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exurbanis's review against another edition
DNF I picked this up because after seeing the movie 'Last Night' with Sandra Oh several years ago, I'm interested in people's behaviour when/if they know that the world will end.
I was particularly drawn to this book also because of the "celebration of an ancient holiday." After a couple of chapters, though, it seemed to me that this was just going to be rather an ordinary story, with people not much interested in that celebration, and I just wasn't in the mood for that.
I was particularly drawn to this book also because of the "celebration of an ancient holiday." After a couple of chapters, though, it seemed to me that this was just going to be rather an ordinary story, with people not much interested in that celebration, and I just wasn't in the mood for that.
montigneyrules's review against another edition
2.0
#readingchallenge2020 (my book that begins with an L)
Ruta’s odd, yet fascinating, novel depicts various character’s journeys of self-discovery, as they observe the holiday Last Day. Celebrated every May, Last Day is an ‘incoming apocalypse’, celebrated in a variety of ways by different countries and cultures. The appeal of the novel lies within following the character’s view of the holiday, whether they felt it to be real or to be a metaphorical ‘figurehead’ of a holiday, and therefore how they so choose to celebrate; atone, amend, forgive, party, no excuses to try something new.
The overall concept did present some creative narratives, ideal for book club discussions, both on a higher level and on an individual story level i.e (higher level) how would you spend your last day (individual level) would you get a tattoo from their shop, what would you put on your Last Day t-shirt. This look at traditions was imaginative. note: there is a fantastic Parks & Rec episode about Last Day believers I could not stop thinking about
However, I felt the novel as a whole would have been more intriguing as short, individualized stories that immediately started and stopped all together versus a back and forth. I felt the novel started out strong, presenting each character, but petered throughout the day, as the novel progressed, losing the emotional pull. (This becomes really evident with the last few chapters of the novel-when new characters & their observances are just rattled off-this should have been the majority of the novel, and just call label it short stories).
Ruta’s odd, yet fascinating, novel depicts various character’s journeys of self-discovery, as they observe the holiday Last Day. Celebrated every May, Last Day is an ‘incoming apocalypse’, celebrated in a variety of ways by different countries and cultures. The appeal of the novel lies within following the character’s view of the holiday, whether they felt it to be real or to be a metaphorical ‘figurehead’ of a holiday, and therefore how they so choose to celebrate; atone, amend, forgive, party, no excuses to try something new.
The overall concept did present some creative narratives, ideal for book club discussions, both on a higher level and on an individual story level i.e (higher level) how would you spend your last day (individual level) would you get a tattoo from their shop, what would you put on your Last Day t-shirt. This look at traditions was imaginative. note: there is a fantastic Parks & Rec episode about Last Day believers I could not stop thinking about
However, I felt the novel as a whole would have been more intriguing as short, individualized stories that immediately started and stopped all together versus a back and forth. I felt the novel started out strong, presenting each character, but petered throughout the day, as the novel progressed, losing the emotional pull. (This becomes really evident with the last few chapters of the novel-when new characters & their observances are just rattled off-this should have been the majority of the novel, and just call label it short stories).
at1130's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I was drawn in by the premise (I love a good old apocalypse) and especially by the comparison to Station Eleven. While I did enjoy the prose, I never felt a connection to any of the characters, so most of the story felt like it was dragging on while I was just trying to find out what happened next. I didn't really care what happened to any of these people. Station Eleven this is not -- the comparison stops at the apocalyptic theme. That said, since I only finish about 10% of the books I start, I enjoyed reading this one enough to keep going until the end.
ramonamead's review against another edition
3.0
While the comparisons to Station Eleven aren't accurate, this is a unique, intriguing novel. The writing is skilled, full of feeling and vivid imagery. We meet a series of flawed humans who we follow throughout the course of one day. These characters are deep, complicated, and despite their mistakes, worth rooting for. I enjoyed the story and the connections the characters make. As a whole, though I found it unsatisfying. Perhaps it went over my head, or I haven't had enough time to throughly process the whole thing. While the story is pretty bleak, it's also thought provoking and the writing alone is worth reading. I say definitely give it a try!
