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The Last Woman in the World
Award-winning novelist and nature writer Inga Simpson terrifies and enthralls with this truly remarkable novel of a woman who must face her worst fears to survive and find beauty in a world under attack.
Fear is her cage. But what's outside is worse...
It's night, and dust swirls against the walls of Rachel's home in the Australian bush. Her fear of other people has led her to a reclusive life as far from them as possible, her only occasional contact with her sister.
A hammering on the door. There stand a mother, Hannah, and her sick baby. They are running for their lives from a mysterious death sweeping the Australian countryside - so soon, too soon, after everything.
Now Rachel must face her worst fears to help Hannah, search for her sister, and discover just what terror was born of us. . . and how to survive it.
For fans of BIRDBOX and A QUIET PLACE, this remarkable, terrifying literary horror thriller holds a mirror up to the changed world we live in today.
Fear is her cage. But what's outside is worse...
It's night, and dust swirls against the walls of Rachel's home in the Australian bush. Her fear of other people has led her to a reclusive life as far from them as possible, her only occasional contact with her sister.
A hammering on the door. There stand a mother, Hannah, and her sick baby. They are running for their lives from a mysterious death sweeping the Australian countryside - so soon, too soon, after everything.
Now Rachel must face her worst fears to help Hannah, search for her sister, and discover just what terror was born of us. . . and how to survive it.
For fans of BIRDBOX and A QUIET PLACE, this remarkable, terrifying literary horror thriller holds a mirror up to the changed world we live in today.
320 pages, Paperback
Published October 27, 2021
38 people are currently reading
1242 people want to read
About the author
Inga Simpson
19 books278 followersInga is the award-winning author of THE THINNING, WILLOWMAN, THE LAST WOMAN IN THE WORLD, THE BOOK OF AUSTRALIAN TREES, UNDERSTORY: a life with trees, WHERE THE TREES WERE, NEST and MR WIGG.
A novelist and nature writer, her work explores our relationship with the natural world.
Inga grew up in central west NSW, and has lived in Canberra, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. She is now based on the far south coast of NSW.
WILLOWMAN was shortlisted for the Bookpeople adult fiction Book of the Year 2023.
UNDERSTORY: a life with trees (2017), Inga's first book-length work of nature writing, was shortlisted for the Adelaide Writers Week prize for nonfiction.
WHERE THE TREES WERE (2016) was shortlisted for an Indie Award, and longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, ABIA book awards and Green Carnation Prize.
NEST (2014) was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal, and longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Stella Prize.
Her debut novel, MR WIGG, was selected for the 2011 QWC/Hachette manuscript developemnt program and, as a result, published by Hachette in 2013. MR WIGG was shortlisted for an Indie Award and longlisted for the Dobbie Award.
In 2012, Inga was the winner of the final Eric Rolls nature essay prize.
She has a PhDs in creative writing and English literature, and her short work has been published in Griffith Review, Wonderground, the Review of Australian Fiction, Clues, WQ, and the Dictionary of Literary Biography.
A novelist and nature writer, her work explores our relationship with the natural world.
Inga grew up in central west NSW, and has lived in Canberra, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. She is now based on the far south coast of NSW.
WILLOWMAN was shortlisted for the Bookpeople adult fiction Book of the Year 2023.
UNDERSTORY: a life with trees (2017), Inga's first book-length work of nature writing, was shortlisted for the Adelaide Writers Week prize for nonfiction.
WHERE THE TREES WERE (2016) was shortlisted for an Indie Award, and longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, ABIA book awards and Green Carnation Prize.
NEST (2014) was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal, and longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Stella Prize.
Her debut novel, MR WIGG, was selected for the 2011 QWC/Hachette manuscript developemnt program and, as a result, published by Hachette in 2013. MR WIGG was shortlisted for an Indie Award and longlisted for the Dobbie Award.
In 2012, Inga was the winner of the final Eric Rolls nature essay prize.
She has a PhDs in creative writing and English literature, and her short work has been published in Griffith Review, Wonderground, the Review of Australian Fiction, Clues, WQ, and the Dictionary of Literary Biography.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
February 3, 2022
Given its intriguing title, reading The Last Woman in the World by Inga Simpson was keenly anticipated. Rachel is alarmed when there is a pounding on her front door, when she is safely secured in her home for the night. Overcoming her anxiety, she opens the door to confront Hannah, a young mother and Isaiah, her sick child. So begins a dangerous adventure, requiring Rachel to leave her fortress and travel in a post-apocalyptic world. Having to deal with all sorts of dangers, including violent strangers and destructive strange shadows, tests Rachel to her limits. As a psychological thriller with dystopian overtones, it was acceptable, if only a three-star rating. Unfortunately, the title is misleading as it lacks sufficient tension, and the references to wild fires and pandemics are all too real in current days.
November 3, 2021
‘The threats to human existence has always been imagined as coming from the outside: beings from outer space, asteroids, contagion loosed from the jungle.
‘What if we did this to ourselves?’
The Last Woman in the World is a book for our times. It is clever and compelling - a definite must read for all futuristic thriller fans. After the summer fires, after the virus … comes a story like this! It is contemporary and contemplative and is sure to generate much discussion, not only due to the timely topical issues, but delving deeper to appreciate what Inga has to say about how we treat each other and our world.
