Wow! I couldn't put this down. I wanted to see what happened next! A heartbreaking, thought provoking story. A family drama. A story of self discovery and resilience.

The Last Stars in the Sky by Kate Hewitt is a gripping tale of survival and resilience in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster, focusing on the journey of one family as they navigate the wilderness of rural Ontario. When Daniel and Alex seek refuge at Alex's parents' cabin on Lost Lake with their daughters Ruby and Mattie, they are thrust into a world of uncertainty and danger. As they confront the challenges of their new reality, their bonds are tested, and they must rely on each other to endure. Hewitt's evocative prose and compelling characters create a rich and immersive reading experience, with themes of love, hope, and the human capacity for adaptation shining through even in the darkest of times. The Last Stars in the Sky is a poignant and thought-provoking story that will linger in the reader's mind long after the final page is turned.

"The Last Stars in the Sky" by Kate Hewitt is a surprising family drama that delves into survival and transformation. As a catastrophic event forces the characters to adapt to a new reality, they undergo profound changes and learn to prioritize survival over their former comforts. The complexity of the characters, particularly Alex and Kerry, is well-developed as they navigate fear, adversity, and the need for constant resilience. Daniel's harrowing journey to rescue their son adds tension to the narrative, and the suspenseful atmosphere keeps the reader engaged. While the cliffhanger ending leaves some questions unanswered, the overall realism and frightening portrayal of disaster make this a gripping and memorable read, highly recommended for those who enjoy suspenseful dramas.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!! I'm at a loss for words, The Last Stars In The Sky written by Kate Hewitt left me completely speechless. I did not expect the unexpected twists and turns this book took, but honestly, I loved every minute of it. I couldn't put this book down because I had to know what was going to happen next, with every turning page something was happening. The Last Stars In The Sky left me shaking and feeling empty with a broken heart. I have NEVER read a book by Kate Hewitt before, but I saw the gorgeous cover and knew I had to get my hands on this book asap, and I loved it so much that I'll definitely check out this author's other books. Can we just take a minute and obsess over that gorgeous cover? My emotions were all over the place with this book, one minute I was sobbing, one minute I was cheering for the characters, one minute I was screaming for the characters to run, one minute I was smiling and so on throughout the entire book. There were a few questions I had that were unanswered. This is a gripping story of survival that truly left me questioning my own abilities and preparedness during a crisis like the one in this book. I can't recommend this book enough, just keep the tissues close by.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND STORM PUBLISHING FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!

Questions I had that were left unanswered
Who started the nuclear attack and why was it happening? Who was the nuclear attack between?

"As I watch the sun coming over the tops of the evergreens, I wonder if that's part of the reason I wanted to come back here- to find myself in this place again, before it- and the version of me is lost forever."

"This is a chance to reset, I remind myself. Reboot, refresh, and re-something. Take deep breaths and mindfully remember what is good about life."

Trigger Warnings
Gun Violence
Nuclear Attacks/Blasts
Sexual Assault

Alex and Daniel's marriage is in turmoil, their family is in a battle of lies over money and a job, and one of their daughters is heading for trouble. Daniel and Alex decide to leave their family home in Connecticut with their two daughters in tow to Alex's family cabin on Lost Lake in rural Ontario, Canada for a six week stay to try and fix their crumbling marriage. Daniel lost his job a few weeks ago and now their family is running low on money, but Daniel never communicated with Alex, and if he did, he would always tell Alex a bunch of lies on how he would fix this mess they are in right now. A few days after Daniel and Alex get their bearings around Alex's family cabin, a nuclear attack happens across the globe. Alex starts freaking out because their older son, Sam is in college in upstate New York where the nuclear blasts started happening. As much as Alex wanted to go get Sam, she had two little girls to protect, so Daniel set out on a trek to go get Sam, but along the way Daniel runs in to so many issues because they have closed the border out of Canada. Daniel sets out to go save Sam, while Alex and their daughters stay behind at the cabin trying to survive, wondering if Daniel and Sam would ever come back. My heart was racing while Sam, Alex, Daniel, and their daughters were experiencing this wild journey and fighting for survival.