Many thanks to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Many thanks to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
booksnbrains's review
2.0
The premise of this novel is interesting. It follows four different people as they celebrate Last Day - an annual holiday antipating the end of the world. The characters are interesting and flawed, each searching for something, whether that be a connection, redemption, etc. If it sounds cliched, that's kind of how it comes across. There was nothing new here, and the characters felt disjointed at times (except Karen, I kind of loved quirky, traumatized Karen). I'm not even sure how to characterize the genre - it's not science fiction, maybe speculative fiction? Sort of? Overall, it's very well written, just not what I was expecting.
abookishtype's review against another edition
3.0
On the night of May 27-May 28 on an alternate earth, people around the world celebrate Last Night. The holiday has ancient roots. On this night, people try to make amends to people they’ve wrong; make sacrifices; or just light bonfires, drink, and have a good time. Domenica Ruta’s Last Day jumps from character to character on one Last Night in an unknown year. All of the characters are isolated from their friends and families for a variety of reasons. All are seeking something—a sense of connection, most of all—and all of them struggle to relate to the people around them. In addition to all this is the lingering question: what if this Last Night is the Last Night?
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
tekchic's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars rounding up to 4. To begin, the whole Station Eleven comparison/blurb should be removed. It sets expectations that this book sadly for me, did not reach. I LOVE dystopian fiction. I read nearly every mainstream dystopian novel that gets published. To me, dystopia it is more about the survivors, finding a way of coming together and moving forward after a devastation, and striking a new balance.
This book was not that. This book takes place on an annual holiday sometime in the alternate/near future called "Last Day". It's about celebrating the end of the world, but then the world is somewhat reborn the next day and life goes on. It brings together three separate character stories and attempts to weave them together, albeit loosely and not until the final 20% or so of the novel (and then still pretty loosely). It did keep me reading, except for some of the lengthier narratives when Karen was doing a retelling of a Last Day story to some children in an apartment. I found myself skimming towards the end of that ramble.
The characters of both Sarah and Karen were unlikeable to me. Karen had some tragic but humorous moments, Sarah was basically just a bitter teen misanthrope. I did like Svec and Bear (astronauts) though. Towards the end there are all kinds of new people being introduced and tossed after several lengthy paragraphs, I found myself wanting to skim.
I don't want to say any more because of spoilers, but if you're really into dystopian fiction, you might give it a read, but it was not my favorite in a well-loved category.
This book was not that. This book takes place on an annual holiday sometime in the alternate/near future called "Last Day". It's about celebrating the end of the world, but then the world is somewhat reborn the next day and life goes on. It brings together three separate character stories and attempts to weave them together, albeit loosely and not until the final 20% or so of the novel (and then still pretty loosely). It did keep me reading, except for some of the lengthier narratives when Karen was doing a retelling of a Last Day story to some children in an apartment. I found myself skimming towards the end of that ramble.
The characters of both Sarah and Karen were unlikeable to me. Karen had some tragic but humorous moments, Sarah was basically just a bitter teen misanthrope. I did like Svec and Bear (astronauts) though. Towards the end there are all kinds of new people being introduced and tossed after several lengthy paragraphs, I found myself wanting to skim.
I don't want to say any more because of spoilers, but if you're really into dystopian fiction, you might give it a read, but it was not my favorite in a well-loved category.
variablestar's review against another edition
4.0
"This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper " T.S. Elliot
inkylabyrinth's review against another edition
4.0
Congratulations! It is well into June, and it appears that we have survived another year--dodged another bullet, or, another apocalypse--as we wave goodbye to May 28th, fading in our rearview window along with the first half of 2019.
Remember back in 2012, when lots of people were convinced that one day in December was the date the Mayan calendar stopped, deeming it to be the end of the world? Remember when nothing happened? Before that, it was the Y2K scare. (And those examples are only from my own lifetime--we as a species are pretty obsessed with the apocalypse).
Last Day is kind of like that, except almost everyone, all around the world, really believes that the apocalypse will happen on the 28th of May. The hilarious kicker is, nobody knows which May 28th. So each year, people from nearly every niche on our planet anticipate, celebrate, or go all out bonkers for the holiday. On May 29th, humanity goes back to normal, as if nothing had happened, because, well, nothing did happen. Rinse and repeat. And repeat. And repeat...
The world Ruta has created is one exactly like ours in every way, minus one gaping hole of a difference: a cursed day at the end of the fifth month of the year known ubiquitously around the globe as Last Day.
On this particular Last Day, the story bounces between several characters (a few too many of them, in my opinion), each with a unique view on how to get through the roller coaster of emotions that is Last Day. I would have liked some more diversity in the characters, but the ones Ruta did create were written well in their own voices.
There’s Kurt, an alcohol-guzzling, washed up tattoo artist who can’t stop treating women badly. He has a tattoo shop called “Redemption” that shucks out free tattoos every Last Day (as long as you let the tattoo artist pick the tattoo).
Then there’s Sarah Moss (who hates her name): a highly intelligent, asexual high schooler who, despite promising herself not to act out teenage cliches, does just that. Sarah used to lock herself up in her room with anxiety medication every Last Day, but Sarah vows to make this one different.
