Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    The Last One: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Last One: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Last One: A Novel
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Last One: A Novel

    Written by Alexandra Oliva

    Narrated by Mike Chamberlain and Nicol Zanzarella

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 12, 2016
    ISBN9780147522658
    Unavailable
    The Last One: A Novel

    Related to The Last One

    Related audiobooks

    Literary Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      It’s Showtime!

      Apr 1, 2024

      It’s Showtime!
      2 min read

    • Article

      CHILL Out

      Sep 30, 2022

      Showmax, binge from 1 November An alien comes to Earth to learn how to become human and finds the woman who can help save his species. They discover that in order to save his world, they must first save ours. This much-anticipated series – based on t

      2 min read

    • Article

      Fresh Right Now

      Jan 15, 2024

      The Hunger Games prequel was so moving, and the music made it all that more special! DW if you haven’t seen it (this is a movie for older TGs), coz this collection will make you feel that you have! Some songs may be familiar, like ‘The Hanging Tree’,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Fresh Right Now

      Jul 11, 2021

      If you’re looking for positive, sweet, comforting vibes – P!nk and her daughter, Sage, have got you covered with their hit single ‘Cover Me In Sunshine’. This mother and daughter duet will give you all the warm feels. It’s a lovely song that makes us

      3 min read

    • Article

      WEEKLY Entertainment

      Jun 18, 2023

      NETFLIX Based on Leigh Bardugo’s trilogy of the same name, this fantastic adventure series follows Alina Starkov, an orphan and cartographer who discovers she has a special gift and the ability to save her kingdom from ruin. Over two seasons, Alina

      2 min read

    • Article

      What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

      Aug 27, 2021

      Each week, the guests and hosts on Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. Today it's Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Enlightened, "Vax That Thang Up."

      4 min read

    • Article

      Reviews

      May 5, 2023

      Sweet Tooth Netflix A bunch of kids are imprisoned in a cell, planning their escape. The floor is earth, so it’s obvious: the child who’s half-chipmunk should burrow out. The kid with the lion’s mane, the girl with the pig’s nose and the little guy w

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Reverend’s Review

      Jan 27, 2022

      The perennial accusation that “Horror Films Exploit Women” sounds a bit old-hat these days. After all, the genre has a long tradition of female empowerment. There are three examples in this month’s new releases. My favourite is Jakob’s Wife, (Shudder

      2 min read

    • Article

      View from THE BACK

      Dec 29, 2021

      ABBC drama about the so-called ‘dirty’ Duchess of Argyll, which started on Boxing Day, raises the question of just how far gender equality has come since the 1960s. A Very British Scandal stars Claire Foy as Margaret of Argyll, who was embroiled in

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Hit List

      Mar 4, 2024

      The Hit List
      3 min read

    • Article

      Review: The 'Parks And Recreation' Reunion Is The Perfect Medicine For Uncertain Times

      May 1, 2020

      The main cast and a nice slice of the supporting one reconvened after five years Thursday night on NBC for "A Parks and Recreation Special." They came to raise money to feed those in need and to send good vibrations and embedded mental health PSAs to

      4 min read

    • Article

      Mane Man

      Apr 7, 2021

      Mane Man
      11 min read

    • Article

      TV & REVIEWS

      Feb 20, 2024

      TV & REVIEWS
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Reverend’s Review

      Sep 9, 2021

      If you’re pining for a movie where a werewolf ‘Taylor Swift’ records a new album while messily sucking on rabbit guts, try Bloodthirsty (£7.99, DVD) Here, a troubled singer/songwriter called Grey faces the true horror of all musicians: recording her

      2 min read

    • Article

      It's Showtime!

      Jan 29, 2023

      It's Showtime!
      2 min read

    • Article

      It’s Showtime!

      Jan 2, 2022

      It’s Showtime!
      2 min read

    • Article

      Entertainment Guide

      Oct 16, 2023

      Entertainment Guide
      2 min read

    Reviews for The Last One

    4/5

    267 ratings49 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      Ad Tenebras Dedi - 3.5 stars...

      "Ad Tenebras Dedi" or "I surrender to the dark" (I think) is the catch phrase that the 12 contestants of a new survival reality show called In the Dark must say if they are ready to throw in the towel. Unbeknownst to them though, while they are out in the middle of nowhere participating in the show challenges, a worldwide virus pandemic is sweeping across the country. Some of the contestants are recovered and taken to refugee camps but then there are others like the contestant Zoo, who haven't been found. The story follows the contestants and then Zoo as she navigates the country trying to survive and come to terms with what's real and what isn't.

