Last Day

March 11, 2019
Ruta explores ideas of forgiveness and loneliness through the experiences of three characters on the titular holiday in this meandering, purposeless debut set in a time much like our present. Thomas “Bear” Clark is an American astronaut aboard the International Space Station who has become disconnected from his daughters and his ex-wife. Sarah Moss is a teenager discovering her sexuality through her curiosity-driven pursuit of an older man. Karen Donovan is a young woman from Boston with mental health issues and a troubled past who has few friends to lean on. The slow and overly contemplative exploration of the sparse events of each character’s Last Day, an international holiday celebrating the end of the world, is frequently interrupted by the detailed and sentimental backstory of irrelevant characters. There’s no conflict, the characters make few decisions, and nothing really happens. Though small connections among the protagonists are rewarding and Ruta offers convincing vignettes, readers will be underwhelmed by this bleak examination of humanity. Agent: Jim Rutman, Sterling Lord Literistic.

Edoardo Ballerini gives a superb narration of this imaginative apocalyptic story set on Last Day, a worldwide event falling on May 27-28 of each year. The story centers on three individuals--Bear, Karen, and Sarah--whose lives intersect in small ways. Ballerini smooths the sometimes abrupt transitions between episodes so that listeners can experience the story in a steadier fashion. Bear, Karen, and Sarah have each experienced loss and loneliness, and Ballerini gives finely tuned portrayals of their emotional struggles. In particular, Karen, who resides in a group home, is sensitively depicted. The many secondary characters are all fully realized and sympathetic. The tensions in this audiobook are dramatically enhanced by Ballerini's varied pacing. M.J. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine