The Last Applicant

by Rebecca Hanover

From award-winning author Rebecca Hanover comes an emotional thrill ride about two women whose lives take a dangerous turn in the high-stakes arena of private school admissions.

Audrey Singer revels in her position as the admissions director of an exclusive Manhattan private school. Parents cater to her whims and desires, desperate to give their children an edge. Audrey’s power is undeniable; privilege comes with the territory. Her perfect marriage completes the glossy picture of her life.

Until the arrival of the neurotic, vulnerable Sarah Price. Determined to get her son into the city’s most coveted kindergarten class, Sarah inserts herself into Audrey’s world, testing boundaries at every turn. For Sarah, everything Audrey has is a potential target: her job, her friends…even her marriage.

But what seems to be another ploy by an overachieving mother takes a dark and ominous turn. Sarah seems to be hiding secrets of her own. Are her designs on Audrey’s life purely about getting what she wants for her son?

Or is there something more sinister at play in this cutthroat game?

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2023

About the author

Rebecca Hanover is the NY Times bestselling author of THE SIMILARS series and two domestic thrillers, THE LAST APPLICANT (2023) and SEEMS PERFECT (2025). She earned a bachelor of arts from Stanford University in English and drama and won an Emmy as a staff writer on the CBS daytime drama Guiding Light. (It's surprisingly heavy, and has scary sharp wings).

Rebecca lives in San Francisco with her husband and three kiddos, where she enjoys matcha lattes, hoodies, and a complete lack of seasons.

Instagram: @rebeccahanover
Twitter: @rebeccahanover

Reviews

[Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guys this is sooo good!! 😍Huge shoutout to @mbc_books for putting this fantastic thriller in my hands!! Thank you for this gorgeous gifted copy!! 🥰🥰 If this cover doesn’t SCREAM dark academia… well I don’t know what does! 😍 Pub date is October 24th!! 🥳🥳

Why did I love this?? Listen to this… An exclusive private school 🏫 in Manhattan … where the parents will do anything.. and I do mean ANYTHING to get their child accepted. 😏So if you happen to be Audrey Singer… admissions director.. that means you are the talk of the town…😉 … Audrey knows she has all these fancy pants 👖 moms at her beck and call… that is until Sarah Price… 😳 …then things get very.. very.. interesting.. 😬

Wow!! This took a direction that I was not expecting at all. It quickly ramped into a dark psychological thriller. Umm yes please!! 🙋‍♀️ I never saw that coming. 🤷‍♀️

It got crazier and darker as it progressed… exactly how I like it!! I really can say no more… because it was so unexpected…and twisted… that I really must..🤐🤐🤐

This was my first @rebeccahanover book and I loved it!! I don’t even really know what to say it is… it’s dark academia… psychological thriller… whatever the hell it is I LOVED it. 😂 Let’s just say it’s all the things your little thriller loving hearts desire!! 🖤

[Laura Lovesreading · Rating 2 out of 5]

Desperation will really have you doing the most stupidest things

I am pretty sure the author saw the hype around such books like Verity and has read way too many Freida McFadden books and thought 'Hold my Cocktail' 😖
The Last Applicant was completely BATS&!T ABSURD and not in the fun entertaining way!
The blurb had me thinking this would be a Dark Academia kind of read with unhinged privileged women, and I was pumped.
It started off strong and I was intrigued by the two main women, but abut 30% in I was swept into some kind of vortex and I truly believed there was an editorial problem and they had mistakenly added another authors book into the mix!!
So I said 'Ok you know what Laura, just go with it, there must be a method to the madness right?' ... WRONG! It got more insane (I'll put my hands up, the first twist did have me shouting WTF) and then it became mundane again. Then for whatever Godforsaken reason, the author decided to completely let LOOOOOOOOSE on the ending! Like she honestly went inside the 'Nonsensical bags of tricks endings' and picked the worst one out! My Gosh Eye Roll galore was going down in my home!!!
Someone please make it make sense!
I was going to originally give it a 3.5 ⭐ and chop it up to it being an unhinged, convoluted Thriller, but that ENDING pissed me all the way off!!!!!!!!!!

