There is a wonderful saying that you should never judge a book by its cover and this is so true with this book. As a straight, over 50's male I would never normally go anywhere near a book like this, with its neon pink and darkk blue cover, but when I read the blurb it really intrigued me. Looking at the cover it reminds me of a chick-lit release and although the author does have that kind of writing style at times it is definitely not chick-lit. There is more mentions of excrement than in an annual subscription to Farmers Weekly, there is humour at times of great tragedy and there is a sense of positivity, and of a strong woman, that flows throughout the story.
How would you spend your time if you had just lived through a pandemic that had killed everyone you know? Would you give up, go searching for other people, or plan what you are going to do with your future?
Thinking about book stores I am not exactly sure where this dystopian tale would fit as its slots into so many genres, although I am sure in years to come we will have a pandemic genre. The book has been advertised as General Fiction or Science Fiction/Fantasy but there is also elements of horror and humour in the book. My interpretation however is more of a psychological thriller as the story does concentrate a lot on the mental and emotional state of the the main character and the way that the mind can play tricks with us through dreams and different perceptions. You also get to see the good, and bad, sides of the character.
If you have been affected by anxiety, depression or other problems throughout the current pandemic then this may not be the book for you to read right now. It is troubling, thought provoking and does make you look more at the world that you live in. Also this story takes place in the very near future so it connects you even more with something like what we could have been living through now.
I really hope that the author continues to write more books in this near-future format and she must be commended on this debut release. I am sure we are going to see many more books on this subject matter released in the next few years but this book acts as a great start for a pandemic genre
Many thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Bethany Clift for providing me with a digital advanced review copy of this book in returned for an unbiased review.
The book is released in hardback, e-book and audio format on the 4th February.

Last One At The Party is essentially a diary, written by possibly the last remaining woman on earth as she navigates her way through a completely different way of life.

Going into this I knew what to expect from the blurb so was prepared to read about a deadly virus, however currently being in a pandemic ourselves and the author even making reference to it, it all felt a little to close to home and definitely upped the anxiety levels. The first few chapters detail how the ‘the end of the world’ started as the character begins to lose those closest to her and this was truly devastating to read. I could definitely sense the loneliness she must have been feeling and it really sets the scene for just how tough her life ahead of her is going to be.

Along her journey she also looks back at life before 6DM, during these parts you learn so much more about her, such as how she lived with depression and tried to be someone she wasn’t. These parts are so important to the story as they show just how much she develops, grows and learns to be happy again in a time when many would question ‘How can you be happy on your own?’.

I will warn you there are plenty of references to excrement throughout this book. I didn’t actually think it was possible to read so much about it! Aside from her numerous encounters with excrement, she also ends up in a number of different situations, some that you may not think would happen if you were the last person on earth….how does a sightseeing tour around London sound?

This story is not just about the end of the world and the terrible things that ensue, instead it’s about hope and ultimately finding out who you really are!

Finally I couldn’t leave this review without mentioning the ending (no spoilers don’t worry), but the last few pages were just brilliant and possibly one of the first books where I’ve re read the ending multiple times. It will definitely make for some great book club discussions!

Overall this book is distressing at times, but once you are past that it is a fantastic story about life and what you choose to do with it!

WARNING: as this is a novel about a severe plague and the months afterwards, there are several descriptions of bodies in various stages of decomposition.


Oh my god, that ending! Bethany has killed us with it. Not satisfied with killing practically the entire fictional human race, she is starting on the real human race too.

Ok, ok. Less hyperbole, more facts, right?

Fact: This book creeped me out so much I had to sit up for an hour watching Family Guy and playing colourful games on my tablet to calm down, and the whole time I was thinking 'when the power goes out I won't be able to do this any more.'

Fact: The writing style is fantastic, conversational and brilliant. I was a hundred pages in without feeling it at all. Although books that jump timelines don't always work for me, this one was great, perfectly judged to feel right.

