Last One At The Party by Bethany Clift - [Review]

 Last One At The Party by Bethany Clift
Review

Print length: 368 pages
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date: 4th February 2021
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars)

Synopsis 

THE END OF EVERYTHING WAS HER BEGINNING

It's December 2023 and the world as we know it has ended.

The human race has been wiped out by a virus called 6DM ('Six Days Maximum' - the longest you've got before your body destroys itself).

But somehow, in London, one woman is still alive. A woman who has spent her whole life compromising what she wants, hiding how she feels and desperately trying to fit in. A woman who is entirely unprepared to face a future on her own.

Now, with only an abandoned golden retriever for company, she must travel through burning cities, avoiding rotting corpses and ravenous rats on a final journey to discover if she really is the last surviving person on earth.

And with no one else to live for, who will she become now that she's completely alone?

Review

My first impression of the book was wow, that is one beautiful cover and then I read the synopsis, it felt highly relatable considering our current climate and I just knew I would enjoy. What I didn't know was that this wouldn't be your typical book, I presumed it would be a woman who is all alone in the world, who finds out that she really isn't all that alone and finds the perfect man to fix it all for her, I was wrong and happily so! 

The book is written as diary from the main character's point of view, you never learn her name but somehow that really adds to the mysterious aura of the book. At the beginning of the book you become aware of the sickness that is rampaging the world but unlike the way the governments dealt with Covid-19, they were not going to mess this one up. Everything is shut down, sound familiar? Except this is worse, even the takeaways closed down! (Just Imagine). Britain completely halts any kind of transportation in or out of the country but despite all their efforts, the world knows that they are doomed. . 

When the main character finds out her husband is sick, she knows that ultimately he is going to die. She goes through all the motions of sadness, regrets and grief. It really felt that I was right there with them, I could picture James's attempts at being brave, I could picture a shell shocked woman who has just lost the person she loved, I could picture it all! 

One of the things I absolutely loved about this story was that you experienced a whole host of emotions, parts of the story were heart-wrenching whilst other parts made you feel all warm and gooey. Bethany adds just the right amount of comedy to the grisly darkness of the book that really adds an extra layer to the book. I will say, if you are already scared of seagulls, then beware because you are about to get a hefty dose of nightmare fuel. 

The main character really is a delight, I absolutely loved her because she felt so human, she wasn't perfect, she was undeniably imperfect which made her all the more likeable. You really see a drastic change in her character from the beginning to the end as she grows more as a person and begins to not just to survive but to actually live. The ending was just perfect, it really was the chef's kiss. 

A massive thank you to Bethany for writing this incredible story and I am excited to see what else you release in the future 💓

About The Author

Bethany Clift is a graduate of the Northern Film School, the producer of low-budget British horror film 'Heretic', and the Director of her own production company, Saber Productions. Last One At The Party is Bethany Clift's debut novel.

Read more here.

Bethany Clift's Twitter: @Beth_Clift

                                                                                                                                                     

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