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The Last Harvest
“I plead the blood.”
Those were the last words seventeen-year-old golden boy quarterback Clay Tate heard rattling from his dad's throat when he discovered him dying on the barn floor of the Neely Cattle Ranch, clutching a crucifix to his chest.
Now, on the first anniversary of the Midland, Oklahoma slaughter, the whole town's looking at Clay like he might be next to go over the edge. Clay wants to forget the past, but the sons and daughters of the Preservation Society—a group of prominent farmers his dad accused of devil worship—won't leave him alone. Including Ali, his longtime crush, who suddenly wants to reignite their romance after a year of silence, and hated rival Tyler Neely, who’s behaving like they’re old friends.
Even as Clay tries to reassure himself, creepy glances turn to sinister stares and strange coincidences build to gruesome rituals—but when he can never prove that any of it happened, Clay worries he might be following his dad down the path to insanity...or that something far more terrifying lies in wait around the corner.
Those were the last words seventeen-year-old golden boy quarterback Clay Tate heard rattling from his dad's throat when he discovered him dying on the barn floor of the Neely Cattle Ranch, clutching a crucifix to his chest.
Now, on the first anniversary of the Midland, Oklahoma slaughter, the whole town's looking at Clay like he might be next to go over the edge. Clay wants to forget the past, but the sons and daughters of the Preservation Society—a group of prominent farmers his dad accused of devil worship—won't leave him alone. Including Ali, his longtime crush, who suddenly wants to reignite their romance after a year of silence, and hated rival Tyler Neely, who’s behaving like they’re old friends.
Even as Clay tries to reassure himself, creepy glances turn to sinister stares and strange coincidences build to gruesome rituals—but when he can never prove that any of it happened, Clay worries he might be following his dad down the path to insanity...or that something far more terrifying lies in wait around the corner.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 10, 2017
About the author
Kim Liggett
9 books2,036 followersKim Liggett, originally from the rural midwest, moved to New York City to pursue a career in the arts. She's the author of Blood and Salt, Heart of Ash, The Last Harvest (Bram Stoker Award Winner), The Unfortunates, and The Grace Year. Kim spends her free time studying tarot and scouring Manhattan for rare vials of perfume and the perfect egg white cocktail.
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February 7, 2017
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/01/15/...
Well, Kim Liggett sure doesn’t mess around. That was my first thought after finishing The Last Harvest, but only once I was recovered from feeling like I was thrown off a bridge thanks to that ending. This book might be published under a Young Adult imprint, but when it comes to delivering horror, it’s the real deal—no kid gloves here. To give fair warning, I would probably place this on the “older teen” spectrum, and if you don’t like unsettling themes and endings, then you may want to stay away.
If, however, knowing all that only makes you more intrigued, then read on! Personally, I knew as soon as I heard about The Last Harvest that it would be right up my alley. The book was first pitched to me as a YA horror thriller, described as Rosemary’s Baby meets Friday Night Lights. Think sprawling wheat fields, high school football, cattle ranches and satanic panic. No way could I resist.
Our story is set in rural Oklahoma, starring eighteen-year-old protagonist Clay Tate. A year ago, Clay had it all—he was the star quarterback at Midland High, and as a scion of one of the six founding families of their town, he was also a well-respected member of the Preservation Society. But all that changed the night Clay’s dad lost his mind, took the living room crucifix off the wall, and made a sudden visit to Ian Neely’s neighboring cattle ranch. Now on the first anniversary of that night, people in town still talk in hushed whispers about how the elder Tate’s body was found among the blood and viscera on the floor of the breeding barn, after committing an unspeakable act. Clay himself has become a social pariah, having quit the football team and turned down his position on the Preservation Society in order to focus on working the family farm. Clay’s mom has also not yet recovered from her husband’s death, leaving him to raise his little sisters on his own.
With the days growing cooler, Clay is determined to finish harvesting the wheat before first frost. But between the bad memories and his worries about his family, he’s been having trouble sleeping, and the visits to the doctor and school counselor haven’t really helped. Worse, he begins to see and hear things that he suspects aren’t really there, like the slaughtered golden calf he finds in the wheat field one morning, only to come back later to find that all traces of it has disappeared. Disturbing visions featuring his family and friends continue to haunt him, making Clay wonder if he is now suffering from the same mental illness that affected his dad in his final days. Was this what made his old man go crazy and accuse the Preservation Society of devil worship? Clay knows something rotten is definitely going on in the town, but there are few whom he could trust to tell the truth of what he’s seen. Evil has come to Midland, and now Clay fears for his family and for the soul of the girl he loves.
I’ve always said, the best and scariest horror stories are the ones that make you wonder what’s real and what’s not as you’re reading. What I found most impressive about The Last Harvest was how Liggett managed to lure me into a false sense of security. She’s also good at playing her cards close to her vest. When the book begins and we meet Clay Tate, we’re aware that something bad has happened to his family and that it involves his late father, but details behind the “breeding barn incident” aren’t revealed until later. For a long time, it doesn’t appear that anything too out of the ordinary has been happening in Midland. It’s a very traditional town where everyone knows each other. Much of life revolves around church, football, and the Preservation Society. Like any population, the vast majority are good kind people, but they also have their bad eggs. So at the first signs of malaise, it didn’t set off any alarm bells in my head. Also, while a young man in his late teens experiencing the classic symptoms of schizophrenia is a distressing experience indeed, again there are no clear signs that anything supernatural may be afoot.
