What do you think?
Rate this book
The Last Night in Amsterdam
After over indulging in an Amsterdam coffee-shop, Jennifer wakes in her hotel room to a terrifyingly vague emergency alert message on her phone. On the other side of town, the same alert saves Jonah from the world's worst stag-do. Soon both of them will be fighting for their lives on the cobbled streets of Amsterdam.
Will these ordinary people overcome exceptional circumstances and be able to live with the choices they make? Will they even make it out alive? It's not always survival of the fittest!
Will these ordinary people overcome exceptional circumstances and be able to live with the choices they make? Will they even make it out alive? It's not always survival of the fittest!
313 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 21, 2023
4 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 22, 2024
Last week I asked authors (in the BoH group on FB) to self-recommend their own books to be my 666th review on Goodreads (don't read too much into it aside from a questionable sense of humor) and while I haven't gotten through all of the 15 or so titles this one is my favorite so far so I decided to go with this one.
I loved it. The characters' dynamics felt real, and they were relatable. Surprisingly it managed to keep me engaged and not enraged in spite of being told entirely in a form of back and forth in time and from more than one POV (the shifts in POVs were clearly identified and the characters had sufficiently different voices that I never got lost). There's a great balance between exploring the characters' thoughts and action scenes and the pacing was really solid.
It managed to dodge all of my most hated zombpoc tropes and Atkinson even subverted one in the best possible way. Long story short, it's one of the best zombie novels I've read in quite a while.
I loved it. The characters' dynamics felt real, and they were relatable. Surprisingly it managed to keep me engaged and not enraged in spite of being told entirely in a form of back and forth in time and from more than one POV (the shifts in POVs were clearly identified and the characters had sufficiently different voices that I never got lost). There's a great balance between exploring the characters' thoughts and action scenes and the pacing was really solid.
It managed to dodge all of my most hated zombpoc tropes and Atkinson even subverted one in the best possible way. Long story short, it's one of the best zombie novels I've read in quite a while.
May 30, 2024
I am on a foreign set zombie kick at the moment. This is another in this niche genre. This book is set in Amsterdam, Netherlands, thus the title. The characters in the the book are all british folks in Amsterdam on vacation, so in addition to dealing with the inevitable zombies, our characters also deal with not speaking the native language. It gives me no small amount of pleasure realize these British folks pulled an "ugly American" move and did not speak the language of the country they were visiting. They also repeatedly were expecting the natives to speak english.
I like the set up and pacing of the book. This story is set after the outbreak and we know who is going to survive, we just do not know how everyone is going to die. Because of this, we the readers are also able to take a peak intot he PTSD and survivors guilt the characters are facing. The ending of this book is legend, wait for it dary!
This book is a solid 4.25 stars for me.
I like the set up and pacing of the book. This story is set after the outbreak and we know who is going to survive, we just do not know how everyone is going to die. Because of this, we the readers are also able to take a peak intot he PTSD and survivors guilt the characters are facing. The ending of this book is legend, wait for it dary!
This book is a solid 4.25 stars for me.
December 24, 2023
I love when you stumble on something unexpected. A couple of weeks ago I posted in the Books of Horror Facebook group for folks to drop their book links and folks to give an honest review ahead of Christmas. Melanie put The Last Night in Amsterdam in the comments and I decided to give it a shot having previewed the Amazon "Look Inside" option. New author to me and definitely not a book on my radar. Overarching story sees Jennifer recounting to an audience how she survives a post-apocalyptic (zombie-esque) event in Amsterdam. Told in the first person, switching between her account and that of Jonah (another survivor) we have a story strong in character and dark humour. About three quarters of the way in there's a proper turn in narrative which makes things very dark and tense; you'll know it. Loved it. One of my favourite reads of the year.
December 30, 2023
“EMERGENCY ALERT – EXTERNAL THREAT TO LIFE. SEEK SHELTER. AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS”
A unique spin on an older trope can be found amongst the pages of this book.
Told from the perspective of a few survivors in the present day, and through recollections of the traumatic outbreak they survived in Amsterdam. The reader gets the chance to see what the characters had to do to ensure their escape, and how that has scarred them (physically and emotionally); their lives are now forever changed by deciding to take a trip abroad.
A group of friends on a Stag trip, and a single female traveller end up fighting for their lives as blood fills the streets and canals of Amsterdam. The creatures were horrifying, and I wish there was a bit more info on their beginnings. I also think the third survivor featured in the story should get his own spinoff tale as his account sounds intense.
A unique spin on an older trope can be found amongst the pages of this book.
Told from the perspective of a few survivors in the present day, and through recollections of the traumatic outbreak they survived in Amsterdam. The reader gets the chance to see what the characters had to do to ensure their escape, and how that has scarred them (physically and emotionally); their lives are now forever changed by deciding to take a trip abroad.
