3.25 3.25 This book has some of my favorite thriller tropes so I had some high expectations going into this one but unfortunately this book fell a little short for me. This book mostly follows Abby a woman who’s fiancé passed away on a remote island do to anaphylactic shock. Needing to know what happened to her fiancé Abby try’s to uncover the secrets in this small remote town. This is a slow slow slow burn and the pacing caused me to keep losing interest in this mystery. The characters were fine but were not enough to carry this story, I did also enjoy this authors writing in general. This is my first book from this author but I would definitely pick up another in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I did not find this thrilling and the mystery didn’t feel like it payed off in the end. I liked the main character Abby and the relationship with Eszter. Everyone on the island seemed shady and that came across but nobody felt nefarious. Would have liked more action of some kind.

I really couldn’t get into this book. Thrillers are my favorite genre and usually they take right off for me but this one was slow in my opinion.

I didn’t connect with the characters and I didn’t care to find out what was going on or about to happen.

I will read other books by this author because maybe I just didn’t connect with this one. I think in the hands of the right audience they will really enjoy this book.

This book was not for me. The premise was intriguing even though it’s not terribly original. The pacing was so slow in parts and I felt like the FMC just spoke to the same
People the whole time about her stale romance.

Andrea Bartz’s The Last Ferry Out is a twisty and emotional suspense novel with a fast paced plot that kept me turning the pages.

The main character, Abby, comes to Isla Colel to see where her fiancee died and to try to make sense of the tragedy. Just when one of the expats who she befriended tells Abby he will explain the details of her fiancee's death, he suddenly disappears. As days go by with no sign of him, the tropical paradise becomes a menacing world setting the tone of the novel.

Full of a cast of detailed characters, expats and islanders with dark secrets and shady pasts. Bartz’s twists, building sense of dread and pulse racing ending is sure to thrill readers. A thrilling and addictive read I will highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced reader’s copy.

4.25 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Andrea Bartz is quickly becoming a go-to author for me. I loved We Were Never Here, and now after reading The Last Ferry Out, I will definitely be checking out her backlog.

Unlike We Were Never Here, The Last Ferry Out was more of a slow-burning mystery. I loved the atmospheric setting of the island - while beautiful and remote, it still had somewhat creepy/eerie vibe. I felt that way about all the expats too - they were so kind and lovable in their own ways, and yet they harbored secrets that made me not want to trust them completely. The mystery of what happened to Eszter was very intriguing as well - and while (to me) none of the twists were extremely shocking, the way the story and everyone's secrets and involvement were revealed was very well done. It felt like a puzzle slowly being put together, and it was satisfying. The pacing was great as well, maintaining that slow burn throughout, and I didn't feel like the conclusion was explosive or rushed. I even liked the small twist at the very end. I was constantly wanting to know more about these people and this island, and I think the multiple POVs really helped with that as well, along with the flashbacks into Abby and Eszter's relationship. For me, it helped the story flow and really connected the dots over time.

I also really loved Abby and Eszter's story - it was actually very devastating at times, when we learned about their strained relationships with parents and even with each other. I feel like it was a good reminder that all of us are worth more than what we produce and give back to the world - and to be sure to let your loved ones know that they are more than their accomplishments in life, whether that be your significant others or your children. Sometimes we need to sit back, slow down, and learn to enjoy the small moments in life.

This would be a perfect vacation/summer read, if you're in the mood for a complex, slow-burning mystery with multiple POVs.

This gave We Were Never Here vibes with the setting, but it definitely didn't have the fast pace or excitement of that novel. It felt very drawn out and slow, with much of the story taking place entirely in Abby's (very anxious) mind; it got old after a while, and then when we finally find out what happened, because it took so long to get there, I was let down.

I really liked the F/F representation, and the setting is cool, but there was something lacking. With a title like The Last Ferry Out, I expected something that felt more claustrophobic, more ominous or strange, but Abby has a group of English-speaking acquaintances and moves pretty freely about the island, so the feeling of alienation wasn't there for me.

Nice promise however the book was slow and uneven. I struggled to get through it thank you to the author to the publisher and to net Galley for this opportunity.

Get ready folks, because I just devoured The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz, and OH EM GHEE!
You know Andrea Bartz is one of my absolute favorite authors, and she delivered with this one!

My Thoughts (aka, I'm Obsessed)

From the moment Abby steps onto Isla Colel, you just know something is off. She's there to figure out what really happened to her fiancée, Eszter, but this island? It's not the paradise she expected. Think deserted, post-hurricane vibes, with a ferry that barely runs. Already, my spidey senses were tingling!

Then she meets this group of "alluring" expats, and things go from unsettling to full-blown SUSPICIOUS. Someone claims to know the truth about Eszter's death, and before you can even scream "tell me more!", they vanish into thin air. Seriously, who vanishes?! And the way everyone else acts about it? Chillingly casual. Like, WAY too casual.

Andrea Bartz weaves a web of dark secrets, shady pasts, and outright lies that will have you glued to every single page. Abby's quest for the truth spirals deeper and deeper into this tight-knit community, and you'll find yourself frantically trying to figure out who's trustworthy and who's a stone-cold killer. Every time I thought I had it figured out, BAM! Bartz pulls the rug right out from under me.

If you love a thrilling, suspenseful read that keeps you guessing until the very last page, where the atmosphere is thick with unease, and you're questioning everyone's motives, then The Last Ferry Out is your next obsession.

Seriously, don't walk, RUN to get your hands on this one. But maybe don't plan any remote island getaways right after reading it... just a thought.