[Jayne · Rating 1 out of 5]

First applicant, last applicant.

Did I select the wrong candidate/book?

"The Last Applicant" was described as an admissions drama.

Instead, it veered off course into a "Swinger" book.

NOT FOR ME!

There were many 5-star reviews for this title so I am clearly on "Outlier Island"

I listened to the audiobook read by Samara Naeymi and Rebecca Mozo.

The narration was good but not great.

One star, rounded up.

[L.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

All books have a purpose and this one was to entertain and keep you on edge as a psychological thriller. I found it suspenseful, as families vie for entry into a private school in Manhattan. Audrey, as the admissions director, holds the cards for acceptance. Some parents will do anything to gain her attention for their child or sometimes for themselves. Gathering at socials, serenading her with lavish gifts and dinners, she holds her position with arrogance and status.
Then there is Sarah, a former student now trying to get her son in. She does everything wrong by sending ludicrous emails after drinking too much. The socials become cutthroat events and some of Sarah's attempts fall short by testing the waters and attempting to crush other applicant’s dreams. She will do anything to get her son in.
The book has a jaw dropping twist that left me shocked and saddened. It becomes an emotional tactic for reasons you need to read to get any info.
I dropped the rating because there are "swinger" scenes that are not for me and I did not enjoy reading. Other than that it has a great premise.
I listen to the audio by Samara Naeymi and Rebecca Hanover which works perfect for the dual POVs for Sarah and Audrey.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t really have any firm expectations about this one before I started it, I just knew I wanted something suspenseful and the whole private school admissions vibes sounded like an ideal fall read. It definitely delivered on both the suspense and the fall vibes but it also surprised me by how twisty and addicting it was.

You get dual perspectives, Audrey who is head of admissions at Easton and Sarah who is beyond desperate to secure a spot for her son in Easton’s next kindergarten class. Sarah’s desperation causes her to develop an unhealthy obsession with not only the school itself, but with Audrey too and nothing in Audrey’s life is off limits. That’s all I’ll say but I loved how the author explored obsession and how not only was this a tense ride, there was an emotional complexity to the characters that sucked me in. I loved the creeping sense of dread that intensified as the book progressed, I loved the NYC setting and I loved the explosive ending. Definitely recommended as a really great fall suspense read.

[Rebecca Hanover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait for you to read the book that haunted my dreams these past two years!

[Misstdennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I genuinely don’t understand where all of these 5 stars are coming from?

It started off so strong and on edge but it took such a stupid turn around 30%, like completely stupid.
There were plot holes, messy story lines and now I have a headache from the amount of times I rolled my eyes.

[Susan Z (webreakforbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adult debut? For real? This makes it to my all time favorites list.

At the halfway mark something happens. And it looks like this 🤯 I read a sentence, and then reread it. Then reread a section. And said "no! What is going on?" 🤯that's what was going on.

I settled into this crazy story until about two-thirds of the way through. And then Rebecca Hanover did it again. This time it looked like like 🤯🤯😭 I had to pause because I was shook.

The crazy continued to the bitter end. I will never forget this story. Never. Ever

[Samra Faruki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off really nicely. Then there was a twist I did not see coming. It was cleverly done however it took away from the original story. And then there was another twist. I kind of had a few suspicions in regards to that so it wasn’t a complete surprise. However there was another twist. And then another. There were so many twists I was like what is going on? But I had to finish the book because I wanted to see what happened at the end. The original story was good but after all the twists, it wasn’t as fun anymore. Oh well.

[Sabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turned out to be better than I expected. And I liked the twists added!

The whole dark academia vibe with the story direction towards the parents added a new touch!

[Alicia Erasmus · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should sue for the amount of brain cells I lost reading this.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book, I read because I was reviewing it. The book did have a few moments of mystery, however; it was more demented and way too much TMI! Spoiler alert~ I really didn't need the three-way sex in the book. It made absolutely no sense to until later in the book and I still didn't like it. If your into that stuff, Enjoy! If I wasn't reviewing it I would have tossed the book very quickly.

