I was extremely leery about this book. What? Another post super-flu end of the world novel? Really? How original could that be? Brad Manuel’s The Last Tribe looked like yet one more in a long procession of books that came before. I could not have been any more wrong.
Yes, the book brings to mind a lot of other works: The Passage, Station 11, King’s masterpiece The Stand, I am Legend, World War Z, The Walking Dead, The Dog Stars, Divergent, The Maze Runner, The Planet of the Apes, and on and on. AND yes, I have read many of them. There is something about the genre that is always interesting. But when I first saw The Last Tribe I was pretty sure this would just be another take on the same formula. And in the first chapter, I was convinced that this was going to be a book that had zero originality.
I’ll say it again. I could not have been more wrong.
The Last Tribe does not have zombies. It does not really have many “bad guys.” There are no evil forces at work. What it has is perhaps unique to the whole genre. Humanity. The book tells the story of a group of survivors, several of whom, quite miraculously, are from the same family. It tells how they come together, and ultimately create “the last tribe.” The book has incredibly strong character development. It has several protagonists, and over 700 pages, you come to cheer for all of them.
Brad Manuel has created a world that you do not want to leave. He has created a world in which humanity triumphs. A world in which people use knowledge, determination, and sheer will-power to not only survive, but to thrive. It is a good guys survival story.
I don’t want to spoil the story. I just strongly recommend you buy the book, or the audiobook (Scott Brick, one of the great audio performers of the day narrates it, over 22 hours!). And then set some time aside, as once you start, you won’t want to put it down.
I am just hoping there is a sequel.
I would love a sequel…please let me know…630-885-4723 suzanne Blocker
I’m not the author. 🙂 We would all love a sequel.
I agree with the reviewer, this book is about HUMANITY. I enjoyed it and am going through withdrawal. Hope there’s a sequel in the works.
i have listened to this book over ten times and have yet to tire of it . I have looked for books simular to it ( no zombies , no cannibal BS , just a few people trying to survive the situation of a global apocolypse , but unfortutatly i have been unable to find any . I really hope he writes a sequel because there’s still so much to be told about these charaacters and possibly one’s they’ve yet to find . straight up 10 outta 10 . one of the best books i’ve come across . ( any recommendations ??? )
I really need to re-read it. Truly is a great book, and yes, I look forward (and hope) for a sequel. American War bu Omar Akad was ok, but it wasn’t really post-apocalypse, just post-American democracy, but not great like this. The Book of the Unnamed Midwife was also ok, but not great, and by the second book, turned into something entirely focused on feminism. Again, nowhere as good at The Last Tribe. And in reviewing my Audible and Kindle accounts, I can’t think of anything I’ve read in this same vein. Plenty of good books, but not quite like this.