      I love the premise for the story and I did enjoy it but I think it could be even better with a few of the kinks worked out. For one, the story flips between the contestants completing their challenges and Zoo navigating on her own solo challenge but there is no clear timeline distinctions so trying to understand when everything is occurring is really confusing.

      The contestants are also introduced by their real names and given reality TV show names. Throughout the story, the narration switches between both names and that's also confusing trying to remember who is who.

      Another issue I had was with the game show challenge narration. The narration of the challenge details were sort of choppy, flat and monotonous. I think maybe to compare to with a TV dialogue script but it actually took all the suspense out of the story. I just think it would have been more entertaining if the narration was styled a little bit differently and the suspense turned up a notch.

      Overall though, I think it's a really unique concept and the story has 5 star potential but just needs to be polished a little more.

      *I received this ARC from NetGalley & also a wonderful ARC Paperback from First Reads & Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!

    • 5/5
      What a great book. One of those books that you can't put down, because you need to know what will happen next.

      I enjoy watching reality tv shows, and was excited that this book was about contestants in a wilderness survival show. The book explores what would happen if you were on a show where you were isolated from civilization, and a catastrophic event happens. When would you start to realize something is wrong? How can you tell what is real, and what is part of the show?

      The main character, Zoo, was very interesting, and we are with her for the majority of the book. The book jumps between present time, and a few weeks prior, to tell the story. Usually all this time jumping would annoy me, but in this case it was easy enough to follow the action. I would have liked a little more information about the illness. Did they ever figure out what caused it, and how much of the world did it effect? Was it just in a portion of the United States, or did it effect other countries too?

      I thought this was one of the better books I have read recently. It was entertaining, and I kept thinking about it after I was finished.

      I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley.
    • 4/5
      The Last One by Alexandra Oliva is a combination of a TV reality shows like “Survivor” and a dystopian story. Wanting one more adventure before she and her husband start to raise a family, Sam becomes a contestant on a new reality show set in the remote Pennsylvania wilderness. The show is a race through the wilderness while practising wilderness survivor techniques. After a series of contests between the contestants, they embark on a solo challenge that is expected to last a number of days. Unfortunately while alone in the woods, a plague strikes, killing off a substantial portion of the world’s population. Not realizing what has happened, Sam continues to play the “game” and accepts the many strange things that happen to her as part of the show.It’s a fun setup and the author’s good writing helps to carry off this story. Of course this survival dystopian setup is totally in my wheelhouse, but I thought this book was engaging and interesting. The main character is very resourceful, competitive and tough but she is also sympathetic and, for me, quite likeable. As reality and “reality show” become meshed together, there are plenty of sharp observations on the nature of the media and how the behaviours of the various contestants’ are shaped to fit the producer’s planned story-line.The Last One is a fast paced, clever and entertaining story. This is Alexandra Oliva’s debut novel and I will certainly be watching for more from this author.
    • 4/5
      super interesting premise but it's a pretty dry survival story. I loved it, but it's definitely not for everyone
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars

      What if you were alone in the woods as part of a Survivor-inspired reality show when the next plague hit?

      Yeah, it's a weird premise that veers between viable and forced, but even when it's slightly less than believable, it's still enough to keep you reading. The focus changes fluidly, from the show's beginnings to the thrilleristic aftermath and back. Even though the "twist" was telegraphed about a mile in advance, it still had emotional impact.

      Fans of Station Eleven may find this a partial filler for that space. It's a pretty good debut novel, but is not quite surprising enough or profound enough to become a favorite in the genre.


