BLOG TOUR: Love & Other Human Errors - Bethany Clift

An unforgettable story about love in all its chaotic glory from the author of Last One At The Party

A book synopsis is fundamentally ridiculous. How can I possibly convey, in only 100 words, the events of the past year and their impact on my perfectly ordered existence?

It is insufficient space to accurately detail how I was blackmailed into demonstrating my flawless algorithm to find a soulmate, despite having no desire for one.

In my former life I avoided trivial human connections. I was alone, accomplished and brilliant.

Unfortunately, that solitary and driven woman no longer exists.

My name is Indiana Dylan and this is the extraordinary account of how I fell in love.

There: 100 words exactly.

 

What did I think?

Having absolutely loved Bethany Clift's debut, Last One at the Party, I was very excited to read what she would write next, although I had no idea how she would manage to follow such an outstanding book.  She didn't just follow it, she SMASHED it as Love & Other Human Errors completely blew me away.  I apologise in advance for my long review but to say 'I loved this book' is an understatement.

Set in the near future, Indiana Dylan has created an algorithm that cuts out the chaos and confusion of searching for your soulmate.  Unfortunately for Indiana, if she wants to sell her algorithm she has to demonstrate it but Indiana is not looking for love...or any kind of human interaction at all.  

For fans of The Big Bang Theory, think of Sheldon Cooper with fewer interpersonal skills and you might be close to imagining Indiana Dylan.  Indiana is a truly unique character; I love how literal, awkward and naive she is.  I loved all of the characters though, even those I loved to hate (like Cameron and Emily), but I have to give a particular mention to a few of the other characters.  Indiana's assistant Peggy (we all need a Peggy in our lives), workaholic Lina (who's work/life balance is totally skewed), everyone's favourite colleague Jack (who brightens everyone's day but nobody ever asks how he is) and not forgetting Frank (with his sharp observations and wise words) and his stinky dog Alan.

As for love and the search for a soulmate, it would be wonderful if our perfect match could be found for us as it gets tedious kissing so many frogs and it took me such a long time to find my prince.  I've actually had a conversation about this recently, as it's surely not in the best interests of a dating company to present you with your perfect match immediately as you'll cancel your subscription and ride off into the sunset.  They certainly wouldn't make much money if your perfect match was revealed during a free trial.

I could talk about this book for hours as it's not only an amazing story, there is so much to take away from it.  I've been like Lina in the past and I hope that anyone who reads this book and recognises themselves in Lina will take steps to address their work/life balance.  Life is too short and it's so important to make the most of what little time we have on this earth.  It's also a reminder to look behind the smiles of our friends, relatives and colleagues; they may be smiling to make us feel better but look into their eyes to see how they really feel.  

This is a book (and an author) that I shall continue to recommend for a long time to come; Bethany Clift isn't just one to watch, she's one to read so make sure that you do!  So very highly recommended, Love & Other Human Errors is a very strong contender for my book of the year.  Just buy it, you won't regret it!

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Last One At The Party - Bethany Clift

THE END OF EVERYTHING WAS HER BEGINNING

It's December 2023 and the world as we know it has ended.

The human race has been wiped out by a virus called 6DM ('Six Days Maximum' - the longest you've got before your body destroys itself).

But somehow, in London, one woman is still alive. A woman who has spent her whole life compromising what she wants, hiding how she feels and desperately trying to fit in. A woman who is entirely unprepared to face a future on her own.

Now, with only an abandoned golden retriever for company, she must travel through burning cities, avoiding rotting corpses and ravenous rats on a final journey to discover if she really is the last surviving person on earth.

And with no one else to live for, who will she become now that she's completely alone?

What did I think?

Wow what a book!  I admit to being a bit scared to read Last One at the Party but whilst the 6DM virus is scary, the story is funny, hopeful and soul-searching.  Although I could have easily read this book in one sitting, I chose to read it over 3 days to fully experience and contemplate the extraordinary story.

With an unnamed protagonist who appears to be the only survivor of a global pandemic, the reader is taken on a literal and metaphorical journey as our heroine searches for survivors and learns the skills needed to keep herself alive.  Written in the form of a diary, we experience everything from the horrific impact of the virus to her hopes and fears, and even get to know more about her past through reminiscences.  

The writing is stunning and amazingly vivid and I think the solitary nature of the story made me visualise a Hitchcock style movie in my head, which I think is exactly what the author was going for as the filmmaker does get a mention later in the book.  Despite the subject matter, the writing is often surprisingly witty and I often found myself laughing out loud one minute and being covered in goosebumps the next.

Bethany Clift wrote Last One at the Party before the Covid-19 pandemic, however, she added in references to our current day pandemic when editing her debut novel.  I read this in the lovely letter to the reader that the author has included at the start of the book and it really helped to get myself in the right frame of mind before I started reading the story.  We often read to escape real life so reading a novel about a pandemic during a pandemic kind of defeats the object, however, although it does have some similarities to the Covid-19 pandemic it is ultimately a story of survival and one woman's incredible journey to find happiness in the simple things.

Don't be scared to read it, Last One at the Party is completely awesome and an absolute must read.  Although it's a real goosebump-frenzy kind of book it's also a humourous, hopeful and powerful read.  An incredibly impressive debut from an exceptionally talented new author and with film rights already having been sold to Ridley Scott, I can't wait to see this breathtaking novel brought to life on screen.

If you only read one book this year make sure it's Last One at the Party; this book is sure to be the biggest debut of 2021.  5 huge stars from me!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Bethany Clift is a graduate of the Northern Film School and has had projects in development with Eon and Film 4, as well as being a director of her own production company. Last One At The Party is her debut novel.

Social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beth_Clift

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beth_writes_stuff/ 

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