This is a story about life, not death.

Its December 2023 and the world as we know it has ended. The human race has been wiped out by a virus called 6DM. But somehow in London, one woman is still alive...

I am a huge fan of Dystopian fiction and this story did not disappoint. Although for some the pandemic described may not be a subject matter they are comfortable reading at the moment, I felt that the book was not dark or depressing and I liked the way the author referenced current events through the story.

I enjoyed following the lead characters journey in a post pandemic, post humanity world although I did find myself getting frustrated with her at times. On closer reflection though- I'm not sure I would behave all that differently if I were the only person left alive.

I would recommend!

This is obviously a very relevant book right now. The author acknowledges the pandemic that we are in right now, saying that she’d already started writing this book as COVID came along.

The pandemic scenario in this book is significantly worse than our current one. I enjoyed the way that she wove in our current situation and made comparisons often to it.

For what it is, it’s quite a lighthearted book, easy reading. The main character is dislikeable, but she’s meant to be (I think!!!), well, I certainly didn’t like her, but I enjoyed not liking her if that makes sense?

It’s a really fun book considering the content, it did make me wonder what I would do if I was in her situation, I’d probably get into the same scrapes. Some nasty stuff does happen to her, but she always prevails.

A couple of things did annoy me though, I know plenty of people who take tramadol sometimes, and they’re really not drug addicts to the extent she becomes one. I think another drug would have been more appropriate rather than a legal one which lots of the population take for pain relief - the book seems to indicate that taking a couple will turn you into a junkie...which gives the wrong impression of a perfectly ok drug....the second thing that made me drop a star as well was the end “disaster”. It just felt too obvious? Safe? A bit twee? It just annoyed me that it could have ended better and it felt to me like the author just wanted one more surprise in and that was the last place she could go with it. Meh.

All in all though, this is a fun read, maybe one for a holiday...if we could go on one....

My thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy

I love a good dystopian story, but it always seems that the lead character either has a team of supporting characters who have just the rights skill set or the character themselves was born with survival knowledge.
Last one at the party is different, because the lead character isnt like that. She’s just a normal person who is used to turning the tap on for water, the heating on when she gets cold and getting food from a supermarket. She doesn’t have a big group of friends who happen to be into archery, allotments or other such skills that they may have shared at least some wisdom on. She’s so real and relatable its almost a little scary.

In a world, post covid, where a new pandemic hits – 6DM there is no escape. Everyone is catching it and dying within six days. There is even a pill you can take to kill yourself before it gets too bad. But there is at least one survivor. One woman who is completely lost, and basically flip flops between plans and ideas either due to what she finds, or what she can or cant access. Zigzagging all over the country, with her sidekick Lucky – who really is a CoStar in this story she looks for safe refuge and other survivors.

Whilst the promo for the book is more about survival in the aftermath of a pandemic I think it showcases how animals really can impact our lives. Especially dogs, the unconditional love and support, the motivation and companionship changes how you live your life, which really comes through this story. It also supports why my friend is scared of Pigeons.

Whilst the story is very much in the present, we do get some flashbacks to the past helping build the characters, both alive and dead. These help you judge the characters who didn’t make it past the six days and make you wonder how they would have survived in the newer world.

I loved this book, it was a little different, at times a little too real and there are some parts I wish I hadn’t been eating while reading. I had to keep reading to know if anyone made it to the end, and if so who else was out there, but also I needed to know what happened to Lucky! It made made laugh, chuckle and feel emotional at times, all emotions I rarely get from a dystopan book. I think a lot of people might be thinking about the current Covid world when they read this but for me this is different, yes there are references to ‘during the Covid pandemic’ but its not really part of the story – although the way things are going it feels that this could be more of a warning than fiction, and is almost worth remembering if that days comes!

A deadly virus has taken the world by an infection that will certainly call death in six days for those afflicted. Following a woman and her dog through a journey of self-discovery, filled with humorous yet saddening and emotional yet strengthening undertones, in the midst of utter destruction and fatalities, and the stunting silence of surviving alone, this story builds on the unexpected yet understandable reactions, deeds, and purposes of humanity when something so catastrophic hits without any bias. The fear of an impending doom and the thrill of barricading dangers vividly resonates with every human who feels the need to persevere in their veins — especially with those who witnessed a pandemic gradually unfolding its wings. Last One At The Party is similar to the very many dystopian books in the usual themes it explored, yet distinct in the manner it often surprises through more focus on empathy, love for oneself, and the sudden realisation of what anything means if no one remains around.