      I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Thanks!
    • 4/5
      What an interesting premise! The way the author used a reality TV show was quite ingenious! The story switches back and forth from the present moment, where Zoo is all alone and unaware of what has happened, to the past, when all of the contestants were participating in the TV show. Reading about the way the editing and scripting works in reality TV was quite fascinating; I'm not naive enough to believe that everything I view on TV is real but it's a whole other story when you find out exactly how producers and editors go about achieving the end result. The buildup was slow but tantalizing and I enjoyed reading how Zoo eventually realizes that the world is no longer the same. Watching her physically and mentally struggle against the wilderness and the truth...well, the author definitely depicted that in an amazing way! The flow of the story was good and at the end of the day, I enjoyed what I read. It reminded me a lot of Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel so if you liked that novel, then you will definitely like this one!
    • 2/5
      I wanted to like this book. I really did. I read way past my 100 page rule but it just failed to grab me.
    • 3/5
      Conceptually this book could have been especially intriguing, playing with the boundaries and intermingling of the perception of reality through media and our own interaction with the world. The behind the scenes of a reality television show feels realistic (I say this being of limited exposure to the genre.). The game is contrived and masterfully edited to influence and dictate viewer opinions of the participants. The internet article comments section chapter breaks are fun (with a cult TV reference or two) but don't really add much but to redirect the reader between Past Zoo and Present Zoo. Zoo's survival instincts and drive - challenged by both a Survivor-like TV show and an actual plague - naturally encourage the reader to question their own abilities to survive in those circumstances.

      The pacing dropped as Zoo plodded along mid-story. The blurring of her reality through the loss of the (glasses) lenses she wore was a bit tiring of a prolonged metaphor. It wasn't terrible, but the casual reader may not want to continue the story. The ending of the book felt open enough in case Alexandra Oliva wanted to continue the story as a series, but would be fine as a a standalone book.

      All in all, it was a decent read. However, I had actually forgotten about it in the couple of months between reading it and now leaving a review.
    • 4/5
      This was the debut novel by Alexandra Oliva and she did a great job! The story kept me reading until I finished the book. It starts out as a reality show with twelve contestants. The show will end when only one contestant is left. There are group challenges and solo challenges. They are on a solo challenge when something terrible happens in the real world which they know nothing about. While we learn about each contestant, our primary character, Zoo, is the one we follow until the end of the book. I really don't want to say anymore because it's just better to read and find out how she handles both the contest and real life. I will definitely make sure I read Alexandra Oliva's next book!
    • 4/5
      I quite enjoyed this one. Admittedly, the blurb referencing Station Eleven and also The Passage pulled me in. I'd read the former within the last month or so & had just finished reading the final installment in the latter's trilogy. So was I ready to read more post-apocalyptic fiction? Most definitely. I'm not exactly sure where this comes in as an intersection between the two but as a reader of both of those books, I did enjoy this, so the mentions worked this time.

      Zoo (our main character, her name is revealed very near the end) is a participant in what promised to be a all out blockbuster budget reality show. I admit now that I've never watched any reality television so I can't say how the portrayal of that part of the story matches with actual. I don't know that I appreciated that part of the story as much as I could if I were more familiar with them. Honestly, none of the characters who peopled The Dark Wood stayed with me and ultimately, they didn't feel as important that the time spent with them would have suggested. What I did appreciate was the unvarnished look in at the staging of it all from casting to how drama and events may be created or obscured by a master manipulator, the editor. It was cringeworthy in a way that felt true and I thought it was well done.

      What I very much enjoyed was the part of then story that was focused on Zoo once she is away from the group and after she's entered the world in the after. Her thoughts about her husband and parents were rendered well and also her anxiety about becoming a mother. She was an interesting character to follow and I cared about her mental state but also understood the duality of believing the game to be wholly immersive and the denial that the world has gone through something utterly cataclysmic and she may be alone. Who wouldn't want to cling to the idea that the game was still in play and everything in the wasteland is all a set piece? But I still desperately wanted her to have something happen that jarred her in a way that she could deny no longer. This aspect of the story held good tension. I won't spoil because the journey is so worth it but I will say that as a girl with glasses, I empathized with her trekking along with only one lens remaining from her broken pair. I don't know how long I could stand it, in the after, with my uncorrected vision. I was amazed she wasn't rooting through a drug store earlier on for a pair of Foster Grants or whatever. Who knew I could muster so much happiness to have a character finally come upon a Lens Crafters?!

      I did think there were a few happenstances that felt a bit trite in the ending Miles watching her on television & Brennan never having got to tell her that Miles wasn't dead in the bed, it was the dog but I didn't mind them enough that my overall enjoyment was hindered. I loved all things Brennan.

      Definitely recommended and I'll keep a lookout for future books by the author. This is definitely a very good debut.