The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz is a gripping, atmospheric thriller that cements her place as a master of modern suspense. Known for her previous hits like We Were Never Here and The Herd, Bartz once again delivers a twisty, emotionally charged story that keeps the pages turning. Set against the eerie backdrop of a world on the brink of climate collapse, the novel blends urgent themes with razor-sharp psychological tension. The characters are complex and relatable, especially the protagonist, who’s forced to confront both personal demons and global catastrophe. Bartz’s writing is vivid and immersive, pulling readers into a chilling yet strangely beautiful dystopia. Every chapter builds a slow-burn intensity that explodes into a shocking and satisfying conclusion. Fans of smart, socially conscious thrillers will find plenty to love here. The Last Ferry Out is both a pulse-pounding escape and a powerful reflection on resilience, loyalty, and survival.

Although I've had another book by Andrea Bartz sitting on my shelf for awhile now, The Last Ferry Out is the first of hers that I've actually read!

Let's start here:
I set this book down after finishing it and instantly realized I had wanted so much more from this thriller! Set in a tropical paradise, I should have been able to feel the sand between my toes and the humidity in the air, while being stimulated by the island's culture... but sadly I wasn't. The (almost) random additional perspectives didn't do a whole lot to move the plot along, and at times pulled me out of the main story. And I'll be the first to admit that drugs in books bother me, so that was also an issue.

And finish on a positive note:
I'm a big fan of the queer representation! The ending caught me by surprise, and tied various different aspects together.

Finally:
Yes, I am excited to read more from Bartz, but I won't be expediting We Were Never Here up my TBR any time soon.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Ballantine Books for the complimentary copy to read and review.

Thank you netgalley for the arc of the last ferry out in exchange for my honest review. This thriller set on a remoteish island will have you wondering who done it. The writing style will keep you turning the page to find out exactly what happened. Three stars

2.5 Stars rounded down.

Abby ventures off to an island off the coast of Mexico to find answers regarding the death of her fiancee, Eszter in this twisty thriller from Andrea Bartz, The Last Ferry Out.

The premise, a remote island of expats with secrets of their own, felt really promising. But this was a slow burn and, to me, there's nothing worse than a slow burn when you don't like any of the characters. I couldn't connect with Abby as I felt she was too immature, none of the expats were fleshed out to really form much of an understanding of them other than they were all secretive and protective of their island.

The POVs were of Abby and Eszter, in present and years before and that really didn't mesh well with the plot. There were also random POVs of the other expats thrown in that didn't feel needed. I was pretty close to DNFing this at about the halfways point.

And the twist? It was so underwhelming that I found myself skimming just to end the book sooner.

I'd like to thank Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a review copy of this ARC.

I enjoyed this but not as much as I thought I would from the plot. It wasn't as gripping as I had hoped and dragged for me at the beginning. It was a satisfactory read and I enjoyed her last novel so I definitely recommend this one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Not my favorite Andrea Bartz book. It was a good plot, something different but I thought it would be a bigger mystery at the end. It was kind of lackluster. The characters were ok. Abby was meh. Kind of annoying and the relationship between her and eszkter seemed a bit force and not a lot of meat in that part of the story.

This book was pretty engrossing! I’m not big into thrillers usually, but this had me captivated and I ended up reading it very quickly. I was intrigued by the setting and distinct characters. The ending was unsatisfying in some ways but yet realistic. I definitely recommend this one.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Andrea Bartz’s The Last Ferry Out hums with the unnerving energy of a thriller, but its pulse is more existential than explosive. Set in a world teetering on the brink—social collapse, climate instability, and political dread licking at its edges—it’s not merely about escape, but about what (and who) we choose to carry with us when the world demands we let go.

The plot centers on a woman swept into a relationship with a mysterious man offering passage on the final ferry off the mainland. But the novel isn't about logistics—it’s about longing. Bartz layers her signature psychological insight into every encounter, creating a haunting meditation on trust, desire, and self-preservation. The protagonist’s emotional unraveling mirrors the slow disintegration of the world around her, crafting a symmetry that’s as unsettling as it is poetic.

What sets The Last Ferry Out apart is its refusal to offer easy answers. Bartz blurs the line between safety and danger, savior and manipulator. Each chapter tilts reality slightly more, drawing the reader into a fog of paranoia that never quite lifts. As in her previous works, the real tension lies not in the external threat but in the internal reckoning.

This isn’t just a climate-adjacent thriller or a dystopian romance—it’s a novel about the weight of decisions made under duress, and the myths we build to justify them. Quietly provocative and elegantly paced, The Last Ferry Out lingers long after the final page, like the memory of a fever dream you’re not entirely sure was yours.

Abby’s story is a gripping thrill ride from start to finish. When her fiancé dies during a seemingly idyllic tropical getaway, the tragedy leaves Abby shattered—but not convinced it was just an accident. Haunted by unanswered questions and a gut-deep suspicion, she returns to the island that once held joyful memories, only to find it changed, darker, and far more dangerous than she remembered.

As Abby digs deeper, secrets unravel and tensions rise, with every twist tightening the web around her. The suspense is masterfully paced—I couldn’t put it down—and the creeping sense of dread kept me on the edge of my seat until the final page. A chilling, emotional, and utterly addictive read.

The Last Ferry Out is an intense read with a compelling premise, but I found certain parts to be a bit uneven. The story hooks you early, and the suspense builds well, but some plot twists felt somewhat predictable. The characters are interesting, though I wanted a deeper connection with them to fully invest in the story. Overall, it’s a decent thriller that kept me engaged, but it didn’t quite reach the level of thrill or originality I was hoping for.

My first exposure to Andrea Bartz was "We Were Never Here". This book exceeded my expectations, and I was so immersed in this story I forgot that I was reading and felt like I could deeply relate to what the characters in the book felt.