The Last Humans, by Steven M. Moore

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.