This is the second book in a row I've read that touches on what could happen given the political climate in the world - always hinted but never overtly stated...

Nuclear bombs have detonated all over the world leaving those left wondering if they're the only ones. Quickly this becomes a matter of surviving which ultimately leads to paranoia, anxiety and a battle for food and sanity. Have you ever thought how you would react should the end of the world, or what seems like it, should come?

There were parts of this book that reminded me of The Walking Dead. We have a group of people stranded at a hotel. Quickly a leader makes himself known, there are loyalties amongst this group who have spent days/weeks together but also growing dissent amongst them. Unsure if there are more people out there or not, but when there are signs … well, paranoia, distrust and chaos start to ensue.

It seems a running theme that once the world goes to shit, people immediately enact their own rules and/or laws to live by and God help those who aren't following along - if you believe in God, that is. Why does the human race immediately react this way? Survival of the fittest. There were some scary themes thrown in - when thinking if this small group was the only people left for repopulating the world - would men actually force themselves on women to continue the population - are women now just regulated to being baby makers?

I could go on and on about the different things that were happening here. I loved the way this was written. Through Jon's eyes as he kept writing on a daily basis to have a transcript for others to know what happened during this time. I always find these types of reads extremely interesting as, like with anything, when seen through the eyes of one, you only get their perspective and it makes me wonder how the others in the group may have perceived the same situation.

A unique look at the post-apocalyptic/dystopia type read with a little bit of murder/mystery thrown in for good measure (though unnecessary for the main theme in my opinion but I appreciate Jon needing something to occupy his time and mind during these drastic times).

It's scary because I can actually see something like this happening... and really hoping that it doesn't come to pass. Unnerving, scarily plausible and compulsive.

Well...This was NOT what I was expecting. I was pleasantly surprised. It did take me a little while to get into the story fully.
What I loved: Honestly, I loved the flawed characters.
What I liked: This was a fresh look at dystopian lit mixed with mystery. I also liked the way that the MC's story line wrapped up. It felt like the right ending.
What I hated: Part of the story line seemed disjointed and out of sorts with the rest, but it wasn't enough to make me hate the story. Just a "huh" sort of a feeling.

This books makes you rethink "end of the world" literature.
Song that came running thru my head while reading this: Closing Time by Green Day

Jon is in Switzerland for an academic conference. The L’Hotel Sixieme, is miles from the nearest town and tainted by a strange history of suicides and murders. Sitting in the lobby, guests start receiving a string of notifications: Washington DC has been destroyed by a nuclear bomb, then New York, then London, and finally Berlin. After that everything goes silent. Are they the last survivors?

It’s been two months since the nuclear bombs went off and there are twenty survivors at the hotel. Jon has begun writing about the event and their day to day lives in case anyone is still around to read their history. He also is trying to interview other guests to record their stories, but as he is only one of two America’s it is sometimes hard to communicate with the group.

After they notice lower than normal water pressure a group of men go in search of what could be clogging the tanks. Inside one of the tanks is the body of a little girl. How long has she been there? Is one of them a murderer? Are people hiding there that they aren’t aware of? As their supplies start to dwindle and stress begins to take its toll on the survivors it becomes every man for himself as Jon works to piece together who the little girl is and who could have murdered her but someone doesn’t want him to find out the truth.

All the while, they are still trying to survive the end of the world. They are running out of food and medicine. Other survivors have been spotted in the forest but haven’t come up to the hotel. Should they stay where it is safe but will eventually run out of food? Or do they go in search of what is out there? What would you do to survive?

The Last is a dystopian psychological thriller that catches your attention from the start and doesn’t let go until the thrilling end.

Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to review this Arc.

I liked this book. I didn't love it like I had wanted to though. I suppose I was looking for more of a murder mystery than this ended up being so that really affected how I ended up feeling towards it when it was done. But it did keep my attention all the way through - I read it in one sitting. 3.5/5