The first part of the book started off a bit slow, but once it started picking up pace, I couldn't put this book down. In the beginning, Alex was so whiny, but halfway through the book she was a badass mom and I couldn't help but cheer her on as she tried protecting herself and her daughters through this difficult time. The only thing I had a minor issue with was I wanted more of Daniel and Sam's journey after Daniel picked Sam up from college, how did they make it out of New York and back into Canada? The Last Stars In The Sky really hit my heart hard, like this could literally happen anywhere and so many people would panic because they weren't prepared for the nuclear attack to happen. After reading this book, it truly left me questioning my survival plan if this were ever to happen so close to home. I just wanted to reach into my kindle and hold this family so close to my heart and give them the biggest hug ever. It was utterly heart breaking and so sad witnessing Alex get sexually assaulted meanwhile she's trying to protect her daughters and find food so her family can survive this nuclear attack. This is so scary to think about, and it just breaks my heart everytime I think about this book. Alex and her family will remain in my heart for a long time to come.

The Last Stars in the Sky | Kate Hewitt| ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75

I went into this blindly and had no idea what I was getting into, and this took me for a ride!
Absolutely enthralling, a masterclass in storytelling, The Last Stars in the Sky is the most heartfelt, emotional and evocative dystopian novel I have come across.

📖📖📖📖📖
Having met with ill-fortune, and subsequent financial ruin, the embittered couple, Alex and Daniel along with their teenage daughters Mattie and Ruby move to Alex's ancestral country cottage, rustic yet serene, amidst the wilderness of Ontario, to relax, regroup and gather themselves for a few weeks.
Their eldest, Sam, a freshman in a college in USA is to join them in a few weeks, as they rethink and rebuild their lives.

What could have been an idyllic gateway turns to a horrifying nightmare when they are met with the news of multiple nuclear strikes ravaging the better part of the United States.

With a total collapse of infrastructure and government; militia and mob ruling the land and Sam stuck in the burning country with no communication, how does this family survive in the anarchy-ridden, terror-stricken desolate, deserted, bitterly cold land they are stuck in?
📖📖📖📖📖

What sets this story apart from most other dystopian novels is the setting and the characters; warm, real and full of pathos. They are gritty, industrious, unyielding yet scared, uncertain and vulnerable.

The socio-political situation described is so very imaginable and close to reality that it instils real fear.
This dystopia is dripped in such realism and precision that it is indeed removed from the realm of science fiction into a much more conceivable and believable speculative fiction.

It is unsettling, disturbing yet a compulsive page-turner. While it reeks of terror, fear, confusion, despair, destruction and brutish cruelty; it is also dotted with endearing anecdotes of kindness and enveloped by an over-arching aura of hope, human resilience, endurance and a veil of possibilities.

Alex's story has only just begun, and I am dearly hoping for a sequel @katehewitt1

I simply love Kate Hewitt! She is my go-to author when I need a book with a great plot. This is well written and I loved the story line.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! What would you do if faced with the worst decision of your life? The Last Stars in the Sky by Kate Hewitt not only shows us the struggles families go through when trying to come to grips with an unexplainable event. It also allows the reader to see inside the best as well as the darkest parts of the human race. The ingenuity that Alex had to develop in order to help her family survive following a tragic series of events in the United States is nothing short of inspiring. I, for one, would never want to face the challenges or have to make the difficult choices she had to make to keep her family safe. The fallout and the trauma that her husband, Daniel, and their children suffered due to the choices they made was also painful to read. It's almost unbelievable how an event such as this can turn law abiding citizens into criminals with no regard to others' wellefare. The story itself was so intense that I found it hard to put down at night. A great story that I would definitely recommend to others.

This story kind of shocked me. So different than any other story I’ve read by Kate.

At the beginning I didn’t think I was going to like this story what with all the bombing and cities being wiped off the map. But then the more I read the more I loved Alex and her crazy gang.
The character are created very well and will make you not want to put this book down.