Opinion: I think what really got to me in this one was the isolation. Most post apocalyptic books have groups of survivors coming together for good or bad. This one - does not have that. I'm an introvert, a pretty severe one, and I was still seriously contemplating getting up to check on my housemates just to make sure they were still there and I wasn't suddenly alone. It's so well written.

Fact: This book will put off a lot of people who won't be able to read it because of current circumstances. That's ok. Maybe they'll come back to it sometime. I did love the few little references to Covid mixed in early on, with everyone social distancing and and wearing masks.

Opinion: This is going to be one of this year's stunners. Fabulous. I would really love to read more set in this world, if Bethany was so inclined? ::looks hopeful::

Thank you netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this arc.
This story follows an un-named Woman’s journey of survival in a post apocalyptic World written in diary form. I’m glad I didn’t read this at the beginning of our pandemic as I think it would have been terrifying, but now we have a vaccine and a light at the end of the tunnel, I found this a fascinating read!
It really made me think about what I would do in the same situation and would love to think I would drink champagne in hot tubs and ransack Harrod’s before the panic set in.
This is a story of bravery, finding yourself and inner strength, companionship and survival, would definitely recommend it.

This is such a difficult book to write about. I spent the whole read in a low level state of anxiety, I kept saying to myself I would put it down & read something else for a break, I couldn't. I was compelled to keep reading, driven to find out what happened.

The story is told from the perspective of, perhaps, the sole survivor of a global pandemic, 6DM, which has killed everyone, except her. The timeline goes from present to the past in flashbacks that fill in the story of who she is & give the story a lot more than the pandemic angle.
Our main character, in some ways our only character, isn't an obvious, driven, capable survivor, she's lost & alone making some altogether questionable decisions. Every time I started to come round to her more a flashback would make me question her, but I think the point is that people have the capacity to change, even within the course of a deadly global pandemic. Having said that she is relatable, what would you do if you were the last human on earth & everything was free? I'd join her in the vast consumption of top shelf champagne certainly.

I finished this last night & was left lying in bed questioning how it could just end, just finish like that, I needed more.

I would advise caution if you're struggling with the current covid situation, I think if I'd picked this up last year I would have had to leave it.

"IF THERE'S A BOOK YOU REALLY WANT TO READ, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN WRITTEN YET, THEN YOU MUST WRITE IT."

This quote has been said in various different forms by many different writers.
Bethany Clift thought exactly the same and with her debut 'Last One at the Party' she worked out an idea that came to her while she was lost one night in the English countryside when she was driving home after a busy workday.


"I WAS COMPLETELY ALONE."

A woman lost in the middle of nowhere.
Hearing no human-made sounds like cars, airplanes, … Only a few cows loudly chewing grass in the field next to her.
All of a sudden a thought crosses her mind: "What if it is so quiet because I am the only one left alive in the whole world?"
And then panic struck.

"I love science-fiction and apocalyptic stories about the machination of survival in worlds gone bad but I also love romance and love and friendships and feminism and books about what it feels like to be a woman in society today."

Blending her aforementioned experience on a January evening in 2018 with her own reading preferences, Bethany Clift delivers a debut that will intrigue readers.
Well, at least those who aren't afraid to read a book that becomes frightening real, because …


THEN THERE WAS COVID-19

When the first messages of a virus in China reached the rest of the world in January 2020, Bethany's sister asked jokingly if her novel was coming true.
Sadly enough a few months later almost the entire world went in lockdown.
What are the odds that a debut novel becomes so actual and has such a realistic vibe?

The initial text was then altered a little bit to enclose COVID-19 in it too, although it just get mentioned a few times but doesn't play such a big role in the overall story.

The author stresses that this is not a novel about a pandemic, but one with a pandemic in it and that it's a story about life, not death.
As not everyone seems to be able to 'relive' our actual daily pandemic life through this fictional book, it may be good to know that the focus is set after the pandemic and not too much during it.
For those who dare to take the challenge, there's an original dystopia waiting to be discovered.


OUT PAST DOEST NOT DEFINE OUR FUTURE

" 'Fuck You!'
Those are the very last words that I spoke to another living person."

