From The Bookshelf – Quick Review Last Ones Left Alive

Today I will be reviewing Last Ones Left Alive, the new dystopian thriller from Sarah Davis-Goff. This one is getting a lot of attention in the media, as I write this we are still a few months from official release and it seems like everyone is talking about it!

My full review is below, but first, lets take a look at the blurb.

The Blurb

Raised by her mother and Maeve on Slanbeg, an island off the west coast of Ireland, Orpen has a childhood of love and stories by the fireside. But the stories grow darker, and the training begins. Ireland has been devoured by a ravening menace known as the skrake, and though Slanbeg is safe for now, the women must always be ready to run, or to fight.

When Maeve is bitten, Orpen is faced with a dilemma: kill Maeve before her transformation is complete, or try to get help. So Orpen sets off, with Maeve in a wheelbarrow and her dog at her side, in the hope of finding other survivors, and a cure. It is a journey that will test Orpen to her limits, on which she will learn who she really is, who she really loves, and how to imagine a future in a world that ended before she was born.

My Thoughts

When I first heard about this book I was desperate to get my hands on it. I’ll be honest with you, the reason I was so desperate to read this one may be because a small part of me that was enamored with the idea of a dystopian zombie novel set in Ireland. The other part may be related to the fact I have devoured and loved the books which were released via Tramp Press (the publishing house started by the author Sarah Davis Goff and Lisa Coen).

Our protagonist, Orpen, is a very strong lead, who has been thrust into her role of protector, albeit protector of a person who is pretty much dead. The story is split between Orpen in the near future, and brief glimpses of her past. We get to see Orpen built up into the strong woman she is today, ready to take on all comers.

The supporting cast are just as interesting, but I wouldn’t want to reveal TOO much now would I.

As is standard practice with this type of novel we have fuck all clue what happened to society, but the breadcrumbs we are given to what happened and will very obviously be revealed later are brilliantly placed throughout.

This is a fantastic book, it is being compared to Cormac Mcarthy’s The Road by many, and it is very easy to see why, with vivid descriptions of a desolate land, intertwined with the ever present fear of attack from the Shrake (this is what the zombie like creatures are called).

All in all this is a brilliant debut, there is definitely more to come here, and I cannot wait to see what Sarah pulls out of the bag with the next book.

Last Ones Left Alive is officially out on March 7th 2019. I highly recommend you buy it.