Not entirely sure about this book, 3.5 stars upgraded to 4 because it certainly draws you in and can be very atmospheric at times.
Alex is returning to her childhood home by a remote lake in Canada, with her family. This is not willingly but as a result of her husband losing his job and keeping that a secret for 6 months. Tensions are strained and this worsens when nuclear strikes hits various U..S. cities and the family has to go into survival and indeed eventually pioneer mode. As Daniel leaves to find their son Sam, Alex and her 2 daughters must learn to survive.

Character development throughout the book is very good and days after reading I’m still thinking about the strength of character needed to survive such a scenario. However too much of the story seems incredible. Would the government of a powerful democracy really just abandon its people? Would no effort be made to restore electricity, water and other utilities months after the event? Army, police etc abandoned the upholding of law and order yet a group of marines protected the students in a university……is the a message there somewhere?

I would have liked to read more about Daniel’s journey and the reasons behind the nuclear strikes in the first place. For me the ending felt flat but all in all worth a read. Just lets hope that if it ever comes to it humanity will step up and not turn on one another like this book represents.

Thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful. Loved this from start to finish. Did not want it to end. I love this incredibly versatile author and will read anything she writes but this book is something else. Just wow! Please read this one.

I am sorry to say I dnf this book at 40%. It Just was not a book for me. I have loved books by kate hewitt before though, and I Will continue to read her books

What a page turner! The story starts out by foreshadowing “something” happening, but I had no idea what that something was. What a story. No spoilers here, though. The story takes place in a remote cabin in Canada where Alex, a mother of three, has to make hard decisions for her two daughters. Meanwhile, her husband Daniel has to do the same for their son. There are many characters introduced along the way, including the insouciant Kerry, young Kyle, and Justine and her four year old daughter. After reading this thrilling, suspenseful story about family and the will to keep together, you will not forget the characters. They will remain alive in you long after you have turned the last page.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I must say from the blurb that I was expecting a very different story. Initially, I felt the story was slow to start as the family moved to Lost Lake due to Daniel losing his job. What happened next was unexpected and scary. In current times it feels like this could be a reality.
I liked the characters and felt that the author did a good job of developing them as the story unfolded. All emotions were felt as I read this book, from feeling scared, cross, upset to happy for them, then back to concerned etc. Do any if us really know what decisions we would make in a similar situation? The ending leaves us with the unknown. Not that it could be any different.

I tried several times to get into this book but just couldn't the storyline was weak, it would have been better if not all doom and gloom sorry did try

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for allowing me to read The Last Stars in the Sky.

Daniel has been lying to Alex about being fired from his job and now they have lost their house, They decide to take their two daughters, Mattie and Ruby, to stay in Alex's family cabin in Canada. Sam, their son who is away at college, is going to join them shortly for the holidays. But after a few days at the cabin, something happens that changes all of their plans.

I will be truthful, the reason I requested this book is because of the cover. Let me tell you....I was shocked when the story went in the direction it did. This is a book that will make you happy, sad and scared all at the same time. A "make you think" book. I enjoyed the book but I feel like it left me hanging.

The Last Stats in the Sky by Kate Hewitt was was a very gripping book. What occurred in The Last Stars in the Sky was most definitely every living person’s worst nightmare! Could what happened in The Last Stars in the Sky really happen? Unfortunately, it was a possibility. I hope I do not live long enough to see it happen.

The Last Stars in the Sky was about the evolution and transformation of a family that had had it all until they didn’t. They were tasked with learning how to survive above all else. Nothing could ever be taken for granted ever again. Their main goal was to keep the members of their family safe and intact. They all had to learn how to do things that they never would have had to otherwise. What was once important to each member of the family no longer mattered. Each one of them had to learn skills that they never would have imagined themselves doing beforehand. They were living through the scariest times they could have ever imagined. Inner strength, determination and resilience were the key ingredients to their existence and survival.

