The Last One
Ratings28
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings28
Average rating3.7
Survival is the name of the game as the line blurs between reality TV and reality itself in Alexandra Oliva’s fast-paced novel of suspense. She wanted an adventure. She never imagined it would go this far. It begins with a reality TV show. Twelve contestants are sent into the woods to face challenges that will test the limits of their endurance. While they are out there, something terrible happens—but how widespread is the destruction, and has it occurred naturally or is it man-made? Cut off from society, the contestants know nothing of it. When one of them—a young woman the show’s producers call Zoo—stumbles across the devastation, she can imagine only that it is part of the game. Alone and disoriented, Zoo is heavy with doubt regarding the life—and husband—she left behind, but she refuses to quit. Staggering countless miles across unfamiliar territory, Zoo must summon all her survival skills—and learn new ones as she goes. But as her emotional and physical reserves dwindle, she grasps that the real world might have been altered in terrifying ways—and her ability to parse the charade will be either her triumph or her undoing. Sophisticated and provocative, The Last One is a novel that forces us to confront the role that media plays in our perception of what is real: how readily we cast our judgments, how easily we are manipulated. Praise for The Last One “[Alexandra] Oliva brilliantly scrutinizes the recorded (and heavily revised) narratives we believe, and the last one hundred pages will have the reader constantly guessing just what Zoo is capable of doing to find her way back home.”—Washington Post “A high-concept, high-octane affair . . . The conceit is undoubtedly clever and . . . well executed, but what makes The Last One such a page-turner is Zoo herself: practical, tough-minded and appealing.”—The Guardian “Oliva takes this (possibly) post-apocalyptic setting, grafts on a knowledgeable skewering of the inner workings of reality television and gives us a gripping story of survival. . . . This is the genius of Oliva’s storytelling. . . . [She] makes a stunning debut with this page turner, and becomes a writer to watch.”—Seattle Times “Oliva delivers a pulse-pounding psychological tale of survival. . . . [She] masterfully manipulates her characters and the setting, creating a mash-up of popular TV genres: Survivor meets The Walking Dead.”—Bookpage
Reviews with the most likes.
This played on the familiar survival-reality-show tropes very well and although you knew where the plot might lead you, the way in which it all played out was very engrossing and very well done!
I don???t typically watch those type of reality shows but when they???re sad amidst a outbreak apocalypse situation it then turns into a post-apocalyptic tale of starting over.
I received this ARC from my job and this, in no way, impacts my review.
A reality TV show where twelve contestants are sent into the woods to face survival challenges that will test their stills. While they are out there a flu spreads but is it natural or is it man-made and how far has it spread? Cut off from society, the contestants know nothing of the outside world. When one of them—a young woman called Zoo—stumbles across the devastation, she can imagine only that it is part of the game. As the story continues she is tested physicality and mentally but Zoo thinks no matter what they do she will not give up. But what happens when it becomes just way to real.
What a great premise. It was a little slow to hook me but all of a sudden I almost missed my subway stop. The author is clear when switching between past and present time. I thought the way Zoo's mind dealt with certain situations was believable. I thought Zoo was a great character. The novel was short, entertaining, and very well written. I think people who watch reality TV shows will love this book. This is the author's first novel I can't wait for the second!
The Last One follows the adventures of a woman named Zoo, a contestant in a wilderness survival show. It employs two timelines which switch between the early days of the competition and later when Zoo is on her own.
The highlight of the book is the commentary on how reality shows such as Survivor manipulate both the contestants and the viewers through clever editing and casting personality types for maximum drama. This was further shown by the inclusion of forum posts by viewers of the show, which provided insight as to the viewers' opinions as well as information on what was happening in the world outside the show.
A minor complaint is that the characters were referred to by their stereotyped nicknames throughout the great majority of the novel, so on the few occasions when characters address each other with their real names, it causes a moment of confusion and breaks immersion. A much larger problem is the inconsistency in Zoo's character. Without spoiling, she is repeatedly described as independent, intelligent, and resourceful... but fails to recognize the reality of what is happening around her for much longer than is believable.
Despite these problems, The Last One is a promising debut with an original premise. A fast-paced, fun read good for fans of both post-apocalyptic settings and reality shows.
Provided for review by NetGalley.
