Wednesday, March 30, 2016

The Last Girl by Joe Hart

We are introduced in this first book in the Dominion Trilogy, to Zoey, one of the last girls remaining on earth. Her life as one of the last girls consists of going to school. eating, exercising, and socializing with the other girls, and waiting until the day she will turn 21.

Her life changes radically when she finds a book hidden in her room.  Books are forbidden. The book, The Count of Monte Cristo, becomes somewhat of a guide for Zoey. Throughout The Last Girl it is a mystery to us as to who might have hidden the book in her room.

Each of the girls has a guardian - and Zoey's guardian, Simon, has a son, Lee, who is Zoey's age. They are fast friends, and Zoey shares with Lee that she thinks that the leaders in the compound are really keeping her prisoner, and lying about her future. The girls have been told that a unexplained virus has caused the disappearance of girl babies, and caused all births to be baby boys. Could this be true? Could they really be the last girls on earth?

Zoey is determined to leave the compound, unearth the mysteries surrounding their captivity, and find her parents, although she is beginning to think they are no longer alive. I enjoyed the mystery of the books and I think many of my high school students will be excited to read this series. I'm also hoping that Joe Hart will be willing to do an author visit of some type with our book club.

It wasn't until I finished reading The Last Girl by Joe Hart that I learned that Joe Hart is a Minnesota author. I can't believe I missed that fact! I'm looking forward to the second book in the trilogy, and will recommend it to my book club students. Joe talks about The Last Girl in this brief video below.