It’s not until later on in the book that Liggett springs her trap. And that was when it hit me, I really should have been paying more attention! The author had been laying down clues since the very beginning, planting the seeds for her very own harvest, and suddenly it was all coming together. At the same time, I realized Liggett had set the story up so brilliantly that I had no idea where it was going to take me. In the end, I had to give up on trying to predict anything and simply let myself to be swept away by the plot’s many twists and turns—and believe me when I say, it was worth it.
My only issue with the book is the polarizing effect it may have on its intended audience. The horror aspects are definitely intense, going a little beyond what I would have expected for a YA novel, but at the same time the story also contains clear YA genre elements including teen romance, high school drama, and a general atmosphere of teenage angst. For adult fans of horror, this might be a turnoff or even a deal breaker, and it’s a real shame because I know plenty of horror buffs for whom this book would be perfect, except they don’t read YA.
I can also see readers divided on their thoughts of the ending, though personally, I loved it. Revealing much more about it will be spoiling, so just take my word for it when I say it is not to be missed. The Last Harvest surprised the hell out of me, and it was everything I wanted plus a lot more.
Well, Kim Liggett sure doesn’t mess around. That was my first thought after finishing The Last Harvest, but only once I was recovered from feeling like I was thrown off a bridge thanks to that ending. This book might be published under a Young Adult imprint, but when it comes to delivering horror, it’s the real deal—no kid gloves here. To give fair warning, I would probably place this on the “older teen” spectrum, and if you don’t like unsettling themes and endings, then you may want to stay away.
If, however, knowing all that only makes you more intrigued, then read on! Personally, I knew as soon as I heard about The Last Harvest that it would be right up my alley. The book was first pitched to me as a YA horror thriller, described as Rosemary’s Baby meets Friday Night Lights. Think sprawling wheat fields, high school football, cattle ranches and satanic panic. No way could I resist.
Our story is set in rural Oklahoma, starring eighteen-year-old protagonist Clay Tate. A year ago, Clay had it all—he was the star quarterback at Midland High, and as a scion of one of the six founding families of their town, he was also a well-respected member of the Preservation Society. But all that changed the night Clay’s dad lost his mind, took the living room crucifix off the wall, and made a sudden visit to Ian Neely’s neighboring cattle ranch. Now on the first anniversary of that night, people in town still talk in hushed whispers about how the elder Tate’s body was found among the blood and viscera on the floor of the breeding barn, after committing an unspeakable act. Clay himself has become a social pariah, having quit the football team and turned down his position on the Preservation Society in order to focus on working the family farm. Clay’s mom has also not yet recovered from her husband’s death, leaving him to raise his little sisters on his own.
With the days growing cooler, Clay is determined to finish harvesting the wheat before first frost. But between the bad memories and his worries about his family, he’s been having trouble sleeping, and the visits to the doctor and school counselor haven’t really helped. Worse, he begins to see and hear things that he suspects aren’t really there, like the slaughtered golden calf he finds in the wheat field one morning, only to come back later to find that all traces of it has disappeared. Disturbing visions featuring his family and friends continue to haunt him, making Clay wonder if he is now suffering from the same mental illness that affected his dad in his final days. Was this what made his old man go crazy and accuse the Preservation Society of devil worship? Clay knows something rotten is definitely going on in the town, but there are few whom he could trust to tell the truth of what he’s seen. Evil has come to Midland, and now Clay fears for his family and for the soul of the girl he loves.
I’ve always said, the best and scariest horror stories are the ones that make you wonder what’s real and what’s not as you’re reading. What I found most impressive about The Last Harvest was how Liggett managed to lure me into a false sense of security. She’s also good at playing her cards close to her vest. When the book begins and we meet Clay Tate, we’re aware that something bad has happened to his family and that it involves his late father, but details behind the “breeding barn incident” aren’t revealed until later. For a long time, it doesn’t appear that anything too out of the ordinary has been happening in Midland. It’s a very traditional town where everyone knows each other. Much of life revolves around church, football, and the Preservation Society. Like any population, the vast majority are good kind people, but they also have their bad eggs. So at the first signs of malaise, it didn’t set off any alarm bells in my head. Also, while a young man in his late teens experiencing the classic symptoms of schizophrenia is a distressing experience indeed, again there are no clear signs that anything supernatural may be afoot.
It’s not until later on in the book that Liggett springs her trap. And that was when it hit me, I really should have been paying more attention! The author had been laying down clues since the very beginning, planting the seeds for her very own harvest, and suddenly it was all coming together. At the same time, I realized Liggett had set the story up so brilliantly that I had no idea where it was going to take me. In the end, I had to give up on trying to predict anything and simply let myself to be swept away by the plot’s many twists and turns—and believe me when I say, it was worth it.
