Last Light by Terri Blackstock

Last Light by Terri Blackstock
Series: Book 1 of The Restoration Series
Publisher: Zondervan (Reprint Edition, May 18,2009)

Review by Mae Clair

This book has been sitting on my Kindle for a while. I’m not sure why I didn’t dive into it immediately, but once I did, it was almost impossible to put down. I found myself thinking about the characters and story when I was otherwise occupied during the day, eager to get back to it. The premise is one that’s been tackled in numerous books, movies, and TV series­.

What sets this book apart from others I’ve read is the Christian perspective. There is no military or dystopian slant, just a family and their neighbors forced to adapt to shocking changes. It was easy to picture my own neighborhood and how I might react if a similar cataclysmic event occurred. How strongly would I believe in God’s promise of provision?

Something unknown (at least at the start) knocks out all power and communication. Cars die on highways, planes crash, cell phones and computers stop working, radios and TVs go silent. Suddenly, people accustomed to a high-tech world are forced to adapt to life without electricity and other basic comforts. How’s that for toppling modern conveniences?

At the heart of the story is the Branning family. The parents, Doug and Kay are in their mid 40s­—a stockbroker and a suburban mom. They’ve got four kids, all with distinct personalities. The younger two, Logan (9 years old) and Beth (12 years old), don’t get as much “screen time” as the older siblings. Jeff is sixteen, and his sister, Deni is twenty-two. She’s visiting from Washington D.C. before her wedding to a high-profile, workaholic fiancé who is the assistant to a senator. As a Georgetown graduate, Deni, has just landed an internship with an NBC affiliate in D.C., and is focused on climbing the social ladder.

Fair warning that she can be a little irritating. Okay, a lot irritating. She’s mostly whiny and selfish, but part of the joy in this book is seeing the change in her character from start to finish. I expected to dislike Deni. Really dislike her, but I didn’t. She’s needed for the book to deliver more than one message related to faith and dependence on God. There were times I wanted to chew her out and other times I wanted to wrap my arms around her.

Parents, Doug and Kay, are both strong in their roles. I especially liked Doug as he takes on more and more of a leadership role in the neighborhood and sets up a Sunday service/church.

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The moon was bright, and the stars had never looked more glorious. The absence of streetlights made the heavens seem deeper, more vast, stars upon stars that almost made him catch his breath. He felt so small, so insignificant, just a speck in the universe. Yet he knew he was more than that. He was precious in God’s sight.

Last Light, Terri Blackstock

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And if it isn’t enough that the world as everyone knows it has upended, robberies and murder follow on the heels of the blackout. The sense of lurking danger is well done with plenty of suspicion about who the killer or killers might be. I found the last quarter especially tense as plot threads build to a climax.

Although this is book one of a four-part series, the overall story arcs wrap up tidily. More than once, I burned the midnight oil devouring chapters as I rushed to the finish. Since then, I’ve read the remaining books in the series. All are 5-fish reads, but I think this one is my favorite.

I highly recommend Last Light for anyone who enjoys stories with compelling plots and memorable characters, entwined with a message of faith.

I give Last Light five fabulous fish.

I purchased the Kindle version Last Light.