What a thrill ride!

A woman boards a luxury cruise and wakes up the next morning to find herself seemingly all along on the ship. She starts to try to figure out how to escape, but is taken on a very wild ride.

Without going further, this book definitely left me guessing almost until the end. I had a few guess as to what may happen, but the book is written such that I was never entirely sure of what I was thinking.

Caz and Pete set sail on a cruise of a lifetime. Only when Caz wakes up after the first night, she is all alone.

I loved the idea of this book, and I REALLY wanted to love it, but it just didn’t quite hit for me. The idea of being alone on an ocean liner seems so intriguing! I didn’t feel like I connected with or cared about the characters and I felt like it dragged on a little long. I think it was a little too far fetched for me as well. I was hoping the ending would make it worth it for me, but it did not.

I think this book is one of those people either LOVE or it just doesn’t sit well, I’m sad I was part of the second group.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to
Read and review this ARC!

This was my first book by Will Dean. I had no idea what the book was about as I started it but it was really good. I could visualize the story and it kept me flying through the pages. Definitely a thought provoking story of what our society craves and how much should be risked for entertainment value. Thank you for the ARC from Net Galley!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Artia books, Simon and Schuster, and bookclub favorites for my gifted copies. Pub date 8/8.

4.5 stars

OMG, this book, was so crazy and intense my heart is still pounding!! I don't even know how someone could come up with something like this, it's SO good!!!

I will be very vague on this review, because any spoilers will give away so much, and you definitely want to be surprised reading this masterpiece. Caz and her boyfriend, Pete, board an exclusive cruise ship, the Atlantica, for a week long romantic vacation. They have the best time together on their first night, but when Caz wakes up the next morning Pete is nowhere to be found. She leaves her room to go search for Pete, but there is nobody on the ship, no other passengers, no workers, nobody.

I had absolutely no idea where Dean was going to go with this one, but Holy cow I'm still in shock! Definitely add this one to your list, you will not be disappointed.

This is my first book by Will Dean, but it won't be my last. You will never guess where this one's going. I love that the synopsis doesn't reveal anything, so you are just as in the dark as Caz is. This is a long book, but the short chapters and cliff-hanger endings make it go quickly. It's so hard to say anything without revealing spoilers, but I will say The Last One makes you think about the direction society is heading. I thought this novel was a lot of fun although it requires some serious suspension of disbelief. The only reason I am giving 4 stars instead of 5 is the ending. I don't even know how it's possible or what we're supposed to think. It was really frustrating and unnecessary, in my opinion. Maybe there's going to be a sequel. I don't know, but I do know that I will never go on a cruise again without thinking of this book.

Expected publication is August 8, 2023.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

2.5 STARS - Mayday, mayday! Unpopular opinion coming in.

I loved Will Dean's Last Thing To Burn so I wasn't surprised to see that this new book was already accruing many 4 and 5 star reviews. Sadly, I am not one of those reviewers and while I appreciate that Dean was trying to do something different this time out, it did not work for me.

The Last One is a locked room mystery aboard a big, fancy cruise ship. Will Dean will do to cruise lines what TJ Newman and her books Falling and Drowning have done for airlines with this chilling story that incorporates travelers' fears and chilling situations on these popular modes of travel.

The story begins with a woman waking up to find that she is the only person on a cruise ship. Ok, Will Dean ... you have my attention. Unfortunately, this is a very slow burn tale that takes about a third of the book for things to get going. I liked the hike in tension from the Hunger Games-esque scenes, but readers will have to suspend disbelief at this point onward.

This book is simply much longer than it had to be and features underdeveloped characters who were hard to connect with - unless you count the poor canines whose inclusion still baffles me. Too much page time is spent on reiterating Caz's family issues and the monotonous hours on the ship.

This is a wild (and wildly unbelievable) ride for readers and despite the interesting premise, the execution was so outside the realm of believability that it was distracting. And the ending was unsatisfying and totally bizarre.

The Last One has some creepy and sadistic scenes, but this is a book where you MUST be willing to suspend disbelief due to the outlandish situations that defy logic, physics, and the abilities of the human body. That said, the societal themes presented could make this a good pick for book clubs to discuss.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for my advanced copy which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

This is the most unexpected book I’ve read so far this year! I absolutely love that the premise gives nothing away. It made the experience of reading this so much more fun. It tells just enough to pique my interest and make me want to read it, while still letting me go into this story totally blind, which is the only way to do it for this book.

