» The Last Town on Earth: A Novel

The Last Town on Earth: A Novel Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: The Last Town on Earth
Comment: An interesting scenario plays out when a small and remote logging town quarantines itself to escape a mysterious illness that has spread through the nation. The illness is reminiscent of the plague and the fear that grips the town leads to interesting interactions. However when the illness comes anyway despite their precautions, there are new and interesting challenges they must face. This is a book worth reading.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: great book
Comment: This was a great book I couldn't put it down. My bookclub read it and we did a town hall meeting and voted on different scenarios before we discussed the book. I enjoyed reading the book and it made for a spirited discussion.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: The Last Town on Earth: A Novel
Comment: I absolutely loved this story, this would be a great read whether it was 1958 or 2008. If well-developed characters are an interest for you, start reading. If we are interested in our future, we must learn lessons from the past. I see so many parallels from this historical tale to our world of today. Don't worry about the details of the story, the less you know in advance the more interesting the tale. The writer takes you to this time and place, emotionally and physically; you can see it, taste it, smell it, feel it, and experience it. The characters are believable and their conflicts very real. As the author so delicately weaves the historical, philosophical, and ethical issues together, the importance of respect and understanding for each human being is crystalized. Enough said. I have never provided a review before but I just had to share my thoughts on this book and this author. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Decent idea poorly executed.
Comment: Astonishing that this book has gotten 5-star reviews from readers; I couldn't even finish it.

It's a worthy premise, and because I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, I was hooked by the dust jacket promising a powerful piece of historical fiction set in a small Washington logging town. But the author proves to be a rather clumsy writer, his prose full of anachronisms, and his characters shallow and obvious.

The horrific incident that sets the plot in motion, when two townsmen have to kill an interloper (fearing he may be carrying the influenza virus) is handled perfunctorily to say the least. I also didn't like the way the story's hero is set up to be shy, physically handicapped 16-year-old Philip Worthy -- whose unworldly viewpoint could have provided a prism through which to follow events, in the grand tradition of so many other novels centered around a youthful protagonist -- but the author suddenly leaps into the mind and memories of his adult friend Graham. I found this jarring, and a sign of a novice writer struggling to advance the tale he wants to tell. My interest waned steadily and after a few more chapters, I ultimately put the book aside unfinished. I don't often do that.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: I got really immersed in this one
Comment: I read mostly genre fiction - sci fi, crime, fantasy - so this novel was a stretch beyond my usual boundaries, and I am extremely glad I gave it a chance. The setting represented the rural Pacific northwest perfectly, its isolation and extensive wilderness. Characters proved accessible and memorable, particularly the strong and silent Graham, on whom I developed a slight mancrush. Best of all, everything felt organic and natural, a narrative powered by circumstance and event rather than artistic necessity. That frightening sense of isolation permeated the entire story and really allowed me to lose myself in the novel. Highly recommended.

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