↦ will post the review on blog + goodreads in the last week of january ↤

Last One at the Party is about an ordinary woman alone in the world after the virus decimates the rest of the population. The virus 6DM (or 6 days maximum) starts in a small town in America and quickly spreads to other areas of the world. Our protagonist isn’t adept at surviving and decides if she is the last person left alive, she might as well have some fun.

Last One at the Party is one of the best end of the world books I have read. It is witty, unique and humorous. It has a gravity about it at times but without being too bleak.

I loved that the protagonist was flawed and not at all suited to surviving on her own. Prior to the virus she has suffered with long-term anxiety and depression and one of the best things about the book is that it helps shine a spotlight on both of these things.

It is important to state here that this is not a book about a pandemic but a book with a pandemic in it. The author makes it clear from her author’s note that this is the case. It is about a life not death.

Last One at the Party is set in 2024 in the UK. The UK government and its people watch in horror as the virus known as 6DM spreads across the globe. However, they have learnt their lesson from the events of 2020 and as they have fewer ‘friends’ post Brexit they close borders and blow up the Channel Tunnel. It isn’t enough to stop the spread though.

“And they needn’t have bothered with the military or police. No one wanted to leave the safety of their home.

People stayed in, hugged loved ones close, and watched horrific images on the tv whilst thanking God for our tiny little Island.

Just a quick warning here for those who are squeamish this book has some rather graphic descriptions of rotting bodies and various other unpleasant things so it may not be the book for you.

“We may not have known much about the virus, but what we did know was terrifying.

No one knew what the incubation period was, but it started with a head cold, then fever, vomiting, diarrhoea. Within 72 hours your vital organs started to disintegrate. Not degrade or even fail: DISINTEGRATE.”

After a short time of their being no cases in Britain things return to a semi normality but the protagonist is out for lunch with her friend Ginny and is discussing survival plans when Ginny points out quite how unsuited she is for survival. This was a big moment of connection for me in the book because the below passage could have been written with me in mind.

“Did I have any idea how unsuitable I was for how life would become? Could I grow my own food? Make my own bread? Did I own chickens? Could I milk a cow? Did I know how to make my own clothes? Did I have any transferrable skills? Obviously, the answer to all these was no.”

In the end though these plans are not needed for most people because somehow or other the virus gets into the country.

The protagonist is at work when she finds out and she and the other childless people decided to go out and get really drunk. She ends up with a free day hangover whilst her husband engages in some polite looting to try and get them some essentials. In doing so he ends up with the virus.

“James sneezed at 4.36 a.m. on December 3rd and I knew he was going to die.”

James having the virus and her reaction is the first clue to our protagonist being a little bit selfish. While her husband is dying, she goes for medicine for him but then ends up getting drunk in a bar so she can face his death.

In the end though she is there for him in his final moments.

“And, in the end, I was with him forever.

It was just his for-ever, not mine. The next twenty-four hours were the worst.”

After his death she sets out to find out if her parents and friends are alive and, in the process, we learn more about her life before the virus. This may have made the rest of the novel pretty depressing if it wasn’t for the protagonist having an important revelation along the way.

“It was hopeless.

I was hopeless.

And then I stopped.

It wasn’t just hopeless, it was also ridiculous. If I was the last one alive in a land of plenty, why was I sitting in the cold, eating stale bread?

I should at least have been sitting in the cold, eating stale bread whilst drunk on the finest champagne in the land.”

What follows is a series of hedonistic choices from our main character involving drink, drugs and breaking into Harrod’s food hall.

Somewhere along the way though she learns how to survive not just alone but with herself. She also encounters some wolves and some incredibly scary rats. The rat scene in particularly made me feel sick with anxiety for her.

Last One at the Party is poignant, timely and already a favourite book of the year.

“Everything had stopped.

And it would never start again.

Ever.”

Last One at the Party - Bethany Clift

Firstly I must admit that I did find this a difficult read (what with the current climate and the topic of the book), and this no doubt will have effected my feedback. I did have to put this book down on quiet a few occasions and have a breather, however this does not take anything away from the authors writing or storytelling. I thought it was a gritty book and very well paced, but I did not warm to the main character very well. If you are looking for escapism at the moment I would not recommend this one - however it does make you grateful that things aren't this bad!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for allowing me the chance to read and review this book

3.5 ⭐️

A good, sometimes too close for comfort, read which is thought provoking and sometimes, honestly, quite terrifying.