      I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
    • 5/5
      I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.I have a confession to make.I love reality shows. Over the years, my interest in some have come and gone, but I still watch quite a few of them. I even own The Mole on DVD.And I love shows and books about fictional reality shows. I'm still upset that Siberia got canceled after only one season. I loved that show so much that my tweet professing my love for it got used in an official ad campaign.So when I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. I absolutely could not wait. And this book, unlike the network's decision to cancel Siberia, did not disappoint.In The Last One, Oliva has created a fictional reality show, and readers immediately know from the first pages that something goes horribly wrong. Whether it is with the show, or the world, or even what that mysterious something is, we have no idea. But we do know this is not a show, or book, that will run a typical course.As a reality show fan, I loved all the little details Oliva put in-from the way the editors and producers manipulate situations and footage to fit their decided narrative, to the nicknames the contestants are given, to the challenges themselves. Oliva's protagonist fully believes that all the insanity that is happening around her has been produced by the show, and having been allowed that inside look at the behind the scenes machinations, readers can understand why--and even wonder along with her. What is real? What is manufactured?Oliva's decision to alternate chapters between her protagonist "Zoo"'s current situation, and the filming of the show, peaks and keeps readers' interest, creating almost unbearable tension at times. The reality show lover in me could not get enough of the Challenges and Confessionals, and the thriller lover in me was metaphorically biting my fingernails in suspense at what was happening to Zoo in the present.Read this book. I wouldn't be surprised if it made some Top Books of 2016 lists. I would certainly put it in mine.
    • 4/5
      Creative and unique twist on apocalyptic fiction that fuses a reality-type survival show with an all-too-real pandemic viral outbreak.The book alternates between the real-time perspective of the main character, Zoo, and a fellow pandemic survivor she meets up with (Brennan) and flashback reality show scenes. For a time, she thinks she's playing a reality show challenge and that Brennan is a camera guy/plant. Reality and "reality" are so mixed up that the reader is also left unsure what's really happening and what's manipulated.Unsure where the zombie comparisons of other reviewers are coming from. There are no zombies and I wouldn't consider it sci-fi, either. The ending isn't perfectly spelled out, but it's enough and it keeps with the tone and feel of the rest of the story.Recommended for reality show/pop culture junkies. If you find the book summary intriguing, this may your thing.
    • 4/5
      Zoo (so nicknamed because she works at a wildlife-rehabilitation center) is a contestant on a survival-type reality TV show where she is dropped into the wilderness and must complete silly challenges; she doesn't know, however, that a horrific pandemic has pretty much wiped out everyone on the East Coast in the span of a few days, so she makes her way home thinking the devastation she sees around her is all part of the game.It's a bit of a far-fetched premise, I'll admit, but I think Oliva does good work with it, although it may have been more effective if the reader hadn't been told of the pandemic from the start, if we also had been left to wonder whether what Zoo was experiencing was real or staged. The chapters alternate between Zoo's journey home after the pandemic and the filming of the reality TV show with the other contestants before the shit hits the fan. I enjoyed these latter chapters more, as I found the character dynamics more interesting, and I kind of wished that Oliva had gone for a slightly different story with the setup that she gave us. I see what she was trying to do with Zoo's solo odyssey of denial, and I appreciate it, but it was difficult for me to buy into, and I didn't find Zoo's character compelling enough to have strong feelings for her. Still, this is a very readable book for fans of apocalyptic fiction.
    • 4/5
      What would happen if the world went to hell while you were isolated on a stupid reality survival show called In the Dark (not subtle)? That is the premise of this book, and I started out disliking it, but by the end I thought it deserved 3.5 stars which I've rounded up to 4. First, I confess that I'm probably not the intended audience for this book, since I would neither appear on nor watch such a show.The chapters alternate between descriptions of the 12 contestants and their group dynamics and the solo challenges faced by the female contestant referred to as Zoo. The contestants are given shorthand names based on their jobs or personas, like Waitress, Banker, Tracker and Black Doctor. I wasn't pleased that each of the contestants was described by his or her color. You might justify that as a way of showing how the producers stereotyped the contestants, however the author also characterized the members of the crew by their color, so I believe it was stereotyping on the part of the author rather than merely that of the producers of the show.The beginning of the book was very confusing and it was hard to figure out what was going on and who the characters were. I didn't figure out who the narrator was until about 20% into the book. Later in the book the author began to use the real names of the contestants as well as their show names, after I had already gotten used to their show names, so it became confusing all over again. The beginning was also very dull, unless you want to read pages of someone figuring out how to start a fire. Later we get to several, detailed stomach turning episodes describing the skinning, gutting and other mutilation of various animals for the entertainment of the masses (and I do include the readers of this book in the people intended to be entertained). It was somewhat interesting seeing how the impressions of the contestants were manipulated by the editing of the producers, but it's not like that is a secret. The author was also pretty manipulative by giving touching back stories (and reasons for appearing on the show) to some of the contestants. She didn't tell us which ones were just fame whores, but my vote would be all 12 of them. The book eventually became suspenseful. The writing was good, I wanted to find out how things turned out, and I'd be willing to read something else by this author. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
    • 4/5
      Really good, very gripping. A bit too intense for me.
    • 5/5
      Read from May 20 to 22, 2016I flew through this book and not because it's action-packed. Sure there's action, there's competitions, there's survival. But that's not what drives it, there's wonderfully compelling writing and storytelling here. From the beginning we know there's a deadly virus spreading and that an epic survival reality TV show is being filmed. At the same time. The contestants have no idea about the illness. The story goes back and forth between the early days of filming and Zoo's present. Is Zoo still competing against other contestants or is she simply just surviving? Perfect for fans of non-zombie apocalyptic stories, especially Station Eleven. Read if you like:Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel The Passage (The Passage, #1) by Justin Cronin Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1) by Hugh Howey
    • 4/5