[Jeanette DeSantis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed the first half of the book. I actually thought to myself, “Finally a well written thriller with an interesting plot!” Then, on a dime, the story did a 180 and became a whole different book. It is quite obvious that the author felt she needed to stay relevant with a topic du jour “twist” that I had no interest in reading. I was really disappointed.

[Jaden · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost didn’t finish at 50% because things got so weird but I was still curious how it would end.. wasn’t worth it lols

[Christina Faris (books_by_the_bottle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audrey Singer loves her position as the admissions’ director at an upscale private school. She spends her days reviewing applications and meeting parents. With her position comes prestige and power; Audrey is used to parents trying to impress her to give their kids a leg up to enter the school. One evening, she receives a late application with an email from Sarah Price begging for her son’s application to be considered, even though it’s past the deadline. Audrey is amused by Sarah’s brashness and decides to give her a chance. Sarah immediately integrates herself in Audrey’s life; at school, in her private life and in her marriage. It becomes clear that Sarah will stop at nothing to get her son into this school. Audrey wonders if she’s made a terrible mistake.

This story was wild! I loved the two female main characters, Audrey and Sarah, how they both displayed such determination for what they wanted (even though they got a little crazy at times!) Told in alternating dual perspectives, we get to see what led Sarah to seek out this school specifically, and how Audrey got her job. I wasn’t sure at times which of these women was more unstable, but it sure was fun trying to figure it out! Filled with twists I didn’t see coming, “The Last Applicant” also showcased the sheer resolve of motherhood and just how far one would go for her child. Even though the lengths Sarah went through were extreme, the love she had for her son radiated off the pages.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Rebecca Hanover for the ARC! “The Last Applicant” is out now! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) in the near future.

[Nicole Wuthering Vines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark academia is one of my favourite tropes and I loveeee a good private school setting! This one has some captivating and complex characters and it gave me total soap opera vibes.

I completely flew through this one as I needed to know where it was going! I definitely didn’t see some of the twists coming which made it incredibly addicting!

While this one was missing just a little something for me that I can’t quite put my finger on, it was still very entertaining and a fast and fun read!

3.5 rounded to 4 for goodreads

[R L HERSKOWITZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It looks like I may be an outlier.
Bizarre
Intriguing
Kept me reading, but unfortunately not my favorite book.
Just not the type of book I enjoy or that really interests me.

Please read other reviews to see more about this novel & other people’s opinions.

[Krissy (books_and_biceps9155) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I must say, I went into this one blind. The only thing I knew was that it was dark academia which is one of my favorite tropes so I was IN. I was pleasantly surprised because I got so much more than that! This is juicy, filled with naughty drama and took a major turn half way through that completely blinded sided me in the best way.

This is told from dual perspectives and in 5 parts. We get to know both Audrey and Sarah through this and I think having it set up that way really made the story that much more addicting. I don’t want to give too much away but I loved the way this book explored obsession in all of its faucets. It was suspenseful and I did not want to put it down. I have The Similars by Hanover and I might just have to pick that up sooner than later.

[Sydney Harman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars rounded up
Full disclosure I got this book for free in a giveaway so I had no expectations going into it!

The first third was gripping and pulled you in. However about 30% into the book it takes on a completely different direction. I could see the switch in direction being very polarizing for readers. Some will love it and be drawn in even more and I think it’ll turn others away. I’m not sure how I felt about direction of the story. It felt like I was reading a book about a completely different topic at first. In the end I think it made sense for the final direction the book went in.

The end of the book provided a satisfying thriller turn and wrapped up well.

[LV · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not sure what it is with me and books that obviously take time in the 2020s. Couldn’t help rolling my eyes when “tbh”, “AirPods”, Instagram comments being liked were mentioned. I think I just prefer when books hardly mention what we commonly use now?