My only issue with the book is the polarizing effect it may have on its intended audience. The horror aspects are definitely intense, going a little beyond what I would have expected for a YA novel, but at the same time the story also contains clear YA genre elements including teen romance, high school drama, and a general atmosphere of teenage angst. For adult fans of horror, this might be a turnoff or even a deal breaker, and it’s a real shame because I know plenty of horror buffs for whom this book would be perfect, except they don’t read YA.
I can also see readers divided on their thoughts of the ending, though personally, I loved it. Revealing much more about it will be spoiling, so just take my word for it when I say it is not to be missed. The Last Harvest surprised the hell out of me, and it was everything I wanted plus a lot more.
January 9, 2017
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Here's two things you probably need to know about Kim Liggett: 1) She writes about really creepy shit going down in large, ominous crop settings; and 2) She does a damn good job of it.
Instead of trying to "review" a book with a ton of potential to spoil stuff, I am going to ask myself questions about it and then answer them for you! See, horror and I don't always mix. I want to like them, but I feel like there is a fine line, probably more so than in any other genre, that can make a book go from creepy to eye-rolling in no time. So these are the things that I look for in books like this, and maybe you do too!
Did I Connect to the Characters?
Here's two things you probably need to know about Kim Liggett: 1) She writes about really creepy shit going down in large, ominous crop settings; and 2) She does a damn good job of it.
Instead of trying to "review" a book with a ton of potential to spoil stuff, I am going to ask myself questions about it and then answer them for you! See, horror and I don't always mix. I want to like them, but I feel like there is a fine line, probably more so than in any other genre, that can make a book go from creepy to eye-rolling in no time. So these are the things that I look for in books like this, and maybe you do too!
Did I Connect to the Characters?
This is a biggie for me with horror. Sometimes I end up not liking a book just because I do not care about the characters so... if they all die in some kind of awful haze of doom... meh? But in this case, I did care about the characters. Clay is a good, stand up kind of guy. He cares deeply about his family, and that is admirable. After his dad died, he stepped up to the plate, and has been looking out for his little sisters as his mom slowly descends into Mrs. Everdeen-style uselessness. And his sisters! I loved them. Noodle, oh my goodness, Noodle was my favorite, I just wanted to gobble her up. She was so wise beyond her years, and the bond she had with Clay was so sweet. And even Jess, while she wasn't exactly likable, you couldn't help but feel for her after all she'd been through.
There is romance, too. I didn't love the romance, but I loved that Clay was so in love with the idea of it? I guess we didn't get to see that much of Ali to get a good feel for her. I also loved the little bits of humor infused into the book. Clay just was so down to earth, and his inner dialogue was a wonderful blend of fear and apprehension, and normal teenage guy trying to make it through the day.
Holy yes. Like I said, Kim Liggett can write a creepy scene in the crops like nobody's business. The whole time I was reading, I felt this sense of... unease. The setting was vivid, eerily so at times, and I could absolutely picture what was happening throughout. This was true even in the non-scary sort of scenes- the football games, the Oklahoma farm setting, it just all seemed to pop off the page. And when things got unsettling, I felt that too.
For the most part, yes. I will say that there were a few times where I knew what was going to happen. Even a few moments at the end. Not that I knew from the start or anything, but I had figured a few things out along the way. Not all, though! There were definitely surprises to be had. Some big surprises.
No! Well, mostly no! There were one or two times (I will say, toward the end) where I was... not so sure. That is probably my one qualm with the book- those few bits that had me saying "yeah, don't buy it". BUT. As a whole, it was definitely in the realm of believably scary! I mean... not scary, because I rarely, if ever, get scared by books, but... you know what I mean. There is a religious component to the book, too, which I found fascinating, even though I don't always connect with religious themes in books- this one was quite well done. It wasn't pushy, it was just... there. Part of the story. And it worked.
Kim Liggett is the only author who has made me flat out like horror, not once, but twice (I loved me some Blood and Salt!) . She's earned auto-buy author status for me. If you are looking for something to creep you out, she's your girl, and this is your book.
February 21, 2015
World, get ready for this book.
December 31, 2017
The nitty-gritty: The devil, teens and wheat fields collide in Liggett’s latest terrifying story.
Once again, Kim Liggett tackles the irresistible combination of teenagers and horror. In her debut Blood and Salt, she set her story in the corn fields. This time the story revolves around wheat fields (OK Kim what’s up with the crop stories??) and involves an age-old evil that is infiltrating a small Oklahoma town. While I enjoyed Kim’s first book, I can definitely see that she’s grown as a writer, because The Last Harvest was much more focused and had an understandable plot that seriously creeped me out. The story involves devil worship and sacrifice, and it’s filled with unreliable characters and plot twists that made it nearly impossible to predict where it was headed. This was a fairly quick book that had me reading late into the night—and then regretting that when I couldn’t fall asleep because it was so scary.