The first sentence of a book always gives you a lot of information.
Does it immediately draw you into the story or not? What does it tell about the writing style: flowery or straightforward?
In this case it's clear: the first sentence is definitely the latter and makes you wonder what happened. Why did she say those words? To who? And how come these words were her last?

Jumping between the present and the past you discover the story of the main character, a woman who is the sole survivor in her environment of the 6DM-virus (also known as the '6 days maximum'-virus).
By going on a lonely quest to look for other survivors and writing down her thoughts, you get to know the woman before ánd after the period the world has turned into a dystopian environment.

Especially towards the end there are a few twists which keep you reading further.
In the beginning the story relies more on some dry humour that could have been more present throughout the book, but only appears from time to time.

The story is told in diary format.
A first-person narrative can be tricky and thus the author is balancing on a thin line. Unfortunately not always successfully.
The number of phrases beginning with "I + verb" is astonishing. At least 50 % and in some parts even to 80 % (or more) of the sentences on a page are written that way.
Maybe this is done on purpose to emphasize the fact that the main character is alone. But it can also have the reverse effect and give the reader an impression of a self-centered and immature woman.
It would have been nice if there was some sort of change in this throughout the book to depict a metamorphosis. Now it's as if she doesn't really evolve and as if the words "our past does not define our future" (see foreword of the author) seem rather empty.

Most reviewers praise the fact that the main character isn't a heroine, but just a flawed and honest woman. This is totally true.
Sadly enough her actions and reactions aren't always realistic.


CONCLUSION

The narrative could've been more varied, the (re)actions more realistic and the humour more present. As this is an ARC it's possible that some changes occur in the definitive version.
All in all, there are some nice ideas and twists in this story though, which can keep the reader's interest.
An intriguing debut that'll invite many readers to look out for more work of Bethany Clift.


*Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts a bit like a school writing assignment for fourteen-year-olds. Imagine that a deadly virus has killed everybody in the world and you are the only person left alive. Write a series of diary entries about your life and be sure to include lots of description and smells. Think about what might happen in a world where there were no people left… That’s about it really.

If nothing else, this book is topical. The narrator survives the virus which has killed more or less everyone in the world by having an extremely drunken binge and hangover. She looks after her partner, James, as he dies and the story then goes on to describe how she copes, or perhaps doesn’t, over the next six months or so interrupted by flashback descriptions of her life up to that date. She has had a fairly normal upbringing, a series of different jobs, several relationships and chronic anxiety attacks. She is not well equipped to become a survivalist!

It’s easy to imagine the problems she faces, mostly linked to finding food and drugs while avoiding tripping over the smelly and decaying dead bodies. The electricity supply lasts for longer than you might expect so she is able to live in hotels with hot water and lighting. For some reason, she goes to Scotland which is risky as there are wolves before finding some kind of eco-house in Norfolk. Animals seem to be a key threat in this new world along with mental collapse.

The main focus is on how she survives and adapts while facing a series of threats and crises. By the end, there’s a bit of a surprise and she seems to have found some kind of a way of living and then the story ends quite suddenly and we are left with a kind of postscript which doesn’t really explain whether she has lived a successful life beyond that date although we know she has lived.

At times, the book reminded me of The Road by Cormac McCarthy translated to the United Kingdom and with an incompetent woman in the starring role rather than a crazed gritty man. However, many of the threats were similar, there was a lucky find of a survivalist cache of supplies and the ending was similarly enigmatic.

In the end, if that is an appropriate phrase, this is a kind of ‘what if’ book and it does make the reader wonder how they would cope in similar apocalyptic circumstances but the narrative thread struggles at times and it’s difficult to retain interest in the nameless narrator. It’s probably not a good book to read if you’re feeling mentally stressed by the current pandemic either but, if you like dystopias, this one has all the elements!

