The Last She

This book fell into my love of the dystopian genre, but from a Young Adult perspective.

The Last She by HJ Nelson describes a world where it seems only males remain after a virulent virus.  Ara, dressed like a boy is surviving with her father – until recently separated. She follows her father’s survival skills teachings and tries to maintain her secret identity – a must when you may be the last surviving female.

She meets and joins Kaden and his group – holed up in a Cabelo’s store – a humourous touch by the author. A power struggle emerges in this group among the two young males, Kaden and Gabriel, both attempting to claim leadership, and this, coupled with other enemy groups, and supply expeditions, keeps the pace of the novel brisk and filled with action. Her identity is discovered, and a romance does develop between Kaden and Ara, amidst this complicated male- dominated apocalypse. The tone is lighter due to the adolescent focus, but still attempts to discuss conceivable outcomes of an apocalyptic event.  

Similar to Rot & Ruin or Feed, if you enjoy the dystopian genre and the viewpoint of a young narrator , The Last She is a fast paced enjoyable read with a few twists to keep the reader guessing.