What do you think?
Rate this book
Last Girl Standing
"Fast-paced, entertaining, and exciting, with a fresh, believable voice." - Kirkus Reviews
Tainted water and brainwashed adults…. what’s an awkward 17-year-old to do? Sierra Mendez gathers her friends to stop a powerful entity from replacing the town residents with androids bent on humanity’s demise. “Absolutely riveting." - Midwest Book Review
"Kaptanoglu offers an inclusive cast, a plot that allows for tension and tragedy as well as personal growth, and an adventure for our modern times." - Publishers Weekly
Tainted water and brainwashed adults…. what’s an awkward 17-year-old to do? Sierra Mendez gathers her friends to stop a powerful entity from replacing the town residents with androids bent on humanity’s demise. “Absolutely riveting." - Midwest Book Review
"Kaptanoglu offers an inclusive cast, a plot that allows for tension and tragedy as well as personal growth, and an adventure for our modern times." - Publishers Weekly
248 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2019
32 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Marjory Kaptanoglu
14 books26 followersAward-winning author Marjory Kaptanoglu’s “prose is crisp and purposeful, charged with feeling, and always attuned to what will engage readers in each moment.” (The BookLife Prize) Follow Marjory on BookBub to receive notices about her new releases and sales, and sign up for her entertaining newsletter at marjorykaptanoglu.com to make sure you don’t miss a thing. Her YA fantasy DREADMARROW THIEF “celebrates life and love the way only the best fantasy tales can" (Kirkus) and kicks off THE CONJURER FELLSTONE TRILOGY (now complete). According to one reviewer, “Why not get all 3 at once?”
Marjory also writes adult sci-fi/fantasy. Regarding INVADER, “Fans of sci-fi mysteries and strong female characters should snap up this psychological page-turner." (Publishers Weekly) The BEFORE series begins in January, 2021, with the launch of BEFORE THE KILLING, a time-travel tale of love and murder. Fun fact: Marjory was named 2019 Literary Exhibitor of the Year by the California Writer’s Club / San Mateo County Fair. Second fun fact: Marjory once worked at Apple Computer and designed the text-editing software for early versions of the Macintosh.
Marjory also writes adult sci-fi/fantasy. Regarding INVADER, “Fans of sci-fi mysteries and strong female characters should snap up this psychological page-turner." (Publishers Weekly) The BEFORE series begins in January, 2021, with the launch of BEFORE THE KILLING, a time-travel tale of love and murder. Fun fact: Marjory was named 2019 Literary Exhibitor of the Year by the California Writer’s Club / San Mateo County Fair. Second fun fact: Marjory once worked at Apple Computer and designed the text-editing software for early versions of the Macintosh.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 5, 2019
Rating: 4.5/5.0
“Last Girl Standing” is a creative science fiction, young adult adventure! It is a fresh story in a genre full of recycled tales.
Read full review in the 2019 Nov issue of InD'tale Magazine.
“Last Girl Standing” is a creative science fiction, young adult adventure! It is a fresh story in a genre full of recycled tales.
Read full review in the 2019 Nov issue of InD'tale Magazine.
March 6, 2020
This review is for the audio book, which I received free from Authors Direct (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts/opinions are solely my own. I've read quite a few books targeted for the older teenager/young adult audience and enjoy this genre (especially fantasy/sci fi/adventure). Last Girl Standing, as a story, isn't bad. There are a few scenes I found disturbing (triggering)and perhaps unnecessary involving the main protaganist and the lecherous police chief and forced sexual "consent" (underaged teenage girl vs. older person of authority). There were also some body shaming language that I found uncomfortable but, sadly, mimics today's societal norm. I found the group of teen characters to be courageous and truly concerned about the goings on in their hometown. I admired their loyalty to one another. The plot was amusing and somewhat campy/over-the-top, and, taken in that context, enjoyable. The biggest drawback, for me, was the narrator of the audiobook. Sierra's voice (I'm assuming this is the narrator's own voice) was quite pleasant and rang true as a teenage girl. In fact, I loved her screams:-) Other voices were inconsistent and the teenage boy voices were horrid (stereotypical stoner in one case; spoken as if gasping/holding breath) and I had to force myself to get beyond them to finish the book. Performance dragged down my rating from 3.5ish stars . Read the book.
March 6, 2020
Brainwashing. Hiveminds. Androids. This book has everything that someone could ask for in a sci-fi thriller.
Sierra has always lived an unconventional life thanks to her mother and her fears, primarily her fear of the tap water. One day when getting water from the river, Sierra comes across a body in the water. That’s just the entrance of the rabbit hole. People in the town are changing, and it seems that her mother’s fears weren’t so irrational after all.
