A review by ajsterkel
The Last Harvest by Kim Liggett
3.0
Likes: Well, that was severely messed up. I did not expect that ending. This is for sure a horror story. The plot is wild, and there’s all the blood and guts you could ever want. I would have adored this book as a teen.
Seventeen-year-old Clay is not having a fun time in life. After the death of his father, weird stuff starts happening in Clay’s town. Either Clay is going insane, or his classmates are possessed by demons. (Personally, I vote for the demons. Have you ever met a teenager?) Clay is a deeply flawed person, but I care about him. He has a sense of humor and tries to do what’s right. He wants to take care of his family and figure out what’s happening to his friends, but he’s battling against a force that is more powerful than him. Still, he keeps fighting when everything seems hopeless.
The atmosphere is spot-on. I love the creepy farm town setting. If you enjoy those movies where spooky stuff happens in the crops, you need to read this book. The story begins when Clay runs over a calf with his combine. You know from the first chapter that this is going to be bizarre and intense. None of the characters (including Clay) can be trusted. Nobody is safe. I understand why some Goodreads reviewers question if this book should be called YA. It’s definitely the most gory YA horror book I’ve read. That’s not a complaint. I would have been thrilled to read this novel as a teen.
Dislikes: The plot moves fast. Occasionally, it moves faster than my brain could process it. The author withholds information to keep the reader guessing, but some events are too mysterious for me. I didn’t always understand Clay’s motivation. Actually, this is one of those books where a lot of weird stuff happens, and the only explanation is “Demons.” I prefer to have more reasoning behind the weirdness in books.
I also wondered why Clay doesn’t show more reaction when his friends are brutally murdered. I know that this is horror, and someone dies every few chapters, but Clay is like, “Meh, he’s dead now. Let’s go back to solving mysteries and hitting on my girlfriend.” Usually, murders would cause more angst. Clay is annoyingly overprotective of his sisters, so he overreacts when they hang out with boys, but he’s not too bothered when his classmates get disemboweled. It’s odd.
The Bottom Line: Not perfect, but an entertaining horror novel. I will definitely check out the author’s other books.
Do you like opinions, giveaways, and bookish nonsense? I have a blog for that.
Seventeen-year-old Clay is not having a fun time in life. After the death of his father, weird stuff starts happening in Clay’s town. Either Clay is going insane, or his classmates are possessed by demons. (Personally, I vote for the demons. Have you ever met a teenager?) Clay is a deeply flawed person, but I care about him. He has a sense of humor and tries to do what’s right. He wants to take care of his family and figure out what’s happening to his friends, but he’s battling against a force that is more powerful than him. Still, he keeps fighting when everything seems hopeless.
The atmosphere is spot-on. I love the creepy farm town setting. If you enjoy those movies where spooky stuff happens in the crops, you need to read this book. The story begins when Clay runs over a calf with his combine. You know from the first chapter that this is going to be bizarre and intense. None of the characters (including Clay) can be trusted. Nobody is safe. I understand why some Goodreads reviewers question if this book should be called YA. It’s definitely the most gory YA horror book I’ve read. That’s not a complaint. I would have been thrilled to read this novel as a teen.
Dislikes: The plot moves fast. Occasionally, it moves faster than my brain could process it. The author withholds information to keep the reader guessing, but some events are too mysterious for me. I didn’t always understand Clay’s motivation. Actually, this is one of those books where a lot of weird stuff happens, and the only explanation is “Demons.” I prefer to have more reasoning behind the weirdness in books.
I also wondered why Clay doesn’t show more reaction when his friends are brutally murdered. I know that this is horror, and someone dies every few chapters, but Clay is like, “Meh, he’s dead now. Let’s go back to solving mysteries and hitting on my girlfriend.” Usually, murders would cause more angst. Clay is annoyingly overprotective of his sisters, so he overreacts when they hang out with boys, but he’s not too bothered when his classmates get disemboweled. It’s odd.
The Bottom Line: Not perfect, but an entertaining horror novel. I will definitely check out the author’s other books.
Do you like opinions, giveaways, and bookish nonsense? I have a blog for that.