Connect Bridgeport
Ad
FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeRSS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Community
    • Community News
    • Anniversaries
    • Announcements
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Calendar
    • Churches
    • Clubs & Organizations
    • Directory
    • Farmer's Market
    • File Complaint
    • Greeting Cards
    • Library
    • Lost And Found
    • Obituaries
    • Parks & Recreation
    • Sponsorships
  • Trading Post
    • For Sale
    • Local Deals
    • Services
    • Yard Sales
  • Visitors
  • Relocation
  • Education
  • Jobs
  • Alumni

Book Review: The Last Girl

By Douglas Soule on March 26, 2016 from Book Review

“The savage in man is never quite eradicated,” a deep, philosophical quote by Henry David Thoreau is seen at the beginning of The Last Girl, a book that is quite mediocre.
 
A disease restricting the birth of female babies has been spread to everyone across the world. Who knew unity could be so divisive? Warfare is ignited from desperate attempts to fix the issue. Most of the human population is killed. In a military base located in the unknown, six women are imprisoned, kept alive until their twenty-first birthday when they are taken away for undisclosed reasons. Zoey is approaching her twenty-first birthday. She wants to escape
 
Joe Hart is a thief. He managed to steal my attention with his book, The Last Girl. The end of each chapter is loaded with tension, all but begging the reader to keep reading. I always found myself reading a few pages more than planned, and it's not entirely due to me procrastinating before doing homework. It’s entertaining. Considering the story’s flaws, this is incredibly surprising.
 
So much in The Last Girl did not make sense. Some of the content on the pages has less logic than an intoxicated toddler. First off, main character Zoey isn’t the last girl alive. I can emphasize with book’ title choice though, since One of the Last Girls just doesn’t have the same ring to it. An absurd plot element- which there are many- is the treatment of the six girls in the facility. If they are the supposed final hope for humanity, why are they cared for with such inadequacy? To add a dramatic flair, no doubt.
 
For example, if one of the girls commits a misdeed, she is put inside a device called the “box,” which is a psychologically damaging containment cell. But why? Why not use normal and cheaper methods of punishment (like being put into a corner, being forced to munch on a bar of soap, decapitation, or any other mundane ways of discipline)?  There are more discrepancies in this book than there are blotches on a teenager’s face.
 
When a character dies, it should have some sort of impact on the reader. I can remember my entire class sobbing when we reached the part where Marley dies in Marley and Me- it was ruff. The only tear I shed in my perusal of TheLast Girl is when I accidentally stubbed my toe while walking and reading (PSA: don’t walk and read). Without delving too thoroughly in detail, there were multitudes of deaths in this book. Yes, these occurrences had little emotional effect upon me. In fact, I probably would have been more distraught if I dropped a chip on the floor. The author’s writing invoked no empathy for the other characters. Parts of the book that were supposed to be sorrowful were instead dryer than the California drought.
 
There is a divide over the quality of The Last Girl, a civil war in the literary world that has resulted in voracious battles on Goodreads. Five-star and one-star reviews are shot back and forth. As of yet, no side has proved to be the victor. The value of this book will be entirely dependent on you as a reader. So before you read, be warned! You’ll be playing Russian roulette with your time and entertainment.

Share


Sign up/stay connected

Create your profile to start adding photos, posting comments, and more.

SIGN UP

Ad
Ad
Ad

Blogs [ view all ]

  • Photo

    From the Bench: New BHS Coach with State...

    Bridgeport’s sports history is littered with great accomplishments by teams, individuals, and coaches. As it tur...

    Posted by Jeff Toquinto

  • Photo

    Time Travel: Two Life-Long City Resident...

    Anyone recognize the two on the right? That would be Shirley Hadorn and her daughter Janet (Hathaway) as they head do...

    Posted by Dick Duez

  • Photo

    City Faces in Different Places

    This week's City Face is Vickie Tout. Meet her and her family and learn why she loves Bridgeport here:   How long...

    Posted by Julie Perine

  • Photo

    Off the Shelf: Want to Expand Selections...

    The Bridgeport Public Library provides access to over 30 different electronic services and databases.   ...

    Posted by Sharon Saye

  • Photo

    The Grapevine: Spring on its Way - and ...

    This past week has certainly been a great week, which ushered out February and got us ready for March.  There wer...

    Posted by Rosalyn Queen

  • Photo

    ToquiNotes: Beloved Chef who Ran Restaur...

    Good Italian food from local establishments is something just about everyone who reads this blog knows about. The only...

    Posted by Jeff Toquinto

  • Photo

    Outside the Tribe: High School Basketbal...

     The calendar says today is March 2.   I’m pretty sure that is accurate even though it is now Day...

    Posted by Chris Johnson

  • Photo

    Healthy Faces: Meet Molly Cooper

      "Healthy Bridgeport" is comprised of health-concious individuals; the...

    Posted by Julie Perine

Calendar [ view all ]

Sat
6

Bridgeport Troop 40 Chili Feed

Tue
9

Free Drive In COVID-19 Testing Tuesdays and Thursdays

Tue
9

Dine & Donate with The Caboose

 



Bridgeport, WV
Editorial Board Advertise Privacy Policy Contact Us
FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeRSS

©2014 Connect Bridgeport.