      Very good. First novel by an author whose work I will look for again. Of course I would have like an "afterward" or "2 months later" or something that filled me on what happened after the last page but will have to survive on not-knowing. Get it? Survive? (Yeah, not really funny but it was unintentional so I had to point it out.)Story about people on a reality wilderness show when much goes awry in the world. It particularly focuses on one person. Hope, fear, anger, guilt -- all this and more are in there while we travel with this person on their journey.I'd be wary of spoilers in reviews because people do like to blurt them out, or hint around them. But you don't want the story taken away from you before it has a change to unfold before you, do you? Nah. Just trust me and dive in.
    • 4/5
      I am surprised how much I enjoyed this book. I dislike reality tv and I dislike dystopian themes. However, the way this novel is written I found the scenario quite intriguing. It was very interesting how the reality show skewed the view of what was really happening as I am sure the ones currently on tv do. It was refreshing to see that approach to that subject. There are some great characters and the fact that you only know them by a descriptive name was such a cool touch. The two stories being told in alternating chapters keeps the story going and much more interesting.
    • 4/5
      I thought this book had a great premise. I'm guilty of being obsessed with a couple reality shows. I wasn't disappointed. I found myself anxious and holding my breath at particular intense parts. I definitely recommend for fans of reality shows.
    • 4/5
      Before deciding to plunge into motherhood, Zoo joins a reality TV show for one last adventure. Twelve contestants are sent into the woods, where they compete for food and resources. As the contestants enter the solo phase of the competition, a viral outbreak devastates the population around them. Zoo continues to plod on, looking for clues and hints to lead her through the competition.I thought this was an interesting premise. The psychological aspects of the book were intriguing. I enjoyed the characters and would love to read more. The book did need at least one more chapter or an epilogue. It almost seemed that the author was tired of the book, so she just decided to end it. Overall, well worth picking up. I look forward to reading more from this author.
    • 4/5
      This debut was a bit clunky at times, but offered an uniquely thrilling plot. Good for a quick summer read.
    • 5/5
      Excellent and forth more that five stars. Great face paced thriller about two groups of people, those on a reality TV show and what is going on in the out side world. The TV people are isolated and do not know that a major illness has broken out and believe that all strange things are just part of the show.
    • 4/5
      Twelve reality show contestants head into the woods to face challenges in a game designed to test the limits of their endurance. But, while they are in the woods, a devastating event occurs. Uncertain as to whether the destruction is a natural occurrence or a manmade catastrophe, there are few choices for those who remain. However, the contestants, off in the woods by themselves, have no idea that anything untoward has occurred, and continue following the rules of the game. Thus, when Zoo stumbles across evidence of the catastrophe, she believes it is a make-believe terror provided by the show to manipulate her into one action or another. As the story unfolds, Zoo tests the limits of her survival skills and ultimately seeks to separate the game from the reality of her life.With well-drawn characters and a strong sense of place, this tale of struggle for survival pitted against the machinations of the script for the reality show reveals the way people make choices. Part dystopian, the tale focuses less on the emerging new order than on the impact of relationships and our own understanding of exactly who we are.Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      I always get a little tingle when I realize after the first few pages of a new book that I'm not going to be able to put it down. That's exactly what happened with Alexandra Oliva's debut novel The Last One. I started it early on a Sunday morning and read straight through to the end (somewhat delaying our afternoon plans....)Admit it, you've watched at least one episode of a reality television show. (There's lots to choose from!) In The Last One, Oliva has twelve contestants participating in a remote wilderness challenge, seeing how far they can push themselves."That's the whole idea behind the show, after all - to break the contestants. Though the twelve who entered the ring were told that it's about survival. That it's a race. All true, but. Even the title they were told was a deception. Subject to change, as the fine print read."Oliva nicely skewers reality tv, with the producer and editor's comments, the cheesy host, the dehumanizing of the participants by giving them descriptors as names - Waitress, Tracker, Black Doctor, Zoo, Biology and others. It's only the contestants themselves who use their real names. The manipulation of what has been filmed, presenting the storyline they want viewers to see. "All they care about is that the viewers watch to the end." Chat room responses to the show reinforce this.But while they're removed from society, something happens. Some sort of deadly pathogen strikes the country. While some participants realize this, others don't - they still believe they're on the show - and that the cameras are still rolling. Zoo is one of those who has no idea. The reader walks along with Zoo, who is determined not to quit - she is going to be the last one standing.We know something has happened and see Zoo's thoughts and choices through that knowledge and question her logic. But seen through her eyes, her choices make sense. She is in survival mode - both physically and mentally."I had no idea it would be like this. They didn't say anything about a fake pandemic or props shaped like dead people. About animatronics or feral cats. Empty towns and abandoned children. They didn't say anything about being so alone for so long."Dystopian/apocalyptic novels are a favourite of mine and Oliva has put a delicious spin on hers. I really liked Zoo as a character (her real name is only mentioned once). Her determination, resilience and stamina to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Oliva's imagining of her journey totally captured me - who knows what's around the next bend, what she will face, if she'll survive. There was no way to predict where the story was going to go and I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book.Oliva ends the book on a great turn. I had wondered how she could finish off such a great read, but she surprised me. The ending was just right. The Last One is absolutely one of my favourite reads this year. I can't wait to see what Oliva writes next.
    • 3/5
      Dystopic fiction novels often feel like a guilty pleasure for me. They seem to be everywhere and a lot of the bigger names in popular dystopias seem to be YA novels - YA that follow a pretty narrow plot formula, i.e. younger teen caught up in a subservient class, *boom* super powers or really incredible chance to prove themselves, flowering love and awkwardness, *boom* devastation, *boom* socially awkward one gets a nod from their personal Yoda or a ferocious inner monologue as they storm the gates with said power or proven merit (Eye of the Tiger probably playing in the background), [insert two more books here]. That being said, I gladly eat them up with a giant ol' spoon because sometimes you come across a gem that breaks from the popular formula, YA or otherwise. Sometimes you get a storyline that's lifeblood pumps from a unique perspective or some refreshing intersectionality that I certainly didn't grow up expecting in most books, much less the aforementioned YA genre, etc. Sometimes you stumble on a dystopian novel that actually isn't classified as YA and you're reminded of that time Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale plopped right down in your hand at the back of the high school library and you first learned what dystopian fiction was and how intense it could feel, how important it could be.