I read this book over the course of a couple of days. Being in the middle (hopefully nearing the end) of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is referenced in the book, there were moments when I genuinely thought “What if this IS what comes next, what would I do?” and this is how I began to question our nameless narrators, sometimes questionable, actions. Some of her choices didn’t sit right with me, but that’s a personal thing I guess. I did feel like the plot was loosing itself in the middle and I felt a little bored, but my the last third it had picked up again and, although now a bit more predictable, I stayed with it until the end. I wasn’t wholly surprised by the ending but didn’t find it unsatisfactory, it does leave a lot left unsaid though.

This isn’t a book about the pandemic that led to the end of the world, it’s about the narrator and the aftermath. We do get backstory as well, which is welcomed as sometimes light relief. The author also tackles the issue of mental health and drug addiction. For me the mental health element didn’t fit well, I don’t know if it’s because the book subject is already so dark, but I don’t think it added anything necessary to the plot. It is incredibly important to talk about mental health, I just didn’t feel that this book was the right place to be having the conversation.

Overall, it’s written well, gritty and dark, with some humorous bits. I will be thinking about it, and the questions it raises, for quite some time. It will make a fantastic book club read with so many discussion points to be had.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this
thought provoking book.

Six days. Organs putrefy and euthanising your children becomes the norm. Grim Grim Grim.

This was a strangely masochistic book to choose to read as I entered a third Lockdown for COVID . I suspect some rapid rewrites went on the ground this Novel in the awful reality of our current situation to make what comes after even more grim.

This is not a post apocalyptic book as you are used to them. Our survivor is by no means a brave outlier or survivalist. She spends much of the book in a state of depressive languor or drug addled mania. Her bolt holes are not functional but ricocheting off the cuff decisions that have varying degrees of success and this is a strangely alluring element... we cannot tear our eyes away.

This is an examination of horror of a seemingly normal life as much as the horror of rapid disease, death and mass corpses. It is the enforced viewing of a mirror put up, reflecting a woman trying to find meaning when there are no social signposts or empty human crutches to hide behind or use to pretend that everything is fine.

I did not particularly like her but I totally understood her behaviour at times and silently cursed her at others. The survival of this incredibly flawed woman became my one focus for several hours and whilst I guessed some of the curveballs ahead of time, the ending whilst as a device was familiar, provided an unexpected frisson which was actually much more satisfying to me than other more predictable ones..

Intrigued? Go ahead read it. You will not be transported out of COVID but you will at least be grateful that things are not quite THAT bad in comparison.

Read this book in one sitting and it surprised me by how much I liked it. The current situation (covid) was mentioned along with Brexit which kept it grounded in reality. The unfurling of the story about the complete lack of any kind of order and the backstory of the main character kept the pace of the book up, and scarily believable in parts. As for the end? It took me by surprise but I liked it too.

Absolutely brilliant book to start the year on!
First off I should say that this is about a pandemic, and the author herself acknowledges at the beginning of the book how this may make reading it harder - she had written it before COVID-19 hit and the timing was coincidental.
Because of this some parts of the book where particularly hard to read, however I am SO glad I was able to get past them and read the whole novel.
The lead character is brilliant, you grow to really like and understand her, despite questioning some of her decisions along the way. I love women’s fiction and really enjoyed the fact that this book had lots of these elements, but in a futuristic, end of the world setting. I loved the fact that she went to harrods and posh hotels, that she didn’t always get it right and that she was definitely not a perfect heroine. Seeing her grow stronger throughout the book was brilliant and I thought the ending was perfect. Absolutely 5 stars from me and I will be on the lookout for future books by this author.
Thank you so much for this arc, which I was provided with in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I’m not usually a fan of sci fi books and unfortunately, I didn’t love this one the way I hoped and thought I would. The writing style was really good but the plot failed for me.

I just loved this book it was so addictive and such a compelling story that just took over my life. Narrated by a woman and describing events both past and present while she is desperately trying to survive the devastation of a pandemic that appears do have wiped out everyone but her it’s a strange choice to be reading at the moment but for me it really worked. I loved the survival instinct of this woman and although she is clueless about so many things the instinct to try is brilliantly portrayed.
This sound a bit all doom and gloom but the book really isn’t it’s funny, compassionate and full of hope especially at times when things are becoming desperate. I also liked the fact that as she reminisces about the past we see a different side to her and I can really praise Bethany Clift for the wonderful writing that made this book so compulsive and for me a five star read.
Please give this book a go it’s got so much to give and although the subject line is close to all of us right now it really is about so much more than that and I absolutely loved it.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Written as a diary documenting the author’s life from the start of a virus that wipes out the human population, this story is more witty, relatable, and saddening than I could have imagined.

The authorial voice is strong and realised; the MC isn’t prepared for this new world and, having struggled with her mental health prior to this world changing event, she doesn’t handle it well. However, I too can see that with no one left in London, it would be the ideal time to scream outside Buckingham Palace and get absolutely wrecked in a lavish hotel.

Braiding the narrative strands of life before and after 6DM (six days maximum) enables you to see how the MC grows and develops - and goes back a few steps too - every time she acts in the novel. This had me hooked throughout as I wanted to piece together her life before while also hoping she found someone else out there. The crossovers in time felt organic and always relevant to the plot.

The balance of emotional brevity against the MC’s sense of humour or the peril of the new world could see you from crying to laughter to fear in moments; I applaud Cliff’s ability to take the reader on such a journey. There were laugh out loud moments (Lucky, the rescued golden retriever providing many of them) but also some astoundingly sad ones that reflect the best of what humanity could do in their final days. The scene in the National History Museum and the note outside of the British Library particular made me get a little glassy.

On that note, my only issue is the timing of this novel. Cliff’s note before the book explains this perfectly - while writing, the inclusion of a virus sweeping the world was never meant to partially reflect reality. But, by adding in notes about COVID-19, I feel it pulls you out of the novel. It’s just too soon to have this nod to reality. I think that is going to lose a lot of readers from a fantastic novel about the triumphs of a woman in the face of adversity who learns to push herself and take on so many challenges with the grace most of us would possess at the end of the world (not much).

Overall, I thorough enjoyed this read as an excellent debut novel and hope to read more from Clift again in the future.

This book is written in a way that is hard to put down, and has a very clear narrative voice. I think the stories of the narrators past and present running concurrently through the 'diary' works well, although sometimes the segues between the two are a little awkward. The plot is fast-moving, interesting and somewhat realistic as to how many people would react during an apocalyptic event. I don't necessarily think this book was very comedic, it was far more of a personal drama combined with a bit of horror (the body horror in this is frankly gross but also realistic for the scenario!). And personally I didn't mind reading it during the current pandemic - very much an "it could be worse" kind of escape.
Sometimes the prose felt a little careless in terms of tenses, but that may have just been a choice considering the format of a diary. I also didn't particularly get on with it due to the prose and diary format, and also the aforementioned body horror, especially at the end. The way the book pans out I couldn't really identify with, and would have preferred something a little more introspective, but that's not what that book is and that's okay!
Also I would warn against reading this book if you are afraid of birds.

My Rating: 4 stars

Last One At The Party is a dystopian novel set in 2024, where a new strain of virus named 6DM (6 Days Maximum) has emerged, and wipes out the human race in a just a few weeks.

I really liked the writing style of this book, it’s written like a diary, which flashes back to the times before the virus took hold as well as how the main character copes being alone and survives. This format was done really well. It has lots of details, both which is graphic and disturbing in places. But the author has also added some funny but dark moments that will make you laugh.

At the time of reading this book I did find things to be repetitive but I guess if you’re the only person alive things would become repetitive, therefore the book feels really real. At first I found the main character quite unlikeable. I didn’t agree with her behaviour but as the book progresses we learn more about her through the flashbacks, and you start to understand why she behaves the way she does. By the end of the book I started to connect with her more and was eager to see what happens to her.

Although I loved reading this book, it did leave me with a few questions especially at the end. I’m hoping that there will be a book that follows on, which will hopefully answer the unanswered questions.

Overall, a great read. This is not a book that concentrated solely on the virus/pandemic but is based on survival after the pandemic. It may not be for everyone especially at the moment, with the current pandemic, but definitely worth reading when you are more comfortable with the subject matter.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers Hodder & Stoughton for my eARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.

This was so much fun!!

Last One at the Party follows the lone survivor of a mutant virus 6DM as she makes her way through the days and weeks following the death of her fellow humans.

Clift writes at the beginning how she started this book before the outbreak of COVID and I hope she's not got a sixth sense of what's going to happen in the future because 6DM is horrible. This was a tale of survival, rather than death. Witty, heartwarming, with prose so well written it was a joy to read. The main character isn't always likeable, but I was rooting for her all the same. And who knows how we would act in her situation!?

The ending left me with chills (of the good kind).

I'll be recommending this one to everyone I know.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Staughton fr the opportunity to read and review.

WOW this book kept me reading late into the night!! Maybe it made it more like real life as we are going through our own global pandemic. I couldn’t put it down!!

There is a deadly virus called 6DM, as it will kill you in 6 days . The virus is global and with no cure insight, a suicide pill is offered to all!!

One woman survives and is on a mission to discover if there are anymore survivors.

Although at first glance it may seem like an odd choice to read during COVID but I did enjoy this book. I found it to be emotional but at the same time funny. I loved the main character as she was strong, resourceful and although she was fragile at times, showed a real strength and a desire to survive against all odds.

I couldn’t help but put myself In her shoes and think about what I would have done!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

A really interesting, bizarre and unique read by Bethany Clift, Last One at the Party is set a few years after COVID-19 has swept the planet and our world is in the throes of a much more lethal pandemic - 6DM (named after the potential life span you have once you catch the virus - 6 days maximum). But this is not a novel about a pandemic, the pandemic has been, gone and destroyed everything in its path. This is the story of the one who got away, the one who survived.

You’ve heard the saying ‘learn to dance like no one’s watching’ - well this novel poses the question if there really is no one watching, how would we live? Would we still conform to social norms? If there is no one else to care for, love or just plain please, how would we behave, or who would we be? Our heroine (we are never told her name) explores this as she finds her way in her new people-less world.

This is a brilliant piece of writing, incredibly graphic and disturbing in some places and laugh out loud darkly funny in others (still disturbing though). My one bugbear was the ending (hence 4 out of 5 stars), I must admit that from about half way through I was wondering how Ms Clift was going to end it. The answer she came up with I’m not really sure how to feel about. I flit from feeling really impressed to feeling frustrated. So many things were left hanging that I wanted to know more about. Even so, this doesn’t detract from the experience, I recommend Last on at the Party wholeheartedly, it’s a cracking good read and well worth a visit.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest

Last One At The Party

I loved this book....it was so vivid and emotional that I could not put it down.

I felt so connected to the main character. .with all her flaws and bad behaviour and honesty...yet I couldn't even tell you her name (I am trying to remember now if we ever heard it)...and how incredible is that...I love a character whose name I couldn't tell you...

Its a terrifying book to read...a book that after this awful year, we know is entirely possible ...and the fact it is not set somewhere in the future, in a dystopian, unrecognised world...its set here, in England...in a world recovering from Covid 19 ...is really scary. There were a couple of times near the beginning that I was thinking I don't know if I can read this because it just feels too real...but I was glad I continued.


The writing is very vivid and the way the story unfolds is perfect. At times it is almost bordering on a horror book...with graphic descriptions that are hard to stomach and other times so lighthearted I roared with laughter....and then in the next pages we're crying.

There isn't much I can say without spoiling it as this is a book you need to experience and enjoy.

This would have definitely been a 5 star book for me had it not been for the ending. I needed 2 or 3 more chapters. I'm not a fan at all of that kind of ending and after everything we have gone through with her...the reader deserved something much more than that.

I will definitely be reading anything else Bethany Clift writes as think she is a stunning, talented and evocative author.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

**On reflection I have thought about this book so much since finishing reading it. I would love a sequel filling in the gaps....I want to know about the main characters immunity, about how certain people caught 6DM & more importantly what happens next or in between.
Also wanted to mention that I thought it was ace how much she cares about her family & friends....I always wonder about that in end of the world books...why they never worry about their parents/siblings/friends just the people in their own houses...so love that this was different & encompassed different relationships**

Just as World War Two spawned the war novel, so Covid 19 has bred the virus novel. And, well, yes, Last One at the Party will join the new genre’s ranks even though the story isn’t really about a virus. As the author explains in her introduction, a deadly pandemic triggers the end of civilisation, but it could just as easily have been a nuclear explosion or an alien invasion. A virus is the means to catapult the main character into a post-apocalyptic world.
Going mad in Harrods takes on a whole new meaning when a Londoner finds herself the only one left alive after a virus nicknamed 6DM (6 Days Max) kills the rest of the world in less than a week. More like a Bridget Jones than a Lara Croft, our heroine embarks on an alcohol-fuelled rampage through five-star hotels and upmarket shops. Thanks to her pre-virus recollections, we soon realise this is a woman who was neurotic long before dystopia hit town. And it isn’t long before decay and danger encroach on her drug-enhanced cocoon of denial. Will she find an inner-strength to survive when all her life she’s relied on the support of others?
There’s lots of backstory to explain why the woman is like she is, but I found myself racing through it to get back to her adventures in her less-than-brave new world. Descriptions are vivid, toe-curling, stomach-turning and, at times, laugh out loud. And, frankly, uncomfortably believable.
Well-realised dystopia mixed with dollops of horror and dashes of chic lit. It worked for me.
With thanks to the author, publisher and Net galley for allowing me to read an advance copy.