This book is a WILD ride. It’s VERY hard to talk about without spoilers, and I also think it’s best to go into this as blind as possible.

Personally I found this super intriguing and utterly unputdownable. The first quarter or so is a bit of a slow burn, but the pace really picks up at about the 30% mark and I finished the majority of this in one sitting. I do think this was a bit too long (I believe it clocks in at nearly 500 pages), but the chapters are short, the twists and turns are surprising, and the plot moves along at a good clip.

Unfortunately, I did not love the ending (and when I say ending, I mean the very end, as in the last chapter). This was a solid 4 stars right up to that point, but the ending really soured the book for me. However, I’ve seen other reviewers love it, so it really could go either way.

This book creeped me out so much that I had nightmares. In addition to that, I couldn’t even get on the boat for like a week! After saying all of that, I am giving this book 5 stars! I did not know where it was going to go, and it took some turns I was not expecting. I will definitely be watching out for this author in the future, because this is unlike any thriller/order I’ve ever read.

Not every book works for every reader. I've seen tons of 4- and 5-star reviews and was looking forward to this one. However, I started and finished it in one evening (skim, skim, skim). The writing was clunky, the set-up was obvious, the reveal was too shallow with details, and the ending was insulting.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books, for the digital review copy.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for e-ARC of the book.

Caz is on a vacation with her boyfriend Pete on the exclusive cruise liner RMS Atlantica. This liner is incredible, it is like a whole city on water. The first evening seems magical but the Next morning when Caz wakes up Pete is gone.

It was a fast paced, short chapter book so time just flew as I was reading. I had a lot of theories going through my mind, I kept trying to connect facts with all information that was provided. This book can be compared to an onion or cabbage as with each layer (chapter) there were more questions than answers and it was a wild journey to get to the core of it.

The premise was unique...and definitely had me hooked on this page turner! Wonderful characters and was shocked at the ending, and then shocked again on the last page!

Just dive into this wild adventure. I loved it! I went into this book blindly. The synopsis is very vague on story so it doesn’t give much of anything away if you read that. Caz boards cruise ship with her boyfriend Pete and next day she wakes up to being the only one on cruise ship. What would you do in this situation? If you find the main ship captain area of ship completely deserted? This book is a wild ride- up til the very last sentence! The chapters are short and it was an easy quick fast paced read. Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

"The Last One", by Will Dean, is based on an incredibly original and creative premise: what would happen if you went on a cruise, but woke up one day to discover that you're seemingly all alone? That's exactly what happens to Caz, who went on a cruise with her partner, but wakes up to find him (and everyone else) gone. However, as she looks around the boat, she discovers a few more passengers who have been left behind. The four of them must work together to survive without food, water, electricity, or any way to communicate for help. But then things take another turn when they discover they're actually being recorded and telecast all over the world.

This was one of the most unique and suspenseful books I've read in a while! Although I had to suspend disbelief at a few points, I still really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. Also the ending leads to the possibility of another book to come! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was my first time reading this author. The genre of this book borders on horror. It starts off feeling like science fiction but quickly turns. And that ending!!!!! My Jaw dropped. Give it a chance if you looking for something different.

The Last One by Will Dean is a psychological thriller about being alone on an ocean liner.

First, let me thank both Edelweiss and NetGalley, the publisher Atria Books (and in particular  Maudee Genao from Simon & Schuster) and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
49-year old Caz is boarding the ocean liner RMS Atlantica with her boyfriend Pete, the first man she has allowed into her life in a long time.  This vacation is going to be awesome.  The first night they explore the ship, but when Caz wakes up the next morning, she is alone.  Pete is gone, and so is his luggage.

As she starts to investigate the rest of the ship, her anxieties mount.  Most cabin doors are locked, but those that are open are empty.  It is quiet.  She is alone.  There are no other passengers or crew members.  No one is steering the ship.


My Opinions:
WOW.  Simply WOW.  This one grabbed me from the start, and wouldn't let me go.  I've never been on a cruise ship, and have no interest, especially now.   Talk about a locked-room mystery -- of gigantic proportions.  I would not have survived this trip.