I loved the dynamic of different personalities in this story. Sierra and Giselle had an easy friendship, and Sierra was a very creative heroine. There were so many situations that had me biting my nails, wondering how the characters would get out, but Sierra always had a solution. The other members of the group each had their personalities too. Even though there is plenty of suspense in this story, there are some elements of romance and friendship too.
Narration was great, especially for the voices of the androids/brainwashed people.
All around, a wonderful listen.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
Sierra has always lived an unconventional life thanks to her mother and her fears, primarily her fear of the tap water. One day when getting water from the river, Sierra comes across a body in the water. That’s just the entrance of the rabbit hole. People in the town are changing, and it seems that her mother’s fears weren’t so irrational after all.
I loved the dynamic of different personalities in this story. Sierra and Giselle had an easy friendship, and Sierra was a very creative heroine. There were so many situations that had me biting my nails, wondering how the characters would get out, but Sierra always had a solution. The other members of the group each had their personalities too. Even though there is plenty of suspense in this story, there are some elements of romance and friendship too.
Narration was great, especially for the voices of the androids/brainwashed people.
All around, a wonderful listen.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
June 2, 2019
Last girl standing is a science fiction novel written about a town named Los Patos, that gets contaminated from its water supply and turns everyone into automatons. Only Sierra and a few friends end up safe due to not drinking of the water. Soon they group up together in order to save the town from what appears to be an evil plan in order to take over the city.
Sierra is only 17, and she feels responsible for helping out others finding out what is happening to her town. Los Patos is beautifully described and the town people are in serious trouble. Once the city is under quarantine, things get much, and I believe the pace picks up into creating a compelling novel.
The literature was suitable for young adult fans. The content had enough science fiction material in order to make it a sci-fi however, still maintained a more fictional state of presence. Therefore, I would recommend this book to both style readers. The added humor was also a bonus as its audience always appreciates a small amount of laughter when possible.
Sierra is only 17, and she feels responsible for helping out others finding out what is happening to her town. Los Patos is beautifully described and the town people are in serious trouble. Once the city is under quarantine, things get much, and I believe the pace picks up into creating a compelling novel.
The literature was suitable for young adult fans. The content had enough science fiction material in order to make it a sci-fi however, still maintained a more fictional state of presence. Therefore, I would recommend this book to both style readers. The added humor was also a bonus as its audience always appreciates a small amount of laughter when possible.
June 28, 2020
Very interesting story starting with a mystery right off the bat. The book follows Sierra and her couple friends on a journey trying to figure out what is going on in their area. Everyone is acting weird in their town and they need to figure out why and how to solve it.
The author really draws you into the story with the details and conversations within the story. I didnt want to stop the book so got through from beginning to end.
Narrator did a good job giving the characters their own voice and tempo.
I was given this book in Authors Direct and am posting my own thoughts on the book.
The author really draws you into the story with the details and conversations within the story. I didnt want to stop the book so got through from beginning to end.
Narrator did a good job giving the characters their own voice and tempo.
I was given this book in Authors Direct and am posting my own thoughts on the book.
December 29, 2020
Good book for older teens. Pretty clean but sex is mention as well alcohol and pot.
Good fast paced story. I really enjoyed it and the characters. I would definitely read or listen to more by this author.
Narration by Shaina Summerville was really good.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Good fast paced story. I really enjoyed it and the characters. I would definitely read or listen to more by this author.
Narration by Shaina Summerville was really good.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
May 9, 2019
Full disclosure – I was provided a copy of this book by the author; however, I have voluntarily chosen to write a review. All opinions are my own.
Don’t drink the water
Sierra Mendez just wants to live quietly in the small town of Los Patos, but when your mom is a bit of a freak who insists that the town’s water supply is being tampered with it’s difficult to escape notice. After the local water manager is discovered floating in the river behind their home, Sierra and her friends start noticing that the townspeople are starting to act, speak and do other things strangely. With once lively classmates morphing into docile and complacent shells of themselves and authority figures completely being replaced by lifelike robots, Sierra suspects that something more sinister is afoot. With the situation worsening by the moment, Sierra and her friends embark on a cat and mouse chase with the unknown to discover the reasons behind the changes to Los Patos. Time is running out when the group finds help in an unlikely place, but will Sierra be able to reverse the damage and restore her hometown to normal?
Last Girl Standing is the newest novel by author Marjory Kaptanoglu and is a bit of a departure from 2017’s The Dreadmarrow Thief, but it is in no way any less exciting. Set in the fictional town of Los Patos, California Sierra Mendez’s life goes from mundane to something out of a science fiction movie in less than a week. With the water turning everyone into complacent “Stepfordesque” lemmings only Sierra and a select few friends are unaffected. As the story rolls on, it becomes apparent that the entity behind turning Los Patos into a so-called socialist utopia has a much more sinister motive. To watch it unfold was an exciting, action-packed thrill ride that still has me remembering certain scenes with a chuckle. Overall, the feel of the story for me fell somewhere in between Westworld, meets Under the Dome, meets Terminator and once again Kaptanoglu uses her skill as a screenwriter to craft scenes so vivid that the reader will easily find themselves sucked into the story. If you’re looking for a fun story that will have you up turning the pages into the early morning hours, Last Girl Standing would be a nice option.