Also there is Karen, a young woman already beaten down by life after spending her childhood in several foster care homes, and who has a strange habit of swallowing inedible items when she is upset, among other “quirks”(/mental illness symptoms). Karen at least has Rosette, an ex-Jehovah’s Witness who drags Karen along with her to a new “pop-up church” led by a pastor with a new perspective on Last Day.
These three main characters are all looking for redemption, whatever that means to them individually. They make massive promises to themselves and they swear they will change their ways, using Last Day as their catalyst. Just like those hopefuls who make New Year's resolutions, these characters can't come to terms with the fact that May 28th, just like January 1st, is just another day on our little blue planet.
Watching this, and all the world, from above are three men in the International Space Station: an American and a Russian astronaut, along with a rich Japanese tourist.
Besides following these main characters, we briefly see other groups of people and other individuals leading up to May 28th. Despite their ignorance, all of Ruta's characters are connected to each other in some way. This is one of my favorite concepts in a book, but rather than being a delightful Easter egg hunt, some of the relations were muddled and hard to catch. I actually really wish we had more time with the Last Day-ers on the fringe that we only catch a tiny glimpse of--they reminded me a bit of some of the post-apocalypse groupings from [a:Margaret Atwood|3472|Margaret Atwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1282859073p2/3472.jpg]’s [b:The MaddAddam Trilogy: Oryx and Crake / The Year of the Flood / MaddAddam|18594761|The MaddAddam Trilogy Oryx and Crake / The Year of the Flood / MaddAddam|Margaret Atwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1395435093s/18594761.jpg|26341230].
You’ve got the “Doomsdayers”, naturally, who hoard and prepare for a certain type of doomsday. Not much is said about them, but I likened them to those people who dig out bomb shelters and stock it with rations, determined that the End will be met with zombies or super military AI weapons gone horribly wrong.
Of course there’s the religious zealots, of every religion, each melding their own way to make it through Last Day, which they imagine as biblical--more of a gaudy, drawn out theater program than a bang or a whimper.
There are those who just want to party, get high, and see Earth go out with as big of a Bang as She was made in--no tomorrow means no consequences for anyone!--and there are those who are desperately clinging to Her, praying and begging, pleading to whichever Higher Power that is listening that they aren’t ready for their beloved Earth to die.
Last Day is a book that is difficult to place into a genre, though it feels like literary fiction more than anything else. It’s also a book that I think going in blind is best for the reader; the less you know, the better. However, I think a lot of readers will pick this up thinking it is a plot-driven dystopian fiction, as I thought before I dove in. It’s a study of many characters, all over the world, and their unique perspectives and experiences before and during Last Day. I wanted to give this book a three-star rating, but I decided that it deserved the fourth star after I realized how much the story impacted me emotionally. The ending played over in my head for days, and it's taken me over a month to write this review.
Many thanks to my new friend Lenoire for talking about this unique book with me! It really helped me process the book’s message(s) and meaning as a whole, as well as look at the characters from someone else’s perspective in addition to my own. And thank you so much to Spiegel & Grau and to Goodreads giveaways! I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
__________________________________________
Initial thoughts: I am so glad that I was able to take a short break from this & then come back & devour it.
This one requires a lot of patience but the reward is heartbreaking-ly & terribly good.
Remember back in 2012, when lots of people were convinced that one day in December was the date the Mayan calendar stopped, deeming it to be the end of the world? Remember when nothing happened? Before that, it was the Y2K scare. (And those examples are only from my own lifetime--we as a species are pretty obsessed with the apocalypse).
Last Day is kind of like that, except almost everyone, all around the world, really believes that the apocalypse will happen on the 28th of May. The hilarious kicker is, nobody knows which May 28th. So each year, people from nearly every niche on our planet anticipate, celebrate, or go all out bonkers for the holiday. On May 29th, humanity goes back to normal, as if nothing had happened, because, well, nothing did happen. Rinse and repeat. And repeat. And repeat...
Their love for the end was everlasting [...] They went back to normal, to their normal, in which fear and righteousness attended the mundane business of living. Standing over a sink of dirty dishes, a battered mother of three could look with tenderness toward the coming end.
The world Ruta has created is one exactly like ours in every way, minus one gaping hole of a difference: a cursed day at the end of the fifth month of the year known ubiquitously around the globe as Last Day.
Celebrating an imaginary apocalypse while schools filled with children were bombed by dictators and pipelines leaked millions of tons of crude oil into the sea. It was so obvious it was stupid, and Sarah hated herself for being sucked into [it].
