Reviews for The Last Humans…
[Note from Steve: In an attempt to declutter my web page “Books & Short Stories,” I’m going to start collecting some significant reviews for each book in the blog category “My Reviews.” When all is said and done, readers can search for a book title or its series and see the reviews. This might be doubly important, because good reviews I’ve received are often NOT on Amazon. I exclude all reviews by trolls, of course, most of which have zero content and contain only vitriol—Lord knows why. You’ll find most of those on Amazon and its sister-site, Goodreads…and more reviews by good readers!
Also please note: If you’d like more information about me, please see my interview tomorrow at the Write Way Cafe. Join HiDee and me for a cup of virtual coffee to discuss The Last Humans and learn more about this post-apocalyptic thriller and why I wrote it. And please peruse the features and past visitors to this wonderful blog promoting reading, literacy, and other authors. Bookmark it–you’ll be glad you did.]
“Steven M. Moore pens an apocalyptic thriller in The Last Humans. Penny Castro left the US Navy and became a forensic diver for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Penny and her fellow deputy George are called out to locate a victim offshore. Penny plunges into the ocean, finds the body and tugs on her line. The line goes limp. Letting go of the body, she swims to the surface. On the boat, she discovers her fellow deputy dead. Shocked, sickened, and saddened, she heads to shore. Upon arrival, all she finds is more dead bodies. They are everywhere! The world had turned upside down while she was under water. The stench of death surrounds her. Alone and frightened, she hides. But soon wild and feral humans begin terrorizing, looting and raping at will. Penny saves a small boy, Sammy, and then an old man named Ben. Penny, Sammy, and Ben become a family, fighting to survive in a desolate world gone mad.
The Last Humans is a thrilling ride into a dystopian world. Written in first person narrative, the heart and soul of the heroine emerges. Every thought, emotion, and action is seen from her perspective. She is courageous but not necessarily brave. She faces her fears and often vomits in the aftermath. Her femininity at times gets the better of her, but her humanity always prevails. The cast of characters and the tragic events surrounding her cause her character to grow beyond expectation. This concept is mandatory for survival in an apocalyptic world, keeping to the adage ‘that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’
To survive you must have water. History has proven most wars are fought over water rights. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is a continual battle over water. Moore obviously did his research on the desalination process, bringing a realistic level of science into the conflict. Minimizing politics, the story never reveals the source of the plague; instead, the narrative concentrates on the aftermath of the global disaster. As the story comes to an end, the action slows, leaving you wondering if those who survived were truly the last humans. ‘The future was an unknown, but the known past had to be put aside to make room for it.’”—Cheryl E. Rodriguez, in her four-start Readers’ Favorite review
“What would you do if it was the end of the world? Penny Castro is the unlucky lotto winner to survive the apocalypse. A bio terror attack on the US has gone wrong, and the attacker didn’t calculate the jet stream dumping toxins worldwide. Hazardous chemicals deployed by missiles lead civilization to a rapid demise.
When Penelope Castro, ex-navy diver, goes underwater for the sheriff’s department, she has no clue everything will change when she surfaces. Picking through the puzzle of what has happened to the world is only part of the major challenges she will face. Food, water, shelter and cannibalism are some of her immediate obstacles.
I like this author’s website and newsletter, so I wanted to test out his latest novel. I am not a fan of doom and gloom and worried I would not enjoy this story. After reading the sample, I had to download the book. Passages such as… “Spotted Mulholland drive. Remembered how it used to look like a string of pearls at night with traffic moving along it—white pearls anti-parallel with bright red rubies like some starlet’s million-dollar necklace.”
The authors depiction of a strong female character paired with the post apocalyptic California landscape gave a gritty sense of urgency to find out what caused the meltdown and how survivors could sustain the aftermath.
I found Penny’s character unbreakable, at times cynical, yet believable. I found myself cheering for the under dog and wanting The Last Humans to find enough hope to survive. There is a hint of romance, intrigue, government conspiracy and inspiration for a new start. No spoilers here! You’ll Just have to read it for yourself.
