The Last One (Hardback)

******* A dazzling and unsettling novel of psychological suspense. Survival is the name of the game as one woman's mind and body are pushed to the limit. TWELVE CONTESTANTS When Zoo agrees to take part in a new reality TV show, In the Dark, she knows that she will be tested to the limits of her endurance. Beating eleven competitors in a series of survival tasks deep in the forest, living on camera at the extremes of her comfort zone, will be the ultimate challenge before she returns home to start a family. A GAME WITH NO END As the contestants are overcome by hunger, injury and psychological breakdown, the mind games, tricks and hazards to which Zoo is subjected grow dark beyond belief. This isn't what she signed up for: the deserted towns and gruesome props, the empty loneliness. Is this a game with no end? And what is happening away from the cameras' gaze? Discovering the truth will be just the beginning... AN ALTERED REALITY Translated into over twenty languages, The Last One is a gripping, provocative tale of survival - of the fittest, of the best loved, of the relationships that sustain us. It's a searingly modern thriller and a timeless story of a woman's journey home. Praise for The Last One 'A high-concept, high-octane affair ... The conceit is undoubtedly clever and well executed, but what makesThe Last One such a page-turner is Zoo herself: practical, tough-minded and appealing' Guardian 'Clever in its concept and gripping in its delivery. This propulsive book is for everyone who ever thought reality television signalled the end of the world. Haunting, moving, and remarkable' Karen Joy Fowler, Booker-shortlisted author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves 'The Last One seamlessly melds two of our contemporary obsessions -- the threat of global catastrophe; the staged drama of reality TV -- into a fiercely imagined tale of the human psyche under stress. An uncompromising, thought-provoking debut' Justin Cronin, author of international bestseller The Passage 'Taut, tense and at times almost unbearably real, The Last One is both a compelling read, and a terrifyingly believable evocation of survival against the odds' Ruth Ware, author of international bestseller In a Dark, Dark Wood 'Page-turning and deeply unsettling' Rosamund Lupton, author of international bestseller Sister 'Tense and gorgeous and so damn clever. I loved every second' Lauren Beukes, author of international bestseller The Shining Girls 'Clever in the best sense: Oliva is able to skewer reality show culture and dystopian tropes while never letting concept or critique become more important than a good yarn. The novel is thoroughly steeped in its times-the use of a Reddit-like forum plays a key plot role-but unlike other dystopian novels, it doesn't so much use contemporary times to warn us about potential future collapse as it shows what impact our times have on the ways we think about identity and human relationships. An astute and compelling entry into the post-apocalypse genre' Kirkus 'Gripping portrayal of an ordinary person's evolving survival instincts as she realizes she can't trust the reality she sees' Booklist