Review: Suspenseful and Action Packed Apocalyptic Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 5, 2014
“Last Light Falling” is an apocalyptic suspense novel set in a world that grows more dangerous every day—the government is increasing its control and its cruel punishments, and citizens are dying through starvation and violence.The heroine of the novel, Arena, has just turned fifteen and is dealing with not only the country’s economic collapse, but with her grief over her parents’ death—though she and her twin brother, Gabe, were taken in by loving foster parents, she can’t shake the sadness she feels. When she receives an odd letter with a key in the mail and notices a strange priest watching her, her life is about to change—because she and Gabe have been chosen by God as leaders in the new age of apocalypse. Suddenly, Arena is not only dealing with typical teenage problems like being picked on by the popular kids at school, but also with accepting her new role and deciding who to trust.“Last Light Falling” is an exciting book, and in one of my favorite genres—apocalyptic fiction, a love kicked off for me by Stephen King’s “The Stand” when I was younger. However, “Last Light Falling” is a grittier and more real read than most—I liked how the author weaved in the mandate of God (both Arena and Gabe eventually have visions about their own purpose) with the action parts of the novel. Arena is a convincing teenager who matures throughout the novel, going from a girl who is angry and confused to one who knows who she is and has a strong purpose. Through her life, she’s already had martial arts training, making her passionate about and talented with weaponry, while Gabe is the more intellectual one—but they need both of their strengths to survive, and I liked their relationship. There is a lot of action in the plot, as well as violence, which keeps it fast-paced—a scene with a town where everyone seems protected and in control turns out to be deeply corrupt, and it’s a chilling sequence in the book when you figure out what’s really going on. The economic and moral collapse of America is also tied to something deeper and more corrupt than Arena and Gabe initially suspect, which adds additional tension (and a great villain) to the book.I would recommend “Last Light Falling” to readers who enjoy apocalyptic fiction that’s not just about survival, but about leading others into a new world; while this is a book about teens, I would recommend it to an audience of adults and older teens given some of the more graphic situations.