A thoughtful, expansive look into what could very well be our future. Don’t miss, The Last Humans.”—Laura Laura, in her five-star Amazon review
“Post-apocalyptic storytelling at it’s best. Moore has drilled way down here, meaning a story in the first person account from the ground, down and very dirty, gut wrenching survival drama. What would it be like if the world went to hell in the wake of a nut job launching annihilation? Pretty much what’s in The Last Humans. This is as good a take as I’ve ever read of this genre. Best thing here is the spunky and likeable female lead. Well-written epic work from an author who knows how to keep you interested.”—Soul, in her five-star Amazon review
“Moore’s books keep getting better with each new effort. The Last Humans follows this trend by combining a familiar theme with a unique story and producing a great book.
The Last Humans does not dwell on the details of the cause of an apocalyptic event, but instead builds some wonderfully deep characters. A strong female lead deals with the aftermath of a biological catastrophe.
I really enjoyed this story and found it difficult to put down. Admittedly, the heroine was extremely lucky, but that did not distract from the tale.
I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy post apocalyptic and /or action novels.”—Debra Miller, in her five-star Amazon review
“Imagine that you’re doing your job and that while you are cut off from the world…that it all ends. The world doesn’t go out with a bang, but it goes out with a whisper. That is exactly what the author gives the reader in this story. We’re presented with the main character, Penny. She’s doing her job and then she notices something strange during the dive. When she surfaces to investigate…everyone she knew is dead. What happened? It happened so quickly and now she’s all alone. Of course, she’s not alone in the world, but she is without a friend and the world soon disintegrates into lawlessness as those who survived begin to destroy what remains.
The Last Humans, while not a thrilling edge of your seat page-turner, is an interesting novel. The story follows Penny as she tries to find a path to take in this world. She quickly learns that there are other survivors, but for whatever the reason, they’ve basically lost their minds. They are out for themselves and willing to kill others for kicks. Some are good, but it’s best not to hedge your bets on meeting one of those. Being a now-former cop and former US Navy, Penny knows how to handle herself in certain situations, but the reader gets to see the journey that she has to take through this post-apocalyptic world.
There isn’t much that I don’t like about this book. I found Penny to be an interesting character. I like that she never really lost her head when faced with certain situations in the story. The only thing that I would have liked in this book is if the author had put the time transitions at the beginning of each “part.” It would have helped me a bit more with understanding/following how much time has passed. Yes, it’s mentioned in the story, but more or less in passing.
I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. As I said, this book isn’t really action driven. There aren’t zombies or other creepers chasing and prowling about. It’s just humanity, or what’s left finding a way to survive or to destroy what remains…along with animals without owners who go feral for survival.”—Seraphia, in her four-star Amazon review
“Now this was definitely a little different from other post apocalyptic books I’ve read. This seemed to focus on the survivors surviving instead of the bad people that survived. I liked that they mention some of the horrors but don’t focus on it. It does make you question what you would do if this really happened and you survived. I recommend this book.”.—Bookaholic81 in her five-star Amazon review
“Steven Moore has created a very believable post-apocalyptic world after a bio-weapon sweeps the Earth. He portrays the best and worst of mankind, with strong characters. The main protagonist is Penny Castro who is a strong, witty warrior-woman – who you cannot help liking and rooting for; she has to struggle to survive feral humans, drought and starvation and keep her small family safe. I enjoyed The Last Humans and am sure any fan of post-apocalyptic scenarios would as well.’—Ann Kilburn in her five-star Amazon review
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Comments are always welcome.
The Last Humans. Penny Castro goes on a forensic dive for the LA County Sheriff’s Department and surfaces to find the apocalypse. Her survival adventures in a post-apocalyptic wasteland with its past of brushfires, drought, and earthquakes almost make her give up, but she finds others of like minds who battle feral humans and the remains of a US government. Can she build a future for the last humans on the planet? Available in print and ebook versions at Amazon and the publisher, Black Opal Books, as well as in ebook versions at Smashwords and its affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.). Or visit your favorite local bookstore (if they don’t have it, ask for it).
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
