The Last One - Alexandra Oliva

Black Mirror meets Station Eleven says the blurb. Maybe? Maybe not. All dystopian novels are based on the deceit that an international plague has wiped out a lot of the world's population, so nothing new there, but the concept that a reality TV show is running at the same as the killer illness is, I think, new. The TV show, a mixture of "I'm a Celebrity get me out of here","Bear Grill's Island" and "Big Brother" is played out in a forested area of the US. Like those shows, cameras both hidden and hand held, are there to watch the contestants strive to meet challenges, earn food, shelter etc. Some contestants are strong, some were just picked for their looks, some because as a difficult character they would make "good TV". The main character, and the teller of the tale, is a woman who just wanted one last adventure before settling down to raise a family with her husband. Christened Zoo by the producer of the show, she turns out to the one of the strong contestants, and can be fiesty when necessary, which again makes for good TV. But gradually, in alternate chapters, her telling of her story reveals that she may really be The Last One. She pushes on because, after all, the major prize is $1m and she is determined to win.

I read this over the course of one day - great page turner, although not a classic but would recommend if you like thrillers as well as dystopian tales. And of course, if you like reality TV, how about this for a taste of what just might be coming your way! This was an easy to read 300 pages and a good concept which was well written.

[copy of Amazon review]

PS - not as good as Station Eleven though!!