The Road with zombies and Amazons. A young Irish woman is orphaned by the zombie apocalypse. She sets out across Ireland toward Dublin pushing her her turning-into-a-zombie mom in a wheelbarrow with her dog following. She has a few adventures and meets the Banshees, the warrior women. It's a nicely written book, but aren't we tired of zombie books? ( )

Its a post-apocalypse story set in Ireland, zombies, known as the Skrake, have an infectious bite and there's not a lot left of humanity. There's not a lot of details about what happened but there are hints in the text that it was manmade and there are suggestions that men are affected more than women.
Orpen is living on Slanbeg, an island off the west coast of Ireland and the story is split between Orphens present and her past as she grows up, knowing that she will have to kill, with her Mother and Maeve. After her mother dies and Maeve is bitten, Orphen wants to find a cure and she has heard stories of Phoenix City and the Banshees and she goes on a cross country trip to Dublin (that honestly felt too short). It was interesting and a start to a series but I wasn't really engaged that much by it. There is an offstage violent dog death, but it just felt like this was building to the sequel. A sequel I'm not sure I want to read. ( )

I am inevitably drawn to apocalyptic and post apocalyptic fiction, fascinated by what an author imagines our future might hold. And more than a little bit frightened, given the times we're living in.

I read the premise of Sarah Davis-Goff's novel, Last Ones Left Alive, and knew it was one I wanted to read. I picked it up on a snowy Sunday and literally couldn't put it down. Yes, it's that good!

Orpen has been raised by her Mam and Maeve on a deserted island off the coast of Ireland. When she turned seven she started her training. Training to defend herself against the skrake - a threat she's never seen. But as the years pass, Orpen wants to know more. More than the edited version that her Mam and Maeve provide. What's on the mainland? Are there others left?

Davis-Goff tells her story from Orpen's point of view. We meet her in the first chapter, finally on the mainland, pushing Maeve in a wheelbarrow. What led to this point? Where is she going? What will she find? The answers to those questions and more are provided in a past and present narrative. This is a writing device that I really enjoy. Although, it does keep me up very late as I simply can't stop turning pages. I simply need to know what happened and what is happening.

The skrake are the dead, incredibly fast and their bite will kill you. But, there are indeed other humans still left on the mainland. And yes, you guessed it. Their paths will cross with Orpen's. Those scenes, the danger and the uncertainty all make for an action packed read. Davis-Goff has done a fantastic job - the tension is palpable as we travel alongside of Orpen. (And the urge to flip ahead to see if things 'work out' is very hard to deny.)

But along with this, Last Ones Left Alive is a coming of age story, a story of mothers and daughters, a finding of ones own self and purpose. Emotions, interactions, loss, desire and more are woven into Orpen's story and journey.

I mentioned enjoying the imaginings of an author's take on our future. I really enjoyed Davis-Goff's take on what might be left. And how a young woman might find herself and her place in such a world. An excellent, five star read for me.

"Remember your just-in-cases. Beware tall buildings. Always have your knives." ( )

This book is Irish feminist zombie dystopian and I am here for it. I really liked the story of Orpen and her two mothers surviving after the zombie apocalypse. It felt very different then other apocalypse books I have read as it centered on the relationships and feelings of the survivors, and less on the actual Apocalypse or survival. It did feel like it was setting up a series, or at least left me wanting MUCH more. I want to know so much and I hope there are more books telling about the banshees and Phoenix city. ( )

I'd give this 3.5 stars because I really enjoyed the suspenseful moments and the world building, but the ending left me wanting more. Not in a bad way, but I just enjoyed the world building so much I wanted to see where else the story could go. This definitely has shades of [b: The Road|6288|The Road|Cormac McCarthy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439197219l/6288._SY75_.jpg|3355573] and 28 Days Later, but with a very woman-centered story. ( )