On this particular Last Day, the story bounces between several characters (a few too many of them, in my opinion), each with a unique view on how to get through the roller coaster of emotions that is Last Day. I would have liked some more diversity in the characters, but the ones Ruta did create were written well in their own voices.
There’s Kurt, an alcohol-guzzling, washed up tattoo artist who can’t stop treating women badly. He has a tattoo shop called “Redemption” that shucks out free tattoos every Last Day (as long as you let the tattoo artist pick the tattoo).
Then there’s Sarah Moss (who hates her name): a highly intelligent, asexual high schooler who, despite promising herself not to act out teenage cliches, does just that. Sarah used to lock herself up in her room with anxiety medication every Last Day, but Sarah vows to make this one different.
Also there is Karen, a young woman already beaten down by life after spending her childhood in several foster care homes, and who has a strange habit of swallowing inedible items when she is upset, among other “quirks”(/mental illness symptoms). Karen at least has Rosette, an ex-Jehovah’s Witness who drags Karen along with her to a new “pop-up church” led by a pastor with a new perspective on Last Day.
These three main characters are all looking for redemption, whatever that means to them individually. They make massive promises to themselves and they swear they will change their ways, using Last Day as their catalyst. Just like those hopefuls who make New Year's resolutions, these characters can't come to terms with the fact that May 28th, just like January 1st, is just another day on our little blue planet.
Watching this, and all the world, from above are three men in the International Space Station: an American and a Russian astronaut, along with a rich Japanese tourist.
Besides following these main characters, we briefly see other groups of people and other individuals leading up to May 28th. Despite their ignorance, all of Ruta's characters are connected to each other in some way. This is one of my favorite concepts in a book, but rather than being a delightful Easter egg hunt, some of the relations were muddled and hard to catch. I actually really wish we had more time with the Last Day-ers on the fringe that we only catch a tiny glimpse of--they reminded me a bit of some of the post-apocalypse groupings from [a:Margaret Atwood|3472|Margaret Atwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1282859073p2/3472.jpg]’s [b:The MaddAddam Trilogy: Oryx and Crake / The Year of the Flood / MaddAddam|18594761|The MaddAddam Trilogy Oryx and Crake / The Year of the Flood / MaddAddam|Margaret Atwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1395435093s/18594761.jpg|26341230].
You’ve got the “Doomsdayers”, naturally, who hoard and prepare for a certain type of doomsday. Not much is said about them, but I likened them to those people who dig out bomb shelters and stock it with rations, determined that the End will be met with zombies or super military AI weapons gone horribly wrong.
Of course there’s the religious zealots, of every religion, each melding their own way to make it through Last Day, which they imagine as biblical--more of a gaudy, drawn out theater program than a bang or a whimper.
There are those who just want to party, get high, and see Earth go out with as big of a Bang as She was made in--no tomorrow means no consequences for anyone!--and there are those who are desperately clinging to Her, praying and begging, pleading to whichever Higher Power that is listening that they aren’t ready for their beloved Earth to die.
Despite what felt like a never-ending fountain of oil spills, carbon emissions, and toxic waste, the planet had yet to smolder into one big ashtray. Life marches on. It always did. It probably always would, at least in her lifetime and for many thousands of lifetimes after hers. No big deal. It was a dramatic holiday of self-inflicted upheaval drawn out into a public performance. Collective catharsis and all that.
Right?
Last Day is a book that is difficult to place into a genre, though it feels like literary fiction more than anything else. It’s also a book that I think going in blind is best for the reader; the less you know, the better. However, I think a lot of readers will pick this up thinking it is a plot-driven dystopian fiction, as I thought before I dove in. It’s a study of many characters, all over the world, and their unique perspectives and experiences before and during Last Day. I wanted to give this book a three-star rating, but I decided that it deserved the fourth star after I realized how much the story impacted me emotionally. The ending played over in my head for days, and it's taken me over a month to write this review.
The signs were everywhere. [...] There were too many people in the world, and not enough resources to sustain them, not even enough names to go around. [...] How many movies were exactly like other movies? How many times could people tell the same story? The world was running out of ideas. If there was any death knell for humanity, it was not peak oil or global warming or beehive collapse but the superfluity of Sarahs.
Many thanks to my new friend Lenoire for talking about this unique book with me! It really helped me process the book’s message(s) and meaning as a whole, as well as look at the characters from someone else’s perspective in addition to my own. And thank you so much to Spiegel & Grau and to Goodreads giveaways! I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
__________________________________________
Initial thoughts: I am so glad that I was able to take a short break from this & then come back & devour it.
This one requires a lot of patience but the reward is heartbreaking-ly & terribly good.