Clay Tate’s father died a year ago, in a bizarre and grisly death that took place at the neighbor's cattle ranch. Clay was there when his dad died, and his last words—“I plead the blood”—are indelibly etched in Clay’s memory. The odd circumstances surrounding his death are still a mystery when the story starts, and on the anniversary of that horrible event, Clay is beginning to see and hear weird and unexplainable things. Clay and his little sister Noodle live with their mother on a wheat farm, and when the story opens, Clay is determined to finish the “last harvest” of wheat before winter strikes. Without their father to provide, Clay is now the sole breadwinner, and the Tate family is going to need every last penny from the harvest.
But just as Clay thinks life might be getting back to normal, strange things start to happen. He sees a slaughtered calf in the wheat fields, which later disappears, and he keeps hearing people mutter the exact last words of his father. He’s been seeing a school counselor since his father died, but even Ms. Granger is starting to act weird. When he tells her about the odd occurrences, she seems to know exactly what’s going on. But instead of telling Clay, she only drops hints that something bad is coming—the devil—and that Clay might be the only one who can help stop the impending evil. As the members of the Preservation Society (an elite group of the six families whose ancestors settled the town) begin to die in apparent suicides, Clay decides to take his place in the group in order to solve the mystery of what’s happening.
Liggett tells her story in first person from Clay’s point of view, and I love that a female writer decided to tackle the voice of a teen male. She does a great job of setting up Clay as a boy older than his years, haunted by the death of his father and forced to care for his sister and mother. And yet, he’s a typical teen as well. He’s got a crush on a girl named Ali and he used to be a star football player on his school’s team. We also get to peek inside his head as Clay starts to experience some pretty weird shit, and we wonder right along with him if he’s actually seeing the horrific things that seem to be happening, or if he’s going crazy like his father did. It makes for a compelling mystery, when the reader doesn’t even know what’s real.
For the most part I enjoyed the characters. The kids who belong to the Preservation Society are suitably creepy and seem to be hiding lots of secrets. Clay immediately notices that many of them have a strange tattoo somewhere on their bodies, which he later finds out is a symbol of the devil. One of more interesting characters was the school counselor, Ms. Granger, who appears to want to help Clay one minute, and then suddenly seems to be keeping secrets from him. I went back and forth with her for most of the story, not really sure what to believe. Liggett provides a romantic interest for Clay, a seemingly normal element to add to a teen-centric story, but even that relationship had lots of surprises and veered off in a direction I wasn’t expecting.
Word of warning, if you’re the squeamish sort, this book might be a little too much for you. While I wouldn’t call this “slasher fiction,” the author has quite the imagination when it comes to killing off her characters. One of the most horrific scenes takes place in the breeding barn, and what makes it unique is that it’s one of those times when Clay isn’t sure that what he’s seeing is even real. Liggett has done a great job of combining psychological and physical horror, and it’s that combination that makes this story so good.
Readers hoping for lots of football action are going to be disappointed, though. The publisher’s blurb describes it as “Friday Night Lights meets Rosemary’s Baby,” but other than the fact that Clay used to be the star quarterback, and one scene near the end where he joins in the big game at the end of the season, the football action is mostly confined to the characters talking about it. The Rosemary’s Baby comparison is apt, however, although the author twists it fit her own story. I would even go so far as to say The Last Harvest has a dash of The Omen as well.
The biggest surprise of The Last Harvest, however, is the completely unexpected direction the author takes her story in the end. I know not every reader is going to like the ending, and while I wasn’t crazy about it, I did love the fact that Liggett took a big risk (and obviously, the publisher took a big risk as well) and added a twist that I did not see coming. While I can’t say much about it, I will tell you that the door appears to be open for a possible sequel, if the author chooses to write one. Or not. Perhaps she just wanted to write a story with an unconventional ending that will undoubtedly shake up her readers.
Fans of supernatural horror will eat this story up, and most readers will be rooting for Clay, who really was a fantastic character.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy. This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
June 22, 2019
3.5 Stars
This was a suspenseful young adult horror novel with a fantastic autumn setting. Filled with football and harvesting, this would be an excellent book to read in the fall season. The teenage romance was an annoying distraction from the occult plot. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this folk horror novel.
This was a suspenseful young adult horror novel with a fantastic autumn setting. Filled with football and harvesting, this would be an excellent book to read in the fall season. The teenage romance was an annoying distraction from the occult plot. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this folk horror novel.
February 23, 2017
This reads so much like a 90’s slasher movie it’s worth pulling out the popcorn and turning the lights off. It’s good fun, does not take itself too seriously and invokes a lot of those Exorcist feels. A lot of this will be new and fresh for the younger audience it’s aimed at and with a dash of sex, some high school football and a bit of drug use, it certainly ticks some of the traditional genre specific boxes as well as some new ones.
Last Harvest starts with a few mysteries a year after a major and bloody event involving Clay Tate. It’s left to us to guess what exactly his father did that now makes Clay and his remaining family pariah’s in the community, what Clay did at the football game a day later that makes him dangerous and unpredictable and what role the strange Preservation Society plays in all the shit going down in this rural small town. You just know they are dodgy as hell and not to be trusted and thankfully the author does not spend any time creating “Oh I was wrong they are lovely people” type moments to try to throw us off.