A group of friends on a Stag trip, and a single female traveller end up fighting for their lives as blood fills the streets and canals of Amsterdam. The creatures were horrifying, and I wish there was a bit more info on their beginnings. I also think the third survivor featured in the story should get his own spinoff tale as his account sounds intense.
May 11, 2024
Stars: 3 out of 5.
I am honestly amazed at the amount of 5 star reviews for this book. Did I read a different book from everyone else?
I mean, yeah, it starts great if a bit slow, introducing us to the two main narrators and showing us what brought them to Amsterdam before the fateful emergency podcast. Problem is, the rest of the book is like watching a train wreck in Zack Snider slow motion with heavy dose of flashbacks and exposition inserted between all the action. Which, you guessed it, kills any type of tension or momentum of the story. It doesn't help that the two narrators relate that story after they had already survived the events, so there is really no need to worry about them not making it.
I mean, you have a scene where a guy is literally about to get tackled by zombies, and he is running for the door to a building... but our protagonists realize that if they open that door to save him, all the zombies will get into the building as well, so not only he would be dead, but all of them would as well. Tense moment, right? Life or death stakes, right? Why oh why do we have to read through 4 pages of those characters reminiscing about their guilty feelings and PTSD about that episode WHILE that episode is unfolding? No more tension. And my interest in the story is as dead and mangled as the body of that guy once he is savaged by the zombie horde.
And the whole book is like that. I don't mind the inner monolog and some explanations of the character's feelings, or a couple flashbacks here and there, but not when it bogs down the story and kills the flow of it. I ended up skimming the last fifty pages of the book ignoring all of the "feelings" just to see what happened. And it was nothing much.
It's better written then some zombie books I read, but definitely not a 5 stars or even 4 starts read.
I am honestly amazed at the amount of 5 star reviews for this book. Did I read a different book from everyone else?
I mean, yeah, it starts great if a bit slow, introducing us to the two main narrators and showing us what brought them to Amsterdam before the fateful emergency podcast. Problem is, the rest of the book is like watching a train wreck in Zack Snider slow motion with heavy dose of flashbacks and exposition inserted between all the action. Which, you guessed it, kills any type of tension or momentum of the story. It doesn't help that the two narrators relate that story after they had already survived the events, so there is really no need to worry about them not making it.
I mean, you have a scene where a guy is literally about to get tackled by zombies, and he is running for the door to a building... but our protagonists realize that if they open that door to save him, all the zombies will get into the building as well, so not only he would be dead, but all of them would as well. Tense moment, right? Life or death stakes, right? Why oh why do we have to read through 4 pages of those characters reminiscing about their guilty feelings and PTSD about that episode WHILE that episode is unfolding? No more tension. And my interest in the story is as dead and mangled as the body of that guy once he is savaged by the zombie horde.
And the whole book is like that. I don't mind the inner monolog and some explanations of the character's feelings, or a couple flashbacks here and there, but not when it bogs down the story and kills the flow of it. I ended up skimming the last fifty pages of the book ignoring all of the "feelings" just to see what happened. And it was nothing much.
It's better written then some zombie books I read, but definitely not a 5 stars or even 4 starts read.
February 27, 2024
Amsterdam, a city world-renowned for being a place of intrigue, wildness, and beauty, ends up being the base for a desperate fight for survival among the crowds drawn to its delights.
Being a huge fan of Eurotrip and the stupid Americanness of it, I enjoyed how touristy this story felt. I liked it was a horrifying survival tale, not from a natural who knew every crook and cranny of their beautiful home, but from out-of-place narrators who are not comfortable in the wild. Plus, the cheese shop scene made me laugh cause chhheeeeese.
This had a very clear voice, which caused some confusion for me because it's supposed to be written from two different characters' perspectives but they had the same cadence. The variety of characters was distinct and you cared for some and didn't for others, but when it came to the narration, the two characters narrated in the same voice. It was interesting and added almost a double-exposure view to the story.
I'm also very grateful the story ended where it did. That's what I needed the whole time and was rooting for. The horror doesn't end when you survive the event and the ending felt like the only appropriate way to close it.
Being a huge fan of Eurotrip and the stupid Americanness of it, I enjoyed how touristy this story felt. I liked it was a horrifying survival tale, not from a natural who knew every crook and cranny of their beautiful home, but from out-of-place narrators who are not comfortable in the wild. Plus, the cheese shop scene made me laugh cause chhheeeeese.
This had a very clear voice, which caused some confusion for me because it's supposed to be written from two different characters' perspectives but they had the same cadence. The variety of characters was distinct and you cared for some and didn't for others, but when it came to the narration, the two characters narrated in the same voice. It was interesting and added almost a double-exposure view to the story.
I'm also very grateful the story ended where it did. That's what I needed the whole time and was rooting for. The horror doesn't end when you survive the event and the ending felt like the only appropriate way to close it.
