Book Review: "The Last One" by Saida Lewis

Book Review: "The Last One" by Saida Lewis<br><br>**Summary:** I recently found "The Last One" by Saida Lewis on Amazon, having not seen or heard of it before. The premise of the book is intriguing: Lewis is a horror author that pitches her book with the idea that you've been offered the last remaining copy of the book on Amazon, and that as you read, you will begin to face "an eerie journey into the darkness of writing itself, and discover the horrors that lurk within the depths of the text." She also includes a QR code that directs you to a website, and the explanation of how the website is supposed to work is as follows: "During the course of this novel, there will be a series of "official websites" scattered throughout the main text. These are not interludes or side quests – they are part of the main story. You can access the first website by scanning the QR code."<br><br>From what I've learned from the author and others who have read the book, the book is the same universally: the text is the same, the QR code is the same, and the story will be the same for everyone who reads it. The idea that the story is somehow personalized or that you have the "last copy" of the book is just a marketing gimmick. <br><br>So, I started reading. The story begins in the 1800s, with a writer named Arachne who moves to the countryside to begin work on a novel she's been imagining for some time. It's clear that she's struggling with mental health issues, but she's determined to write her book, and she enlists the help of a local woman to act as secretary to her while she writes. She begins to work on the book, and in the process of writing, she loses her grip on reality. Along the way, she "includes" the reader (that's you) by addressing the reader directly and writing herself and the reader into the book as characters. <br><br>I won't go any further into the plot, as I don't want to give out too many spoilers. But it quickly becomes apparent that Arachne is in the process of a psychotic break. She's obsessed with writing, and the more she writes, the more she becomes convinced that the world around her is what she has written. She becomes paranoid, agitated, and even violent as she loses control. <br><br>The second half of the book is dedicated to the modern day, with the main character of the second half - and the second main character of the book - being someone known only to the reader as "you." The second main character discovers a mansion in the countryside, and upon exploring the mansion, discovers the manuscript that makes up the first half of the book. As this character reads through the manuscript, they begin to realize that the Arachne of the manuscript is actually writing their reality as well. <br><br>The rest of the second half of the book is composed of a series of events that the second main character goes through that illustrate the idea of a writer creating reality. She ends up in an old asylum, where she discovers that she is a patient, and that she suffers from the delusion that she is a writer. As she tries to escape, she realizes that she is trapped inside a story written by someone else. Not the writer from the first half of the book - someone else. The second half of the book ends with her trapped in this story, with no clear way out. <br><br>In between the two halves of the book, intermixed with the text itself, are a series of QR codes. When you scan these codes, you are directed to Arachne's website, which is part of the story. The website is host to a series of voice notes and letters from Arachne to her editor and her friends, which clarify a lot of background on her character. In these voice notes and letters, we also hear from someone else, who is referred to only as "the publisher." The publisher claims that Arachne has gone insane, and that they've been receiving the manuscript in bits and pieces. She also claims that she's been receiving what she thinks are "manuscript pages" that have things like receipts and medical records printed on them. She asks the reader to help her figure out what's going on with Arachne, and asks the reader to email her at an address also listed on the website. I emailed the address listed on the website and got a response back that seemed to indicate that this story is still ongoing, and that I should keep reading the manuscript to figure out what's going on. <br><br>**Critique:** The premise of "The Last One" is incredibly interesting, as is the story itself. The idea of a book being the "last one" you'll ever read, and that as you read the book, you'll be drawn into an "eerie journey into the darkness of writing itself" is an incredibly compelling one. The fact that Saida Lewis actually gives us the kind of horror story that she promises at the beginning is impressively done. I think it's clear that horror and suspense are Lewis's wheelhouse as an author. <br><br>The inclusion of the modern day character as "you" is an interesting move, as is the inclusion of the QR code and the website. I think that the website and the idea of emailing the publisher are incredibly clever plot devices that add to the story. The inclusion of the website and email address also indicates that the story might be ongoing, which I think is a clever move. It allows Lewis to continue the story while still claiming that the story concludes with the end of the book. While it's definitely not for everyone, I think that the inclusion of these elements helps to make the story more immersive and personal for the reader. <br><br>The intermingling of the two plots is also expertly done. Lewis is able to weave the two narratives together in a way that is cohesive and that makes sense, and that reinforces the themes of the book. I think that the choice to include the modern day character in the second half of the book, rather than the first, is a good one. It allows the reader to see the progression of the character of Arachne, and to see how she becomes more and more unhinged as the story progresses. It also allows Lewis to foreshadow some events that happen in the second half of the book, which helps to strengthen the plot. <br><br>One thing that I have noticed is that Lewis's biggest strength is as a writer of psychological horror. Her writing style is masterful when it comes to creating the feeling of being "inside someone else's head," and I think that she's at her best when she's writing in this style. She's also incredibly good at creating atmosphere and tension. I think that the atmosphere of "The Last One" is expertly done, and that she's able to create a really tense, suspenseful vibe that carries through the whole book. <br><br>If I'm going to critique anything about the book, it's the terrible marketing for it. A lot of people are under the impression that the story is personalized or that they have the "last copy" of the book, and they're disappointed to find out that the book is the same universally. If Lewis had been more upfront about the book being the same for everyone, I don't think that this backlash would be happening, or at least would be happening to this extent. I also think that the book could be improved by some proofreading. I came across a handful of typos and grammatical errors throughout the book. <br><br>**Conclusion:** Overall, I'd highly recommend "The Last One" by Saida Lewis to anyone who is a fan of horror, suspense, or psychological thrillers. The premise of the book is intriguing, as is the story itself, which Lewis delivers on. I think that the book is at its strongest when it comes to atmosphere and tension. While Lewis is a masterful writer, this is definitely a book that will be polarizing - some people will love the writing style and the idea behind the story, while others will not. I'd recommend reading other reviews as well, to get a sense if this is the book for you, but for my money, it's well worth a read.<br><br>**Rating:** 9/10<br><br>**Recommendation:** If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova or "The Weight of Blood" by Tiffany D. Jackson.