‘Fears had once been hidden, private. Only revealed in glimpses, a momentary loss of control or within the safety of intimacy. Now they had all escaped onto the surface.’
This book is a quiet reckoning not to be ignored. I am not usually a fan of the thriller genre but the synopsis spoke to me and I am ever so glad I listened. With Inga’s clever and powerful prose to reel you in, you will be on the edge of your seat with some shockingly personal and profound events and revelations. It was difficult to put this book down at times.
‘She should have shut it down sooner. The constant stream of information, feeding her anxieties. In the end it had shut her down. Her mind stopped functioning, then her body, alone inside that locked apartment. And now they were trying to do it all over again.’
The pacing is spot on. The characterisation is captivating. The plot is chilling … terrifyingly so with Inga placing you at the heart of the consequences of an ‘end of the world’ scenario. Set in Australia’s capital, Canberra, many Australians will empathise with the frightening fires, or remonstrate with how matters are handled when society as you know it is crumbling.
‘It was a world gone silent. Silenced. There was no news. No help. No advice. No solution.’
Inga Simpson is to be congratulated on penning a tale for our times - a dynamic and confronting futuristic story that is sure to captivate its readers. I highly recommend The Last Woman in the World.
‘Maybe that explained the ache in Rachel’s own chest. As if she was picking up the pain of the land itself. The tipping point, when it came, had been so quick. For the decade Rachel had been hidden away, she had minimised her footprint - done no harm - but she had not helped, either. And now it was too late. Isaiah, if he survived, would never see half the things she had seen, taken for granted, gulped down.’
‘What if we did this to ourselves?’
The Last Woman in the World is a book for our times. It is clever and compelling - a definite must read for all futuristic thriller fans. After the summer fires, after the virus … comes a story like this! It is contemporary and contemplative and is sure to generate much discussion, not only due to the timely topical issues, but delving deeper to appreciate what Inga has to say about how we treat each other and our world.
‘Fears had once been hidden, private. Only revealed in glimpses, a momentary loss of control or within the safety of intimacy. Now they had all escaped onto the surface.’
This book is a quiet reckoning not to be ignored. I am not usually a fan of the thriller genre but the synopsis spoke to me and I am ever so glad I listened. With Inga’s clever and powerful prose to reel you in, you will be on the edge of your seat with some shockingly personal and profound events and revelations. It was difficult to put this book down at times.
‘She should have shut it down sooner. The constant stream of information, feeding her anxieties. In the end it had shut her down. Her mind stopped functioning, then her body, alone inside that locked apartment. And now they were trying to do it all over again.’
The pacing is spot on. The characterisation is captivating. The plot is chilling … terrifyingly so with Inga placing you at the heart of the consequences of an ‘end of the world’ scenario. Set in Australia’s capital, Canberra, many Australians will empathise with the frightening fires, or remonstrate with how matters are handled when society as you know it is crumbling.
‘It was a world gone silent. Silenced. There was no news. No help. No advice. No solution.’
Inga Simpson is to be congratulated on penning a tale for our times - a dynamic and confronting futuristic story that is sure to captivate its readers. I highly recommend The Last Woman in the World.
‘Maybe that explained the ache in Rachel’s own chest. As if she was picking up the pain of the land itself. The tipping point, when it came, had been so quick. For the decade Rachel had been hidden away, she had minimised her footprint - done no harm - but she had not helped, either. And now it was too late. Isaiah, if he survived, would never see half the things she had seen, taken for granted, gulped down.’
November 7, 2021
This was a silly page turner. Dystopian fiction is my absolute favourite but this was a pale imitation of what has come before. It felt very derivative of BirdBox and fell way short. I didn't believe in or buy the choices of the main character AT ALL. Reading all these reviews about how exquisite the writing was- well it's not horrible but it wasn't anything to write home about either. What about the plot people, what about the plot? It's like a big mac- good enough at the time but not something you feel good about later. 3 stars.
March 31, 2024
Once more to the end of the world. This time, not a virus but an entity that lives on your fear making you, quite literally, die of fright. We never quite find out how the thing started but the indications are that it's all our fault. Good new is you can fend it off with pop music and babies. Story starts off really really well, a real sense of place (SE Australia) and feeling of isolation but once you get halfway though, the whole thing just peters out into just another dystopian road trip. Feels a bit Birdboxy, but not as good.
3.5 rounded up because we have chocolate!!!!!
3.5 rounded up because we have chocolate!!!!!
November 18, 2021
I’ve enjoyed Inga Simpson’s previous books but I found this one disappointing. I didn’t think there was much depth to, or much to like about, the characters and the whole book is really just following them as they traipse across the countryside, past repeated carnage, up and down mountains, in and out of shelter. The end of the world, and the book, seemed a long time coming.
November 27, 2021
Not a bad effort for a post apocalyptic novel, one of my fave genres. Has quite page turn-ish qualities. Not really sure about the force that kills humanity however - was a bit vague and is likely better on screen than in a novel. You have to suspend belief somewhat too, but as it’s entertaining I didn’t mind. 3.5 stars.
