Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Tor Teen (Macmillan-Tor/Forge) for providing me with the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing that caught my eye about Last Girls by Demetra Brodsky was how it was presented: a tale of doomsday preppers, secret compounds and sisterhood. The second thing was that its synopsis (as you can see from above) doesn’t tell anything more. The third thing was its breath-taking cover. So, when I started reading this novel, I had literally no idea where the whole story would be going. I found myself entangled in a pretty unique and unexpected tale. And guys, I completely loved every single page.
The characters are all very well developed and every single one of them has a lot of depths, especially the main protagonists, Honey, Birdie and Blue. Every sister has her own strong personality and this is shown very well. During the read I really grew fond of any them.
Last Girls is a breath of fresh air for YA thrillers, for sure. I’ve never read anything like this one and I enjoyed every single twist, even if some of them were quite predictable. This is so much more than a book about doomsday preppers’ lives and mysteries. It’s about family, sisterhood, brotherly love and the importance of art.
This book had a huge impact on me. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and I will hardly forget its gripping story or characters. I strongly recommend this read, it’s such a unique and special story.

Initially, I had thought this was going to be based on some sort of doomsday prepper compound. Instead we follow these three sisters along with their mother as they live in a rural community with many other doomsday preppers like themselves. The girls have been taught survival skills, food gathering, hunting, and farming. They are all unique in their personalities and likes and dislikes.

We follow the girls as some of the other boys from the compound creates a commotion at the school they attend that is believed to be a school shooting but turns out to be something else. One of the sisters gets caught up in this and so the other sisters try to keep her from getting in trouble for fear of angering the leader of the doomsday group. Honey, the oldest sister, wins an art scholarship and is shown on live tv. This angers the group leader even further. And with Blue's boyfriend missing they begin to think the leader has something to do with it.
As if they didn’t have enough to worry about, their mother might be sleeping with the doomsday leader, this angers his wife and daughter, Annalise, who begins to take out her anger on the girls in dangerous ways.
Soon things become too dangerous and the girls need to get away from their mother and escape what could be their death.

Alternatively we are also following a teenage boy and his artist mother who suffered a family tragedy years before.

Soon their worlds collide and the girls learn some truths about who they really are and what has actually happened to them.

This was a pretty decent book. I really enjoyed the sister dynamic, although I was a little thrown off at first by the alternative narrative from the other male character.

I figured out the plot twist about halfway through the book. The book did end nicely and I really enjoyed most of the characters.

This was great if you want to read about a close-knit group of sisters.
Their way of life is quite unusual, and so are they.
3.5 stars
ARC provided by Tor Teen via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*I received an e-Arc from the author on Netgalley for an honest review*

And just like that, Demetra has done it again! Just like her debut, Dive Smack, I was completely sucked into this story. It was fan-flipping-tastic!  This is a story about doomsday preppers, secret compounds, and survival for TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It). Doomsday preppers are constantly prepping for the end, and carry an EDC (Every Day Carry). It's so crazy that this book happens to be coming out during a worldwide pandemic, and it made the story that much more real to me. Are you a psychic, Demetra? ;) Demetra weaves in just the right amount of mystery and suspense, and I found myself trying to figure things out as I went along, and couldn't stop reading.

At the heart of the story though, is the relationship between the Juniper sisters. Honey, Birdie, and Blue are all unique characters, and very well fleshed out. I love the inseparable bond between them, and they are my favorite part of the story. Honey is the oldest and loves to paint, Birdie is the middle and loves to draw comics, and Blue is the youngest and embroiders in the color blue. They stick together, no matter what. I'm so excited for you to meet them! If this book wasn't on your radar already, I hope that you pick it up when it releases on May 5, 2020. I've already preordered my finished copy and can't wait for it to arrive. And while you're at it, add Dive Smack to your TBR too!

So I’m going to preface this review by saying it wasn’t the greatest time to be reading a book about a group of people prepping for the ned of the world, and that our current health climate has impacted my enjoyment of this book.

Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded to 4

Things I liked:
- I liked the writing a lot! It was very straight to the point and fitting of the type of story. Everything felt practical and that totally fit the main character Honey.
- I loved the added perspective and extra mystery. I won’t say too much because you should go into this book knowing as little as possible
- I loved all of the characters! Honey, Birdie, and Blue the most, but all the side characters were such a strong addition to the story! I love how there was a small romance subplot. It didn’t feel like the main focus (solving the mystery and surviving) but it did keep me invested to keep reading!
- The pacing wasn’t too fast, but it also wasn’t super slow. Forgive me for sounding like Goldilocks, but I am very picky about the pacing and order of events in my mysteries and thrillers. This was in the sweet spot of pacing, and I very much appreciated it. I was never bored because something new was revealed in each chapter, or I was enjoying the banter between Honey and Remy.
- The atmosphere of this book was super spooky! The doomsday prepares gave me major cult vibes, and I was severely creeped out in any scene with the community

Things I didn’t like:
- The “plot twist” wasn’t really a plot twist, but I’m not sure if it was meant to be super shocking. It was clearly foreshadowed in the beginning, and the reader is given plenty of opportunities to figure it out

Overall, if you don’t mind a mystery thriller that is similar to our current situation, then definitely give Last Girls a shot!

I will be posting my review on my blog on May 1st for the upcoming blog tour!

"Rules breed rebels. We’ve all been taught that the black sheep is a deviation from acceptable standards and something to be avoided. Still, when you see it amongst a herd, its lack of conformity is what steals your breath and captures your attention."

There are people out in the world who think they know when the end of the world will happen. They spread that a long to anyone who will listen, thus causing a huge surge of chaos. When the end of the world is near, are you prepared?

Blue, Birdie, and Honey are known as the Juniper Sister Weirdos. They don’t live on normal streets or live a normal childhood but they do live with the other doomsday preppers on a compound in the Washington wilderness and the outsiders don’t know it. Instead of meeting friends for coffee or texting, they learn how to hunt, live without comfort technology, and survive.

What they thought was a safe community turns into something that makes them second guess everything that they’ve ever known. One of their own is sent away but not before warning the sisters. Now nowhere is safe and this isn’t what they were trained for.

I didn’t know much about doomsday preppers before reading this but I’ve heard the term. This sheds a lot of light on what they are and how they sacrifice a lot to feel safe and secure when the time comes.

What got me giddy was the mention of something that shouldn’t have been mentioned. All I can say is that they broke the first two rules and Tyler Durden will be displeased. (I am Jack’s smirking revenge)

Last Girls was a breath of fresh air for YA thrillers/mysteries. This was so much more than a preppers life and I was shocked at the twists in this book. Nothing like this has been in my possession before and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It sinks its claws into you from the start and never lets go. It was a thrill ride for sure and one that I’ll never forget. This will be the book that you’ll want to add to your soon to be read lists.

Just remember your three R’s. Be Responsible, Reactive, and Ready.

But most importantly..... Don’t Trust Anyone!!

4.5 stars
Ah I loved it! It was not profound in any real way, it was not life-altering but this book hooked me from page one. I thought a preppers book would be a bad idea to read during quarantine, but the preppers part was so interesting. And the mystery that is strewn throughout the pages had me guessing and hoping, totally captivated.
It’s different and unique and completely absorbing. The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars was a slightly hokey reason they gave for something that could’ve changed the vibe of the book. Luckily it didn’t, but I think that could’ve been a bit different. There are quite a few POTUS jokes that poke fun at our current president, so if political opinions turn you off, definitely be aware. Also, the main character would do threat assessments on random characters and they were hilarious. The assessment would determine their ability to impede survival and their casualty potential and I found them hysterical. The underlying message of family and always sticking together was heart-warming too. All in all I highly recommend!

The content was very high in language and fairly minor everywhere else. There was a small amount of violence and blood but few details were involved. Check out my full content review on my blog (link in bio) I recommend this for those that need a fast-paced story, a great escape read or those who love survival stories with strong main characters.

This book is out Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Last Girls is a story about doomsday preppers, sisterhood, and survival, and I enjoyed every minute of it. This story is significantly darker and more political than I was expecting it to be, and for the most part, it worked. The strongest part of the story is by far the bond between the three sisters, and each girl is so uniquely herself it is refreshing. The aspects about prepping were interesting and mind-blowing as it is something I know very little about. I will say that I felt the romance was a bit unnecessary, and felt a bit forced, but I did appreciate the theme of girls not needing to be saved, especially by their love interest. Even when Honey reaches out to Remy for help, she is the one with the expertise and with the plan, and Remy is there to support her, rather than save the day.

