A well written book
Quite thought provoking
It will have you hooked from the first to the last page
Thanks NetGalley

I really enjoyed this book but at times I thought it was a bit too unrealistic. The ending left me hanging. What I loved the most was the characters.

You thought yesterday was bad?

What do you do when your husband loses his job and doesn't tell you? And he doesn't make the mortgage payments and he loses the house?

Well, you end up as a family leaving Connecticut and all you've known as a family and head to a disused family cabin in rural Canada to catch your breath and hunker down and figure out next steps.

The only problem is that the next day the world as you know really goes to hell. And your family problems are looking miniscule in comparison. And your college age son is still in the United States and you need to get him to Canada, too.

Excellent post-apocalyptic story told from the viewpoint of one family. I highly recommend.

I received this Digital Review Copy from Storm Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review. This is that review.

Wow. When everything you depend on, everything familiar, is lost...where do you turn? This novel was unique, and will stick with me for awhile. Without giving away spoilers too much, I will say that it made me think about a lot of what if scenarios. Survival becomes everything in this book, and while some of the characters frustrated me, it was overall an excellent story.

Contains spoilers.

I thought this would be a gentle read, how wrong was I! The story of a families survival during a nuclear war.

Really sad in places and the writing was gripping throughout.

Hoping there will be a sequel!

This was a tear jerker that had me all in my feelings. Beautiful book about finding the silver linings in life. Honest and thoughtful. I would recommend this book and author.

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

I cried a lot at the end of this brilliant emotionally charged plot. It's so emotionally layered which makes it hard to stop reading and thinking about.

This story was about the evolution of a family that had it all until they didn’t. Alex and Daniel’s marriage is falling apart, they lose their house, Daniel loses his job and they decide to go to Canada to live in Alex’s parents abandoned house. Suddenly a nuclear attack happens in America and they are stuck, in what seemed like, the best place they could be. Now they just have to survive as a family, but how long for?

Wow this is not what I expected at all. After a slow start I was unsure where the story was going but I am so impressed with the slow burn of the drama that it kept me hooked! There was such a complexity of characters who we saw really grew in the book. I really enjoyed the different perspectives of Alex and Daniel’s journeys together and separately. The book was entertaining but frightening in parts and kinda scary that this sort of thing could really happen to the world. Loved Kate’s writing style and I definitely want to read more from her!

Wow, this was quite the thinker of a book!

Daniel and Alex and their two daughters are staying at Alex's parents cabin in Canada, a beautiful but isolated spot. Next thing they know, the world as they know it, has changed. Forever.

I have read books by this author before and loved them. This is quite different, being dystopian fiction, but I really enjoyed it too.

I have to admit that my tummy was in knots many times whilst reading of this novel, as the scenarios as described therein could happen quite easily, I feel. What the heck would I do if my world was turned upside down in this way? I really don't know.

Thoroughly enjoyed the read.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing.

Wow! I couldn't put this down. I wanted to see what happened next! A heartbreaking, thought provoking story. A family drama. A story of self discovery and resilience.

The Last Stars in the Sky by Kate Hewitt is a gripping tale of survival and resilience in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster, focusing on the journey of one family as they navigate the wilderness of rural Ontario. When Daniel and Alex seek refuge at Alex's parents' cabin on Lost Lake with their daughters Ruby and Mattie, they are thrust into a world of uncertainty and danger. As they confront the challenges of their new reality, their bonds are tested, and they must rely on each other to endure. Hewitt's evocative prose and compelling characters create a rich and immersive reading experience, with themes of love, hope, and the human capacity for adaptation shining through even in the darkest of times. The Last Stars in the Sky is a poignant and thought-provoking story that will linger in the reader's mind long after the final page is turned.

"The Last Stars in the Sky" by Kate Hewitt is a surprising family drama that delves into survival and transformation. As a catastrophic event forces the characters to adapt to a new reality, they undergo profound changes and learn to prioritize survival over their former comforts. The complexity of the characters, particularly Alex and Kerry, is well-developed as they navigate fear, adversity, and the need for constant resilience. Daniel's harrowing journey to rescue their son adds tension to the narrative, and the suspenseful atmosphere keeps the reader engaged. While the cliffhanger ending leaves some questions unanswered, the overall realism and frightening portrayal of disaster make this a gripping and memorable read, highly recommended for those who enjoy suspenseful dramas.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!! I'm at a loss for words, The Last Stars In The Sky written by Kate Hewitt left me completely speechless. I did not expect the unexpected twists and turns this book took, but honestly, I loved every minute of it. I couldn't put this book down because I had to know what was going to happen next, with every turning page something was happening. The Last Stars In The Sky left me shaking and feeling empty with a broken heart. I have NEVER read a book by Kate Hewitt before, but I saw the gorgeous cover and knew I had to get my hands on this book asap, and I loved it so much that I'll definitely check out this author's other books. Can we just take a minute and obsess over that gorgeous cover? My emotions were all over the place with this book, one minute I was sobbing, one minute I was cheering for the characters, one minute I was screaming for the characters to run, one minute I was smiling and so on throughout the entire book. There were a few questions I had that were unanswered. This is a gripping story of survival that truly left me questioning my own abilities and preparedness during a crisis like the one in this book. I can't recommend this book enough, just keep the tissues close by.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND STORM PUBLISHING FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!

Questions I had that were left unanswered
Who started the nuclear attack and why was it happening? Who was the nuclear attack between?

"As I watch the sun coming over the tops of the evergreens, I wonder if that's part of the reason I wanted to come back here- to find myself in this place again, before it- and the version of me is lost forever."

"This is a chance to reset, I remind myself. Reboot, refresh, and re-something. Take deep breaths and mindfully remember what is good about life."

Trigger Warnings
Gun Violence
Nuclear Attacks/Blasts
Sexual Assault

Alex and Daniel's marriage is in turmoil, their family is in a battle of lies over money and a job, and one of their daughters is heading for trouble. Daniel and Alex decide to leave their family home in Connecticut with their two daughters in tow to Alex's family cabin on Lost Lake in rural Ontario, Canada for a six week stay to try and fix their crumbling marriage. Daniel lost his job a few weeks ago and now their family is running low on money, but Daniel never communicated with Alex, and if he did, he would always tell Alex a bunch of lies on how he would fix this mess they are in right now. A few days after Daniel and Alex get their bearings around Alex's family cabin, a nuclear attack happens across the globe. Alex starts freaking out because their older son, Sam is in college in upstate New York where the nuclear blasts started happening. As much as Alex wanted to go get Sam, she had two little girls to protect, so Daniel set out on a trek to go get Sam, but along the way Daniel runs in to so many issues because they have closed the border out of Canada. Daniel sets out to go save Sam, while Alex and their daughters stay behind at the cabin trying to survive, wondering if Daniel and Sam would ever come back. My heart was racing while Sam, Alex, Daniel, and their daughters were experiencing this wild journey and fighting for survival.

The first part of the book started off a bit slow, but once it started picking up pace, I couldn't put this book down. In the beginning, Alex was so whiny, but halfway through the book she was a badass mom and I couldn't help but cheer her on as she tried protecting herself and her daughters through this difficult time. The only thing I had a minor issue with was I wanted more of Daniel and Sam's journey after Daniel picked Sam up from college, how did they make it out of New York and back into Canada? The Last Stars In The Sky really hit my heart hard, like this could literally happen anywhere and so many people would panic because they weren't prepared for the nuclear attack to happen. After reading this book, it truly left me questioning my survival plan if this were ever to happen so close to home. I just wanted to reach into my kindle and hold this family so close to my heart and give them the biggest hug ever. It was utterly heart breaking and so sad witnessing Alex get sexually assaulted meanwhile she's trying to protect her daughters and find food so her family can survive this nuclear attack. This is so scary to think about, and it just breaks my heart everytime I think about this book. Alex and her family will remain in my heart for a long time to come.

The Last Stars in the Sky | Kate Hewitt| ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75

I went into this blindly and had no idea what I was getting into, and this took me for a ride!
Absolutely enthralling, a masterclass in storytelling, The Last Stars in the Sky is the most heartfelt, emotional and evocative dystopian novel I have come across.

📖📖📖📖📖
Having met with ill-fortune, and subsequent financial ruin, the embittered couple, Alex and Daniel along with their teenage daughters Mattie and Ruby move to Alex's ancestral country cottage, rustic yet serene, amidst the wilderness of Ontario, to relax, regroup and gather themselves for a few weeks.
Their eldest, Sam, a freshman in a college in USA is to join them in a few weeks, as they rethink and rebuild their lives.

What could have been an idyllic gateway turns to a horrifying nightmare when they are met with the news of multiple nuclear strikes ravaging the better part of the United States.

With a total collapse of infrastructure and government; militia and mob ruling the land and Sam stuck in the burning country with no communication, how does this family survive in the anarchy-ridden, terror-stricken desolate, deserted, bitterly cold land they are stuck in?
📖📖📖📖📖

What sets this story apart from most other dystopian novels is the setting and the characters; warm, real and full of pathos. They are gritty, industrious, unyielding yet scared, uncertain and vulnerable.

The socio-political situation described is so very imaginable and close to reality that it instils real fear.
This dystopia is dripped in such realism and precision that it is indeed removed from the realm of science fiction into a much more conceivable and believable speculative fiction.

It is unsettling, disturbing yet a compulsive page-turner. While it reeks of terror, fear, confusion, despair, destruction and brutish cruelty; it is also dotted with endearing anecdotes of kindness and enveloped by an over-arching aura of hope, human resilience, endurance and a veil of possibilities.

Alex's story has only just begun, and I am dearly hoping for a sequel @katehewitt1

I simply love Kate Hewitt! She is my go-to author when I need a book with a great plot. This is well written and I loved the story line.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! What would you do if faced with the worst decision of your life? The Last Stars in the Sky by Kate Hewitt not only shows us the struggles families go through when trying to come to grips with an unexplainable event. It also allows the reader to see inside the best as well as the darkest parts of the human race. The ingenuity that Alex had to develop in order to help her family survive following a tragic series of events in the United States is nothing short of inspiring. I, for one, would never want to face the challenges or have to make the difficult choices she had to make to keep her family safe. The fallout and the trauma that her husband, Daniel, and their children suffered due to the choices they made was also painful to read. It's almost unbelievable how an event such as this can turn law abiding citizens into criminals with no regard to others' wellefare. The story itself was so intense that I found it hard to put down at night. A great story that I would definitely recommend to others.

This story kind of shocked me. So different than any other story I’ve read by Kate.

At the beginning I didn’t think I was going to like this story what with all the bombing and cities being wiped off the map. But then the more I read the more I loved Alex and her crazy gang.
The character are created very well and will make you not want to put this book down.

Not entirely sure about this book, 3.5 stars upgraded to 4 because it certainly draws you in and can be very atmospheric at times.
Alex is returning to her childhood home by a remote lake in Canada, with her family. This is not willingly but as a result of her husband losing his job and keeping that a secret for 6 months. Tensions are strained and this worsens when nuclear strikes hits various U..S. cities and the family has to go into survival and indeed eventually pioneer mode. As Daniel leaves to find their son Sam, Alex and her 2 daughters must learn to survive.

Character development throughout the book is very good and days after reading I’m still thinking about the strength of character needed to survive such a scenario. However too much of the story seems incredible. Would the government of a powerful democracy really just abandon its people? Would no effort be made to restore electricity, water and other utilities months after the event? Army, police etc abandoned the upholding of law and order yet a group of marines protected the students in a university……is the a message there somewhere?

I would have liked to read more about Daniel’s journey and the reasons behind the nuclear strikes in the first place. For me the ending felt flat but all in all worth a read. Just lets hope that if it ever comes to it humanity will step up and not turn on one another like this book represents.

Thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful. Loved this from start to finish. Did not want it to end. I love this incredibly versatile author and will read anything she writes but this book is something else. Just wow! Please read this one.

I am sorry to say I dnf this book at 40%. It Just was not a book for me. I have loved books by kate hewitt before though, and I Will continue to read her books