The Last Resort

by Allie Coker

My immediate thought, I don’t belong here, rebuffed before the half day’s end. Maybe I didn’t have multiple personalities or talk to myself or have mood swings so bad that no one could be around me, but the truth was plain. I needed to be here. I did belong here.



Welcome to The Last Resort—a sanitarium for residents who feel imprisoned in their own minds. Whether staff member or patient, everyone finds themselves at the center of a complex system that, at its best, provides therapeutic care and, at its worst, blurs and blends the boundaries of what constitutes sane and insane. Regardless of the role each individual has to play, all of them are here for a reason and will be forced to examine themselves from every angle.



Told from various perspectives, The Last Resort is a frighteningly real novella from Allie Coker that reveals the vulnerable side of humanity and forces readers to stop and ask, “What is normal?”

72 pages, Paperback

Published January 12, 2021

About the author

Allie Coker lives and works in Chapel Hill and Durham, North Carolina. She holds a BA in English from Davidson College and an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte.

Her first book, What I Learned at Davidson, was published in 2012. Her second book, a novella titled The Last Resort, was published in 2021. Her forthcoming chapbook, Dumpster Fire Heart, will debut in 2026.

Allie has taught creative writing courses as part of the Informal Class program at the University of Texas at Austin as well as at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, NC.

She was an editor with Warren Publishing for several years and was the founder and Editor-in-Chief of HIP Literary Magazine which ran from 2012-2014. She currently writes book reviews for Litstack.

Allie’s works have appeared in the Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine, Nfocus Magazine of Charlotte, and several online publications. In 2020, she was selected for a Virginia Center for the Creative Arts residency as well as a Wildacres residency. She has attended Weymouth residencies as well and NC Writers Network conferences.

Reviews

[Manny Schwimmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Resort is an important piece of literature for at least two reasons. First, if this book doesn't pry the empathy out of you for people dealing with mental illness, I don't know what would. Second, it challenges common, unfortunate stereotypes about serious mental illness and, especially, psychiatric hospitals. They are not the dungeon-like asylums of the 19th century that we often see portrayed on TV and in movies. Sure, they are more restrictive than your typical medical hospitals, and patients must live with some unusual restrictions in day-to-day activities (e.g., they can’t shave unless someone supervises the act). They might not be perfect, but what we see in this story is a psychiatric hospital designed to remove patients from the stressors of their lives and give them the psychiatric/psychotherapeutic/holistic attention they need to begin recovery.

Every character brings a message of substance to the story – the patients express their longing for companionship in the midst of severe and isolating mental illness; the mental health workers who struggle to fall asleep out of concern for patients’ outcomes; the police officer who transports patients to psychiatric hospitals describes the ennui of repetitive drives but also feels warm toward the book’s main patient Lex/Sandy; and Lex/Sandy herself, who shares multiple gems of wisdom earned through an emotionally challenging life.

The book is also a very manageable read (*only 72 pages*). I read it in one sitting with some combo of rapt attention, laughter, and a steady feeling of anguish about its stories of mental and emotional struggle.

One of my goals now is to reread it for quotable lines, like this one about interpersonal trauma: "When someone else's heart turns to ice, but it's your blood that runs cold". I think the author hopes that after reading this, your heart will be at least a little warmer. I hope mine is.

[Ode Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a pocket-rocket of a novella tackling the subject of mental health in a fiction slash non-fiction way.

It is thought provoking, very well written and dark. Told from different perspectives, it is puzzling at first but it also immerses the reader in the minds of patients and staff in a mental institution.

And what a brilliant cover?!

[Tiffany M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read. Look at this book as a handy tool to help us all think about how we approach the idea of "mental illness". This book takes us into the mind of the characters and the people they interact with, as a reader it makes you think about past interactions and what you could've done differently and how to be kinder to people as a whole. Very insightful piece.

[Shane Kegler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very powerful, dark, and thought provoking novella. Told from different perspectives, the story brings unique and varied accounts on the subject of mental health. Most importantly the book poses questions and thoughts about a subject many are uncomfortable talking about, but it is something society should be talking about.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Resort offers an insightful glimpse into the world of mental illness, both patients and staff members. While I usually find multiple narrators difficult to follow, Coker uses the multiple voices bring depth and empathy to the unique viewpoints and situations of the various characters.

Coker also calls those with less experience of mental illness to greater understanding and empathy. Here are two of my favorite quotations that I continue to reflect on.

"If you ask us, the world makes a lot less sense and is a lot more ruthless outside of here" (34). Questions from friends and family rarely provide people "with the opportunity to talk about it, their experience, their woes" (56).

[Deann Barger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the perspective of not just patients, but the employees as well! A very thoughtful read in this time of focus on mental health in our communities.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, you know I love books for how they introduce me to people and places, and this little gem was a flash of all that. I found I lost track of which character was which due to the way they are presented but the way the author really found a unique voice for each character made them believable, and the combined chorus all the more powerful.

[Jessica Heironimus · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful and stark examination of how our society deals with mental illness, rendered with honesty and the powerful ring of truth.

A must-read for anyone interested in the reality of today’s mental healthcare system.

[Sonya Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allie Coker's The Last Resort was a well written account of mental illness from the patient as well as the workers point of view. It also allows the reader inside the mind of mental illness to understand what they are going through on a daily basis. I felt this book opened me up to humanity to understand mental illness better and to consciously be aware of the person and not their mental illness. I also questions throughout the book what is "normal" and had a clear understanding that at any point in life anyone could end up with a mental illness.

[Bookstagramshaz Sharon Logue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A debut book from this author! I actually won a copy of this and felt a bit out of my reading comfort zone. I’m so glad I did as I really enjoyed this book. It’s a view of how mental health is managed by different people in a sanitarium- staff and patients. I got a little bit confused when numbers were used instead of some patients names, but then it made sense as I was reading on, as this story is about multiple people/patients.

Thank you Allie Coker for taking me out my comfort zone!!

#bookstagramshaz

[Culley Holderfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allie Coker’s The Last Resort offers a 360-degree view of life in a modern sanitarium. A timely and touching rendering of the effects of being locked down for one’s own good, this novella is rife with round characters, stunning lines, and impactful storytelling. The isolation and despair that she evokes rings true for all of us in 2020 and more so for those of us acquainted with the self-isolating impact of depression and anxiety. I highly recommend this author and this book.

[Myndalynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coker utilizes multiple perspectives to portray the harsh realities some people who struggle with addiction or have mental illnesses have to face every day. Besides the residents who are living in this sanitarium, staff members are also faced with challenging issues that come across both physically and mentally. Readers get an inside look at both of these perspectives. It is a wonderfully written novella, and I would recommend it to anyone as long as they are okay with the content.

[Marina DelVecchio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allie Coker's novella is a well-written account of mental illness and how society defines and marginalizes mentally ill persons. Her characters and their narratives force us to question the term "normal" when it comes to people's identities and the experiences that bring them to The Last Resort. It's beautifully written and full of truths that make this a book worth reading and supporting.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each line of this novella was carefully constructed - no extraneous words. The Last Resort tugged at my heart as I recognized traits in myself and many of my friends in the characters. I got a well-researched inside look at the thoughts and experiences of people who spend time in rehab. The author handled complex issues with eloquent prose. The characters grew on me over the course of the book, and it was refreshing to read the hope between the lines at the end.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Resort by Allie Coker is a novella published in 2021 & the title references an unnamed mental health facility. The novella’s opening line: #19145: The truth is a muddied thing. To begin with, there’s so little of it,” immediately caught my attention & was captured throughout the thoughts and observations of different patients (using patient numbers) health care workers (using initials), & one patient named Lex/Sandy. I thought the use of numbers & initials was quite clever, & was not confusing like you would think. Not only did each have a unique voice one recognized when the patient number/health care worker initials appeared again, but because there is no focus to names & physical characteristics, readers feel this person experiencing these deep, dark thoughts could be anyone- a friend, family member, or even oneself.

For such a short work (72 pages), it packed in a lot of thought-provoking statements & emotional punches about mental health & its stigmas, the fragility of life, deceiving appearances, & the concept of truth and “normal”.

[Percevial · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid, well-thought, real and relatable. I felt a connection to every character. Beyond their diagnoses, they are all just people trying to get through life and that is just beautiful.