When the first major twist happened around 40%, I knew I was still in for a wild ride. Nothing feels quite right, you’re always on the precipice of trying to find out what is really going on. And things just get weirder and weirder.

Will Dean writes in a way that truly transports you into the story. I felt every bit of harrowing tension in this dystopian, survival madness. It’s a whirlwind of unpredictability. With its deeply ominous and unsettling premise, it gives you the chills while you’re reading.

I can’t say I completely understand some of the choices that the characters made at times. (I’m also still not sure I really like any of them even after all this time.) But then again, I think it’s one of those situations where you never really know what you’d do until it happens to you. It is a little long for a thriller, and there were some repetitive parts that I started wanting to skim through. But I was so invested in what the actual f* was happening that I just had to keep going.

This is unlike anything you’ve ever read. I won’t get into too many details because I believe that you, like me, should go in with a blank slate and an open mind. Just buckle up and get ready for this one! You won’t want to put it down. It’s bizarre and shocking and everything you’d want from this kind of thriller.

Wow. What the heck did I just read?! Haha.

This is a book that you are better off not knowing much going in. It is a wild ride and you have no idea what is actually happening—much like the main character. It is a page turner for sure. The ending wasn’t my favorite but I also kind of understand why the author ended it like he did.

If you like thrillers with lots of twists and turns, that keep you on the edge of your seat…this is for you. It’s long but the chapters are quite short so it keeps you turning the pages quickly.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Oh man I’m trying to figure out a way to write this without giving everything away. The twists are really really good but I will say the book was a tad long for the actual story. It could have been a tad shorter but it’s ok it kept my attention. The big twist was good but the beginning plot felt kind of lost. I would recommend it to my friends who love the cliffhanger style chapters as well.

Well, well, well. I was even warned that things are not what they seem in this one and I was still SHOCKED by the turns this book took! Like I legitimately feel sea sick.

Go ahead and read the synopsis on this one because everything described there happens in the first few pages and then the rest of the book is UNCHARTED WATERS (see what I did there?).

This book is going to elicit some STRONG reactions, especially the end! I can't wait to see what people think but wish I would have recorded my reaction to the ending (LOL).

Whatever you expect this book to be.... it won't be!

Bookclubs would have a lot of fun with this one! My instant reaction was to throw the book across the room but now that I've sat on it overnight, I think I love it!

All that to say, add this to your TBR if you dare!

Thanks so much to Atria Books for the ARC. This will be out on August 8th.

The premise in this book is amazing! So mysterious and intriguing without giving anything away. It was this mystery that kept me reading even after I found the dialogue clunky and the writing not great. I didn't connect to any of the characters. But I just had to know what was going on! Unfortunately, when I discovered the reason behind everything I felt it was a bit ridiculous and the decisions by the characters didn't make a whole lot of sense. But for some reason I continued reading, even though for a thriller this is a long book. It just got more and more ridiculous and then the last page arrived. Big eye roll moment! It's the type of ending you expect to find at the end of a horror short story, not a thriller! So dumb!
However, I have seen online that some people seemed to like it, so if the premise intrigues you the way it did me, then go ahead and give it a go. Perhaps it will be more to your liking.

The Last One is a suspenseful story that opens with Caz boarding a cruise with her boyfriend, but the next morning she wakes up and absolutely no one is left on the ship. There isn't much more to explain without getting into spoilers, but Caz has to figure out where everybody went and how to get control back of the ship.

I'm a huge Will Dean fan, and expected to devour this one, but for some reason, the pacing didn't work for me, and the final reveal didn't feel like it warranted a 450 page book. But also, tons of people absolutely loved it, so I think this is one that just divides readers!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I found "The Last One" by Will Dean
to be an addictive & interesting twisty thriller that pulled me in right away & didn't let me go until its final page.
The ending looks like a sequel might be coming.
I would love to read another book by Mr. Dean.

3.5

This book gave me the same feeling as a Black Mirror episode. I never knew where it was going and was entertained the entire time.

My main issue with this book is that it felt cheesy and heavy handed at times. The deal with Caz’s dad started to annoy me.

