Alexandra Blogier

The cover for this book is SO BEAUTIFUL, but the blurb for this is a bit misleading. The synopsis for The Last Girl on Earth speaks of an Earth in which all humans have been wiped out. The planet has been taken over by Abdoloreans, beings who have special abilities. The story centers on Li, and shockingly, she is the last girl on earth. She grew up in hiding, blending in with her fellow aliens. But at a point, Li will come of age. And it is time to take the tests that will decide her future. show more Everything becomes a little more complicated when Li meets Ryn, and for the first time, she has someone to live for.

It’s true that the genre is science fiction, and the author did create a world that was original, but it wasn’t fully explored and the plot focused solely on the romance, making the book seem a little more like one of those teen chick-lit dramas. There was some of the world-building aspect of the book that contributed to Li’s future, and it reminded me a bit of the competition in Nyxia, except I kept waiting for the action-adventure to start, but it never did. Instead, it was brought up near the ending, but I wished it had played a much larger part in the story.

The characters were okay; I felt like the romantic relationship definitely moved super fast, since it was the focus of the book. Personally, I never really felt a deep connection with anyone, and I think Li’s feeling of loneliness of being the only human left in the world could have been further developed, perhaps turning into determination or courage that could be intertwined with a more action-driven adventure. Some of the side characters also made decisions and said things that were simply frustrating to read, and I felt like in this world they could have focused on things that were more important than stereotypical teenage romantic drama.

The writing style was really good though. I actually really enjoyed the writing, especially at the beginning of the book. I do think that simply if the book had been longer and the focus had been more on the “last girl on the earth” part instead of the “falling in love” part, this could have been really great. The book is a little short, and the ending makes me wonder if there is a sequel that can actually explore the world more. show less

This young adult book started out with a great deal of promise as Li (the last girl on earth) is living here undercover as our world has been taken over by an alien race (They look like us but have gills). So far, so good. But then Li moves on to a series of trials to try become an officer to serve for the government on an alien planet. This is like The Hunger Games and many other books of this genre. Then a love story with a boy (Ryn) takes over and we generally forget that she is human. I show more think young adults will like it but older people who like YA fiction have heard it all before. show less

When Li was a baby, her adoptive father surgically gave her gills so that she could pass as an Abdolorean alien. When the Abdoloreans invaded Earth they wiped out all human life including Li’s birth parents. All her life he and her adoptive sister Zo have protected her secret and carefully crafted a life where she can fit in and continue living a relatively normal life as an alien girl. Enter Ryn, a boy who just moved to Earth from another Abdolorean run planet who finds Li intriguing. show more They enter a whirlwind romance that could put everything Li and her father worked for in danger of discovery.

There are a few reasons I didn’t like this book. For one, the world building was weak. This is purely a romance novel so it didn’t need that much setting exposition. But I would’ve like to have known how the aliens came into contact with Earth, in my haste to finish this book I may have missed that detail meaning it was probably too short for me to catch it. Second, Li wasn’t very interesting. She was a hard working student so that she could become an officer in the Abdolorean militia earning her some sort of merit so that they wouldn’t catch onto her real identity as human—something I didn’t quite understand either. But I never really became interested in Li as her own individual.

The biggest reason I wasn’t into this book was the romance. For a book that put everything aside to focus on the romantic side of these star-crossed lovers I didn’t get that cheesy grin when the guy and the girl are together being all googly eyed at each other. It was instant attraction at first sight and they both admit it to each other but from there I didn’t feel it. Longing stares and sweet nothings only get you so far with me.

Personally, it didn’t work for me as neither a romance or sci-fi novel but maybe someone else will like it. show less

1.5 Stars

“I know I have no choice. I know this is my life. But this life is a lie.”

I’m disappointed. That’s probably how I can best summarizes me feelings about The Last Girl on Earth. I thought the premise had so much promise - Li as the lone human on Earth and her personal and emotional struggle, plus I was excited to learn more about the alien race that had taken over Earth and what lead to the alien apocalypse. Unfortunately, I felt like the story glossed over everything. The show more story seemed to read as more of a fleshed out outline than an actual novel. The worldbuilding was done so hastily and the character introductions only briefly mentioned, I never felt like I knew what was going on. I did really love the found family aspect that Li has with her adoptive dad and sister. It was so genuine and actually impacted me emotionally. Unfortunately, the other relationships felt rushed and underdeveloped. A sad miss.

I received a copy of the book from Delacorte Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are taken from an uncorrected proof. show less