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A review by thegeekybibliophile
The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
4.0
I love to get lost in a good dystopian novel, and The Last One is truly magnificent. The premise—twelve completely isolated contestants filming a reality TV show, unaware something horrible has happened in the real world—was brilliant in its simplicity. There was no need to suspend disbelief; it was completely plausible that such a thing could actually happen, and for me, that made the story even better.
I also loved the way the story was told, in a before-and-after way. The before portions center on the filming of the reality series, where we learn how Zoo came to be part of the filming, and what she and the other contestants go through. The after portions focus on Zoo’s journey alone, thinking everything she sees is part of the game—potential clues and challenges—and what happens to her along the way. I sometimes find myself feeling a little impatient with flashbacks, because the events in the story’s present are so engrossing I want to keep reading more of that, rather than past events. This was not the case in The Last One. Each storyline was gripping in its own way, and rather than being impatient about it, each timeline shift was eagerly anticipated and welcomed when it came. In fact, the only thing that I found upsetting was reaching the end.
If you enjoy reading dystopian novels, I highly recommend this one. It’s one of the best I’ve ever read, and I fervently hope Alexandra Oliva will write more dystopians in the future!
I received an advance review copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley and Ballantine Books.
I also loved the way the story was told, in a before-and-after way. The before portions center on the filming of the reality series, where we learn how Zoo came to be part of the filming, and what she and the other contestants go through. The after portions focus on Zoo’s journey alone, thinking everything she sees is part of the game—potential clues and challenges—and what happens to her along the way. I sometimes find myself feeling a little impatient with flashbacks, because the events in the story’s present are so engrossing I want to keep reading more of that, rather than past events. This was not the case in The Last One. Each storyline was gripping in its own way, and rather than being impatient about it, each timeline shift was eagerly anticipated and welcomed when it came. In fact, the only thing that I found upsetting was reaching the end.
If you enjoy reading dystopian novels, I highly recommend this one. It’s one of the best I’ve ever read, and I fervently hope Alexandra Oliva will write more dystopians in the future!
I received an advance review copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley and Ballantine Books.