The Last Humans

by Steven M. Moore

The apocalypse kills billions—numbers so large that most survivors’ minds snap shut. Foes of the U.S. have attacked with a bio-engineered contagion that spreads around the world. One of only a few survivors, Penny Castro, ex-USN diver and L.A. County Sheriff’s deputy, reacts differently. She fights back and creates a life for herself where death is the common denominator. On a forensic dive, she is interrupted. When she surfaces, she finds all her colleagues dead, so she has to battle starvation, thirst, and gangs of feral humans until she ends up in a USAF refugee camp. A post-apocalyptic thriller for our times, Penny’s adventures will entertain and shock you into asking, “Could this really happen?”

269 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 30, 2019

About the author

Hi there. First a reader, but also an author, yet I'll be brief: I'm a native Californian, former Colombian resident, and now living in the Northeast. For more bio info, please see my author profile and/or website.
Books are my life right now. While I am a full-time writer, I read a lot, and not just in the genres I write in. Those are mystery, thriller, and sci-fi, by the way...and you'll find them in short stories, novellas, and novels. My latest novels are Rembrandt's Angel (Penmore Press), Goin' the Extra Mile (Carrick Publishing), and The Last Humans (Black Opal Books)--yeah, I'm now a mongrel, although I was never 100% DIY before either.
While I don't give away free novels (they're sometimes on sale at Smashwords for my email newsletter subscribers), I give away my short fiction. So does my collaborator A. B. Carolan. See my blog categories "Steve's Shorts," "ABC Shorts," and my list of PDFs free for the asking on my webpage "Free Stuff & Contests" at my website.
I'm a member of International Thriller Writers.
Around the world and to the stars!
In libris libertas!

Reviews

[Gary S · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF...couldn't connect with the author, seemed to jump from one subject to the next...only read about 25%. The subject for the book was good, but it didn't come together for me.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has lots of potential for the start of a series. I liked Penny but felt more could have been done with the plot. All the talk about desalination was fine, but when it consumed the book most of the time, it made me wonder where the action was.

[Jenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was interested by the description of this book but I think that it could be sharper in how it was written.

The pacing was quite slow and the action and events don't start that fast so I lost interest quite quickly.

I felt like the subject of the book also jumped around quite a bit and it was pretty confusing to read and to follow the events of the book. The subject of the book is good, but it just didn't come together for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Zari Reede · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if it was the end of the world? Penny Castro is the unlucky lotto winner to survive the apocalypse. A bio terror attack on the US has gone wrong, and the attacker didn’t calculate the jet stream dumping toxins worldwide. Hazardous chemicals deployed by missiles lead civilization to a rapid demise.

When Penelope Castro, ex-navy diver, goes underwater for the sheriff’s department, she has no clue everything will change when she surfaces. Picking through the puzzle of what has happened to the world is only part of the major challenges she will face. Food, water, shelter and cannibalism are some of her immediate obstacles .

I like this author’s website and newsletter, so I wanted to test out his latest novel. I am not a fan of doom and gloom and worried I would not enjoy this story. After reading the sample, I had to download the book. Passages such as... “Spotted Mulholland drive. Remembered how it used to look like a string of pearls at night with traffic moving along it—white pearls anti-parallel with bright red rubies like some starlet’s million-dollar necklace.”

The authors depiction of a strong female character paired with the post apocalyptic California landscape gave a gritty sense of urgency to find out what caused the meltdown and how survivors could sustain the aftermath.

I found Penny’s character unbreakable, at times cynical, yet believable. I found myself cheering for the under dog and wanting the Last Humans to find enough hope to survive. There is a hint of romance, intrigue, government conspiracy and inspiration for a new start. No spoilers here! You’ll Just have to read it for yourself.

A thoughtful, expansive look into what could very well be our future. Don’t miss, The Last Humans.

[Ann Holden · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't usually write a review if I don't read the book, but after three attempts I could not finish this one. The main characters actions don't match with her background and it seems she did a lot of really stupid things. I didn't want to know how it ends. Sorry, I wish I had more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of dystopian stories out there and this one is really good. I do love a great apocalypse even without zombies. I enjoyed the originality of this well-covered topic and I enjoyed the plot and characters. Well-written!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nina.K · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get past the first chapter. What a trainwreck!

1. The prose

I cannot describe the cringe I felt reading this. It's like someone took every single bad line already expressed in B-rated 90's action-romance movies and plasted it all together.

It's like the author didn't even try.

2. The characters

Why write characters, when you can just use sexy-action-lady cardboard cut-out instead.
Don't forget to make her a proud American patriot, which she surely must express at least 4 times in the first chapter. How else will the readers know how hot and sexy and American she is?

Barf

I would recommend this book to nobody. Ever.

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine that you're doing your job and that while you are cut off from the world...that it all ends. The world doesn't go out with a bang, but it goes out with a whisper. That is exactly what the author gives the reader in this story. We're presented with the main character, Penny. She's doing her job and then she notices something strange during the dive. When she surfaces to investigate...everyone she knew is dead. What happened? It happened so quickly and now she's all alone. Of course, she's not alone alone in the world, but she is without a friend and the world soon disintegrates into lawlessness as those who survived begin to destroy what remains.
The Last Humans, while not a thrilling edge of your seat page-turner, is an interesting novel. The story follows Penny as she tries to find a path to take in this world. She quickly learns that there are other survivors, but for whatever the reason, they've basically lost their minds. They are out for themselves and willing to do kill others for kicks. Some are good, but it's best not hedge your bets on meeting one of those. Being a now-former cop and former US Navy, Penny knows how to handle herself in certain situations, but the reader gets to see the journey that she has to take through this post-apocalyptic world.
There isn't much that I don't like about this book. I found Penny to be an interesting character. I like that she never really lost her head when faced with certain situations in the story. The only thing that I would have liked in this book is if the author had put the time transitions at the beginning of each "part." It would have helped me a bit more with understanding/following how much time has passed. Yes, it's mentioned in the story, but more or less in passing.
I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. As I said, this book isn't really action driven. There aren't zombies or other creepers chasing and prowling about. It's just humanity, or what's left finding a way to survive or to destroy what remains...along with animals without owners who go feral for survival.

[Maria Logan-Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Last Humans at the request of the author, Steven M. Moore. I was amazed as this post-apocalyptic thriller forced me to consider the possibility of bio-warfare against us, especially as our allies have learned they cannot always trust us.

The main character, Penny Castro, an L.A. County Sherriff’s Deputy and former U.S. Navy diver, is one of a few hundred people who survive the biological attack. Believing she is alone, she struggles to survive, and soon finds gangs of almost-feral people who will stop at nothing, including cannibalism, to survive.

Mr. Moore speaks through his characters about current issues facing our country by making a comparison between earthquakes believed to have been caused by fracking, and sinkholes caused by empty aquifers due to drought. Gangs had stolen guns from dead bodies, leaving no guns or only empty guns for others to protect themselves. One character comments in frustration, “Don’t qualify for a license? Go to a gun show!” These views are woven into the narrative beautifully.

The Last Humans is frightening, sad, yet occasionally sexy and funny. It will cause you to consider the possibility that this could ever happen. With a compelling narrative and well-developed characters, it will keep you turning pages late into the night.

What makes The Grumpy Book Reviewer grumpy?
Only commonly found problems:
• incorrect verb usage/tense;
• incorrect pronoun usage;
• referring to people as “that” instead of “who”.

Look for me online as The Grumpy Book Reviewer.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Survival is the name of the game in this post-apocalyptic story. Penny is a survivor; she makes some bad choices but then when everyone you know has just died, I don’t think anyone could hold that against her as she got her head around the new world she was now thrust in to! Following her as she adapts and looks for a safe place, I was able to see how she changed her way of thinking. With so many dead and the few left alive trying to survive there are some gory scenes. The author did a good job coming up with the plot and then telling it so it was easy to follow and interesting to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ann Kilburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steven Moore has created a very believable post-apocalyptic world after a bio-weapon sweeps the Earth. He portrays the best and worst of mankind, with strong characters. The main protagonist is Penny Castro who is a strong, witty warrior-woman - who you cannot help liking and rooting for; she has to struggle to survive feral's, drought and starvation and keep her small family safe. I enjoyed The Last Humans and am sure any fan of post-apocalyptic scenarios would as well

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Aristotle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utter garbage!
Rancid, putrid, fetid, noxious garbage.
The smell of dead bodies is a bed of roses compared to the stench that is coming off this book.

Penny Castro went inside(McDonald's). Customers and staff were dead. Found an empty table and sat to eat her free unhappy meal.
Is this a joke? Dead bloated bodies all around her and she sits down for a quick meal?
DNF!

Fellow Goodreaders i'm ashamed that i read this. Please let this be our secret.
NetGalley stinker!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is rather interesting. It is the journey of a woman after nearly the entire population dies. It has a few slow moments, but they are not bad. It is actually really well written. There are some gross moments, but hey, when everyone around you is dead it's gonna be gross. It is definitely a'what would you do in this situation' kind of book. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book in exchange for a free copy.

[Wolfgirl18 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this was definitely a little different from other post apocalyptic books I've read. This seemed to focus on the survivors surviving instead of the bad people that survived. I liked that they mention she of the horrors but don't focus on it. It does make you question what you would do if this really happened and you survived. I recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Denice Langley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading a lot of "end of the world as we know it" books lately. This one has a different view of life after. The characters were realistic as they battled to build a safe, secure life. Steven Moore built a new world that the reader can easily picture while you root for the survivors. Altogether a good read.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bio attack was launched against the USA but it has backfired as it has killed billions of people. People have also been turned into monsters. She has decided to fight and make her life in this new dangerous time. How will she get on? Can she stay alive? See how she copes with it all

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite enjoyed this read, just think the text needs some polishing before its published. Would enjoy reading more about the characters.

[Michelle Noble · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the apocalypse in a virus sent by an unknown country to America. It wipes out the majority of the population. The story follows an American Mexican woman as she navigates throughout the US. She picks up a teenage boy, and a man with a disability from a head injury. They both come to depend on her for food and shelter. She provides a snarky narrative of their journey through the years. It tells how the citizens and the government cope with the challenges they face. I usually don't care for snarky narratives, but the author tells the story with a good deal of humor and truth.

[Craig Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The heroine is a Navy diver and later a sheriffs diver. When the worldwide catastrophe happens it does not seem that she is able to react well nor able to come up with workable solutions to her situation. As the story develops she becomes stronger and more resiliant. Somehow the Air Force becomes the leader of the surviving humans but they too do not seem to be able to think outside the box. The author is blaming a change in the environment, mostly the reduction of drinking water for the difficulties all face. A good read but seems to be filled with defeatists.