      Oliva's The Last One falls in the middle ground between these two dystopic experiences. The plot wasn't the perfection to rule all perfection; there be holes here, Captain Ahab. However, it was unique enough to capture my attention. Oliva works within the reality tv universe framework and she does it believably enough. Some forewarning: I fail at watching reality tv; I'm in no way an expert on this framework. Minus a few seasons of The Amazing Race & Big Brother and an intense, if weird, dislike of Survivor, The Bachelor/ette, and any combinations thereof - I'm pretty far removed from the experience of these shows at this point. For awhile I leaned more towards last chef standing type shows but now timed challenges just tend to make me cringe almost as much as that Big Brother toothbrush fiasco did back in the day and I'm pretty sure I've already eaten up all the insults Chef Ramsay can dish out. But the framework of all of these shows is remarkably consistent and remarkably successful; you can find a reality show about practically anything, find a producer that wants to push the experience and push the budget into unheard of territory, and find plenty of people who are willing to do just about anything for that Hollywood-glamoured cash prize (minus applicable taxes). All sorts of people, actually, which is why we have the reality show tropes that Oliva pulls into her narrative.

      I've read some reviews that have mentioned these tropes and most remark that Oliva flattens her characters by making use of them, by pawning off very trope-generic names on them. I get that; If I had been expecting a fresh and in depth look into these particular characters, I would probably have a similar view. However, I completely forgot the premise of this book by the time I got around to reading it - luckily enough - and I took away something a bit different. I felt that Oliva's goal was to purposefully use these branded personalities to flesh out her narratives reality show vibe and I think it was a goal attained. I wanted more from the characters but I think that the usage of branded personalities made a point and became an interesting juxtaposition as we delve into the main character, Zoo, and we start crossing that reality show/reality line. Could the author have added more individuality to these characters successfully? I think so; she made them interesting enough that more backstory could have been supported. But narration and focal point is a big part of The Last One and I'm not sure how that ephemeral 'more' would have been incorporated best.

      As far as apocalyptic dystopian novels go, The Last One was an enjoyable, quick read for me. Holes and all. Zoo's voice may not have packed the punch of Offred, it's not a life-changing read. I did, however, learn how to filter water with some sticks, bandanas, and wild sundries such as dirt, grass, and coal. I also caught an inescapable craving for home fries. There's some cheese factor here and no, not in the home fries. However, there were a couple parts that had me cringing because Oliva delivers Zoo's mental state so completely, one in particular where her blindness translates so well from character to reader, that I'd happily recommend this read on that premise alone. Unfortunately that brief illumination of immersion gets a bit spotty in stretches, making me go in and out of the plot instead of being fully invested throughout.

      I'd rate this as a 2.5 star read rounded up. While the universe was believable, the narrative wasn't as immersive as I wanted it to be. However, it was entertaining enough that I would look forward to reading more from Oliva. Considering this is a first novel, the result is impressive.

      I'd like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine Books for the chance to read and review this book.
    • 4/5
      If I stretched I could say something about this book's approach to reality and how our understanding of it can be mangled through television-constructed reality...but mostly it's just a really good post-apocalyptic survival horror story, full of emotional weight and just the right amount of despair.
    • 5/5
      Wow...The Last One is a powerful story that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. Contestants are in the ultimate reality show. The story follows one contestant as she goes on her solo mission, one where they were told there would be no one around. But unknown to the contestants, a contagion has broken out and the real world is no longer the same. A story of survival, resilience, and dogged determination combined with touches of horror and a deep bleakness, this story will linger with you long after you finish reading it.
    • 5/5
      Terrific suspense in a very unusual setting: a "Survivor"-type TV contestant runs into what may or may not be a pandemic occurring in the real world. The question is, is it part of the show or real?I'm not a fan of this kind of reality show, but I do love apocalyptic plots so thought I'd give it a try. Well! I'm so glad I did, because this is non-stop suspense, with riveting characters and a believable plot guaranteed to keep you up late turning pages. There is no mystery as to whether something wrong really is going on: the first page makes that clear. The question for the reader is whether it's major or minor, and even knowing some people have died, the reader is left wondering until near the end of the book whether there has been a local, national or international crisis. Chapters alternate between the opening weeks of the competition and a time a few weeks later when the main character, nicknamed Zoo for the program, is trying to find the next clues in her solo competition. Instead she keeps finding small deserted towns and what appear to be dead bodies. Are they real bodies or well-done dummies, with cameras picking up her every reaction? Looking for a wonderful novel that will keep you up late? Look no further!
    • 5/5
      Wow - what an awesome book! I read the second half in one sitting because I could not put it down. This is the story of a reality show, In the Dark, where the 12 contestants are attempting to see who can survive the longest in the woods through a series of team challenges and then a solo challenge. We only know the characters by the names the producers have assigned to them based on their personalities - Carpenter Chick, Black Doctor, Air Force, Waitress, etc. The story focuses mainly on Zoo, a young woman out for one last adventure before she starts a family with her husband. While they are in the woods, a strange illness hits the country and we follow Zoo as she attempts to complete her solo challenge in a world she does not know has changed. The story alternates between the reality and Zoo in the present as she struggles to find out what is going on. Fan of The Passage and I Am Legend will definitely enjoy this book - it is full of suspense, moving and well-written. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
    • 5/5
      A dark, unsettling drama about the contestants of a reality / survival TV show called "In the Dark".The contestants battle psychological tests and the unseen protagonists that control the show.Will they get out alive?Very highly recommended.I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Penguin / Michael Joseph via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.