Overall I would recommend. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow, this was SUPER INTENSE and IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN! This book is hefty at around 450 pages but the chapters are extremely short and most end on cliffhangers making the pages fly. The Last One is horrifying and unbelievable but also somewhat realistic, even familiar at times. I thought I knew where it was headed numerous times, but I WAS VERY WRONG, every single time!

Caz is taking an ocean liner trip with her boyfriend and hopes he may pop the “big question” somewhere between England and New York. They enjoy a wonderful first night aboard the luxury ship so she is deeply disappointed the next morning to discover Pete has left for breakfast without waking her. When she ventures out of their room to find him, she quickly discovers that she is alone….the other 1000 passengers are no longer on the ship. What?! Where is everyone? And what happens now! This story was so unique, so suspenseful, so nail biting, it’s perfect for a vacation read this summer!

Thank you Netgalley, Atria Books and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on August 8, 2023

Okay, so I seriously enjoyed the first few chapters of this book. When I say I was hooked, I was HOOKED. As someone who is afraid of vast waters, add being stuck alone on a cruise ship to the equation, this was a nightmare come true for me. Of course, I had to keep reading it.

I don't want to give much away, but basically this book follows Caroline ("Caz") and her boyfriend, Pete, getting on a cruise together. Everything is great until she wakes up in the morning and notices Pete isn't next to her. Once out of the cabin, Caz notices the ship is very quiet... too quiet. Everyone is gone, bags included. There is nobody on the ship except her. What happened to all the passengers and where did they go?

Again, I was hooked, but the further I got into the book I became easily bored and I think this has to do more with how unnecessarily long it was. Too much filler words and a whole lot of repetition. I felt so much adrenaline initially but towards the end it all fell flat. I honestly didn't enjoy the twist and I especially did not enjoy the ending - it did nothing for me personally. There was not enough character development from Caz and I got tired of hearing about her father's gambling problems.

This was a pretty creative book and from the beginning I thought I would enjoy it more but it's just an okay read, for me.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Atria Books, and the author for this eARC.
Pub date: 08/08/23

Find me on IG: @ coffeebreakwithrachel

Wow!! This book! You follow “Caz” as she goes on a cruise with the guy she’s dating. After the first day on the ship Caz wakes up to find out everyone else on the cruise ship has disappeared. I don’t want to say too much more because I don’t want spoil this one! Even reading the synopsis you have no clue what you’re in for and I love that!! And the ending! Like what?! Will there be a sequel?! Lots of twists and turns, definitely a five star! Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Last One early! Also thank you to the author Will Dean for writing this amazing book!

As an avid cruiser, I questioned the advisability of trying this title. But given the likelihood of something similar happening to me (she laughed nervously), I forged on. It was well worth my time. The Atlantica, a huge ocean liner, is making a transatlantic crossing. Caroline (“Caz”) and her boyfriend Pete are among the passengers. Caz wakes up the morning after sailing to find that Pete, along with everyone else, is gone-disappeared. She eventually finds three others: Frannie, Daniel and Smith. Together they have to try to survive an increasingly awful situation, made all the worse when they learn they are actually unwitting contestants on a reality show. They’re each given challenges to complete in order to be rewarded with food. I readily admit I was completely fooled by everything; I must be the perfect reader of books like this. I think many others will be too, because of its propulsive plot, sympathetic protagonist and shocking finale. Happily recommended.

Caz wakes up on the first morning of a cruise all alone on the ship. She finds three other passengers. What follows is predictable, confusing, and not very believable.

Wow! It’s a little difficult to review this book without giving anything away and there are so many things I could compare it to but to do so would spoil the main plot. The premise only gives away the first couple chapters and it really takes off from there. But if you are intrigued by survival stories and locked room mysteries, I highly recommend you give this book a try!

What a ride! I really enjoyed this book and the short chapters and quick pace made it easy to fly through the ~450 pages. There were many twists and turns throughout, and even though I predicted some of them along the way, I still enjoyed seeing everything unfold. And that ending! I can see some readers not liking it but I love when a book ends with an omg moment like that. My only complaints were some aspects of the ending I didn’t like and I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. And even though it was a quick read, it still felt a little too long and I think some parts could have been condensed or cut out completely. But overall I highly recommend this book and really enjoyed my reading experience!

*Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC copy for review!*