Clay is our protagonist and must deal with being responsible for his two younger sisters and slightly mad mother as well as the farm they all live on. His dream is to get his youngest sister Noodle out of the small town and into a bigger and more ambitious school. Beyond that it is one step at a time especially as he copes with the tangles of his first love being part of the spooky society, his other younger sister turning goth and hanging out with the wrong sort of kids and the possibility that he is communing with the devil unintentionally.
The writing maintains a good pace throughout and I found it very easy to read, finishing it in two days over three sittings. It’s pretty straightforward and the twists are nice with the finale being particularly satisfying in terms of both fulfilling and surprising the reader’s expectations.
At the end of the day I always judge a horror novel by whether it made my heart beat faster and whilst there was certainly some very horrific things happening in this book I don’t know that I ever felt so caught up that I was afraid. There were shocking moments of gore, brutal and bloody sacrifice and the final sprint was a blast but overall it just didn’t quite spook me. If you are after a teen thriller with a bit of spunk go ahead but if you are trying to really scare yourself I’d say your search will continue.
6.5/10
For this and other reviews please check out Areadingmachine.com
Last Harvest starts with a few mysteries a year after a major and bloody event involving Clay Tate. It’s left to us to guess what exactly his father did that now makes Clay and his remaining family pariah’s in the community, what Clay did at the football game a day later that makes him dangerous and unpredictable and what role the strange Preservation Society plays in all the shit going down in this rural small town. You just know they are dodgy as hell and not to be trusted and thankfully the author does not spend any time creating “Oh I was wrong they are lovely people” type moments to try to throw us off.
Clay is our protagonist and must deal with being responsible for his two younger sisters and slightly mad mother as well as the farm they all live on. His dream is to get his youngest sister Noodle out of the small town and into a bigger and more ambitious school. Beyond that it is one step at a time especially as he copes with the tangles of his first love being part of the spooky society, his other younger sister turning goth and hanging out with the wrong sort of kids and the possibility that he is communing with the devil unintentionally.
The writing maintains a good pace throughout and I found it very easy to read, finishing it in two days over three sittings. It’s pretty straightforward and the twists are nice with the finale being particularly satisfying in terms of both fulfilling and surprising the reader’s expectations.
At the end of the day I always judge a horror novel by whether it made my heart beat faster and whilst there was certainly some very horrific things happening in this book I don’t know that I ever felt so caught up that I was afraid. There were shocking moments of gore, brutal and bloody sacrifice and the final sprint was a blast but overall it just didn’t quite spook me. If you are after a teen thriller with a bit of spunk go ahead but if you are trying to really scare yourself I’d say your search will continue.
6.5/10
For this and other reviews please check out Areadingmachine.com
February 9, 2017
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Suspense filled young adult horror novel that is equally creepy and terrifying.
Opening Sentence: People call this God’s country, but you can’t have God without the Devil.
The Review:
Kim Liggett’s The Last Harvest is a young adult horror novel that kept me in suspense from beginning to end. There are some terrifying and creepy events that happen within the book but it wasn’t until the end that I was truly creeped out. I spent most of the novel trying to figure out what was real or what was imaginary in which the ending did truly surprise me in that regard. The only unfortunate was the twist, I kind of saw that coming.
This novel did slightly feel like Friday Night Lights and Rosemary’s Baby but as I was reading it, I thought the novel seemed more like The Ninth Gate. Clay’s father died one year ago after a series of bizarre and terrible circumstances. During that year, Clay has stepped up to be the man of the family and taken care of the farm while still going to school. He dropped out of football after his father died. Clay has pretty much ostracized himself from society because what happened with his father, he doesn’t even speak with people who were once his friends. His remaining family is also in shambles.
The one year anniversary of Clay’s father’s death has Clay remembering all the strangeness of the events that happened during that time. But it is the death of a golden calf that stirs the newest events that has Clay trying to figure out why his dad died like he did. Clay’s family has been a part of the town’s Preservation Society ever since the town was founded. Clay never took his rightful place on the council after his father’s death and because of that his “girlfriend” Ali wasn’t allowed to speak to him until he chose to come back.
The events that follow Clay investigating his father’s death are a mixture of supernatural and just plain unfortunate. Clay is hoping to rekindle his relationship with Ali but his school mates and the townsfolk are just acting plain weird. He isn’t sure what is real and what isn’t and just when he thinks he has things figured out he learns that he doesn’t.
Clay is driven with the need to learn about why his father died the way he did. He seems to care a lot for his littlest sister, Noodle. He tries to help his sister Jess but he mostly lets her do her own thing. Unfortunately, he thinks he is helping out his mom by not being demanding like his father but it just seems to backfire. Clay’s guidance counselor, Miss Granger, is the only one he can turn too with his investigation because she’s the only one who believes his crazy tale. I really liked Clay and he is a lot braver than I because I wouldn’t have put myself in half those situations he puts himself through.
