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A review by katykelly
The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
5.0
Bear Grylls meets Big Brother meets Contagion and The Walking Dead? The premise made my ears perk up.
A selection of contestants film a 'survival' show, a little of "Big Brother", a little of "I'm a Celebrity...", they are introduced to us as archetypes - the Waitress, the Tracker, Air Force, Zoo. To win big money prizes they will have to work sometimes solo, sometimes in teams, in the Great Outdoors, while being filmed and while the editing team decide how they want each one to appear on screen.
Except we also know, as reader/viewer that while their series is being filmed, it appears that the show's crew are beginning to get sick...
Zoo is our eyes on the world of In The Dark. An appropriate name for both her show and the situation. We know little more than she - while we see the producer in the editing suite fine-tuning how he wants the viewers to feel about each contestant, we also don't know just what is real and what is television. Especially as we see both sides of it all, the contestants struggling with tasks, and the editing team preparing it for broadcast:
"Five teams, at least four miles each...all that walking, all that struggle, condensed into a subtitle: hours later."
It has a great 'reality show' feel, with self-referencing that is just clever enough to make you feel above it all, while still recognising how we all get hooked into our own versions of this:
"And now - a word from our sponsors, and whoever else has paid for a few minutes to hawk their goods and services. Some viewers will groan, but they'll be back; others will endure only a staccato hint of advertising and the show returns. The viewer can manipulate time too, for a fee."
We flit between the beginning of filming, getting to know about the characters (enough to know that Tracker is the obvious favourite, that Black Doctor can't help himself and help others, that Carpenter Chick is good with wood) and then move forward to weeks in the future when Zoo is by herself on a solo task, but has seen neither sight nor sound of a fellow contestant or clue for days... Is she still being filmed? Where has her cameraman gone?
Reality and reality TV blend into one, even when we suspect what is happening, it's hard not to dismiss it as an on-screen con, just like everything that has gone before.
I really enjoyed following Zoo through In The Dark, it's smart and scary, with a great point to make about contemporary media and how we see the world around us, as well as how we are TOLD to see the world around us.
Very visual, it was easy to picture Zoo's surroundings and her fellow contestants, even with the barest of introductions to each - stereotypes working as planned.
Zoo's own story is rather fascinating, her strength immense and will to continue. You want her to survive, and you want there to be a happy ending. But if TV isn't real - can there be?
Definitely one that you'll remember. And hopefully one that becomes a film or even ironically a television series itself!
With thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
A selection of contestants film a 'survival' show, a little of "Big Brother", a little of "I'm a Celebrity...", they are introduced to us as archetypes - the Waitress, the Tracker, Air Force, Zoo. To win big money prizes they will have to work sometimes solo, sometimes in teams, in the Great Outdoors, while being filmed and while the editing team decide how they want each one to appear on screen.
Except we also know, as reader/viewer that while their series is being filmed, it appears that the show's crew are beginning to get sick...
Zoo is our eyes on the world of In The Dark. An appropriate name for both her show and the situation. We know little more than she - while we see the producer in the editing suite fine-tuning how he wants the viewers to feel about each contestant, we also don't know just what is real and what is television. Especially as we see both sides of it all, the contestants struggling with tasks, and the editing team preparing it for broadcast:
"Five teams, at least four miles each...all that walking, all that struggle, condensed into a subtitle: hours later."
It has a great 'reality show' feel, with self-referencing that is just clever enough to make you feel above it all, while still recognising how we all get hooked into our own versions of this:
"And now - a word from our sponsors, and whoever else has paid for a few minutes to hawk their goods and services. Some viewers will groan, but they'll be back; others will endure only a staccato hint of advertising and the show returns. The viewer can manipulate time too, for a fee."
We flit between the beginning of filming, getting to know about the characters (enough to know that Tracker is the obvious favourite, that Black Doctor can't help himself and help others, that Carpenter Chick is good with wood) and then move forward to weeks in the future when Zoo is by herself on a solo task, but has seen neither sight nor sound of a fellow contestant or clue for days... Is she still being filmed? Where has her cameraman gone?
Reality and reality TV blend into one, even when we suspect what is happening, it's hard not to dismiss it as an on-screen con, just like everything that has gone before.
I really enjoyed following Zoo through In The Dark, it's smart and scary, with a great point to make about contemporary media and how we see the world around us, as well as how we are TOLD to see the world around us.
Very visual, it was easy to picture Zoo's surroundings and her fellow contestants, even with the barest of introductions to each - stereotypes working as planned.
Zoo's own story is rather fascinating, her strength immense and will to continue. You want her to survive, and you want there to be a happy ending. But if TV isn't real - can there be?
Definitely one that you'll remember. And hopefully one that becomes a film or even ironically a television series itself!
With thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.