt like they're trying to save the earth because there's nothing else to do and I think that kind of reasoning just falls flat. The characters were also kind of boring. I didn't feel anything towards each of them (yes even the main protagonist) and because of that I was unable to form any sorts of emotional attachment that would make this book more emotional to me.
Either way though, it was still entertaining. The action was really cool and I think its the highlight of the story for me.
I would've rated this higher if it wasn't for that last part with Violet. The later half part of the story was honestly the best because they're all finally getting together and kick ass but unfortunately some of the stuff in the story didn't make any sense to me and I thought that the driving force that was driving the characters to do important stuff was particularly weak? I didn't feel any dread or sense of desperation from the characters when they were first introduced like I just felt like they're trying to save the earth because there's nothing else to do and I think that kind of reasoning just falls flat. The characters were also kind of boring. I didn't feel anything towards each of them (yes even the main protagonist) and because of that I was unable to form any sorts of emotional attachment that would make this book more emotional to me.
Either way though, it was still entertaining. The action was really cool and I think its the highlight of the story for me.
alongreader's review
4.0
Action packed and full of twists, this is an alien invasion story with a difference. No plucky bands of fighters finding that one weakness and saving the world; the only people left here are teenagers. I'll admit to some confusion about their ages; they're all described as high teens, but most of them should have been born less than fifteen years prior to the story for certain other elements to work. It's not a huge issue but it did take me out of the story a little.
I saw a couple of twists coming, but not the rest of them. The information says this is the first of a series and I'll be looking forward to reading more adventures with this group. I think it could be a great one.
Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.
I'm taken aback by his question, because it's not like Brooklyn's or the others'. He really wants to know.
"Raised by my grandparents. I've only seen my mom in pictures."
"That must suck."
"Not so much. It's not like I can miss her." You can't miss something you never had.
He looks at me. "Do you ever wonder if...?"
I know where his thought are going. I've wondered this myself a couple of times in the last six months. If my mother were alive, would I recognize her? I don't even know if she was alive before the aliens landed. She came home one day with a baby in her arms and left during the night. No one ever heard from her again.
"It doesn't matter. She's not really my mother, you know? If she's out there, she's only a stranger." I pause. I don't pity myself. I don't pity my mother either. "And if she'd dead, I mourn for her like I mourn for the rest of humanity."
"And how's that?"
"A little. And sometimes not at all."
He nods, turning his gaze back to the horizon. And we just let ourselves stay there in silence, until we are engulfed in darkness.
I saw a couple of twists coming, but not the rest of them. The information says this is the first of a series and I'll be looking forward to reading more adventures with this group. I think it could be a great one.
Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.
I'm taken aback by his question, because it's not like Brooklyn's or the others'. He really wants to know.
"Raised by my grandparents. I've only seen my mom in pictures."
"That must suck."
"Not so much. It's not like I can miss her." You can't miss something you never had.
He looks at me. "Do you ever wonder if...?"
I know where his thought are going. I've wondered this myself a couple of times in the last six months. If my mother were alive, would I recognize her? I don't even know if she was alive before the aliens landed. She came home one day with a baby in her arms and left during the night. No one ever heard from her again.
"It doesn't matter. She's not really my mother, you know? If she's out there, she's only a stranger." I pause. I don't pity myself. I don't pity my mother either. "And if she'd dead, I mourn for her like I mourn for the rest of humanity."
"And how's that?"
"A little. And sometimes not at all."
He nods, turning his gaze back to the horizon. And we just let ourselves stay there in silence, until we are engulfed in darkness.
chlsgnzlz's review
3.0
2.5
this book would have really benefitted from having less characters (that sounds sarcastic but its true).
i think if it had focused some more on characters and relationships it could have been actually good. there is a sequel so it could get better.
i do not think i like this author.
also, noah, adam, AND violet? trc if it was the apocalypse
this book would have really benefitted from having less characters (that sounds sarcastic but its true).
i think if it had focused some more on characters and relationships it could have been actually good. there is a sequel so it could get better.
i do not think i like this author.
also, noah, adam, AND violet? trc if it was the apocalypse
mementolore's review
What if the aliens invaded and the only survivor was the strong female teen character? (I say this as an enthusiast of the trope btw). What if, six months in, she found out she wasn't the only survivor?
The Last 8 has a lot of really strong points. It features a very diverse unlikely family ("everyone at the end of the world is gay") of nerdy teens who need each other during the alien invasion. I do love the aro/bi - i see some aroace rep in recent YA, but less so with just aro folks - rep with Clover, the main character. often times, the lack of romantic interest is left to fuckboys in YA fiction, not badass girls who are just not that into it (and also trying to survive the apocalypse). They aren't all white and american either, which is cool.