The story is dark and deals with the prophecy of Lucifer returning to earth. This story ended up being a quick read for me because I was really intrigued on how all the supernatural events would play out. I was very curious myself with what Clay dealt with was real or if it was imagined. The ending surprised me but not entirely so because I was surprised by how the events did play out. I do recommend this for the older “young” adult horror fans or if you want to read something a bit creepy.
Notable Scene:
I sprint for the next gap in the wood to see arms and a torso rise from the cow’s stomach. A girl. My heart’s beating so hard I’m afraid it’ll burst. I can’t stop staring at her chest. I know I should feel repulsed, but the sharp curve from her waist to her hip bone fills me with something ancient and primal. Sick and wrong.
My gut is screaming at me to look away, but I can’t stop.
The warm, sticky sound as she crawls out of the carcass seeps deep inside of me, making me woozy.
FTC Advisory: Tor/Macmillan provided me with a copy of The Last Harvest. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Suspense filled young adult horror novel that is equally creepy and terrifying.
Opening Sentence: People call this God’s country, but you can’t have God without the Devil.
The Review:
Kim Liggett’s The Last Harvest is a young adult horror novel that kept me in suspense from beginning to end. There are some terrifying and creepy events that happen within the book but it wasn’t until the end that I was truly creeped out. I spent most of the novel trying to figure out what was real or what was imaginary in which the ending did truly surprise me in that regard. The only unfortunate was the twist, I kind of saw that coming.
This novel did slightly feel like Friday Night Lights and Rosemary’s Baby but as I was reading it, I thought the novel seemed more like The Ninth Gate. Clay’s father died one year ago after a series of bizarre and terrible circumstances. During that year, Clay has stepped up to be the man of the family and taken care of the farm while still going to school. He dropped out of football after his father died. Clay has pretty much ostracized himself from society because what happened with his father, he doesn’t even speak with people who were once his friends. His remaining family is also in shambles.
The one year anniversary of Clay’s father’s death has Clay remembering all the strangeness of the events that happened during that time. But it is the death of a golden calf that stirs the newest events that has Clay trying to figure out why his dad died like he did. Clay’s family has been a part of the town’s Preservation Society ever since the town was founded. Clay never took his rightful place on the council after his father’s death and because of that his “girlfriend” Ali wasn’t allowed to speak to him until he chose to come back.
The events that follow Clay investigating his father’s death are a mixture of supernatural and just plain unfortunate. Clay is hoping to rekindle his relationship with Ali but his school mates and the townsfolk are just acting plain weird. He isn’t sure what is real and what isn’t and just when he thinks he has things figured out he learns that he doesn’t.
Clay is driven with the need to learn about why his father died the way he did. He seems to care a lot for his littlest sister, Noodle. He tries to help his sister Jess but he mostly lets her do her own thing. Unfortunately, he thinks he is helping out his mom by not being demanding like his father but it just seems to backfire. Clay’s guidance counselor, Miss Granger, is the only one he can turn too with his investigation because she’s the only one who believes his crazy tale. I really liked Clay and he is a lot braver than I because I wouldn’t have put myself in half those situations he puts himself through.
The story is dark and deals with the prophecy of Lucifer returning to earth. This story ended up being a quick read for me because I was really intrigued on how all the supernatural events would play out. I was very curious myself with what Clay dealt with was real or if it was imagined. The ending surprised me but not entirely so because I was surprised by how the events did play out. I do recommend this for the older “young” adult horror fans or if you want to read something a bit creepy.
Notable Scene:
I sprint for the next gap in the wood to see arms and a torso rise from the cow’s stomach. A girl. My heart’s beating so hard I’m afraid it’ll burst. I can’t stop staring at her chest. I know I should feel repulsed, but the sharp curve from her waist to her hip bone fills me with something ancient and primal. Sick and wrong.
My gut is screaming at me to look away, but I can’t stop.
The warm, sticky sound as she crawls out of the carcass seeps deep inside of me, making me woozy.
FTC Advisory: Tor/Macmillan provided me with a copy of The Last Harvest. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
January 12, 2017
Release Date: January 10, 2017
Genre: Young Adult Horror
The Last Harvest falls well within the young adult horror genre and incorporates vivid evil that is sure to give readers goosebumps. Having enjoyed the authors debut novel, Blood and Salt, I was very much looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, it didn’t necessarily hit me in the gut like her former book, but was still good none the less. I think this may be because I really couldn’t connect with the storyline, although I did find it to be very creepy. Now, this is not to say that I didn’t like the book because I did. I just didn’t love it and I probably wouldn’t come back to it in the future. With that being said, fans of young adult horror novels (especially those that prefer gore over things that go bump in the night) may like this one much better than I did. Readers who also enjoy books that dive into satanic rituals, good vs. evil, and odd characters that clearly have something wrong with them (in terms of evil inside) will enjoy this one. The ending, which was certainly my favorite part of the book, will also surprise you (and probably satisfy you as it is unlike regular endings where the evil is trumped).
