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The Last by Hanna Jameson

Meeting date: August 27, 2019 ;
Star rating: 2.1/5 stars

Jon thought he had all the time in the world to respond to his wife’s text message: I miss you so much. I feel bad about how we left it. Love you. But as he’s waiting in the lobby of the L’Hotel Sixieme in Switzerland after an academic conference, still mulling over how to respond to his wife, he receives a string of horrifying push notifications. Washington, DC has been hit with a nuclear bomb, then New York, then London, and finally Berlin. That’s all he knows before news outlets and social media goes black—and before the clouds on the horizon turn orange.

Now, two months later, there are twenty survivors holed up at the hotel, a place already tainted by its strange history of suicides and murders. Those who can’t bear to stay commit suicide or wander off into the woods. Jon and the others try to maintain some semblance of civilization. But when the water pressure disappears, and Jon and a crew of survivors investigate the hotel’s water tanks, they are shocked to discover the body of a young girl.

As supplies dwindle and tensions rise, Jon becomes obsessed with investigating the death of the little girl as a way to cling to his own humanity. Yet the real question remains: can he afford to lose his mind in this hotel, or should he take his chances in the outside world?

Comments and questions from attendees:
  • The audiobook version's narrator did not sell it. Ruined the book in their opinion.
  • This reminded one of the group of Shaun of the Dead - especially the conspiracy aspect
  • Everyone is grieving but no one acknowledges it. Why not? If you grieve you become helpless?
  • Tomi is "like a movie character" - endearing, great introduction to her character
  • Why do the survivors need to blame Tomi? It's not constructive.
  • Tomi is straightforward, a much-appreciated trait, and smart.
  • Patrick's execution - 😲 - democratic process in action.
  • There are multiple moments where important decisions are made about how their new society/reality will work and Patrick's "trial" is one of them.
  • Survival soon becomes the law of the land. Is justice now a luxury? Are privacy and possession luxuries? Voluntary participation?
  • Jon is a contradictory individual. He is a coward, but also brave?
  • "Useful individuals" - are these folks exiled because of ideology? Criminals? Militant? Or where they not "useful"? What does useful mean?
  • Is Jon a reliable narrator? Yes, but no? Jon acknowledges his bias. He does reveal that he isn't a great person, but does that absolve his bias?
  • The girl in the tank could have gone unresolved and we would be okay with that.
Lowest rating: 0
Highest rating: 4
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