Clover, as the MC, is very driven and at the same time, broken from the survivor guilt. This was actually the most important point for me and what really drew me in, since it's pretty clear that an alien invasion would harm someone's mental health, even more when you consider she stays alone for six months after her world is destroyed. For a story about alien invasions, it's pretty realistic. Other characters have to deal with grief and burnout just the same and we get to see their journey from comfort to hope, to cynism and all the way back again.
The pacing here is fun and keeps you going, with multiple plot twists; some are more easy to guess and foreshadowed, others will in fact blow your mind, but still, the twists and turns of this story make it very cinematic and full of action.
The only issues I had were that I wanted to get to know some of the secondary characters better and that a few of the alien conflicts parts went on a little too long.
But it also has a very metaphoric sense to it because it's also a story abou the sense of heroism and what draws the line between caution and complacency, between what is the "us" and what is the "other", what can and what can't - or shouldn't - be saved and what truly matters at the end of the world. Aliens coming over or not, this is what it means to be human.
The Last 8 has a lot of really strong points. It features a very diverse unlikely family ("everyone at the end of the world is gay") of nerdy teens who need each other during the alien invasion. I do love the aro/bi - i see some aroace rep in recent YA, but less so with just aro folks - rep with Clover, the main character. often times, the lack of romantic interest is left to fuckboys in YA fiction, not badass girls who are just not that into it (and also trying to survive the apocalypse). They aren't all white and american either, which is cool.
Clover, as the MC, is very driven and at the same time, broken from the survivor guilt. This was actually the most important point for me and what really drew me in, since it's pretty clear that an alien invasion would harm someone's mental health, even more when you consider she stays alone for six months after her world is destroyed. For a story about alien invasions, it's pretty realistic. Other characters have to deal with grief and burnout just the same and we get to see their journey from comfort to hope, to cynism and all the way back again.
The pacing here is fun and keeps you going, with multiple plot twists; some are more easy to guess and foreshadowed, others will in fact blow your mind, but still, the twists and turns of this story make it very cinematic and full of action.
The only issues I had were that I wanted to get to know some of the secondary characters better and that a few of the alien conflicts parts went on a little too long.
But it also has a very metaphoric sense to it because it's also a story abou the sense of heroism and what draws the line between caution and complacency, between what is the "us" and what is the "other", what can and what can't - or shouldn't - be saved and what truly matters at the end of the world. Aliens coming over or not, this is what it means to be human.
disgracefullee's review
2.0
This book was a mixed bag for me. Clover is an engaging narrator, and I loved reading her perspective on the apocalypse. She really felt real, and her being aromantic was really important to me. The way she approached situations was a lot more fun to read than the usual emotion driven protagonists. Clover is cool and calculating, and rarely lets anything ruffle her feathers. (Although if I might add, Clover apparently lacking many emotions and then also being aromantic is weird to me. It's not like aromantic people don't feel emotions- they just don't feel romantic attraction, and the stereotype that they don't have feelings is maybe not the best one to be propagating). Nonetheless, she felt like a real person, which is pretty important in a story about aliens and world ending apocalypses.
The rest of the characters in this book did not feel distinctive. Rayen, Brooklyn, Avani, and Flint talk and act in exactly the same way. They feel like they're all meant to be the exact same wisecracking sidekick. I understand it's difficult to pound out distinct personalities sometimes (especially when you're working on a NaNoWriMo schedule), but when your entire book depends on the idea that these are the last 8 people on the entire planet and their friendship will save the world, they need to all feel like real people. Half of them felt unnecessary. (Also, maybe this is a pet peeve, but the names in this book are too similar. We have three A names (Avani, Andy, and Adam) and it's super difficult to remember who's who.) The only people that felt distinct were Clover, Adam, and Violet. The rest felt like slightly different clones of each other.
Final verdict: Meh. Take it or leave it. I enjoyed reading Clover's perspective, but didn't feel connected to the whole point of the story, so do with that what you will.
The rest of the characters in this book did not feel distinctive. Rayen, Brooklyn, Avani, and Flint talk and act in exactly the same way. They feel like they're all meant to be the exact same wisecracking sidekick. I understand it's difficult to pound out distinct personalities sometimes (especially when you're working on a NaNoWriMo schedule), but when your entire book depends on the idea that these are the last 8 people on the entire planet and their friendship will save the world, they need to all feel like real people. Half of them felt unnecessary. (Also, maybe this is a pet peeve, but the names in this book are too similar. We have three A names (Avani, Andy, and Adam) and it's super difficult to remember who's who.) The only people that felt distinct were Clover, Adam, and Violet. The rest felt like slightly different clones of each other.
Final verdict: Meh. Take it or leave it. I enjoyed reading Clover's perspective, but didn't feel connected to the whole point of the story, so do with that what you will.