The plot, characters, and writing were superb.  The twists were warped, and the ending an OMG moment.

It was a fairly long book (too much about Caz's father).  Yes, there were a couple of plot holes, and I may not have liked the solution nor the ending, but it was definitely tension-filled entertainment!

The entertainment value alone is the reason for my 4 star review.  Despite some flaws, I really enjoyed it!

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It is really well paced and gripping. The only part that I didn’t like (and why it isn’t 5 stars) is because some of the actions/thoughts of the characters were illogical. Like really illogical. But overall reall enjoyed my read!

Do not look at this if you intend to read the book!!!

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My thought order:

Hmm interesting

Oh what the heck? This is like the Truman show or some shit. Maybe aliens.

Oh man, love this stuff. Like Squid games.

Wait wait wait. I don’t trust anyone.

Oh shit. Frannie, you bitch.

Dumb decisions and even dumber rational but I’m here for it.

The whole time?? Really. My man Smith was struggling too though. Poor Caz and Smith.

I hate Pete.

Oh Lord. 👀

I wanted something to completely take my mind off of what has been going on in my life and this book fit the bill perfectly. It’s not short, I think the hardcopies somewhere like 400 pages, but it flew by in just to reading sessions.

It has incredibly short chapters, and each one of them, almost comically at some points, ends in a major page turning cliffhanger .

It’s important to know that this book is very propulsive, so don’t start it when you have a lot of other things to do.

Also, it’s important to know that this book is intense. This is not for HSP’s. There are several things that happened that had me asking out loud“are they really going to go there?“ So, listen to me, and as I give you fair warning. This book is intense.

I was immediately intrigued by the premise and went into this book expecting one thing and things immediately go awry. I'm not even sure how to summarize this book without giving some of the integral twists away. I'll just say that this book starts following Caz and her partner on a cruise liner. When Caz wakes up on their first morning, she's alone, her partner gone, the ship is empty. And I'll leave it at that. This book is a thrill ride with twists and turns that keep you on your toes. Once you think you've got it figured out, think again. Expect the unexpected with this one.

I honestly don't even know what star rating to give this book. I couldn't put it down. Not because it was necessarily the best thing I've ever read, but because I needed to know what was happening.

If you love psychological thrillers, this book is for you! It was more dark and twisted than anything I was ready for. I'll probably update this review in a few days or weeks when I've actually processed what I've just read.

Will Dean, you are sick and insane, and I haven't decided if I love or hate you for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book has no business being 130 chapters. I was bored by chapter 15. I DNF this book.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Okay, there is a lot to unpack with this book!
I thought that this book was very well written, and did a great job keeping you engaged and wondering what in the world would happen next. It kind of had a slow start for me, but at about 150 pages in, I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

Such a unique storyline! So different than anything I’ve read before. It got a little slow in the middle and I found that I kept waiting for some kind of explanation on what was happening. I pushed through though and was glad I did!

Read if you like:
☝🏻 Single POV thrillers
📖 Short Chapters
🔐 Locked Room Thriller
🛳️ Cruises
🔦 Survival Shows

What would you do if you woke up and were the only one left on a cruise? Freak the eff out!? Meeeee too!!!

This book gave ALL the vibes and was such a great read! The short chapters made the pacing excellent and made the book feel shorter than it was.

I don’t want to say too much but if you like a good ending that might make you want to throw the book a little that you can’t stop thinking about then I highly recommend this one!

Also, never going on a cruise after reading this one 😂

Thank you so much Atria for my ARC of this one!

Honestly, this one is being added to the did not finish pile. I wasn't completely sure what to anticipate but tried to stick it out. I wasn't drawn into the story but the main character was relatable. I would try other work by this author,

Holy crap, what did I just read?? I don’t know what to say about this. I don't want to give a synopsis, because I feel it is important to go into this knowing as little as possible. There are twists upon twists in this one. It’s bonkers. And terrifying.

This one was a bit of a miss for me. While the premise is incredibly intriguing, I couldn’t get invested in the main character or the writing style enough to keep reading. Not for me, oh well.