The first 90% of this book was amazing. I was totally enthralled by it. I could not stop reading it. Then WHAT? the ending felt weak and wasn't really satisfying. And we never found out why two other people thought they remembered/recognized the island. The epilogue wrapped things up, but I was still left thinking "really"? about the end. That first 90% of the book though. That was so good, it's probably worth buying it for that. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

The Last Resort is not unlike an episode of Black Mirror - a show referenced throughout the novel. Susi Holliday has written an entertaining short fiction with a few decent twists. The characters are shallowly defined. The author's decision to centre each chapter on an individual's perspective, while intriguing and offering an opportunity to get to know each, in turn, keeps the narrative going but doesn't lend to more profound character development.
The jacket notes describe this novel as a survival adventure involving 6 strangers flown to an island where each is challenged by the revelation of their deepest secrets. The tale is well paced and keeps the reader engaged. The premise is promising - technology, intrigue and a diverse set of characters. There are flashbacks intended to only become coherent once we reach the end of the adventure. The basic story of the entwined lives of the participants sustains the reader, but the conclusion is ultimately unsatisfying. The buildup, the reveals, the twists, the tension, are all well sprung, but the conclusion seems like the author simply ran out of steam. The outcomes teach us no real lesson, nor draws together the life experiences of the participants. Given that the author is familiar with Black Mirror, one would hope that there might be some thought-provoking question posed and explored. The potential of neurological 'trodes that stimulate thoughtful recollection, for example, or the use of hallucinogenic drugs that allow for self-stimulated alternated realities are promising but unrealised.
The novel is a reasonable read, and I am not unsatisfied to have spent the time. However, I do feel that there is some potential unrealised in the delivery of this novel. The characters drawn from diverse backgrounds could allow for teasing out deeper connections to their ultimates fates or possible reflections on the main protagonist's understandings of her own life trajectories. The intriguing devices introduced raise questions around surveillance and our own self-perception, but this too seems to be merely glossed over. These could have been drawn into a tighter message through more deliberate plot construction.
Decent, but ultimately disappointing for unrealised potential.

AMelia, James, Brenda, Scott, Tiggy and Giles are also sent special invitations to a groundbreaking secret retreat. After being taken on a small plane with and drugged they arrive at a remote island and are immediately fitted with "Trackers" on their ears that seem to be able to "read their desires". Suspense builds as Brenda encounters a snake, Giles falls, Scott twists his ankle and one after another bad things seem to be happening to them all. Also the trackers are able to project memories from 5/6 people ,,, memories they would rather have forgotten. Amelia is the only one with a wrist tracker that doesn't seem to work like the other 5 peoples. After a traumatizing day or two some of them arrive at a mansion to await their fate and find out what this experience was all about.

The chapters were interesting as they had different points of views but the whole idea of the technology and the conclusion were too far fetched for me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a huge fan of Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None' and novels of that type. You can imagine how much I enjoyed 'The Last Resort'! I'm so relieved to find a writer that's aligned with my preferred pacing and style. 'The Last Resort' is not too rushed, not too slow, and just the right amount of description and action combined. I binged the whole thing in less than 2 days: definitely recommend it.

With that being said, there are a couple things that could be improved. First: there was a big suspension of disbelief moment at the beginning, when the guests are outfitted with a piece of important technology. The methods for fitting this technology are...alarming, and yet almost all guests willingly subjected themselves to this treatment. Nothing could convince me, or any other reader, to do the same. Unfortunately, this technology is crucial to the rest of the book, and you really have to set the issue aside to fully enjoy the story.

Second: I agree with some other reviewers in that the final twist at the end wasn't compelling enough, There were aspects of it that were delightfully unexpected, but the gist of it could be spotted from a mile away. To be clear, that's not always a bad thing! But I felt like it didn't have enough impact when it was revealed. The motivation was not sufficiently convincing, nor was it adequately foreshadowed or expanded upon throughout the book. As a result, when the final reveal came, it felt rather flat and lacking. Also, not all the loose ends were perfectly tied up, even at the conclusion of the novel. Tbh, I wanted to grab some of the island staff with my own hands and shake more answers out of them!

Overall, however, the rest of the book was fantastic. The characters are otherwise believable and well-portrayed. The pacing will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time, guaranteed! You'll feel like you're right there on the island with everyone else. It's an immersive experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Amelia and six other lucky (?) people are invited to an all expense paid trip on a private island. They have been chosen, they are told, to test a new tech product. It turns out the tech device they are each forced to wear will reveal all their dark and nasty secrets to the other guests. They are told if they can just follow the rules, they will have a lavish party, but the group begins to fight and divisions and loyalties become apparent. Amelia starts to believe the only “gift” she will get from this trip is getting away with her life intact, if she can just stay strong. Now this is a Survivor I would watch!

Seven strangers in an island, trapped, and soon they are only six... It was a great modern twist on the Agatha Christie story, with new and maybe too incredible technology, but it kept me reading until the end. If you know the original story you can guess some of the twists, but I was not expecting the last one, and I'm still shocked. Great book.

This was a great premise as I've read about the subject that gave Susi the idea for the book.. I'm not going to say more as you have to find out what it is for youself.

If you';re afraid of how tech and new tech ideas can work against us however, this is going to freak you out. There were vibes of And Then There Were None and 1984 and the film The Island. Characters I didn't care for however and it soon became obvious that I was looking forward to seeing them being killed off. Not sure what that says about me but one in particular was awful.

I felt the idea and premise was stronger than the way it panned out. The tech idea however was nicely built up and explored. People's reactions were spot on and the way the people were controlled on that island was nothing short of Big Brother's gone Digital. Hell if this ever becomes a reality, I'm going to live on an island myself. Just not this one.

You never really know where they are but there's a reference to a literary island which was a nice touch. The ending for me didn't fit the rest of the novel but it was a good journey getting there.

The first 85% or so of this book was very intriguing. Sadly, the ending just didn’t work for me as well as I’d hoped it would.

The overall story has a vibe that’s similar to many others: a group of people wake up somewhere unknown and have to go through a series of trials to find out what’s really happening. Where this one differs, though, is in the way that each character’s storyline is pushed forward, along with the manner in which futuristic tech is utilized.

I can’t really say much more without spoiling it, but I will say that one of the three big twists was easy to see coming. I had guessed a crucial detail about the biggest reveal far in advance, too. Neither of these things reduced my enjoyment of the book, which was sitting pretty firmly at 4 stars in my mind until the last 10-15%.

Yes, the ending wraps it all up, but it just didn’t have the necessary impact. I was left thinking, “Seriously? All of this because of that?” I expected a bigger, more interesting motive. I also expected one last twist from a character’s memory that was never completed (which, if it had been, could have provided a much better ending). Alas, neither of those things came to fruition.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.