This book was a bit of a drag. Did the author really have to describe step by step turning on an iPhone? Really? Like “I held my phone. Turned it on. Lined it up to my face. Waited for the FaceID to activate. I press on my messages” like…seriously?

This book felt like a loooong road-trip. Just sitting there waiting for it to end.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up!
I’ll be posting my full review on IG @ladybug_shirls

This one was surprisingly twisty and awesome!

[Jan Pitts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my type book. Do not recommend.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why I take a chance on these KU books sometimes :(

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There is no handbook for how to prepare for a threesome.”

Two women hide their deepest fears-and darkest secrets-while striving to achieve the best for their children and themselves.

Oooh this was so deliciously dark and devious! I was swept away into this world of cut throat preschool admissions at a prestigious NYC school where the mothers make it their mission to ensure that their babies get the best of the best.

I went into this one blind and I highly recommend doing that if able. It made the twists all the more jaw dropping when they happened. I didn’t treat this one as a whodunnit so I just got lost in this story and went along with the wild ride @rebeccahanover had me on. I had a hard time putting this one down as it is just so compulsively readable. 10/10 man.

Thank you thank you to @mbc_books, @amazonpublishing, and the author for the #gifted copy.

[Melanie Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

In between 2-3 stars. This story started so strong, but took a very weird turn about 25% of the way in. The storyline was all over the place and I didn’t love how it all turned out. Just an odd story.

[Kori Potenzone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psssstttt....

The Last Applicant, just published and I don't know about you but I definitely did not want to miss out on this one.

boy oh boy does Rebecca Hanover, deliver.

I am not sure what I had expected when I begun but what I actually received after I concluded has left my head spinning right off my shoulders.

I was instantly teleported into a different realm. The chores would go unfinished, my husband would go hungry but I didn't care, I was in way to deep and no one was going to get me to put down my book.

Cue the jaw dropping twist! UMM HELLOOOOO?!?!? what was that?

Before I give anything away, I just want to advise you that you don't WANT this book, you NEED this book.

Check this out :

From award-winning author Rebecca Hanover comes an emotional thrill ride about two women whose lives take a dangerous turn in the high-stakes arena of private school admissions.

Audrey Singer revels in her position as the admissions director of an exclusive Manhattan private school. Parents cater to her whims and desires, desperate to give their children an edge. Audrey’s power is undeniable; privilege comes with the territory. Her perfect marriage completes the glossy picture of her life.

Until the arrival of the neurotic, vulnerable Sarah Price. Determined to get her son into the city’s most coveted kindergarten class, Sarah inserts herself into Audrey’s world, testing boundaries at every turn. For Sarah, everything Audrey has is a potential target: her job, her friends…even her marriage.

But what seems to be another ploy by an overachieving mother takes a dark and ominous turn. Sarah seems to be hiding secrets of her own. Are her designs on Audrey’s life purely about getting what she wants for her son?

Or is there something more sinister at play in this cutthroat game?

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh damn! 3.5 stars ⭐️ Wow!

The synopsis is amazing and definitely draws you in but make no mistake: this is NOT a cut-throat desperate housewives academia novel. This is a book about our main characters, Audrey and Sara (can’t list more because it would be spoilers!).

It was delicious! Loved the book, so much so I think I’ll up my rating to 4 stars. Definitely not a bad book, just know what not to expect from it. In my opinion, the publisher messed up by just giving a tad bit of the plot instead of giving hints of what it actually is about.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m between 2 and 3 stars on this one. The summary sounded so promising and the story started great. But it took a ridiculous turn part way in - to the point I thought I had missed a whole chapter or two! I gave it the benefit of the doubt & saw it through to the end, hoping for some big twisty reveal that would bring everything together. Nope, not the case. I really don’t understand all the raving reviews…

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not sure what this book was trying to do but it went in an unexpected direction and I just can't continue. DNF'd at 60%. Ugh. The high ratings really stump me too. Did we read the same book?! Lol

[Cherylna24 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the weirdest book…like a Lifetime movie on steroids. So many twists happened from out of nowhere that I had no idea what to think or which character to root for.