The Last Child

When I first read John Hart’s new novel, The Last Child, I knew immediately that number three was the charm.  The Last Child is Hart’s most thoroughly developed novel yet, with a compelling storyline and strong characters throughout.  Not to take anything away from Hart’s first two novels, The King of Lies, and the Edgar Award winning Down River, but, The Last Child is in an entirely different league.  The craftsmanship is apparent almost from the first page, and more than one reader since the books release on May 12th has returned to say they could not put it down and in fact read the novel straight through, staying up to the wee hours of the morning to do so. 

One advantage to being a bookseller is that I was able to read a manuscript version of The Last Child months before its publication; I knew from the moment I read it that the novel would be well-received.  I have not been disappointed, as in the first week of release the novel soared to #2 on the SIBA (Southeast Independent Booksellers Association) Bestseller List, and debuted at #10 on the May 31st New York Times Bestseller List. 

Literary Bookpost also had the best author event in the history of our shop on the evening of May 12th with Hart’s book signing.  We had a steady stream of attendees for four hours, and though the autograph line moved slowly at first, with some people having to wait for thirty minutes or more, by the fourth hour the wait was down to a few minutes.  The crowd went through a lot of wine and cheese, I can fully attest.  Everyone had a great time, including Hart, who early on learned the lesson that a successful author is willing to spend a few minutes with each of his readers instead of signing like an automaton.  And, for those who missed this event, Hart left a gracious plenty of signed stock on hand. 

The Last Child is an outstanding and suspenseful addition to Hart’s resume and to the genre itself.  One question that has stayed in my mind since first reading the novel, however, is one I would like to ask every reader of this book.  And it is a question that most will say has a very obvious answer, but, I tend to get very philosophical and analytical about things like this.  Tell me, reader, just who is the last child? 

The Last Child (Hardcover)

By John Hart
$24.95
ISBN-13: 9780312359324
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Minotaur Books, 05/01/2009