The Last One by Will Dean had me immediately intrigued by the premise and found Dean’s ability to build tension highly effective—the mystery kept me turning pages. However, the ending felt underwhelming. As dark as it sounds, I found the “red room” theory more compelling than the neat resolution we were given. Additionally, I struggled to suspend disbelief during Caz’s second plunge into the Atlantic—surviving without hypothermia seemed unrealistic.

3.5 stars

I must say, "The Last One" kept me guessing to the very end. I never quite figured out where the story was heading and how it would wrap up, and I liked Will Dean’s latest book for the surprise of it.

But it’s way too long. A 450-page locked-room thriller set on an isolated cruise ship is almost annoying to wade through, especially when it’s clear the book could’ve been shortened up quite a bit. The story can’t help but drag in places because of its length.

Also, there are major plot points that don’t make a ton of sense. And I liked Caz as a main character, but all her whining about missing her boyfriend is tiresome. I could only tolerate so much of it.

Maybe I recommend the book, maybe I don’t. I’m not sure.


My sincerest appreciation to Will Dean, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

For most of this book, we follow Caz as she gets on, unpacks, and then wakes up completely alone on a cruise ship. It takes hours of frantic searching, before she finds anyone at all. But eventually, she finds three others. They're okay for a few hours, but then the power goes out and that leaves them with no food, water, or electricity, obviously. That turns this into an SOS mission. But this has all been planned.

They're on a new reality tv show. The last one standing, gets 5 million dollars. The others get 50 thousand. Only if they pass an insane series of tests, though. Because how are they to even stay alive long enough to get to their destination, much less through these trials? And why is there 15 dogs boarded? The passengers have trouble getting along from the very beginning. None of them signed up for this, and they're not going to make it easy to work as a team. It's really survival of the fittest.

This book is absolutely haunting. Jaw dropping and heart stopping at moments, I really thought it was scary, and felt the characters emotions with them. The ending especially was heart stopping, and I just couldn't believe what was happening. Absolutely recommend checking it out if you're a fan of gore, horror, and thrillers, it's not the bloodiest out there, but it's definitely very scary. It left me with thoughts of never wanting to go on a cruise ship, and it's really something I could read more of.

Dragged out a bit longer than I wanted but I still liked the story. Grabs you right at the beginning and that ending, woof.

What an absolute page turner!! This thriller morphed into something completely unexpected and I loved it! It's best to read this without knowing anything going into it other than the synopsis. I will definitely read more from this author!

Unfortunately I was unable to download this book before the archive date, so I'm not able to leave a review. I look forward to reading and reviewing books by this author in the future.

This book makes me never wanna take a cruise. Holy moly. Absolutely devoured this one. I really loved the suspense. I can’t even imagine falling asleep on a ship full of people & waking up to no one. This was my first book by my author & now he’s on my radar. The only thing that stopped me from giving 5 stars was the ending. But I’m wondering…are we getting a second book out of this? Because if so-I would change my rating on this one to 5 stars.

Loved!

“When Caz steps onboard the exclusive cruise liner RMS Atlantica, it’s the start of a vacation of a lifetime with her new love, Pete. On their first night they explore the ship, eat, dance, make friends, but when Caz wakes the next morning, Pete is missing.

And when she walks out into the corridor, all the cabin doors are open. To her horror, she soon realizes that the ship is completely empty. No passengers, no crew, nobody but her. The Atlantica is steaming into the mid-Atlantic and Caz is the only person on board. But that’s just the beginning of the terrifying journey she finds herself trapped on in this white-knuckled mystery.”

Thank you to NetGalley for this E-ARC.

This book is insane. This is now one of my forever top reads. The suspense, the insanity, the extreme level of detail that this book has. Wow. To be able to write a book that actually had me stressed and holding my breath. Applause to Will Dean.

Caz and her partner Pete book a cruise. It’s lovely and romantic and Caz thinks Pete might propose. But he doesn’t. Instead he disappears in the middle of the night from the cruise. And so does everyone else. Caz is alone on the massive ship cruising along in the Atlantic. There’s nobody in the other guest rooms. There’s no servers or bartenders. There’s nobody to man the ship. Just Caz.
How intensely suspenseful. You have no idea. I am so sad that I waited so long to read this book. What an amazing read.

The Last One was one heck of a ride. I don't know what I expected going in, but what I got was definitely not it. I would recommend avoiding spoilers if you want to get the most out of the story. The beginning was a little slow and the book is probably 50 pages longer than it needs to be, but the second half was full of tension. The ending was a mixed bag but I thought the final twist was a lot of fun. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Will Dean’s The Last One is a taut and gripping psychological thriller that immerses readers in a chilling tale of isolation and survival. Set against the backdrop of a remote Swedish wilderness, the story follows a woman named Tuva who becomes trapped in a small cabin after a mysterious incident occurs during a hiking trip.

