*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Published: April 15th, 2013 (St. Ambrose Press)
Pages: 152
Rating: 2/5
Four young stowaways — illegal passengers, below even the 3rd class — find themselves on the R.M.S. Titanic, the grandest ocean liner in the world on her maiden voyage. At first unknown to each other, hailing from four different countries, they begin to learn about each other’s pasts as they bide their time in the bowels of the ship, united in their hopes of making a new life in America. When disaster strikes, what will become of them? Who, if any, will be able to escape the epic tragedy Walter Lord described as ‘the death of a small town’?
Book Trailer:
I’ve always loved the story of the Titanic. The glamor that surrounded the vessel and the horror of its demise makes for a fascinating tale. That’s one reason why I read Last Off. Also, this might seem blunt, but it wasn’t that long, and I thought, “Hey, why not? It sounds interesting, it’s short, and I’d be helping an author out.” Sadly, this novella just wasn’t for me.
The author jumps right into the plot without giving much background information or anything else, which makes it a little confusing at some points. We’re immediately introduced to four stowaways who’re catching a ride in the deepest bowels of the ship. After quite a while of being below deck, I found myself wishing the boys would venture up a few levels. They did, but only once, which disappointed me greatly. I wanted them to be among the action and scramble that occurred when the Titanic hit the iceberg, but they weren’t. All they knew of the collision was massive creaking sounds coming from the sides of the ship. Not very exciting, if you ask me.
There were some slight historical inaccuracies here and there, but they didn’t bother me that much, as fiction usually takes the liberty to stretch facts. One thing that did bother me was the ending. I would have been more satisfied if the novella ended a little brighter and tied up some loose ends that were left hanging. I felt Last Off was severely anti-climactic and could have used some more excitement. All in all, it just wasn’t what I expected it to be.
Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*
Language: None
Violence: None (some deaths, not described)
Sexual: None
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