It did feel to me like I had chosen an odd book choice ,reading about a pandemic while we are all living through one, but that is the difference, this is terrifying and scary and we are living in very uncertain times, but for the most part we are still living thank goodness. Imagine if you found yourself alone and possibly the only survivor ? This book brilliantly describes what happens to the only known survivor. I think it is very well done, it is scary, uncertain and really describes the panic and journey one woman finds herself going through.it is not a negative book though and personally I couldn't read it fast enough I really wanted to find out what was going to happen. I thought it was really good ,no spoilers from me ,but I think this is a really good book, and I was really invested in the journey. I would recommend it to other readers.

This book will not be for everyone
It’s a book about a woman ( we never know her name ) who is the sole survivor of a pandemic in 2023, the virus is 6DM ( 6 days max ), interestingly in the forehand letter the author tells how she was writing this book when Covid appeared and how she had to add the parts about it to the story
It’s her story, in a kinda Bridget Jones, plus gore of exactly what she sees, feels and experiences as the only person alive, parts of the book are also her back story
It’s refreshingly written, pure in word as she is thinking, rude, gory, filter free, dramatic, scary, reassuring and all manner of words that come to mind
Is it good? I am not sure the author is looking for that description tbh, is it moving, horrific, lol funny, sorrowful and a tad too realistic then 100% yes
It’s a shocker but then life is at the moment and this book really made me think how much worse it could be
You will either be amazed by it and devour every word or hate it from page 1 and not get much further
I am marking it on solely on how it made me feel, good, bad, sad, happy, horrified and elated

10/10
5 Stars

This book had everything, a great esy read, it was funny, thought provoking, and gripping.
Couldnt put it down.and really made me look at things in life.

Last one at the Party tells the story of a woman and her dog as the last remaining survivors of a global pandemic in 2023. 6DM (6 Days Maximum) originated in America and swept the globe wiping out anyone who caught it within 6 days.

Now, this book is very close to home at the moment so I wouldn’t recommend you read this if you have any anxiety about the covid-19 pandemic.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It gave me real ‘I am Legend’ vibes too! It really made me think what I would do if I was the last person alive on earth and how devastating it would be to watch the world crumble.
Would I go and rescue the animals from the zoo?
Where would I find food?
Do I really want that designer handbag if no one can see it?
Where would I go?
How would I get fuel and electricity?

It’s a gripping, thought provoking read that I think Bethany Clift has written really well! I will definitely be picking up more of her work. I loved watching the main character develop throughout the book and turn into a person she never thought she could be. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this, it will be out on February 4th so get your preorders in now!

Well... let's read about a pandemic whilst going through a pandemic! Great idea... Although 6DM the virus in this book is a tad (understatement) more deadly than C19. the 6DM standing for six days maximum, the time you have got left alive after infection. I say alive, it's a bit grim all told. And it's mortality rate is nigh on 100%...
I say nigh on, well, this would be a pants book if there wasn't a survivor... and it is this survivor that we follow as she tries to keep going, to find food and shelter, and companionship. All the time analysing her past failings and reaching deep within herself to find the strength to carry on. Facing danger of many kinds at pretty much every turn.
A book that gripped me from the off and held me captive throughout. Making me hold my breath constantly, breathing out another sigh of relief. Feeling for her every step of the way.
It's an emotional roller coaster and also very funny - the balance is struck perfectly. It also defies genre as it encompasses quite a few along the way. It's a character driven book with just one character so you better believe she is a strong enough, well defined character to carry the whole book. To the part that, at the end, I didn't want to let her go...
All in all, a cracking read that I have no hesitation in recommending. Maybe some might want to store it for a while til the dust of the shtstorm we are currently in settles a bit. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

With a title like ‘Last One at the Party’, a cover in hot pink and navy, and an instagram bait hand lettering font… I am both surprised and not surprised by what I’ve just read. If you took prototypical chick-lit, seasoned it with the <I>Walking Dead</I> and folded in a little of Jean Hegland’s <I>Into the Forest</I>… you’d be just about there.
It is written with a chick-lit tone, but there is so much vomiting, an extraordinary number of maggots, and don’t forget the occasional surprise episiotomy, so really, what do you add that all up to? I’m not sure. But, I’m sure I liked it. I’ve read many novels about dystopian futures and I’ve read some chick-lit, but I would have never anticipated you could combine the two successfully. But, apparently you can! <I>Who’d’ve thunk it? </I>