Dean’s writing is atmospheric and suspenseful, effectively capturing the stark beauty of the landscape while simultaneously heightening the sense of dread. The protagonist is well-developed, grappling with her past and her survival instincts as she faces both external threats and her inner demons.

The pacing is expertly crafted, with twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Themes of trust, betrayal, and the human psyche's fragility are woven throughout, prompting deep reflection on the nature of isolation and connection.

Overall, The Last One is a compelling and immersive read that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers and survival narratives. Dean’s skillful storytelling and atmospheric detail make this a gripping page-turner that lingers long after the final chapter.

The Last One reads like your favorite tv mini-series. Maybe that's. because it partly takes place as a reality competition. Imagine this, you are going on the cruise of your dreams with your amazing boyfriend. It is your first vacation together. You are excited to spend quality time on the ocean. But then...you wake up alone. The ship is abandoned except for a select few. What has happened? Where is everyone? Who is running the ship? As if that is not enough, you find out that the ship is the setting for a reality competition tv show that is being broadcast globally.

I loved this book. It was unique and thrilling. I did not see the ending coming at all. I recommend this book to everyone. The biggest badge of honor I can give this book is that the second I finished I turned around and re-read the whole thing again.

When I read the snippet for The Last One, I was absolutely engrossed. I am an avid traveler, and anything related to cruises as a storyline, I gobble up. Unfortunately, this one hit a little low for me. I know it is fiction but it was so beyond bizarre, I had a really hard time with it. I didn't feel a connection to the characters which was the biggest struggle. I think this is more on a sci-fi verge than thriller, so definitely will interest some.

This is a creepy and gripping quick thriller to read. Once you start, you're not going to want to stop until you know what happens. It gave The Twilight Zone vibes which I enjoyed. This was full of cliff hangers, like almost every single chapter ended with a cliff hanger which just kept you wanting to read more and more.

My main complaint was the length of the book, which goes hand in hand with my second complaint, Caz's character and specifically her inner monologue. If that would have been cut down by just half, the book would've been much shorter. I don't mind a long book., don't get me wrong, but I struggle with long books from unnecessary additions. If Caz's inner monologue had been cut down significantly, it would not have taken away from the plot at all.

All in all, this was a solid thriller that I enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WHAT did I just read?!

This is one of those books that leave you scratching your head at the end. While many other reviewers note that this book is too long, I don’t find that as problematic as the overall plot. This novel was a quick read for me, and the short chapters compelled me to keep going until the last page.

There are a couple gory parts that felt completely unnecessary as well. And the end? Annoying to say the least. This wasn't the book for me.

This would have been a one-star review BUT because it held my attention in basically one sitting, I’ll give it 3 stars.

No, thank you! This was absolutely not for me. Such a disappointment. This one will be very polarizing for readers. This was not thrilling, and I did not like any of the characters. The ending was my biggest "eye roll" of the year this far. I loved Will Dean's previous book, so I am not giving up on him as an author.

Devoured this one. It was on the longer side but I didnt feel it. The twists were wild. I loved the characters and even tho I figured out a lot of what was going to happen it still surprised me in newer more elaborate ways than I thought. Will always recommend this one!

I feel like I have been reading so many romance related books or lighthearted story lines lately, that I definitely appreciated this as a palate cleanser, even though it left me feeling conflicted. 😅

🛳 The locked in vibes taking place on a cruise ship definitely added to the setting in a way that made the twists even more eerie.

🛳 I found the story to be action-packed, but somewhat drawn out, in my opinion. Not to mention, I feel that I didn't connect with the characters, which made it hard for me to enjoy the book.

🛳 Now that ending...I don't understand why it had to end the way it did, and I don't want to spoil anything, so if you've read this one make sure to buckle up, especially when it comes to the very last line!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This one was a weird one….. I don’t typically read sci-fi and this wasn’t the mystery/ thriller I was expecting. The premise was so exciting and fast paced but then it just got weird. It dragged on in parts I would wish it would move on and the plot holes were glaring and confusing. I hope this is other people’s cup of tea but I can’t get behind a book I really just dont understand

After hearing so much amazing feedback about this one, I’m not sure why it took me so long to pick it up. All I know is, once I did, I could not put it down!

I loved the premise, passengers embark on a what they think will be a relaxing cruise and wake up realizing they are completely alone. No other passengers, no staff, no access to food and water. The only positive is there are 3 other passengers that as just as confused.

The twists and turns kept me so engaged in the story. I have read a few other of Will Dean’s books and will continue to pick them up in the future.