Rating: 3.5 stars
Genre: Young Adult Horror
The Last Harvest falls well within the young adult horror genre and incorporates vivid evil that is sure to give readers goosebumps. Having enjoyed the authors debut novel, Blood and Salt, I was very much looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, it didn’t necessarily hit me in the gut like her former book, but was still good none the less. I think this may be because I really couldn’t connect with the storyline, although I did find it to be very creepy. Now, this is not to say that I didn’t like the book because I did. I just didn’t love it and I probably wouldn’t come back to it in the future. With that being said, fans of young adult horror novels (especially those that prefer gore over things that go bump in the night) may like this one much better than I did. Readers who also enjoy books that dive into satanic rituals, good vs. evil, and odd characters that clearly have something wrong with them (in terms of evil inside) will enjoy this one. The ending, which was certainly my favorite part of the book, will also surprise you (and probably satisfy you as it is unlike regular endings where the evil is trumped).
Rating: 3.5 stars
March 1, 2017
So this is two* books from Liggett now that moved along at a nice clip and were pretty decent in the beginning (nice sense of eerie atmosphere, interesting "cult" set-up, rootforable characters), that have just gotten steadily more cheesy as they went on, to then feel rushed and ridiculous in the end. And basically every moment of this one was utterly predictable (except, of course, to the oblivious MC...) =/
2.5
*The other being Blood and Salt. Both owe a lot to the Children of the Corn, rural midwest cult oeuvre.
2.5
*The other being Blood and Salt. Both owe a lot to the Children of the Corn, rural midwest cult oeuvre.
February 25, 2019
"People call this God's country, but you can't have God without the devil."
I LOVED THIS BOOK. The Last Harvest was my introduction to Kim Liggett, and it was so good. I ordered this book when it was nominated for a 2017 Stoker Award, and it ended up winning!
This is a YA horror novel, and most of the others I've read have not really gone into full-out creepy territory like this one did. I felt like it was an excellent blend of teen drama and unsettling horror, and I imagine that's probably a difficult line to walk.
The Last Harvest freaked me the hell out, and that's always such a nice treat. The imagery in this book is disturbing, and I'm dying for a movie or TV show. I kept thinking I had everything figured out, and then something else unexpected would happen. I loved that so many characters were vying for the main characters' trust, and it was difficult to choose who to believe. It was such a fun read, and I liked how everything turned out. It was woven together well, and it wrapped up in a way that made sense.
There are some animal things I didn't love in The Last Harvest, which sometimes leads me to giving up on a book. However, Kim Liggett does not write this content in a graphic way, which I'm really appreciative of. She says what needs to be said, and doesn't go overboard. It does factor into the eeriness of the story, and doesn't seem out of place like it sometimes does in other horror novels.
I highly recommend The Last Harvest. I know a lot of horror fans turn away from YA (including me sometimes), but you should read this book. It's been a few days since I finished it, and I'm still thinking about it!
I LOVED THIS BOOK. The Last Harvest was my introduction to Kim Liggett, and it was so good. I ordered this book when it was nominated for a 2017 Stoker Award, and it ended up winning!
This is a YA horror novel, and most of the others I've read have not really gone into full-out creepy territory like this one did. I felt like it was an excellent blend of teen drama and unsettling horror, and I imagine that's probably a difficult line to walk.
The Last Harvest freaked me the hell out, and that's always such a nice treat. The imagery in this book is disturbing, and I'm dying for a movie or TV show. I kept thinking I had everything figured out, and then something else unexpected would happen. I loved that so many characters were vying for the main characters' trust, and it was difficult to choose who to believe. It was such a fun read, and I liked how everything turned out. It was woven together well, and it wrapped up in a way that made sense.
There are some animal things I didn't love in The Last Harvest, which sometimes leads me to giving up on a book. However, Kim Liggett does not write this content in a graphic way, which I'm really appreciative of. She says what needs to be said, and doesn't go overboard. It does factor into the eeriness of the story, and doesn't seem out of place like it sometimes does in other horror novels.
I highly recommend The Last Harvest. I know a lot of horror fans turn away from YA (including me sometimes), but you should read this book. It's been a few days since I finished it, and I'm still thinking about it!
September 23, 2018
Likes: Well, that was severely messed up. I did not expect that ending. This is for sure a horror story. The plot is wild, and there’s all the blood and guts you could ever want. I would have adored this book as a teen.
Seventeen-year-old Clay is not having a fun time in life. After the death of his father, weird stuff starts happening in Clay’s town. Either Clay is going insane, or his classmates are possessed by demons. (Personally, I vote for the demons. Have you ever met a teenager?) Clay is a deeply flawed person, but I care about him. He has a sense of humor and tries to do what’s right. He wants to take care of his family and figure out what’s happening to his friends, but he’s battling against a force that is more powerful than him. Still, he keeps fighting when everything seems hopeless.
The atmosphere is spot-on. I love the creepy farm town setting. If you enjoy those movies where spooky stuff happens in the crops, you need to read this book. The story begins when Clay runs over a calf with his combine. You know from the first chapter that this is going to be bizarre and intense. None of the characters (including Clay) can be trusted. Nobody is safe. I understand why some Goodreads reviewers question if this book should be called YA. It’s definitely the most gory YA horror book I’ve read. That’s not a complaint. I would have been thrilled to read this novel as a teen.
