Last Light - Alex Scarrow

...novel affected as much as Last Light did! I actually stayed up most of the night in order to finish the book, in fact I read it in less than 24 hours!


In my opinion, the subject matter is topical and the effects of no oil would be so devastating to the modern world, that I do believe that society could break down should a situation such as that portrayed in Last Light occur.


Alex Scarrow's plot and characters ...
...when I put the book down and went into my garden (for a cigarette after reading a particularly harrowing chapter!), I found myself checking that there was no one lurking around waiting to seize our food and water!


The novel is a fast paced, action packed, thriller, it has drama, twists, turns, political intrigue, secret groups who in effect, hold the world to ransom for reasons which are known only to a handful of selected people, ... more

Review of 'Last Light' a novel by Alex Scarrow.

I am reviewing the paperback edition of the novel, ISBN 978-0752886152 , 352 pages, published by Orion, jacket price £6.99. Genre- Thriller.

The Plot

The plot is the story of the breakdown of the oil industry following targeted sabotage of all the world's major oil fields and oil processing plants and the drastic effects on society that a lack of oil has. The plot follows Andy Sutherland, his wife Jenny and their two children Leona and Jake, the British Army in Iraq and other characters that it would be impossible to mention without ruining the plot for others!

Oil engineer Andy Sutherland is stranded in Iraq with a company of British soldiers. He is desperate to get home to his family, but finds himself trapped as transport links and the very infrastructure of Iraq begins to collapse around him.

Andy's wife, Jenny, is planning to leave her husband. On the day of the oil disaster, she is in Manchester for a job interview. Leona is at University in East Anglia and Jake is at boarding school. Andy manages to phone his wife and daughter and tells them to get back to London as soon as possible. At first they think that Andy is over-reacting as he has been obsessed by what he terms 'Peak Oil' for some years. He has written reports and warned of the disaster should societies reliance on oil come under threat so often, that his wife has had enough and is seeking a life away from her obsessive husband.

Within hours of the oil sabotage, the news spreads and so does panic. The government takes the decision to block all rail, air and road travel and shut down petrol stations to conserve energy. The general public very quickly begin to panic buy, emptying supermarkets and riots develop as people rush to obtain food and bottled water. Police and the Armed forces are deployed to guard petrol and oil reserves and to block off Britain's motorways to ensure the public do not travel.

The Sutherland family, spread across the UK realise that Andy was right all along in is warnings of a dire future and the plot tells of their struggles to get home and Andy's near fatal escape from Iraq.

The book describes the feral youths who treat the crisis as a God given opportunity to behave however they wish, in four short days, and the terror with which they rule Britain's towns, means that Britain becomes a savage playground for these young hooligans. What starts off as groups of Hoodies taking advantage of no law enforcement swiftly degenerates into a very realistic and frightening situation of anarchy and lawlessness.

The storyline is not a new one, yet the plot feels fresh and exciting. For the outcome-sorry-you'll have to read it for yourself!

The Author

Alex Scarrow is the brother of author, Simon Scarrow. Alex lives in Norwich with his wife Frances and their son, Jacob.

Before becoming a full time author, Alex Scarrow worked in the music industry and in in the computer games business as a graphic artist and eventually as a games designer. He worked on several popular games such as Waterworld, Evolva, The Thing, Spartan, Gates of Troy and Legion Arena .

Further information about Alex Scarrow can be found on the website he shares with his brother.

http://www.scarrow.co.uk/index.html

Price and Availability

My copy was actually bought from a public library book sale for 20p, however it bears the jacket price of £6.99.

'Last Light' can be purchased from www.amazon.co.uk from £2.42 new or 49p used.

My Thoughts and Conclusion

I cannot remember when a novel affected as much as Last Light did! I actually stayed up most of the night in order to finish the book, in fact I read it in less than 24 hours!

In my opinion, the subject matter is topical and the effects of no oil would be so devastating to the modern world, that I do believe that society could break down should a situation such as that portrayed in Last Light occur.

Alex Scarrow's plot and characters are very well drawn and believable, so much so, that when I put the book down and went into my garden (for a cigarette after reading a particularly harrowing chapter!), I found myself checking that there was no one lurking around waiting to seize our food and water!

The novel is a fast paced, action packed, thriller, it has drama, twists, turns, political intrigue, secret groups who in effect, hold the world to ransom for reasons which are known only to a handful of selected people, a little of everything that a good thriller should have! The subject is possibly one that may make some readers uncomfortable, but I feel this is a novel that should be read, if only as a warning to an oil greedy world!

Thank you for reading.

©brittle1906
September 2009

NB My review may be found on other review sites under the same user name, brittle1906.
 

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