April 19, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this apocalyptic road-trip novel. I know the areas that the novel is set, like the back of my hand, and could easily picture the places as I listened to the compelling narrative.
A really interesting take on the genre and I loved the strong female leads.
My first of Inga Simpson's and I really need to get to the two others of hers that I have on my shelves at home.
A really interesting take on the genre and I loved the strong female leads.
My first of Inga Simpson's and I really need to get to the two others of hers that I have on my shelves at home.
January 24, 2023
Beautiful. I went in expecting a horror type post apocalyptic story and instead was surprised by a story of two women’s perseverance and strength, as well as a stunningly written analogy of the world today. It was not what I expected but I was pleasantly surprised.
March 6, 2022
This is a great story. I couldn’t read quickly enough to find out what would happen.
October 31, 2021
Simpson's writing is beautiful. Eloquent and rich and full of detail that I am sure I don't appreciate enough. Contextually her writing offers up a visceral sense that's hard to explain and even I was able to 'feel' the setting of this narrative and the fear, panic and resoluteness of our characters.
The pacing of this book is great. Hannah and Rachel (and baby Isaiah) are thrown curveball after curveball. They're not just being pursued by 'them' - the shadows responsible for the seemingly sudden deaths of almost everyone - but there are also other survivors threatening them, militia and well... the elements - namely fire.
The thing I struggled most with here was the 'enemy'. Simpson is vague about 'them', about the shadows. People die painful and desperate deaths it seems but we don't learn how. I was worried I'd missed some deeper meaning - that there was no 'them', that we were in fact fighting against ourselves... against creatures we'd manifested.
This is a really intelligent book by Simpson. Despite my inability to define and understand 'the shadows' I was glued to the unfolding plot.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
The pacing of this book is great. Hannah and Rachel (and baby Isaiah) are thrown curveball after curveball. They're not just being pursued by 'them' - the shadows responsible for the seemingly sudden deaths of almost everyone - but there are also other survivors threatening them, militia and well... the elements - namely fire.
The thing I struggled most with here was the 'enemy'. Simpson is vague about 'them', about the shadows. People die painful and desperate deaths it seems but we don't learn how. I was worried I'd missed some deeper meaning - that there was no 'them', that we were in fact fighting against ourselves... against creatures we'd manifested.
This is a really intelligent book by Simpson. Despite my inability to define and understand 'the shadows' I was glued to the unfolding plot.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
December 22, 2022
This book is definitely a page turner, but partly because as the reader I am desperate for something to happen.
I loved the premise but felt that every aspect of the book could have been given more depth. The characters, the enemy even the descriptions of the landscape left me wanting.
2.5 stars
I loved the premise but felt that every aspect of the book could have been given more depth. The characters, the enemy even the descriptions of the landscape left me wanting.
2.5 stars
May 5, 2022
4.5*
Thrilling, gripping, important message
Thrilling, gripping, important message
March 10, 2022
Rachel lives alone in isolation, but when the majority of people have suddenly died mysteriously she is faced with the task of aiding Hannah, a young mother, and her sick baby.
‘The Last Woman In The World’ is a book about overcoming anxiety and fear in the face of insurmountable horror in order to survive and help others.
A lot of the ideas feel half-baked and the suspense is lacking, but it’s a perfectly enjoyable book that reflects what the world has been through lately, however in the end it feels rather underwhelming when compared to similar books such as ‘Bird Box’ by Josh Malerman and ‘The Fireman’ by Joe Hill (both of which I highly recommend!).
If you’re looking for an apocalyptic thriller with high stakes, a little horror and a heartfelt story then this is the book for you.
‘The Last Woman In The World’ is a book about overcoming anxiety and fear in the face of insurmountable horror in order to survive and help others.
A lot of the ideas feel half-baked and the suspense is lacking, but it’s a perfectly enjoyable book that reflects what the world has been through lately, however in the end it feels rather underwhelming when compared to similar books such as ‘Bird Box’ by Josh Malerman and ‘The Fireman’ by Joe Hill (both of which I highly recommend!).
If you’re looking for an apocalyptic thriller with high stakes, a little horror and a heartfelt story then this is the book for you.
January 16, 2022
"People were not like glass, they couldn't be melted down, remade"
August 9, 2023
A book I received via The End of The World Reading Club which was further enhanced by having little gifts to unwrap at pertinent points in the book 😃
Really well written, well paced and intriguing. An excellent example of my favourite dystopian/apocalyptic genre.
Really well written, well paced and intriguing. An excellent example of my favourite dystopian/apocalyptic genre.
February 3, 2022
Inga Simpson's books all demonstrate her love of the natural world, and her horror at how we are treating it. In The Last Woman in the World she goes one step further, showing us a world that has been all but destroyed by our foolishness: first with fire due to climate change, then pandemic and finally a mysterious death that is causing mass destruction.
Rachel deliberately lives alone. She is an artist; creating beautiful objects with glass. She's traumatised by the fires that swept the country and has removed herself from the outside world, only seeing her sister and another friend occasionally. When a young woman with her baby hammers on her door one morning, she wants nothing to do with them. But she hears the terror in the mother's voice and lets them in. The world has been swept by a mysterious death that kills thousands in an instant. Together, Rachel and Hannah must leave the safety of her home to travel to Canberra with baby Isaiah to find him antibiotics, and also find Rachel's beloved sister.
