The Last Song on Earth

by Jamie Scallion, Dave Berry

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2026

About the author

Jamie Scallion grew up in South London. He started a rock band at school and as lead singer of a cult London band for twelve years he toured the world, playing with some of the biggest names in the music industry. He wrote The Rock 'n' Roll Diaries whilst on the road.

Reviews

[Jane Higginson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A musical ready player one!

Being a Dave Berry Breakfast show (Absolute 80's and country!) fan I was intrigued when he announced this book The last song on Earth that he'd written, it reminded me of ready player one but a musical version, very topical with Ai in there too, I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it

[Gordon Ralph · Rating 3 out of 5]

it took me awhile to get into this book which I was very intrigued to read as it was written by absolute radios Dave Berry, which I am a regular listener. The premise of the story was Indeed interesting, but in my humble opinion the story didn't quite live up to this idea. and was quite confusing for , I would say at least a third of the book. I stuck with it, and for me it did get better if only to see if the hopeless main character got any better and to see how this crazy book finishes. There's a lot that goes on in this book and there are a few mistakes and inconsistent bits too . I don't like to put spoilers in my reviews so I won't . All I can say is that the idea was good but it didn't live up to the idea really which was a shame . In all it's a futuristic adventure probably aimed at the teenage market.

[Joe Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was very excited to read this (bit fan of Dave Berry and the Absolute Breakfast Show). Loved the deep knowledge of the Beatles but I found the story hard to get into. When I did, I really enjoyed the suspense and twists. Main character (William / Synth) was equal parts vulnerable and annoying - times I was rooting for him and times I wanted him to be humbled. Maddest character was Side Eye (psychotic and unpredictable). Overall 4* as it turned out to be a real page turner despite the slow start for me

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darkly Comic

I downloaded this after hearing it advertised on Planet Rock and the premise sounded intriguing. As a person who enjoys listening to music and going to gigs, this book is a timely reminder about the dangers of AI taking over the creative process. The cast of characters were engaging and whilst I couldn't follow all of the detail, found it a real page turner.

[Kirsty · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this. The premise sounded great. But the writing was not my style. Gritty, aggressive, inconsistent. Not a single likeable character. Jumpy plot. I expected far more of a music focus. It was a relief to finish but it didn’t feel like a decent conclusion.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Better premise than execution. Was excited to read/listen to this, but unfortunately the story itself was not as good as it was advertised to be.

Felt it had a lot of the typical dystopian tropes, some of which were a bit cringe. Also felt there was too much happening, and to be honest, the protagonist wasn't very likeable either.

Shame, could have been a lot better.

[S.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun debut from the Absolute Radio breakfast show presenter. A dystopian future with only AI music would be my idea of a nightmare. I really enjoyed the competition element, it gave Ready Player One vibes. Some interesting twists and strange characters give extra depth.

[Hunter Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read in an interesting world. The story was unique yet nostalgic and it had some interesting twists and turns. Very London and enjoyable

[Karen Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read. Something completely different for me, incorporating the world of AI and a world of lost real music. Real fears portrayed in a dark comic way.

[Lucy Nineberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

fab read

I heard an ad for this book on the radio 2 days ago…bought it, read it, loved it!! Definitely recommend, especially if you enjoyed Ready Player One.