Kate Hewitt developed very complex characters that grew, changed and evolved over time. Each one had to adapt to their new world they found themselves in. Each member of the family had to learn to overcome their constant state of fear, the adversity they experienced, doing things they never would have imagined doing in their prior life and how to think and live in survival mode constantly. I admired how Alex, the mother, always put her daughters’ safety first and foremost. Her bravery and resilience was commendable. Kerry also became one of my favorite characters. I did not like Kerry very much initially. Kerry’s character grew on me as she evolved and became more devoted, dependable and supportive toward Alex and her daughters. I enjoyed the friendship and trust Alex and Kerry developed over time. Then there was Daniel, Alex’s husband and father to their three children. Daniel went in search of their oldest child, Sam, when this catastrophe occurred. Sam was at college. Alex implored Daniel to find their son and bring him home to her safely. Daniel’s journey to find Sam was as harrowing as Alex’s existence at the cabin in Canada if not more so.

The Last Stars in the Sky by Kate Hewitt was suspenseful and scary. I could not turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. The ending left me wondering and hopeful that there might be a second book in the future. I would welcome it. So many parts of The Last Stars in the Sky were so realistic and frightening. It was sad to see that corruption, violence and greed emerged in some of the worst ways. Sometimes disasters bring out the worst in some people and others are left to suffer the consequences they inflict. This was a book that left a lasting impression on me. I recommend it highly.

Thank you to Storm Publishing for allowing me to read The Last Stats in the Sky by Kate Hewitt through Netgalley in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

This isn’t book I would typically choose..I’m so glad I did. Alex & her family move to her family cabin in the wilderness after their normal life fell apart. 8 hours into being at the cabin the world changes forever.

This book is well written, fast moving, & completely engulfs you. I was 100% invested in the characters.

I still have a few lingering questions that would have helped the story & so I only gave 4 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for the ARC of The Last Stars in the Sky.

I have to say that I am not a Dystopian reader at all- and I was not prepared for this book to be dystopian… but I loved it!

It starts with a familiar story of a family on the brink of financial ruin, having to make the unfortunate decision to give up their family home to move to a smaller (in this case much, much smaller) home farther away from their established life, causing a marriage to be at its breaking point. Well- this is about all that is “normal” about the story.

Once settled in the family’s “rustic” (being a nice word) cabin, children unsettled without wifi, and parents sort-of speaking, the world turns on its axis. While watching TV on all of the few channels that come in at the cabin, report fires engulfing cities, then the connection goes out.

The book tells the story of a semi-broken family squished close together by circumstances and survival to either make it out together or break and drown.

The characterization in this is incredibly well-written with the reader reading from both the wife’s and husband’s perspectives. The reader gets a real feel for the quirks and personality traits of each character, as well as how strong the human will to live is. Hewitt describes the setting in the story so well that I have a true mental image in my head of each scene of the book- without making the amount of details overwhelming. This created a both character and plot driven story that far exceeded any expectations that I had.

This novel is genre crossing in the best way including elements from contemporary fiction, family drama, dystopian, sci-fi, mystery and thriller all wrapped up into one beautiful (I mean look at that cover) package. I loved this story and became so invested in the different characters. If you’re interested in any of these genres- or multiple, this was a great read that went in multiple directions that I had not anticipated.

This was so sweet and wholesome! I loved reading this one as an ebook. I loved it for a quick, heartfelt read. 5 from me.

Goodness, I've gone back and forth on how to rate and review this book for days! I was drawn in by the cover and description, but I certainly didn't see the major plot twist coming based on those two things. Had I known, I honestly may not have picked it up... this type of story can easily heighten anxiety or bring nightmares for me, and I'm not likely to pick up a book about the world ending, terrorist attacks, nuclear warfare, etc.

In that way, I did feel a bit duped by the book, as it doesn't line up with what it leads you to believe it's about . . . and yet, the character development is fantastic, leading the reader to keep turning the pages, root for every member of the family. An intense story of survival that manages to not feel too far-fetched, it speaks to the power of love and family.