The Last She: A Satisfying Dystopian

The Last She by H.J. Nelson
Genres: Dystopian (YA), Sci-Fi (YA)
Pages: 352
Goodreads

Ara . . . I made a mistake, we all did . . . go back to the beginning . . . it’s not too late.

As the only female to survive the devastating virus, Ara hasn’t seen another human in months―not since her father disappeared. The plague has swept away humanity, and Ara’s world is desolate, haunted by the ghosts of her former life. Her mother. Her sister.

Kaden and his crew live by a code: stay alert, stay alive. When they catch Ara stealing from them, they are furious―and confused. She is the first girl they have seen in three years. And while Kaden knows taking her captive is wrong, he tells himself he’s doing it to protect her.

But with Ara determined to follow through on her father’s mission―Go back to the beginning. End the plague―Kaden becomes mesmerized by Ara’s will and beauty. He knows he will do anything to help her, even if it tears their worlds apart.

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*This is the first review I’ve written in a while, so forgive me as it’s not the most well-written and thought-out review. I feel like I am starting all over trying to find my blogging voice again.

This book was exactly what I needed during an excruciatingly long slump that I have been in. I’ve been listening to and reading a lot of mediocre books lately, then The Last She entered my life and flipped the trend upside down.

If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for a dystopian/post-apocalyptic setting. This book did not disappoint in that department. It especially satisfied that survivalist in me that says “Costco might be a decent place to survive” because one of the main clan’s has set up camp in a Cabella’s, or Bass Pro Shops for us Californians. I mean, of course that would be a great place to settle down in the end times, duh. This first book in a trilogy explored a very small section of the world but covered enough for me to be intrigued in the rest from the settlements, to the rogue clans, to the dilapidated cities, I want to know even more.

The story itself is told from two POVs, Kaden and Ara. I enjoyed both, though Kaden was my favorite of the two. They both had strong bonds to their families, which I appreciated. Ara was a badass that could handle herself, but sometimes could be a little naive. Kaden wasn’t a perfect hero, and struggled with what people expected of him, which is what really drew me to his POV. Most of the side characters were equally enjoyable, especially Kaden’s brother, Sam. The villain left you with a feeling of understanding – understanding his position and his goals. Overall, the characters are done really well, and you’ll find someone to root for and/or love.

My only qualm with it is it felt like a big world crammed into a short book. Ara’s entire motivation is “going back to the beginning” yet I felt that took a back seat from the main plot (which, to me, was more about her being the only girl stuck between rival leaders). For example, and I’ll be as vague as possible, when she follows a specific clue, it really led to an anti-climactic scene that was more for Kaden and Ara to connect than anything else. That specific scene actually left me with more questions than answers. Most of the first book felt more about Kaden and his clan rather than Ara’s goals. With that said, this is part of a trilogy, so I’m hoping the next book fills in Ara’s story with more oomph.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the world, the characters, and how fast-paced it was. Not to mention that there were several times Nelson really just broke my heart! It also left enough questions at the end for me to want the next book immediately.  I highly recommend this one if you want a somewhat lighter read and love post-apocalyptic/dystopian reads.