Not at all what I expected. I wanted to like this, but to be honest I found it a struggle to get into. Perhaps others will like it. Just not what I was after.

This review is based on an audiobook edition obtained via NetGalley.

What a wretched slog of a book. I understand the end of democracy in the USA is not a cheery subject, but the presentation here lacks any thrill, hope, or honestly, meaning. The whole book feels like a bad faith argument, setting up dominoes for itself to knock over into its own forgone conclusions. In that sense, it doesn't challenge your thinking, so much as it tells you to just stop trying.

One of the big problems I had with this book was the constant mean-spirited editorialising of our omnipotent narrator. The story is told from a third person omniscient point of view, so we switch between multiple characters throughout (which is something I usually enjoy), mostly focusing on two main ones. However along this journey, we often get passages of opinion stated as fact, not from any particular character, but from the narrator themselves. In here features a number of screeds especially about the narrator's low-down opinions about journalists which I could barely stand to listen to and got me really, really close to DNF'ing.

Screeds aside, I also had a lot of trouble with the way we jumped between characters throughout the story, and I think the reason is twofold:
1) There are sections that come seemingly out of nowhere from the perspective of characters we never see again. In a different novel, I can see how this might have been a fun and interesting gimmick, allowing us for wider context of the slowly unfolding events. Instead here, I found it confusing because I really struggled to keep track of the side characters in the early book. Maybe this one's just on me, but the way I fixed it was to just stop caring.
2) Every character sounds the same. This is a big part of why I couldn't keep track of people. They all speak the same way, from seemingly much the same perspective and attitude: pompous yet depressed. It only twigged with me in one of the last chapters, where Rachel Maddow appears on a TV broadcast, and I thought to myself "this dialogue sounds nothing like Rachel Maddow, it sounds like literally every other character in this book".

On top of that, I didn't really like any of the characters, and even the one(s) I did were corrupted by stupid, bad moral decisions by the end. Why should I care about the end of a world where (by the narrator's own admission) every likeable, good, moral person ends up dead or corrupted?

“The Last Election” by Andrew Yang and Stephen Marche is a gripping, intricately plotted political thriller set on the campaign trail of the USA’s next—and because of crucial flaws in the electoral system—its last election. In this outlandish yet frighteningly possible scenario, America teeters on the brink. Violence erupts, scandals abound, and the fate of democracy hangs in the balance. Underdog third-party candidate Cooper Sherman, running on the “Unfuck America” ticket, becomes the beacon of hope. Yang and Marche masterfully ratchet the tension to near-unbearable levels, making this a wake-up call to a country tearing itself apart.

Democracy dies in darkness… and in back rooms.
I quite enjoyed this political thriller with its thinly veiled descriptions of candidates in the last (2020) Presidential race; its behind the scenes descriptions of fundraising, social media, and debate prep; its staffer shenanigans.
There are two main stories - one involving a scoop called in on a NYTimes tip line and the other about a third-party (independent) candidate running for President. Both of these scenarios play out in horrifying and realistic ways.
I expect this could be Mr Yang’s answer to why he doesn’t run as an Independent. Our system is just not set up for this to work as it does in some European countries where power is brokered among different parties to form a coalition government. (Watch the excellent TV series Børgen for more on how this works.)
The writing was good but like any campaign there are a LOT of characters involved. I wasn’t always able to tell who was a stand-in for what real person; likely some were amalgamations of several campaign types.
I found it to be a page-turner (yes, the concept applies to audiobooks too); I listened compulsively over a weekend. And while some reviewers complained about the non-ending, I thought it was chilling. Definitely recommended for those who enjoy politics, Veep, and behind-the-scenes tell-alls.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to listen in return for this unbiased review.

Requested this book believing it to be a political thriller but it ended up being more a book about politics. Story was still interesting but did not engage me in the way I had anticipated when I originally requested it.

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

"The Last Election" by Andrew Yang and Stephen Marche offers a compelling glimpse into the evolving landscape of democracy. Blending Yang's political insights with Marche's narrative prowess, the book navigates the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead. The authors articulate a vision of a society grappling with technological advancements, income inequality, and political polarization. Yang's pragmatic approach to policy and Marche's engaging storytelling create a dynamic synergy. While some ideas may be controversial, the book stimulates crucial conversations about the future of governance. "The Last Election" is a timely and thought-provoking read, urging readers to contemplate the trajectory of democracy in an era of unprecedented change.

This book wasn’t really a political thriller as much as a book about politics. For that reason, I just wasn’t the perfect person to read this book. It was still written beautifully and will keep you thinking about it for weeks after!

Thank you, Netgalley and RB Media, Recorded Books, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love politics so I was very excited to get this from NetGalley. Over all it was entertaining, but I could not tell if the author was warning to trying to gain acceptance of the third party presidential candidate. The cross over of real persons/personalities was fun but then constitutional rules resulting in the last election was just a bit sobering.

While this book is a work of fiction, it is obviously centered in our world and has some severe warnings about our political climate. While the author never condemns one side or the other, some individuals are called out (though very briefly). A work of fiction very reflective of reality

Great read, have recommended to followers and friends, narrator, plot and characters all fantastic, planning on getting it for friends for xmas

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC audiobook. I requested this book thinking it would be similar to the show “scandal”. This book had interesting and funny parts but was also a little dull in parts. I did get a laugh at the slogan but the day to day of the campaign people was boring to me. Also I could care less about the character trying to have a baby.
I recommend this book for fans of politics.

3.5 rounded up
Not what I expected. Quick listen. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

Thank you Netgalley for this book. Unfortunately it was poorly written. I found myself getting bored. I just didn’t enjoy it

A short story that reads like fan fiction of what might happen in an alternate universe. Political junkies will love this spin on the 2020 election and January 6th. Narrator for the audiobook is great!

I guess I expected more when I saw that this was written in part by Andrew Yang.

The narrator did a pretty good job, so no complaints there

I feel that there was so much build up and that it never really paid off because the ending felt rushed.

Did I hate it? No, but will I read it again? Also no.

A gripping telling of a political campaign that is full of suspense, intrigue and thrills. The Last Election follows the presidential canditate of Andrew Yang and we are thrown into the chaotic world of possibilities - frightening possibilities. Following the main characters of Mikey Ricci and Martha Kass, we follow blindly into the underbelly of the political sphere where we are faced with the grim and sometimes questionable decisions, that are played out behind the scenes.
This is a great look at the failure of the America’s Two-party system and how the delicate balance can lead into the unthinkable, As well as the fear of the collapse of the electoral system of the US government.

Andrew Yang and Stephen Marche have provided a gripping, thrilling glimpse into a frightening possibilities of unhinged seizure of power within the American government election system.

4 Stars and well worth a seceond listening to.

I wasn't sure what to think of this one at first as it started a little weird. But once I restarted it and slowed it down some with undivided attention I enjoyed it.

This is a political thriller that has the potential to be scary and make you wonder what if? With the 2024 election coming soon it was definitely an interesting read and something that will stick for a while.

The narration was done really well made the switching POVs easy to follow.

The Last Election is a political thriller which is set in the run up to an election in the USA. I requested this as I thought it would be good to read a slightly new twist on my favourite genre, but it turns out that it just isn't for me.

The book was well written and I can appreciate the great writing and characterisation, but I am definitely not the target audience for this type of book. It was SO political that I genuinely didn't understand much of it, as an English person.

I did, however, find it thought provoking. The thoughts and writing around the end of democracy was fascinating and terrifying in equal measures.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

I was expecting this book to be a political thriller, but I don't think that is an accurate description. It was more of how our politics are leading to a fall in democracy. I was actually disappointed and found myself just wanting it to be over. It teases excitement but just never really got there. It fell flat and just wasn't for me.

This is the first book that I have read by this pair and where it was an interesting read I felt that there were a few flaws as well.

So where this was a fast paced read that kept me interested I have to admit that there was a lot of things going on through out this story. I also could see a lot of past current events in this book I felt that there were things that could have been expanded on while others topics could have been condensed. I also felt that there could have been more character development.

Overall this was a good read if you are into this political fictional topic.