I read this mostly in one sitting - while actively begrudging my husband for being able to resume snoring, roughly, 11 seconds after I’ve jabbed him with an elbow again… and again - so I definitely didn’t feel like the last woman on earth. But, I did relate to the protagonist, to a point. She’s maybe a bit more of a mess than I am (says the insomniac… <I>pot kettle, hmm?</I>), but I definitely think I’d feel near equally ill-equipped for the end of the world. Some of the lighter and more ridiculous antics - looting Harrods, drinking the most expensive champagne, failing terribly at fire-starting - those moments made sense to me and I laughed along. As did some of the heavier, emotional ones, with her parents, when she finds Lucky and the chickens, when I choked-up-and-told-myself-not-to-cry along.

The metaphor of finding yourself after the end of the world (more likely as ‘as you know it’, rather than literally, but in our current world, maybe literally is also worth considering…) is pretty well developed here; our narrator’s character growth is gradual and believable and her backstory is dolled out fairly well - only a little too heavy handed at the end (but maybe that’s just me). I enjoyed the notion that her authentic self was still a bit of a mess and didn’t always see the point in putting on pants (using the American terminology here, Brits; don’t get too creeped out).
I could have done without the reason she does ultimately get her shit together - like, it would have been enough for her to do that for herself - but I get it… next generation, hope for humanity, blah, blah blah. I’m trying to be fair and acknowledge that while this is pet peeve of mine in lit, it is probably something that will emotionally engage other people.

A final thought, I’m not generally a big fan of an open ending, but I give this one a pass - I actually can’t think of a better way to have ended this. I’m completely on board there.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

In 2023 a virus called 6DM decimates the world's population in a matter of months. The UK survives longer than others, then is hit too. Our protagonist, a woman, seems to end up being the only survivor there, the only survivor in the world maybe.

I love that the protagonist is not some superwoman, all though she does end up being a survivor in spite of herself, through trial and error (lots of error). She is a regular person with flaws, concerns and issues, even before the pandemic.

The author has done well setting the scene and the details are plentiful. She portrays things you think you would notice in a world that has suddenly stopped and lots of things you wouldn't have thought of, but make a lot of sense. The straightforward narrative exhibits a dry humor on the cynical side.

It is so personal, like a running internal monologue, raw and brutally, brutally honest. Things that we do not admit doing or thinking even to ourselves are mentioned. The protagonist going through all the range of emotions is depicted so well, as are her panic attacks and depression.

It is grim and heartwrenching, but oddly optimistic, also entertaining in parts and engaging as hell. A testament to life and all its quirks. This is a book about survival, self-discovery, healing and how anyone can rise to the occasion.

The back and forth from present to past is a little aggravating sometimes and even a bit jarring, but essential in learning about the character. There are times you just want to yell at the protagonist because of her stupidity. Then you forgive her. The ending is going to piss off a lot of readers, but it's the journey that should count right?

This is essentially a very good story that entices you to see what happens next. And a book that makes you think about what really is important in life.

When reading the description of this book I thought I'd really enjoy it. I like a dystopian novel every now and again. However, I only got around five pages in when I decided this was not for me.

This was not down to the authors writing as honestly I didn't read enough to make a judgement on that. So I just want to make it clear that I am by no means slating the author.

I was aware of the plotline being about a global pandemic and honestly, I did not mind just how timely it is. What bothered me instantly was that this book is set just two years in the future, that felt a little too soon for me. I obviously did not see the year this was set in in the synopsis and that was entirely my fault. If I did I would not have picked it up.

Around four pages in this book mentions Covid-19 by name and talks about how the people in this book should have learnt from our mistakes then. I genuinely just did not like how close to reality it was and putting the idea of another pandemic in the near future was just too much for me. Especially when the current pandemic is still ongoing.

Maybe in a few years, I would be able to revisit this book and who knows I might even enjoy it. But right now it is too close to home. I think most people, myself included, read to escape reality and this book was not something that would do that for me.