Don’t drink the water
Sierra Mendez just wants to live quietly in the small town of Los Patos, but when your mom is a bit of a freak who insists that the town’s water supply is being tampered with it’s difficult to escape notice. After the local water manager is discovered floating in the river behind their home, Sierra and her friends start noticing that the townspeople are starting to act, speak and do other things strangely. With once lively classmates morphing into docile and complacent shells of themselves and authority figures completely being replaced by lifelike robots, Sierra suspects that something more sinister is afoot. With the situation worsening by the moment, Sierra and her friends embark on a cat and mouse chase with the unknown to discover the reasons behind the changes to Los Patos. Time is running out when the group finds help in an unlikely place, but will Sierra be able to reverse the damage and restore her hometown to normal?
Last Girl Standing is the newest novel by author Marjory Kaptanoglu and is a bit of a departure from 2017’s The Dreadmarrow Thief, but it is in no way any less exciting. Set in the fictional town of Los Patos, California Sierra Mendez’s life goes from mundane to something out of a science fiction movie in less than a week. With the water turning everyone into complacent “Stepfordesque” lemmings only Sierra and a select few friends are unaffected. As the story rolls on, it becomes apparent that the entity behind turning Los Patos into a so-called socialist utopia has a much more sinister motive. To watch it unfold was an exciting, action-packed thrill ride that still has me remembering certain scenes with a chuckle. Overall, the feel of the story for me fell somewhere in between Westworld, meets Under the Dome, meets Terminator and once again Kaptanoglu uses her skill as a screenwriter to craft scenes so vivid that the reader will easily find themselves sucked into the story. If you’re looking for a fun story that will have you up turning the pages into the early morning hours, Last Girl Standing would be a nice option.
June 23, 2020
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Last Girl Standing
Author: Marjory Kaptanoglu
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 16 readers:
14 would read another book by this author.
16 thought the cover was good or excellent.
16 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘This is such a cool mystery. I loved how the plot developed and how the kids worked together to try to save the town. The hero is brave and the characters develop a lot as the story unfolds.’ Girl, aged 15
‘Sci-fi is my ‘thing’ so this was perfect for me. A tiny bit slow in the beginning but then things take off in the second half. The author is fab at keeping the reader guessing. The ending was mega!’ Boy, aged 14
‘A very tense story, Sierra is like Katniss from The Hunger Games. Brave, courageous, and will do anything to save her family. Brilliant read.’ Girl, aged 16
‘The character of the kids was very flawed and real-feeling, which is what I liked most. I think this author is a good writer who knows what YA like to read.’ Girl, aged 16
To Sum It Up:
‘A cool mystery that turns into a high-octane, sci-fi adventure. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Last Girl Standing
Author: Marjory Kaptanoglu
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 16 readers:
14 would read another book by this author.
16 thought the cover was good or excellent.
16 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘This is such a cool mystery. I loved how the plot developed and how the kids worked together to try to save the town. The hero is brave and the characters develop a lot as the story unfolds.’ Girl, aged 15
‘Sci-fi is my ‘thing’ so this was perfect for me. A tiny bit slow in the beginning but then things take off in the second half. The author is fab at keeping the reader guessing. The ending was mega!’ Boy, aged 14
‘A very tense story, Sierra is like Katniss from The Hunger Games. Brave, courageous, and will do anything to save her family. Brilliant read.’ Girl, aged 16
‘The character of the kids was very flawed and real-feeling, which is what I liked most. I think this author is a good writer who knows what YA like to read.’ Girl, aged 16
To Sum It Up:
‘A cool mystery that turns into a high-octane, sci-fi adventure. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
October 30, 2021
This is a YA Sci-fi thriller. After finishing the audiobook, I have to say that the reading for the dialogue was pretty bad, especially for the teenage boys. I would recommend you to read the actual book/ebook instead of listening to the audiobook.
The story was decent... good enough to read but just don't expect anything mind blowing. It's not the most original story. You follow a group of teenagers who are trying to figure out what's happening to the people in their town. For some reason everybody around them have been acting like mindless zombies. It's quite obvious how this was happening but the who/what that was behind this was a small twist. Some of the dialogue/narration was a bit ridiculous at times. Therefore, I wasn't able to fully immerse myself into the story or connect with any of the characters.
The story was decent... good enough to read but just don't expect anything mind blowing. It's not the most original story. You follow a group of teenagers who are trying to figure out what's happening to the people in their town. For some reason everybody around them have been acting like mindless zombies. It's quite obvious how this was happening but the who/what that was behind this was a small twist. Some of the dialogue/narration was a bit ridiculous at times. Therefore, I wasn't able to fully immerse myself into the story or connect with any of the characters.
November 3, 2020
I listened to this on audible direct. The story was interesting and I found the main group loyal and brave. The scifi angle mixed world domination with computer fears. There were a lot of stereotypes that I could have done without. My biggest problem with the book was the narrator's character voices. They were not consistent and honestly annoying. The actual story would have gotten a 4 but the voices brought it down to a 3. I received a free audio version and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
April 28, 2023
Majory Kaptanoglu's Last Girl Standing is a fun read / listen. Sierra, daughter of the local "looney" hippy, discovers that her mother's theories of the town water being toxic are true. Soon she and her friends find that they are the only people in the town not to be under the influence of mind altering drugs. What follows is a fast paced adventure, sometime a little mad-cap and the teens are at times incredibly dense, but it was a ripping yarn that raced along.
The narrator was terrific for the main character's voice, but her male voices tended to sound like caricatures.
The narrator was terrific for the main character's voice, but her male voices tended to sound like caricatures.
October 12, 2020
I received this as a free audiobook through AppleBooks. It was a fun YA thriller about several teens trying to survive when their town is taken over. At first they aren't sure what is controlling the townspeople and why their group is not infected. When the realize what happened, they try to figure out who did this and why--and how to stop it. The teens are portrayed as smart, resourceful, caring individuals. The audiobook narration took away from the story at times but it was enjoyable.
March 10, 2020
Good story with many interesting twists and turns, and likeable characters. The narration was good except for character voices. The voice of Sierra was great but all the other character voices were annoying. Boys sounded like dumb jocks and and the girls were kind of haughty. They just didn't work well for me. Overall, it was a good story. I received a free copy for review.
June 5, 2020
Book is rather one-dimensional, particularly the villains (and pretty laughable at some of the types of villains just randomly tossed in there). But, the worst part was the narrator who was really quite awful, especially on dialog.
Would have rated as 2 stars, but giving a bonus point for inclusivity in the characters.
Would have rated as 2 stars, but giving a bonus point for inclusivity in the characters.
May 6, 2019
Really fun novel for young adults -- I particularly enjoyed the sci-fi aspects of the book. I think this book is especially good for teenage girls because they'll relate to the main characters, but I enjoyed it as an adult.
July 25, 2021
The audio on this was strange. The narrator’s voice changes were… a lot. Also, this read more like a mid-grade book and *everything* that could befall a main character happened (the rapey scenes were definitely cringeworthy. Just meh for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2019
So improbable and corny.
August 20, 2019
More adventure/survival/dystopian until the end, where it gets VERY sci-fi. I like that it was a standalone, but not really my thing.
January 15, 2020
Terrible. Boring. Predictable. Lame. Is there an option for a negative star?
March 10, 2021
A very interesting book, I wasn't expecting it to head in the direction it did, but enjoyed the storyline and the characters. It really gave me some Tomorrow When the War Began vibes.
May 28, 2021
TW below. Fun story, I do not recommend the audiobook. I switched from audiobook to ebook, the narrator falls short.
TW: drug use, attempted rape of underaged girl.
TW: drug use, attempted rape of underaged girl.
August 3, 2023
Different from what I normally read, but I really liked it! I will admit it gave me a lot to think about, and I don't think I'll be drinking anything but bottled water for a while now 😅😂
May 27, 2019
Doctor Who Under Wayward Pines
I have to first say I am a HUGE Doctor Who fan! With that said, this story is very Doctor Who without The Doctor... I also enjoyed watching Under the Dome and Wayward Pines, both similar type stories to Last Girl Standing. I read this book in one day, could not put it down, I was basically binge-reading a good Sci-Fi thriller!
I have to first say I am a HUGE Doctor Who fan! With that said, this story is very Doctor Who without The Doctor... I also enjoyed watching Under the Dome and Wayward Pines, both similar type stories to Last Girl Standing. I read this book in one day, could not put it down, I was basically binge-reading a good Sci-Fi thriller!
October 9, 2020
*3.8* it wasn’t what I expected, but is not that bad, I like the main character but I feel that it was scenes that didn’t caught me enough.
January 22, 2020
I totally enjoyed this book!It had a feel of 8mm or Stranger Things.YA would really enjoy it.Sienna has always been told not to drink the tap water.Her mother filters river water.When the whole town goes catatonic,it is possible her mother was right.It might be the end of humanity. Narration by Shaina Summerville was really good,aside from some boy voices.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
November 8, 2020
Very interesting premise, but very slow-paced, especially in the middle. It was difficult to focus on the story; having to re-read when lost storyline thread.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews