The last girl by Michael Adams
Allen & Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781743316368.
(Age: 15 +) Highly recommended. Most YA dystopian novels (like The
Hunger Games and the Divergent trilogy) focus on the
social change which arises when rigid political systems are
established after some cataclysmic event has altered the world. By
contrast, Michael Adams' gripping novel focuses on the cataclysmic
moment itself.
At first Adam's world seems all too familiar: a world obsessed with
connectivity, via hardware (iPads, smart phones and the like) and
social media networking sites. When teenager, Danby Armstrong,
decides to take a week's break from all her gadgetry and networking,
her friends are puzzled. Yet perhaps this is why, when 'the snap'
happens, Danby appears to be immune. Or perhaps it is the effect of
the drugs she is on, the result of an 'episode' just a few days
earlier when Danby's consciousness seemed to 'snap' so that she
could hear other people's thoughts.
Only days later, Danby suddenly witnesses a nationwide 'snap':
Danby's dad can now hear her step-mum's betraying thoughts about her
affair, her neighbours can tune in to her dad's violent response. It
seems that in every house across Sydney folk can hear bad thoughts
in other people's heads, triggering scenes of vengeance and chaos.
With the world apparently in meltdown, Danby's mission is simply to
rescue her young step-brother and get them both to her mum in the
Blue Mountains. But worse is yet to come, for another snap-like
event results in almost every living soul losing consciousness,
including her brother. Can these people be revived? This is when the
novel truly takes an intriguing turn by posing two possible
solutions to this weird scenario. On the one hand, we have Danby and
Nathan, a young med student, trying to help others help themselves.
On the other hand, we have Jack, who is far more selective in whom
he thinks should be revived. If both approaches are imperfect, which
way should Danby turn?
This is a dark, brutal and compelling novel with a credible and
likeable heroine. The violence would suggest an older audience of
readers who will have plenty to ponder about the true meaning of
connectivity, leadership and humanity.
Deborah Marshall