January 27, 2024
Wow. This is the "real world person stuck in the apocalypse" read I didn't know I needed. If you've ever wondered how you'd do when the zombies show up, I highly recommend this book.
It's a great exploration of a genuinely realistic and relatable scenario where a woman who works in marketing and avoids cardio like, well, the plague, tries to survive something unsurvivable - but also of survivor guilt and trauma. The book is told both in the time of the outbreak in Amsterdam and in flash forwards where the main character (or one of the two mains, I suppose) explains her experience to an auditorium of Londoners who want to know how to survive if something similar ever happens there. I wasn't expecting to be moved by the latter part, but it brought the story home - making it not just about surviving the zombies, but surviving the version of you that was tainted by trauma you can't move past and decisions you can't forgive yourself for.
There are two narrators, and two settings in time, done well enough to add to the story rather than becoming confusing.
Would recommend.
It's a great exploration of a genuinely realistic and relatable scenario where a woman who works in marketing and avoids cardio like, well, the plague, tries to survive something unsurvivable - but also of survivor guilt and trauma. The book is told both in the time of the outbreak in Amsterdam and in flash forwards where the main character (or one of the two mains, I suppose) explains her experience to an auditorium of Londoners who want to know how to survive if something similar ever happens there. I wasn't expecting to be moved by the latter part, but it brought the story home - making it not just about surviving the zombies, but surviving the version of you that was tainted by trauma you can't move past and decisions you can't forgive yourself for.
There are two narrators, and two settings in time, done well enough to add to the story rather than becoming confusing.
Would recommend.
March 31, 2024
Only 13 ratings! This book isn’t well known but it really should be in the horror genre. It’s a short, quick read filled with action. I absolutely love watching zombie movies/shows but haven’t really read any zombie books. I completely enjoyed it until the last chapter. I feel the last chapter wasn’t necessary and took away from the story a bit-or at least a little lead up to the last chapter was necessary. Although I suppose horror movies always end this way, with a segway to the promise of a sequel. Would I read a sequel? Absolutely!
February 19, 2024
Captivating Horror
Melanie Atkinson took a horror trope as old as time and turned it into something unique. I loved this and by the end of it I was glued to the edge of my seat frantically trying to read the next page.
Melanie Atkinson took a horror trope as old as time and turned it into something unique. I loved this and by the end of it I was glued to the edge of my seat frantically trying to read the next page.
February 1, 2024
A wild ride!
This book was fantastically terrifying. Extremely anxiety provoking! I’m not sure I ever want to go to Amsterdam again lol.
A wild ride for sure!
This book was fantastically terrifying. Extremely anxiety provoking! I’m not sure I ever want to go to Amsterdam again lol.
A wild ride for sure!
February 7, 2025
3.5 stars
July 21, 2025
I'm so disappointed that I didn't like this one. I honestly think 4/10 is a little generous after thinking of all the things I didn't like about it.
Firstly, the main thing that annoyed me was the fatphobia. Not once were the bodies of any of the other characters mentioned past a cursory introduction but because the main female character was 'bigger' it was mentioned multiple times which got grating to say the least.
Secondly, and this is probably 'nitpicky' of me but fuck it, the term 'drinking the kool aid' was used which is something I HATE. Like it was mass murder on a huge scale, have some respect.
As far as the actually story, I was disappointed. I feel like there was a lot of build up for nothing at all and then in the end I was just left with questions and no explanations. Like why the whole zombie invasion happened in the first place. Also, throughout the book we were told how terrifying these creatures were but there was no evidence of that at all.
Firstly, the main thing that annoyed me was the fatphobia. Not once were the bodies of any of the other characters mentioned past a cursory introduction but because the main female character was 'bigger' it was mentioned multiple times which got grating to say the least.
Secondly, and this is probably 'nitpicky' of me but fuck it, the term 'drinking the kool aid' was used which is something I HATE. Like it was mass murder on a huge scale, have some respect.
As far as the actually story, I was disappointed. I feel like there was a lot of build up for nothing at all and then in the end I was just left with questions and no explanations. Like why the whole zombie invasion happened in the first place. Also, throughout the book we were told how terrifying these creatures were but there was no evidence of that at all.
May 6, 2024
This follows the story of two tourists in Amsterdam on the eve of a zombie apocalypse. Because they are tourists, naturally they are stoned, drunk, and naive, which makes for some very entertaining survival choices!
The book has an unusual structure, flipping between a kind of TED talk in the present and memories of the event. I wasn't sure about this at first, but the author pulls the threads together quite nicely in the end. I also liked how the two main characters became fast friends, but not lovers. A good summer read!
The book has an unusual structure, flipping between a kind of TED talk in the present and memories of the event. I wasn't sure about this at first, but the author pulls the threads together quite nicely in the end. I also liked how the two main characters became fast friends, but not lovers. A good summer read!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews