Hanna Jameson | THE LAST

Plot (via Goodreads):

For fans of high-concept thrillers such as Annihilation and The Girl with All the Gifts, this breathtaking dystopian psychological thriller follows an American academic stranded at a Swiss hotel as the world descends into nuclear war—along with twenty other survivors—who becomes obsessed with identifying a murderer in their midst after the body of a young girl is discovered in one of the hotel’s water tanks.

Review:

I am not a usual fan of dystopian novels or anything that I can't fully wrap my head around. I have a hard time reading a novel that I am unfamiliar with its territory. Well, Hanna Jameson completely changed my thoughts on the dystopian world and captivated me with a novel that is not only mysterious, but harrowing and psychologically chilling to the core. What I loved about this one was that it was action-packed, a story that features a possible murder, and was so character driven that I honestly didn't care about the ending at all; I just wanted to spend as much time as possible with these characters. 

Not only was the character development in this one top notch, but the setting was generously parallel to the story. A creepy and older hotel full of creaks and shadows in the middle of the woods during what could only be explained as the end of the world. It was claustrophobic, menacing, and provided almost a whole other character in its entirety. As the novel progressed rather quickly, I found myself in the center of the mystery and battling an anxious feeling of wondering how this one could possibly wrap up all of these loose ties.

As expected, Hanna Jameson brilliantly wrapped this one up with all of the answers that I was wishing for as well as a brilliant twist in the end and a jaw-dropping finale that was bittersweet and generously developed. This novel proved that stepping out of your comfort zone can be not only worth it, but an exciting reading experience that will not only beguile your mind, but in this case, your heart as well. 

Special thanks to Atria Books for this novel in exchange for my honest review. 

Rating: 4/5