Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing the digital advanced readers copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

The Last One is a book unlike any other. Here’s what we are told: a women boards a ship for a vacation with her boyfriend. They enjoy a nice evening dinner together and go to sleep. When the woman wakes up, no one else is on the ship. What happens next will have you frantically reading and you won’t want to stop.

This book was INCREDIBLE. There were so many twists and each page was a surprise. I haven’t read anything like this and I don’t think anything will ever compare.

I don’t want to share too much, as the synopsis was left vague for a reason. I think more thrillers should leave out plot details because this was such a fun read.

This was my first book by Will Dean and I will be reading his other work immediately.

This book was a crazy wild ride, but so good! A woman goes on an ocean liner with her boyfriend, only to wake up the next morning and find every single person is gone - just disappeared. Like nothing I've read before, and kept me interested until the very end!

2.5 Stars

Thank you to Will Dean, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I requested this book after I saw people on TikTok raving about it. How unpredictable it was, how scary parts were. But honestly, I wasn't the biggest fan of this book at all. I was able to figure it out and was able to figure out a character's part in it way before the end.

This book was long. Way longer than it should have been in my opinion. Caz talked about Pete, Gemma, and her parents over and over again. It became repetitive and if half of that was cut out this book would probably have lost about 100 pages. Let's not talk about the ending.

I also couldn't connect to any of the characters. Though I did like, Frannie. She was my favorite. Maybe it was because she cared so much about the dogs. I wanted more background on Smith. It was mentioned that he had a criminal record, but this was never mentioned again. I felt like there should have been a few details regarding this.

There were things that I loved, like the boat diagram in the beginning. It helped me picture the story better. I also loved the short chapters. But this was far from a 5-star read for me. Don't get me wrong, I liked the aspect of the book. It was just way too long and not thrilling enough for me.

This was one of the most unique books I have ever read! All the synopsis tells you is that Caz, the main character, goes on a cruise and wakes up the only person left on the ship. I literally can’t say anything else about what happens in this book or I will give the craziness away. I have never felt true anxiety while reading before, but the end of each chapter had me feeling so worried for Caz. I also felt manipulated and gaslit towards the end and really felt for Caz as she processed what was happening. My only issue with this book was the ending, I didn’t love the cliffhanger it left you on. I felt like what the characters went through deserved a little more closure than what was given.

Overall this story was a wild ride from the start. I definitely recommend this if you want something unique and just absolutely crazy.

This was really good and definitely kept my attention throughout which is what I want in a thriller. If you like short chapters, cliffhangers, and super twisty, you will like this. Also has a good 'creepy factor'. I did find the characters unlikable in parts.. like just doing things and you want to scream at them not to. And then I really can't get behind that ending... like just a little too far fetched. But still rating it high because of how good it was throughout and kept me reading.

3.25/5

I really liked the premise here, I can’t even imagine waking up alone on a cruise ship and I was so curious about what direction the author would take here. How did an entire ship full of passengers vanish into thin air? I had zero idea where this was going and as thing started to be revealed I was skeptical. You have to be able to suspend all disbelief here to even begin to enjoy this because there are a lot of things that happen that will make you go, umm no that doesn’t even make sense. But I went along with it for the most part and I would say I mostly enjoyed the ride. It did feel a bit drawn out and long winded at points for me, I think it could’ve been a little shorter and the ending did throw me for a loop. Not sure if I loved the clever last chapter or not but it made me think. This definitely won’t be for everyone, I can see it being very divisive but that’s always kind of fun for me to see different perspectives. I can’t really say anything else without verging into spoiler territory but this one was definitely unique.

Caz and Pete are on a vacation onboard the cruise liner RMS Atlantica. Caz wakes up the next morning and reaches out for Pete. His side of the bed is empty, and the sheets are cool. Where could Pete have gone! The ship is moving full speed. She opens the balcony door to look out and he's not there either. She checks her phone and there's no missed call or text message. Then she sees that all the cabin doors are open and every room is unlocked and unoccupied. There's no one onboard. Believing that she is alone, she panics! The ship is going full-steam ahead. I loved the premise of the book. There were some good moments and some moments were just bonkers. Would I recommend this book? Of course, I love a good locked-room suspense story and this one delivered. #THELASTONE #NETGALLEY

The Last One was not at all what I expected!

As someone with a deep fear of cruises and the depths of the ocean, I was shaken by the premise of being trapped alone on a ocean liner. I could not put this book down in the beginning because I just had to know how Caz ended up in this unfathomable situation. How did she end up alone? Where did her partner and all of their fellow passengers go? Who was running the ship? Would she make it back to the safety or dry land or meet her fate out in the dangerous depths of the sea?

As the book progressed it gave me a Survivor meets Hunger Games vibe. For someone who loves the thrill that comes from survival type challenges this book is exactly what you’re looking for. Not exactly my cup of tea, so that slowed me down a bit throughout the middle and I felt it was a bit lengthy to get to the crucial points of the plot. A few times I thought this storyline may just not be for me but I had to see it through and figure out what happened to Caz.

The pace did pick back up toward the end and the last 30% of the book or so I couldn’t put it down again! The very last twist may have been a little much, but overall it was a solid read!

Last One seems like a pretty simple book. Looks can be deceiving though.

When Caroline “Caz” Ripley stepped on board of the RMS Atlantica with her new boyfriend Pete, it seems like the trip of a lifetime. They explore the ship, eat, drink, make friends. When she wakes up the next morning though, Pete is gone. Actually, everyone on board is gone, and Caz is alone and left to figure out what happened.

I found this book very intriguing. To reveal any more plot details than that would be to spoil it, so I’ll refrain. I will say I thought the twist about 35% of the way through the book did shock me and the book takes on a very different story and tone from that point. There may need to be a bit of suspension of disbelief to keep going, but I think it’s worth it to do so.

I did feel like this book had a bit of a pacing issue, especially toward the end and got a bit bogged down in the backstory of our main character. It is a long book and I felt at times it could have been a bit more finessed, which might have cut down on its length. It did get my heart pounding in other moments as Caz is trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

Overall, I would recommend this book, but do want to caution that this book is different than what is being advertised.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨💫

ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ ᴏɴᴇ
ᴡɪʟʟ ᴅᴇᴀɴ
ᴀᴛʀɪᴀ ʙᴏᴏᴋs
ᴘᴜʙ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: ᴀᴜɢᴜsᴛ 𝟾 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟹
✩✩✩✩✩

Happy Monday! If your looking for a wild, major UNPREDICTABLEthriller 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑂𝑛𝑒 by author Will Dean is it! Seriously, I was mindblown while reading this and I was not expecting anything that occurred. Each chapter surpised me more and more, and there was absolutely no predicting how the story was going to turn out. With that being said, I went in completely blind- I did not read any synopses or reviews and I reccomend you doing the same.

Author @willrdean has been a favorite author of mine for awhile now and the books I’ve read by him have been easy 5 stars. His writing style is twisty, flows well, and his stories are always unique and creative.

Other 5 ⭐️books I reccomend by this author:
✨𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝐵𝑢𝑟𝑛
✨𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝐵𝑜𝑟𝑛

Special thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the early copy. Less than a month until pub date, you NEED to add this one to your TBR!

✨QOTD: have you ever been on a cruise?

Loved this! What an interesting and original premise. What would you do if you woke up to a completely empty cruise ship? That’s precisely what happens when Caz wakes up on the RMS Atlantica. What happens next is unlike anything you can imagine!

I read this pretty quickly, it felt like an episode of black mirror. I would give it 3.5 stars but will round up to 4. I did not like the ending but found it to be an interesting and quick read

A wild ride! Or a cruise?

The premise intrigued me: a woman wakes up on a transatlantic cruise to find herself alone without any clue on what happened to her partner and the passengers and crew. As the story unfolds, it becomes more terrifying, darker and quite harrowing. I had a lot of ideas of what is going on and how this story may end, but I was happy to suspend my curious nature and just be taken for a ride. Some of them I got, some I was utterly unprepared to read.

Few things I would change:
- it's repetitive: I was trying not to roll my eyes at the constant reminders of Caz's dad's gambling additions (every chapter it seams!)
- this might made this book a bit too long - the first third/half was very sluggish (albeit entertaining)

Ending. This could be very polarizing to people but I LOVED IT!

WHAT A PAGE TURNER! Did I stay up wayyy past my bedtime last night to finish this? You will too. Caroline “Caz” is taking a well deserved vacation on a cruise ship. She is with her boyfriend on the “Atlantica”, a very luxurious ocean liner headed to NYC.
The first night is a normal night, everyone on board is enjoying themselves getting familiar with the boat. When she awakens the next day, she discovers she is the only one on board. No boyfriend, no other guests, no crew. The boat is still cruising along with no one at the helm.
I have never read @willrdean and I will be looking up his back catalog. Thank you to @netgalley for the advance copy. What a great thriller!

4.5/5 rounded up to 5. This book kept me guessing the whole time as to what was going on. It also made me really mad at times because I felt for the characters 🤪 there were a few twists that honestly surprised me and the ending was 🤯 although I somewhat guessed that. Overall a good read, don’t read if you’re going on a cruise - wait until you get home 😂

This was a pretty crazy book. I was riveted in the beginning and then the explanation wasn’t too bad but then it dragged and become way over the top and then it reeled me back in again. I literally screamed at the ending. Oh noooo! I thank Netgalley and Atria Books for this entertaining rollercoaster ride of a book!

Wow, what a wild, crazy and fun ride this book was! And excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor after that ending! This was an intense, spell-binding suspense filled book that flew by and I couldn’t get enough of. This was my first book by Will Dean and I can’t wait to read his others now. It was full of thrilling twists, had a unique plot and was a locked room style thriller. I can’t say much else about this book because I don’t want to give too much away! Pick up a copy of this one if you are looking for a fast paced twisty thriller with a Hunger Games style.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria for my early digital copy of The Last One for my honest thoughts and review!

This book was good until the last 1/4. The ending was rushed and completely unbelieveable. I was let down with the story and then the flat ending.

Oh my god, that was wild! The premise really gives nothing about the plot away at all, which is insane. I definitely didn’t see the twist coming and had no idea that’s where the book was going with the plot.

I really cannot say much more without giving away spoilers and I truly think this book should be read knowing as little as possible.

I do feel like a few chapters towards the end started to drag and were a little repetitive about certain things and I wanted things to just move along. But overall, incredibly fast paced and the ending was WILD. The last sentence .. insane! It had me so shocked.

Wow, just wow. So many unexpected twists. I couldn't put this book down. Read it in two days. Gave me similar vibes of the TV show Lost (which I was a huge fan of). Kept me on the edge of my seat. Hard to describe without spoiling some surprises, but I'll try. Caz boards a cruise ship with her boyfriends. When she wakes she discovers the ship is empty, except for 3 other passengers. They struggle without power, food, and fresh water. The longer they spend on this ship they discover not everything is as it seems.