I apologise for the one-star rating however I cannot give my feedback without supplying one.

Such an amazing and timely novel, this is more than a book about a pandemic, this is the story of one woman looking back at her life whilst struggling to come to terms with being the last person left alive. There's a wonderful sense of humour threaded into the horror of the present and the pain of the past. I laughed, I cried and I will be recommending this to everyone.

This was a new kind of book for me. I usually steer clear of dystopian, apocalyptic, isolated character stories as they really spook me out. But coming out of a hard and lonely year that felt a bit like the world was ending at times, this booked called to me.

Last One at the Party is the touching, heartbreaking, riveting story about a woman's story of survival in a world where she is utterly alone. I loved this and would recommend it, but be mindful that this novel gives voice to a world wiped out by a deadly virus. I wouldn't recommend this to people struggling with our COVID-19 climate.

It’s 2023 and the end of the world...a disease has wiped out the entire human race...except for one woman. This book tells the story of that woman and what she does when she finds herself alone in London.

I live in the UK and when I first started reading this book, it was the beginning of the latest lockdown and I did wonder if it was sensible to be reading about a fictional disease that wipes out most of the human race. At times, it definitely felt a little bit close to home. But this realism was also the strength of the book. In most ways, the main character behaved in ways I could identify with. It didn’t hold back on the grim reality of the situation (some of the descriptions are not for the faint hearted!) but also managed to find some humour in it.

We learn more about the main character’s back story as she writes about it in her diary and I was really impressed with the focus on mental health. I thought it was wonderful how openly and honestly this was discussed. The language she uses in her diary also felt real and relatable. Nothing about it felt forced or like fiction.

Within a few pages, I was fully invested in the book and by the end, I was desperate to find out what happens to her. I won’t give anything about the ending away but it felt right and made me cry.

All in all, I was hugely impressed with this book and would like to congratulate the author. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone struggling with their mental health as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic reads it at this time (early 2021) but I would highly recommend it to everyone whenever they feel up to it. I will certainly be recommending it to friends and family.

Thank you to the publisher and the Net Galley UK for the opportunity to read this pre-publication.

This is a story about life, not death.

Its December 2023 and the world as we know it has ended. The human race has been wiped out by a virus called 6DM. But somehow in London, one woman is still alive...

I am a huge fan of Dystopian fiction and this story did not disappoint. Although for some the pandemic described may not be a subject matter they are comfortable reading at the moment, I felt that the book was not dark or depressing and I liked the way the author referenced current events through the story.

I enjoyed following the lead characters journey in a post pandemic, post humanity world although I did find myself getting frustrated with her at times. On closer reflection though- I'm not sure I would behave all that differently if I were the only person left alive.

I would recommend!

This is obviously a very relevant book right now. The author acknowledges the pandemic that we are in right now, saying that she’d already started writing this book as COVID came along.

The pandemic scenario in this book is significantly worse than our current one. I enjoyed the way that she wove in our current situation and made comparisons often to it.

For what it is, it’s quite a lighthearted book, easy reading. The main character is dislikeable, but she’s meant to be (I think!!!), well, I certainly didn’t like her, but I enjoyed not liking her if that makes sense?

It’s a really fun book considering the content, it did make me wonder what I would do if I was in her situation, I’d probably get into the same scrapes. Some nasty stuff does happen to her, but she always prevails.

A couple of things did annoy me though, I know plenty of people who take tramadol sometimes, and they’re really not drug addicts to the extent she becomes one. I think another drug would have been more appropriate rather than a legal one which lots of the population take for pain relief - the book seems to indicate that taking a couple will turn you into a junkie...which gives the wrong impression of a perfectly ok drug....the second thing that made me drop a star as well was the end “disaster”. It just felt too obvious? Safe? A bit twee? It just annoyed me that it could have ended better and it felt to me like the author just wanted one more surprise in and that was the last place she could go with it. Meh.

All in all though, this is a fun read, maybe one for a holiday...if we could go on one....

My thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy