**STARRED REVIEW** School Library Journal
If I hadn't just finished A Monster Calls I might not have enjoyed The Last Days so much. But Ness' book left me a weeping mess and given that my eye sockets were aching like crazy, I was really open to something that wasn't going to be so demanding.
LAST DAYS was a great choice. First, because it isn't your typical YA dystopia. There's no zombie infestations, no horrific nuclear blasts, global warming, or diseases. In fact it's not even a particularly serious book. I was more likely to *snork* in pleasure than shudder in fear. No, THE LAST DAYS is a character driven story where you are meant to care about people, and enjoy the whimsical and quirky ride they've been set on.
I won't say more, except LAST DAYS is quirky and sarcastic and it's not going to make you happy if you are looking for the next Hunger Games. THE LAST DAYS has a vastly different tone than books like Divergent, Enclave, or even the Blood Red Road or Hollowland. This is a book more like Girl in the Arena, or even like Marcelo in the Real World.
If your looking for a break from the usual dystopia give THE LAST DAYS a try. It was a delightful little book.
LAST DAYS was a great choice. First, because it isn't your typical YA dystopia. There's no zombie infestations, no horrific nuclear blasts, global warming, or diseases. In fact it's not even a particularly serious book. I was more likely to *snork* in pleasure than shudder in fear. No, THE LAST DAYS is a character driven story where you are meant to care about people, and enjoy the whimsical and quirky ride they've been set on.
There are five main characters in the story and they alternate telling the tale in their own chapters. There are two teen guys who have been hanging around and playing guitars together for ages. They're the sort of talented guys who are never going to ever 'make it' to the Big Time on their own because they don't really have the skill sets required. One walks dogs for money, and the other can't even do that.
But they luck out when they cross paths with Pearl. Pearl's had every advantage. Her mom is wealthy and she's attending Julliard when she meets the boys. And she's the one that pushes them, her 'diseased' girlfriend, and a drummer they find on the streets playing on paint buckets for change, to greatness.
Only problem is, New York City and the rest of the world is crumbling around them. There's evil living in the subways –like we didn't already know this-- and dark forces are leading cats and rats into horrible alliances.
I won't say more, except LAST DAYS is quirky and sarcastic and it's not going to make you happy if you are looking for the next Hunger Games. THE LAST DAYS has a vastly different tone than books like Divergent, Enclave, or even the Blood Red Road or Hollowland. This is a book more like Girl in the Arena, or even like Marcelo in the Real World.
If your looking for a break from the usual dystopia give THE LAST DAYS a try. It was a delightful little book.
Pam T
Mom/Dystopia Lover
The LAST DAYS
by Scott Westerfeld
Reading Information:
Word Count: 64,356
Page Count: 272
Accelerated Reading level: 5.1 / points: 10.0
AR quiz: 107289
Lexile: 820L
- Publisher: Razorbill
- ISBN-10: 1595141286
- sample pages available
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