Scan barcode
A review by bex_knighthunterbooks
The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
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.