Book Summary and Reviews of Last One Out by Jane Harper

Book Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of Exiles and The Dry comes a captivating new novel set in a modern ghost town.

Carralon Ridge, a once vibrant village in rural New South Wales, has become a shell of itself, its houses and buildings bought up and left to rot by the mining company operating at its borders. A decade into its slow death, surrounded by industrial noise and swathed in thick layers of dust, the skeletal town is all but abandoned, with just a handful of residents clinging onto what remains.

After years of scorning those who left the Ridge behind as it fell into ruin, Ro never imagined she'd become one of them. But everything changed when she lost her son. Five years ago, Sam vanished while visiting during a break from college, leaving behind a rental car with his belongings inside. Sam had loved Carralon Ridge, and had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy before it vanished altogether. It wasn't long after his disappearance that the rest of the family began to crumble away too.

But when Ro returns to Carralon Ridge to be with her husband and daughter on the anniversary of Sam's disappearance, she begins to suspect that something important was overlooked in his case. Because while nothing can stop Carralon Ridge from dying, someone seems to want to make sure that its secrets die with it.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. What is the significance of the title of this novel, Last One Out? What does it refer to?
2. The prologue comes to us from an omniscient viewpoint, rather than a specific character's point of view, and sets the scene for Sam Crowley's disappearance. What is the effect of this perspective on the story to come?
3. The three abandoned houses we see in the prologue are a powerful visual introduction to the novel. How are they symbolic of the loss of a once-thriving town and its population?
4. Loss is a major theme in this novel, portrayed in several ways through the setting and many of the characters' lives. What are some of the experiences of loss explored in the story? How are they handled by the characters? Can you think...