This novel is relentless. The horrors they encounter on their journey are straight out of a Stephen King book. I couldn't put it down. I was totally invested in these women and their journey. Rachel's affinity with the natural world is visceral and the trauma she feels from the destruction wrought by the bushfires is physical:
The mysterious disease is never fully explained, but I saw it as a physical manifestation of despair, sweeping through the population. Why did some survive? The answer to that question is, of course, the cure for mankind. But you have to read the book to find out!
Rachel deliberately lives alone. She is an artist; creating beautiful objects with glass. She's traumatised by the fires that swept the country and has removed herself from the outside world, only seeing her sister and another friend occasionally. When a young woman with her baby hammers on her door one morning, she wants nothing to do with them. But she hears the terror in the mother's voice and lets them in. The world has been swept by a mysterious death that kills thousands in an instant. Together, Rachel and Hannah must leave the safety of her home to travel to Canberra with baby Isaiah to find him antibiotics, and also find Rachel's beloved sister.
This novel is relentless. The horrors they encounter on their journey are straight out of a Stephen King book. I couldn't put it down. I was totally invested in these women and their journey. Rachel's affinity with the natural world is visceral and the trauma she feels from the destruction wrought by the bushfires is physical:
Another ten minutes and she would have lost everything. Not that any of that would have mattered, not compared to what had been lost. Billions of trees and animals. The pain rushed up in her chest, her heartbeat too fast, breathing too shallow. As if the land was her body.
The mysterious disease is never fully explained, but I saw it as a physical manifestation of despair, sweeping through the population. Why did some survive? The answer to that question is, of course, the cure for mankind. But you have to read the book to find out!
October 27, 2021
‘AFTER THE FIRES. AFTER THE VIRUS. THEY CAME.
It’s night, and the walls of Rachel’s home creak as they settle into the cover of darkness. Fear has led her to a reclusive life on the land, her only occasional contact with her sister.
A hammering on the door. There stands a mother, Hannah, with a sick baby. They are running for their lives from a mysterious death sweeping the Australian countryside.
Now Rachel must face her worst fears: should she take up the fight to help these strangers survive in a society she has rejected for so long?’
This book was amazing.
This book had me hooked from the very first page and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I was not only compelled by the powerful story that was being told but also by the fantastic writing.
I am not usually a fan of thrillers as they tend to give away the ending too early and I lose interest once I figure out what is going on. This book was so smartly written and well-paced that I didn’t predict what was going to happen which made for a fantastic reading experience.
I won’t go into too much detail about the plot of the story as I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that it was chilling. The story felt so real and human which made it all the more terrifying.
The story itself wouldn’t have worked if it was for the three-dimensional, human characters. I loved the way that the characters dealt with various situations in different ways; this made for an interesting dynamic between the characters.
Inga Simpson has done a fabulous job with this book. The plot was brilliant, the characters were perfect, and the writing was captivating.
I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. This is one of my favourite reads of the year.
The Last Woman In The World by Inga Simpson is a fantastic novel that you don’t want to miss.
Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress.com
It’s night, and the walls of Rachel’s home creak as they settle into the cover of darkness. Fear has led her to a reclusive life on the land, her only occasional contact with her sister.
A hammering on the door. There stands a mother, Hannah, with a sick baby. They are running for their lives from a mysterious death sweeping the Australian countryside.
Now Rachel must face her worst fears: should she take up the fight to help these strangers survive in a society she has rejected for so long?’
This book was amazing.
This book had me hooked from the very first page and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I was not only compelled by the powerful story that was being told but also by the fantastic writing.
I am not usually a fan of thrillers as they tend to give away the ending too early and I lose interest once I figure out what is going on. This book was so smartly written and well-paced that I didn’t predict what was going to happen which made for a fantastic reading experience.
I won’t go into too much detail about the plot of the story as I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that it was chilling. The story felt so real and human which made it all the more terrifying.
The story itself wouldn’t have worked if it was for the three-dimensional, human characters. I loved the way that the characters dealt with various situations in different ways; this made for an interesting dynamic between the characters.
Inga Simpson has done a fabulous job with this book. The plot was brilliant, the characters were perfect, and the writing was captivating.
I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. This is one of my favourite reads of the year.
The Last Woman In The World by Inga Simpson is a fantastic novel that you don’t want to miss.
Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress.com
January 2, 2022
Does the World need a Dystopian novel set in a future Canberra? Well, if you're looking for a post-apocalyptic landscape you could do worse than the ACT.
The Last Woman In The World starts off with Rachel, a reclusive glassblower living in a remote studio next to a river deep in Eden-Monaro, visited by a distraught young mother, Hannah, and her sick baby Isaiah. The world, it seems, has collapsed. There are bushfires, there has been a pandemic, and now demons have caused almost everyone to drop dead just where they were standing. Isaiah need antibiotics and Rachel agrees to set out with Hannah, overland, to Nimmitabel where her sister Monique is a GP.
For half the novel, then, this is a road trip through Nimmitabel and on to Canberra. I'll be honest, it dragged. We have seen it before - The Road, Station Eleven and others - dodging the enemy, bushfires and the rogue survivors.
Then when Rachel and Hannah reach Canberra the surreality starts. The demons are there in force; while rival factions of survivors are bunkered up planning their next moves. But like the road trip, once you've got the idea it rather drags on. Oh, and Rachel drip feeds this idea of a devastating incident in her past.
There are passages that are very evocative. I loved the glass-blowing studio and the scenes in and around Parliament. But it felt like there was fair bit of filler to join up these rather accomplished set pieces. Hmmm.
And it is probably a wild coincidence, but the two most recent novels by Kimberley Starr, another Australian writer, have featured demons that only the protagonist can see, and bushfires...
The Last Woman In The World starts off with Rachel, a reclusive glassblower living in a remote studio next to a river deep in Eden-Monaro, visited by a distraught young mother, Hannah, and her sick baby Isaiah. The world, it seems, has collapsed. There are bushfires, there has been a pandemic, and now demons have caused almost everyone to drop dead just where they were standing. Isaiah need antibiotics and Rachel agrees to set out with Hannah, overland, to Nimmitabel where her sister Monique is a GP.
For half the novel, then, this is a road trip through Nimmitabel and on to Canberra. I'll be honest, it dragged. We have seen it before - The Road, Station Eleven and others - dodging the enemy, bushfires and the rogue survivors.
Then when Rachel and Hannah reach Canberra the surreality starts. The demons are there in force; while rival factions of survivors are bunkered up planning their next moves. But like the road trip, once you've got the idea it rather drags on. Oh, and Rachel drip feeds this idea of a devastating incident in her past.
There are passages that are very evocative. I loved the glass-blowing studio and the scenes in and around Parliament. But it felt like there was fair bit of filler to join up these rather accomplished set pieces. Hmmm.
And it is probably a wild coincidence, but the two most recent novels by Kimberley Starr, another Australian writer, have featured demons that only the protagonist can see, and bushfires...
November 13, 2022
I felt many concepts and ideas for a novel that weren't fully explored and expressed within this novel. It's a shame because I quite enjoyed the writing style - the consistent reference to Rachel counting her steps, measuring her breaths, feeling connected to the land and nature around her and describing her glasswork.
It was a journey worth following but the post-apocalyptic concepts didn't feel fully fleshed out. References to a pandemic, fires and now these creatures which aren't ever fully described?
I understand that 'they' are meant to be a topic of uncertainty, but it was all a bit too much going on without much context in a novel of this length in my opinion.
It was a journey worth following but the post-apocalyptic concepts didn't feel fully fleshed out. References to a pandemic, fires and now these creatures which aren't ever fully described?
I understand that 'they' are meant to be a topic of uncertainty, but it was all a bit too much going on without much context in a novel of this length in my opinion.
September 15, 2024
This book has stayed with me, and that’s one of the best compliments I could ever give a book.
The writing is literary but reachable, the story compelling and enticing, the descriptions rich and enveloping, and the emotions are so raw and real it’s hard to believe these characters aren’t real.
The heartbreak tore me apart, the depiction of fear and anxiety is delicious and the haunting quality of this book is something I could only ever dream of reaching as an author myself.
I can’t tell you more without spoiling this book. But it is absolutely worth reading.
The writing is literary but reachable, the story compelling and enticing, the descriptions rich and enveloping, and the emotions are so raw and real it’s hard to believe these characters aren’t real.
The heartbreak tore me apart, the depiction of fear and anxiety is delicious and the haunting quality of this book is something I could only ever dream of reaching as an author myself.
I can’t tell you more without spoiling this book. But it is absolutely worth reading.
January 19, 2022
This is a pacey, post-pandemic dystopian read, ultimately delivering a tale of importance of treading lightly on the natural world, the human need for connection and how to live with anxiety in an uncertain world.
Ray is a glass artist who has cut herself off from the world until her peace is disturbed by a mother and young baby in need of help and with news of a crisis humanity has never before known. They embark on a journey of survival...
- Read by Kate
Ray is a glass artist who has cut herself off from the world until her peace is disturbed by a mother and young baby in need of help and with news of a crisis humanity has never before known. They embark on a journey of survival...
- Read by Kate
January 7, 2022
The setting in and around Canberra made this a very personal book for me as so many of the horrific events happened in places I am familiar with. I would have liked more on the unspecified 'things' attacking people. A physical manifestation of people's fears and anxieties? A commentary on how fearful our lives have become postpost bushfire, post pandemic? A very apposite and disturbing read.
December 16, 2021
Thank you Hachette for sending us a copy to read and review.
The strangulation of a society and it’s slow death seems more realistic after experiencing the worst fires and a pandemic back to back.
Climate change and the sociable nature of humans where a virus has run rampant have had such an impact globally.
What else lurking could possibly cause death and destruction to people already exhausted.
Already living a reclusive life, Rachel hears a hammering on her door.
Reluctantly she opens it to find a young mum and her baby in dire straights.
The baby is ill and the mother scared to death as she witnessed total carnage on the streets.
Something has swept through the town killing the majority and all forms of communication are down.
Together they try and find medical and food supplies to ensure the survival of the baby.
A decision to travel to Canberra to find loved ones will prove perilous, life threatening and will answer unanswered questions.
A scary look into what could happen if life as you know it ends.
Cleverly written and reminiscent of the disasters we have endured will make you realise it wasn’t that bad for us after all.
The suspense had me glued to the pages and the plot had me impressed.
The strangulation of a society and it’s slow death seems more realistic after experiencing the worst fires and a pandemic back to back.
Climate change and the sociable nature of humans where a virus has run rampant have had such an impact globally.
What else lurking could possibly cause death and destruction to people already exhausted.
Already living a reclusive life, Rachel hears a hammering on her door.
Reluctantly she opens it to find a young mum and her baby in dire straights.
The baby is ill and the mother scared to death as she witnessed total carnage on the streets.
Something has swept through the town killing the majority and all forms of communication are down.
Together they try and find medical and food supplies to ensure the survival of the baby.
A decision to travel to Canberra to find loved ones will prove perilous, life threatening and will answer unanswered questions.
A scary look into what could happen if life as you know it ends.
Cleverly written and reminiscent of the disasters we have endured will make you realise it wasn’t that bad for us after all.
The suspense had me glued to the pages and the plot had me impressed.
December 17, 2021
Devoured this book in two days. Loved it!
December 16, 2021
It was the title, The Last Woman In The World that first attracted my attention to the book,
I wanted to know who this “Last Woman” was, how she had survived and where everyone else was. Then the cover further intrigued me, it features a bird trapped within a dome/cage. I think the by-line of, “Fear is her cage, but what’s outside is worse” it certainly has you thinking about who this feeling or being caged by their own fear and what could be even worse on the outside of their cage. The genres I have seen listed for this book are General Adult Fiction and Literary Fiction and though I agree with those I would also add Thriller, and Post Apocalyptic. In fact, I feel I should also add the book could be categorised as Speculative Fiction with some horror thrown in.
The book is set in a world that has been ravaged by wild fires, hit by a pandemic and more recently survivors are being dying because of what is referred to in the book as “them”.
The main characters in the book are Rachel, who lives isolated, very much by choice and is quite self-sufficient. To make a living Rachel sells her art which she makes out of blown and shaped glass. Rachel is the type of person who has a place for everything and everything in its place sort of person. Rachel doesn’t even go anywhere for supplies or to deliver her artwork, she has a woman called Mia who comes to her to drop off supplies and collect and deliver her art pieces. Mia has performed this service for many years, the only other person Rachel really interacts with is her older sister Monique who supplies her with medication for her anxiety. Rachel much prefers her own company and solitude. Rachel’s homestead is surrounded by a high wall with the only way in being a very visible pathway. Throughout all the recent problems of wild fires, Rachel has helped to fight them, then returned to her haven. Rachel has just begun to wonder where Mia is, that her visit with supplies etc is a little overdue when she hears a knock on her door. Rachel’s first reaction is to turn off the lights, and pretend no one is in. Hoping whoever it is will travel on to someone else’s property for whatever they need. The woman at the door has seen the lights on in Rachels home and is desperate for help for her baby son, whose cries of distress are the thing that finally push Rachel into answering her door.
The woman is, Hannah and she is alone with her ill baby Isaiah. She is desperate for help with poorly Isaiah who has a cough and a high temperature. Hannah’s husband works away in a nearby town, the other side of Nimmitabel, where Monique, Rachel’s sister lives with her partner Bill. Rachel allows Hannah and her baby to stay overnight but it soon becomes apparent that both Hannah and her baby need Rachel to travel with them if they have any chance at all of survival. Rachel agrees to accompany them to Nimmitabel where her sister Monique works as both Doctor & Vet. Rachel reassures Hannah that Monique will help baby Isaiah.
The book goes on to tell the story of the two women travelling in search of help for Isaiah, the people, problems and the trio trying to keep “them” out of their own heads so “they” cannot claim and kill the trio. Sadly, when they arrive at Nimmitabel, it seems they have missed Monique and Bill by hours. With danger all around them they decide to press on, with Hannah wanting to find her husband and Rachel wanting to catch up with her sister Monique.
I think this book may once have been read and perhaps some would have referred to the pandemic parts in it as being a little far-fetched. However, in light of the recent events and circumstances surrounding Covid-19, the pandemic references in the book are so very easily believable. The book seems to amble on rather slowly in some sections, yet it still kept me wanting to read more of the book. The whole “them” is kind of left to the reader to draw their own conclusions about.
To sum up I found this a really difficult book to rate, as though I did enjoy it, it also felt a little laboured in places. I felt the book was more about the growth and changes within the character of Rachel, and the fact she has to face situations outside her normal comfort zone in order to help Hannah and Isaiah. The fires, the pandemic, and “they/them” felt secondary issues in the book.
I wanted to know who this “Last Woman” was, how she had survived and where everyone else was. Then the cover further intrigued me, it features a bird trapped within a dome/cage. I think the by-line of, “Fear is her cage, but what’s outside is worse” it certainly has you thinking about who this feeling or being caged by their own fear and what could be even worse on the outside of their cage. The genres I have seen listed for this book are General Adult Fiction and Literary Fiction and though I agree with those I would also add Thriller, and Post Apocalyptic. In fact, I feel I should also add the book could be categorised as Speculative Fiction with some horror thrown in.
The book is set in a world that has been ravaged by wild fires, hit by a pandemic and more recently survivors are being dying because of what is referred to in the book as “them”.
The main characters in the book are Rachel, who lives isolated, very much by choice and is quite self-sufficient. To make a living Rachel sells her art which she makes out of blown and shaped glass. Rachel is the type of person who has a place for everything and everything in its place sort of person. Rachel doesn’t even go anywhere for supplies or to deliver her artwork, she has a woman called Mia who comes to her to drop off supplies and collect and deliver her art pieces. Mia has performed this service for many years, the only other person Rachel really interacts with is her older sister Monique who supplies her with medication for her anxiety. Rachel much prefers her own company and solitude. Rachel’s homestead is surrounded by a high wall with the only way in being a very visible pathway. Throughout all the recent problems of wild fires, Rachel has helped to fight them, then returned to her haven. Rachel has just begun to wonder where Mia is, that her visit with supplies etc is a little overdue when she hears a knock on her door. Rachel’s first reaction is to turn off the lights, and pretend no one is in. Hoping whoever it is will travel on to someone else’s property for whatever they need. The woman at the door has seen the lights on in Rachels home and is desperate for help for her baby son, whose cries of distress are the thing that finally push Rachel into answering her door.
The woman is, Hannah and she is alone with her ill baby Isaiah. She is desperate for help with poorly Isaiah who has a cough and a high temperature. Hannah’s husband works away in a nearby town, the other side of Nimmitabel, where Monique, Rachel’s sister lives with her partner Bill. Rachel allows Hannah and her baby to stay overnight but it soon becomes apparent that both Hannah and her baby need Rachel to travel with them if they have any chance at all of survival. Rachel agrees to accompany them to Nimmitabel where her sister Monique works as both Doctor & Vet. Rachel reassures Hannah that Monique will help baby Isaiah.
The book goes on to tell the story of the two women travelling in search of help for Isaiah, the people, problems and the trio trying to keep “them” out of their own heads so “they” cannot claim and kill the trio. Sadly, when they arrive at Nimmitabel, it seems they have missed Monique and Bill by hours. With danger all around them they decide to press on, with Hannah wanting to find her husband and Rachel wanting to catch up with her sister Monique.
I think this book may once have been read and perhaps some would have referred to the pandemic parts in it as being a little far-fetched. However, in light of the recent events and circumstances surrounding Covid-19, the pandemic references in the book are so very easily believable. The book seems to amble on rather slowly in some sections, yet it still kept me wanting to read more of the book. The whole “them” is kind of left to the reader to draw their own conclusions about.
To sum up I found this a really difficult book to rate, as though I did enjoy it, it also felt a little laboured in places. I felt the book was more about the growth and changes within the character of Rachel, and the fact she has to face situations outside her normal comfort zone in order to help Hannah and Isaiah. The fires, the pandemic, and “they/them” felt secondary issues in the book.
December 23, 2021
4.5/5 but I'll round it up
Fear has lead Rachel to living life as a recluse, distanced from social media, the news, and almost everyone - except her sister and Mia.
Then they knocked. Hannah and her sick baby Isiah stood at Rachel's door begging for help.
Rachel's fear tells her to keep the door closed, but she opens it anyway.
Wow! I loved this book!
Short chapters 👏 Set in Australia 👏 Action packed from the third chapter 👏
I'm not usually a big fan of dystopian settings but I was captivated by the descriptive landscape and the way this felt like it was in the near future. I was at the edge of my seat reading this.
Rachel's character is exceptional. Although I would have love to have heard a little more about her backstory. You see how she's resourceful and independent, and I feel like there's a lot of emphasis on her mental state (which may be a TW for some), but the reason why is only briefly touched on. Nevertheless, she's a worthy main character and easy to follow.
I read a couple of other reviews from readers who said they didn't really understand *them*. Whereas I feel like I was so immersed in the post-bushfires and post-pandemic scene, it felt as if they were the land's way of revenge. What I didn't understand and why it lost half a star for me, was how they were killing people.
Thank you to Hachette Australia for gifting me this advanced copy in one of their giveaway competitions.
As always, all opinions are genuine and my own.
Fear has lead Rachel to living life as a recluse, distanced from social media, the news, and almost everyone - except her sister and Mia.
Then they knocked. Hannah and her sick baby Isiah stood at Rachel's door begging for help.
Rachel's fear tells her to keep the door closed, but she opens it anyway.
Wow! I loved this book!
Short chapters 👏 Set in Australia 👏 Action packed from the third chapter 👏
I'm not usually a big fan of dystopian settings but I was captivated by the descriptive landscape and the way this felt like it was in the near future. I was at the edge of my seat reading this.
Rachel's character is exceptional. Although I would have love to have heard a little more about her backstory. You see how she's resourceful and independent, and I feel like there's a lot of emphasis on her mental state (which may be a TW for some), but the reason why is only briefly touched on. Nevertheless, she's a worthy main character and easy to follow.
I read a couple of other reviews from readers who said they didn't really understand *them*. Whereas I feel like I was so immersed in the post-bushfires and post-pandemic scene, it felt as if they were the land's way of revenge. What I didn't understand and why it lost half a star for me, was how they were killing people.
Thank you to Hachette Australia for gifting me this advanced copy in one of their giveaway competitions.
As always, all opinions are genuine and my own.
March 4, 2022
The Last Woman in the World ends up in a Canberra, ringed by fire, threatened by both right-wing militias and shadow-like creatures that feed on fear, wiping out most of the population and civic society.
...
It marks the advent of novels, sure to continue over the next decades, when the years of pandemic of the early 2020s are background facts. The tension is ratcheted up by not really knowing who is friend or foe, although this is clearer by the end. Those shadowy figures - them- remain ambiguous and other, not ever fully realised or explained. The explanation for why some people seem to be immune to the influence of them strains credulity a bit and the ending was perhaps a bit too neat for my liking.
However, it was good to read a pursuit story like this where the protagonists were women. While disturbing, it is not as nihilistic as Cormac McCarthy's The Road (and I'm glad that it's not), and I enjoyed reading Canberra as a familiar, if eerily quiet, setting. But I'm still bemused by the title, which is not even accurate. Or did I miss something?
For my complete review, please visit:
https://residentjudge.com/2022/03/04/...
...
It marks the advent of novels, sure to continue over the next decades, when the years of pandemic of the early 2020s are background facts. The tension is ratcheted up by not really knowing who is friend or foe, although this is clearer by the end. Those shadowy figures - them- remain ambiguous and other, not ever fully realised or explained. The explanation for why some people seem to be immune to the influence of them strains credulity a bit and the ending was perhaps a bit too neat for my liking.
However, it was good to read a pursuit story like this where the protagonists were women. While disturbing, it is not as nihilistic as Cormac McCarthy's The Road (and I'm glad that it's not), and I enjoyed reading Canberra as a familiar, if eerily quiet, setting. But I'm still bemused by the title, which is not even accurate. Or did I miss something?
For my complete review, please visit:
https://residentjudge.com/2022/03/04/...
February 10, 2022
An Australian novel which had a really good idea that managed to maintain my interest until about half way through the book but then I either started to get bored or started to overthink things wondering what was going to happen. I'm really not sure which. I skim read the last third of the book to find out what happened so I guess I was somewhat invested (although it may also have been because the book was well overdue at the library). The characters were good, and the conclusion was kind of satisfying but I was left a bit frustrated at not knowing more about the shadows (maybe that was the point??).
Although an adult fiction book there would be a lot to unpack here in terms of environmental themes, our impact on the earth, survival and trauma. There is nothing too graphic which is why I added a tag for YA as senior classes could use it for study. And of course if you were from that part of Australia you would be able to relate a lot more to the setting to engage you with the story.
Although an adult fiction book there would be a lot to unpack here in terms of environmental themes, our impact on the earth, survival and trauma. There is nothing too graphic which is why I added a tag for YA as senior classes could use it for study. And of course if you were from that part of Australia you would be able to relate a lot more to the setting to engage you with the story.
January 18, 2022
Dystopian fiction does not normally grab me and keep me captivated. Having lived for years in Canberra and Southern NSW Simpson’s attention to the natural environment is reverent, despairing grips the reader. Rachel, the protagonist grapples with modern living and prefers to isolate herself in the post fire world attending to her glass crafting skills. The fires and the pandemic are but forerunners for “they” and “them” a mysterious new virus that attacks the physical and the inner self, its carriers may be human or maybe ghosts? Who knows? They create havoc and challenge our sense of the contemporary world.
We don’t learn much about Rachel until the flight through the terror stricken world around Nimmitabel and Canberra. Current debates about the strength of vaccines, mask wearing hit the mark.
My lasting impression is the significance of companionship in our current pandemic, natural catastrophe, crazy ideological, fake world!
We don’t learn much about Rachel until the flight through the terror stricken world around Nimmitabel and Canberra. Current debates about the strength of vaccines, mask wearing hit the mark.
My lasting impression is the significance of companionship in our current pandemic, natural catastrophe, crazy ideological, fake world!
December 13, 2021
If you're looking for a near-future dystopian thriller to start the festive reading season, this is it!
Rachel is a reclusive creative, but is drawn into a fight to survive when a young mother turns up at her door and tells her something is very wrong in town.
Set in the near-future (post-NSW bushfires and immediately post-pandemic), Rachel and Hannah battle another threat to human existence: a threat that preys on their greatest fears.
Simpson's landscapes are vivid and recognisable, and the thriller is so compelling that I was reading til midnight. There were a few moments at which I stumbled over the implausibility of some events but for the most part, I was held captive by Simpson's prose.
Rachel is a reclusive creative, but is drawn into a fight to survive when a young mother turns up at her door and tells her something is very wrong in town.
Set in the near-future (post-NSW bushfires and immediately post-pandemic), Rachel and Hannah battle another threat to human existence: a threat that preys on their greatest fears.
Simpson's landscapes are vivid and recognisable, and the thriller is so compelling that I was reading til midnight. There were a few moments at which I stumbled over the implausibility of some events but for the most part, I was held captive by Simpson's prose.
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