My other critique was that some of the plot points and conclusions the characters came to seemed very far fetched based on the amount of background we were given, and it seemed hard to take them at face value. A lot of the more shocking plot points weren't really explained either, specifically Annalise's character and the choices she made- I wanted more background as to why Annalise acted the way she did and how she benefitted from her choices. I would have also appreciated more background on The Nest and The Burrow as a whole- how they came to be and more information about the leadership of the groups.

All in all, this is a solid story that is scarily timely and not at all what you'd expect it to be. Showed up for the sisterhood, stayed for the mystery.

My favorite thing about Last Girls is the Juniper sister's bond. Books about sisters is one of my favorite elements in books and as soon as I witnessed the intense love Honey, Birdie, and Blue have for each other I was sold. But Last Girls is about more than just sisterhood. It's about secrets, the dangerous kind that can rip a community apart, family, and sacrifice. Part of what makes Last Girls such a compelling read is the sense of mystery and intrigue Brodsky infuses into the story. Even if I could tell where some of the twists and turns were, I could never predict the execution of these revelations.

Last Girls takes place in our world, it's not science fiction, but for a lot of us, the world of the Juniper sisters is still a world with which we are unfamiliar. Living in a community preparing for the end of the world, the Juniper sisters are highly trained and have to rely on themselves. Prepping comes first and anything that could get in the way of their community and survival, like outside relationships or even art, is frowned upon. Last Girls examines both the Juniper sisters, but also the group dynamics and characters who contemplate their role in the end of the world.

Trained to survive whatever comes, Honey is aware when her compound starts sliding out of control. Threats are rising everywhere she turns and the most important mission of her life, protect her sisters, looks to be impossible...

I wanted to like this. I really did. I'm fascinated with prepping as a topic, and this seemed like a really fresh look at it. But it was just - confusing, mostly. I couldn't track who knew what when why, and Honey seemed to make random leaps without any reason. It wasn't helped by the many grammar and spelling errors. I can overlook them because I was reading an ARC that will presumably be corrected before publishing, but they did make things harder.

With some more work on smoothing out the flow of information, this could have been a fantastic read. As is, it's just...sort of there.

love her writing style and this book grabbed me from the very beginning and I can't wait to finish it. Sooo good!!! Synopsis:

No one knows how the world will end.
On a secret compound in the Washington wilderness, Honey Juniper and her sisters are training to hunt, homestead, and protect their own.
Prepare for every situation.
But when danger strikes from within, putting her sisters at risk, training becomes real life, and only one thing is certain:
Nowhere is safe.

This book was honestly a surprise for me, and whilst it did get off to a slow start, one that almost had me DNF'ing - it was just both a lot and nothing somehow at the same time and I just could not manage to get into it at all. However, I perservered, I wanted to give it a chance and I'm so glad I did! I got completely immersed in this story - especially in the three sisters and found myself (figuratively) whipping through the pages to see what happened next.

The three sisters that story focuses on; Honey, Birdie and Blue are truly refreshing characters. Although it can be argued that they fall into the stereotypical badass female character trope, they are wholly more than that. The author paints them in such multi-dimensional form; we are shown why they are this way, their prepper upbringing giving them the skills and survival instincts that make them so impressive in this manner.
Despite this, through the eyes of the eldest sister - Honey - whose POV we see the story unfold, we also get to see facets of her and her sisters that are more than 'badass female'. Honey is protective and loyal, Birdie is romantic and fierce, Blue is thoughtful and empathic. Reading mostly from honey's perspective is eye-opening in discovering and relating to their sisterly bond - their complete devotion to each other first and foremost. As a person who does not have a sister and has never particularly wanted one either, this definitely made me relate to them and even partially wish I had one - a mark of excellent story-telling.

Whereas the three sisters were fully-fleshed out characters, I do wish there had been more time spent doing the same with the main antagonists ofthe book - they seemed orginally to be mildly questionable and then suddenly changed to outright villains, and for me personally, I would've liked them to have be built up more, more developed people, as they seemed to have a lot of potential and it would've definitely up the ante when we came to the climax of the book.

My only other real gripe was while there were some mysteries and tensions built up through the duration of the novel  - they all seemed to reach their peaks prematurely, sometimes taking the wind right out of the story.
This doesn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel, however it did leave me wanting more, especially when it came to the big reveal (no spoilers!) - I'd already guessed it and it did leave me feeling slightly deflated.

To end this review on a positive note, I think this is a great insight into sisterly devotion and the true bond between them really is the driving force of the book - their interactions, whether loving or antagonistic, really showcases their individual relationships with each other and as a whole unit. I really adored their love.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book, I gave it a hearty 4 stars on Goodreads and already recommended it to one of my best friends, so in my opinion, it's definitely worth a try!

I wasn't the biggest fan of this book. It wasn't terrible, it was just boring. I don't know. I didn't care for anything that was happening. The premise was interesting but the main story felt diluted by a million and one side plots that we never even got a proper conclussion for. I think this book tried to do too much and it didn't work. A lot of things were introduced but never properly continued on or concluded. It was so frustrating. The main plot was greatly concluded but I still had SO MANY questions left at the end because those side stories seemed to be forgotten. There were so many things that never properly got explained as well, so I don't know what kind of conclusion I was looking for with that. The characters all felt really flat and like archetypes. This also didn't help when it came to me not caring for the story. I don't know. There's something promising here but it's very well hidden.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the opportunity to read Last Girls in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book when I was in the mood for thrillers. This book screams sisterhood and survival -- that's the beauty of it! I haven't read any thrillers from Demetra Brodsky yet, but I'm now wanting to after picking this up. If you're into sibling love and adventure, this book's for you!

I tried really hard to read this book, but after a week didn't even read 25%. I can definitely get how it may appeal to some readers, but it definitely didn't to me.
I felt no connection to any of the characters. Sometimes authors try to make characters so unique and special that they stop feeling real and authentic, and these characters feel that way to me. I read another review which called them "manic prepper dream girls" and that's a perfect description of these characters.
In the bit of this book I managed to read, I could not make sense of a single scene. The writing felt convoluted. I think there was just to much in this plot, it should have just stuck to digging into their lifestyles and the mystery behind the nest. But instead it added terrorism, and magic, and psychics. It was just to much and it didn't fit in.
I thought this was going to either apocalyptic or about a cult, which are both story lines I love, but this just wasn't that.

Where do I start with this?
The Last Girls had me on the edge of my seat. When I first started reading, I thought I knew where the story was going. I WAS SO WRONG. About 30% in, my brain understood the twist of the story and I was blown away.
Other than just being a story about a group of doomsday preppers, The Last Girls really delves into the heart and soul of siblings and family. There are lots of unforgettable twists and turns to the story that threw me every time I discovered something new. But I FELT so much of yearning, bravery, and dont give up attitudes throughout the whole thing.
I was sobbing by the time SHTF! 😭😂
I almost wish it had been a longer story with even more detail. I want more of the badass Juniper sisters and Bucky. 🙌
Demetra is the sweetest human ever too. She was kind enough to reach out to me. ❤

I really wanted to love this book but I just could not get into it. I felt no emotional connection to the main characters and I had trouble connecting with the writing style. I'm honestly gutted because so many people have loved this book!

This book just wasn't for me but don't let that stop you from picking it up and giving it a read yourself!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this is going to have to be a DNF for me. I have tried multiple times to get into this book and I just can't find it in me. I don't feel any attachment to the characters and the story seems so different than the summary of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book and truly believe that this is just because this isn't the book for me and not because of anything the author could have done.

3.5 | “Our end will bring our beginning to light.”

I need to start of by saying that reading this book with this pandemic playing out in the meantime does make the whole prepping for the End Of The World As We Know It business a whole lot more reasonable. Maybe it always was.

That being said, I kinda really dug this non-dystopian dystopia story. Because of how ingrained the prepper lifestyle is for all three Juniper sisters, it really feels like you’re on this precipice the entire story - the apocalypse might really happen at any time. It’s a bit strange to say, but it was refreshing to read a story where the apocalypse is approached with as much calm, distance, and preparedness as in The Last Girls. It’s like this: it’s likely the shit’s gonna hit the fan sometime (especially with copious amounts of references to an unnamed POTUS who keeps starting wars and tweeting his bad decisions out to the world) and the Juniper sisters are ready. They know plan A, and B, all the way until Z. And then some, probably.

The setting for TLG is one of the things that makes the story so intriguing. The amount of detail and care that went into describing the compound, the way it works, the way Honey, Birdie and Blue’s brains work as a result of the way they’ve been trained, is really fascinating.

And we all know I’m a sucker for a strong sibling bond in any story, so I was pretty certain this book was up my alley in that respect, and I was right. It was the other strongest part of this novel. The idea of despite all that’s going on, we are each other’s first priority, is just super appealing to me. That combined with the literal found family trope we had going on… britneyyeah.gif. When there are two storylines you know are going to intersect at some point during the story that just makes for a really exciting prospect, and the chapters surrounding that moment in TLG definitely had me on the edge of the couch.

“You trained us to be soldiers, to protect what’s ours, and that’s exactly what we did.”

That also leads me, though, to some of the stuff I had issues with. Because despite enjoying a lot of the story, when I sat with it after finishing the book I also felt… unresolved. And I think one of the reasons for that was the pacing of the book, because despite really liking the idea of the two different storylines, I did feel like it took too long for them to intersect. It meant that I was left with the sense that the resolution of this pretty major plot point and event in the characters’ lives was rushed.

The other thing was, and I think this was pretty major in my final feelings about the book, that I felt like a lot of the characters could have been developed a lot more. It especially struck me when it came to Blue, who, while unambiguously beloved by her sisters, is just [says something prophetic][embroiders clothes][has cool pet bird] all the time. Even Honey isn’t able to say much more than “wow, what Blue just said is even weirder than all the stuff she’s said before.” Blue doesn’t seem to have any friends, or relationships besides her sisters/mother. And when she’s supposed to be one of the core people to this story, makes it just a bit harder to get into.
Also all the antagonists remained really flat. Their motivations remained really unclear, they were just bad, angry, mean people, without there being really more to it than that. That in combination with the amount of things that were supposedly going on in the second half of the book, the violence, the paranormal (???)... It was just a bit too much for me. It feels like a case of less would’ve been more. It would’ve given some more space and depth for plot/characters that I think really needed it.

Still, I think The Last Girls surprised me in a lot of ways, and made for a really interesting story with an original setting. I’d definitely recommend it to people looking for something really fresh and exciting.

A tale of doomsday preppers, secret compounds, and survival at the end of the world, Last Girls was such a unique and rather (unexpected) timely story. But at its heart, it’s a story of sisterhood, the importance of family, and sticking together no matter what.

Honey, Blue, and Birdie Juniper live in a secret compound in Washington state, along with the rest of their group of survivalists and doomsday preppers. The Juniper sisters attend public school but they’re certainly not like their peers, especially with their EDC’s (every day carries), their lack of technology (one shared cell phone), and their general attitude of always being on high alert in case the SHTF (shit hits the fan). They spend much of their time avoiding attention, as per their mother’s request, but an incident at school puts all three of them and their fellow compound members right in the spotlight.

Doomsday preppers are such an interesting and weird set of people, and these particular preppers were a perfect example. Much like real life, their lifestyle is driven by an almost obsession with the end of the world, be it from economic collapse, war, or viral pandemic. Oddly enough, the timing of this book was such an incredible coincidence since we are, in fact, smack dab in the middle of a viral pandemic and possibly facing an economic collapse. That bit of reality made this book so much more visceral and gave the whole story such an authentic feeling. And it made me wonder who around me, right now, is doing exactly what these preppers are doing (and if they have tinfoil hats).

My expectations were super high going in to this book and I’m so thrilled to say that it delivered. Each of the sisters had their own unique voice and experienced their own personal journey throughout the course of the story, and the bond they shared was my favorite part. Although the mystery and the unending feeling of doom both came in at a close second. All told, Demetra Brodsky is such an exciting new voice in the world of YA thrillers and Last Girls is a book I’ll recommend the heck out of, along with her debut, Dive Smack. Do yourself a favor and add both to your tbr, because they’re both books not to be missed.

I had high hopes for this, but I just didn't find it enjoyable. I didn't connect with the writing style, which read like the main character was having a wall-breaking discussion with the reader. I didn't connect with any of the characters, who felt very one dimensional and didn't grow in any way throughout.. The tone was always on-edge, no matter the severity of the situation which became desensitizing over the course of the book. I felt like the story couldn't make up its mind about what it wanted to be, part thriller, part romance, part high school angst, and ended up not having enough pages to wrap it all up. I was really looking for a story of how doomsday prepper teens would utilize their skills for an apocalypse, but it really didn't go in that direction at all.