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yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.25
"There are some moments in life when you realize, deep inside yourself, that nothing will ever be quite the same again."
I tend to enjoy Will Dean's writing, and I'm still not sure why it took me this long to finally pick up The Last One. This book came at the right time for me though, because it was exactly the suspenseful, exhilarating and simply wild ride I was craving. I went in blind, and I'm SO glad I did because the story had an even bigger impact this way. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but what I can say is that you definitely have to be able to suspend your disbelief in order to enjoy The Last One. The plot is over the top and farfetched, but at the same time extremely entertaining and I simply HAD to keep reading to discover what was going on. I love a story with a locked room element and/or remote setting, and it doesn't get more remote than a seemingly abandoned cruise liner in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Things can be said about the fact that not all characters are exactly likeable, but in a situation this extreme it is no surprise that you will see the worst aspects of a person. I loved how you, like the characters, had no clue what was going to for a long time, and while some of the big twists were a bit too farfetched for me, as a whole it somehow worked. I do have to say that I wasn't a fan of the open ending, and too many questions were left unanswered. That said, if you enjoy suspenseful and unique thrillers that will take you on a true rollercoaster ride, The Last One is a great option. Unless you want a credible and realistic plot that is...
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
bibliomania_express's review against another edition
1.0
I'm mad I spent hours being anxious and upset for a cheap last page twist. I'm mad that this book had the audacity to inflict such pain on characters and not grapple with the absolute moral failings of the world it presents. To suggests that a scenario like the one in this book would be brushed aside by the world at large - by friends, loved ones, even strangers - is disgusting and angering.
This is essentially The Truman Show meets the dark web. The main character (and some others) is confined on a ship against her will, tricked into staying, forced to complete life-threatening tasks, not allowed to leave, and forced to think multiple people died. All in the name of a "new, bold reality show".
I do not reccomend. In fact, I don't think I'll ever read another book by this author.
I'm so mad that the vague premise made me intrigued and hid all this evilness, and that there wasn't a single trigger warning provided up front.
Trigger warnings for: confinement, kidnapoing, starvation, psychological torture, (apparent) suicide, violence, gore, (apparent) murder, drugging, gaslighting, past parental emotional abuse, addiction, past teen pregnancy.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Dementia, and Pregnancy
nialiversuch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
haleybre's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
anacceptablebear's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Gore, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Sexism, Torture, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
soobooksalot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
However, my experience with The Last One lends to listing pros and cons.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for my eARC for review.
Caz and her new-ish bf Pete board a cruise ship and when she wakes up the next morning, absolutely nothing is as it was the day before.
Pros:
- short chapters usually ending on a cliffhanger.
- unique take on a locked-room (ship) mystery.
- a big twist happens very early on to set the stage for what's to come, then another about 1/3 in.
- the ending! Eek!
Cons:
- after the first few chapters, the action wasn't sustained for me.
- I really enjoyed the author's previous The Last Thing To Burn, but this didn't work for me like that one did.
- much longer than I anticipated, with characters I never really connected with.
- a lot of ruminating from Caz about her family life that bogged the story down for me.
But don't go by my opinions. There are many a mixed review on this one, so check it out for something different!
Released on Aug. 8.
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
collinsd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse
A mix of locked room mystery/ The Truman Show/ Wreck/ Black Mirror/Then There Were None and Lord of the Flies. If Trauma Porn, Gaslighting and Father issues was a book. Short snappy chapters but terrible ending if I wasn't reading this on my laptop I would've flung it across the room.danscoada's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
When I realized Dean set the whole thing up in the first two chapters, I was a little worried about how he would maintain the momentum for another 131 chapters of first-person POV on an abandoned cruise liner. My worries were almost as instantly quelled, though, because I could not put this down. If I hadn't made the mistake of starting it right before going to bed, this would've been a book I could've easily finished in one sitting. The chapters were short, breezy, and almost always ended with a cliffhanger that required me to keep reading.
I don't read mysteries or thrillers with any intention on trying to guess the twists or solve anything. Even still, I didn't see any of it coming. Every few chapters the stakes changed and I was left with whiplash. It takes a lot for me to vocalize my thoughts while reading, but I let out a few "Oh my god"s throughout. May others be able to guess what happens? Surely. I wasn't, so I count that as a win.
We follow Caz's point of view throughout, so we naturally get some background information, especially in regards to her family and their issues. I would say we get information in about 60-75% of the chapters, ranging from a paragraph to two pages. With that much real estate, there were times that I felt her stories to be a bit repetitive, but Dean didn't spend long enough to make me bored or feel the need to skip past a paragraph. I can see how it might be problematic for other readers, though.
With most thrillers, the ending is a true make or break point of the book. For me, I felt Dean (almost entirely) nailed it. It did wrap up very quickly and I do wish we got a little more of the after, but overall I was satisfied.
The Last One wasn't entirely perfect, but I still thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it. With the way my reading has gone this year, I anticipate this showing up in my top reads of 2023 list. I anticipate the publication date so I can interact with other readers and see their takes on this gripping thriller.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC ahead of publication.
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Car accident