Dislikes: The plot moves fast. Occasionally, it moves faster than my brain could process it. The author withholds information to keep the reader guessing, but some events are too mysterious for me. I didn’t always understand Clay’s motivation. Actually, this is one of those books where a lot of weird stuff happens, and the only explanation is “Demons.” I prefer to have more reasoning behind the weirdness in books.
I also wondered why Clay doesn’t show more reaction when his friends are brutally murdered. I know that this is horror, and someone dies every few chapters, but Clay is like, “Meh, he’s dead now. Let’s go back to solving mysteries and hitting on my girlfriend.” Usually, murders would cause more angst. Clay is annoyingly overprotective of his sisters, so he overreacts when they hang out with boys, but he’s not too bothered when his classmates get disemboweled. It’s odd.
The Bottom Line: Not perfect, but an entertaining horror novel. I will definitely check out the author’s other books.
Do you like opinions, giveaways, and bookish nonsense? I have a blog for that.
Seventeen-year-old Clay is not having a fun time in life. After the death of his father, weird stuff starts happening in Clay’s town. Either Clay is going insane, or his classmates are possessed by demons. (Personally, I vote for the demons. Have you ever met a teenager?) Clay is a deeply flawed person, but I care about him. He has a sense of humor and tries to do what’s right. He wants to take care of his family and figure out what’s happening to his friends, but he’s battling against a force that is more powerful than him. Still, he keeps fighting when everything seems hopeless.
The atmosphere is spot-on. I love the creepy farm town setting. If you enjoy those movies where spooky stuff happens in the crops, you need to read this book. The story begins when Clay runs over a calf with his combine. You know from the first chapter that this is going to be bizarre and intense. None of the characters (including Clay) can be trusted. Nobody is safe. I understand why some Goodreads reviewers question if this book should be called YA. It’s definitely the most gory YA horror book I’ve read. That’s not a complaint. I would have been thrilled to read this novel as a teen.
Dislikes: The plot moves fast. Occasionally, it moves faster than my brain could process it. The author withholds information to keep the reader guessing, but some events are too mysterious for me. I didn’t always understand Clay’s motivation. Actually, this is one of those books where a lot of weird stuff happens, and the only explanation is “Demons.” I prefer to have more reasoning behind the weirdness in books.
I also wondered why Clay doesn’t show more reaction when his friends are brutally murdered. I know that this is horror, and someone dies every few chapters, but Clay is like, “Meh, he’s dead now. Let’s go back to solving mysteries and hitting on my girlfriend.” Usually, murders would cause more angst. Clay is annoyingly overprotective of his sisters, so he overreacts when they hang out with boys, but he’s not too bothered when his classmates get disemboweled. It’s odd.
The Bottom Line: Not perfect, but an entertaining horror novel. I will definitely check out the author’s other books.
Do you like opinions, giveaways, and bookish nonsense? I have a blog for that.
February 18, 2017
The Last Harvest by Kim Liggett is described as Friday Night Lights meets Rosemary’s Baby and because of that, I was immediately intrigued. After reading, I have to say it leans more toward Rosemary’s Baby and the only tie to Friday Night Lights I could see was that the main character was at one time the popular quarterback. Even with that in mind the story that Liggett created was an interesting one.
Clay is the main character and he has been dealing with a lot since his father died a year ago. He is the oldest and that means he is the one who has taken on the responsibility of keeping things going since his mom hasn’t been the same ever since. Clay has two younger sisters, Jess and Noodle, and he is doing everything he can to keep his family together (including harvesting the wheat before the first freeze) and providing them with the things they need but with the anniversary of his father’s death, things are getting weird and he doesn’t know who to trust.
Clay’s family was one of the founding families of Midland, Oklahoma and along with 5 other families in town, they make up a group called the Preservation Society. The group is most recently led by a group of people that Clay goes to school with, including Ali, the girl he has had feelings for. Clay has done his best to avoid the group and the founding families but something happens one day while he is out on the combine that he can’t explain and he ends up drawn to the Neely farm where he sees something even more disturbing.
Liggett does a fantastic job of setting up this story and the setting is perfect. First, the small town setting is perfect for this story because it creates a weird vibe. Not only is Clay going through a major life event over the last year but he saw something with his dad that day that he doesn’t really understand. As the story moves forward, pieces are revealed that start to tie what happened with his dad to the things that Clay is facing today. There were some parts that were especially creepy and I appreciated how Liggett was able to set them up.
The characters in this story were quite interesting and definitely creepy. Of course, there is Clay and at times he seems completely clueless but I sympathize as it was really hard to figure out who to trust in this book. Just when he started to think someone would be able to help him out, something would happen that had me wondering whose side they were really on. I loved how much he cared about his family though and how willing he was to do whatever he could for them.
The characters that make up the society and go to school with Clay were mostly there to tie Clay to the group and the rest of the story. Ali and Tyler were the most prominent of the group. Tyler was Clay’s rival and when Clay stepped back from football and the group, he is the one who stepped in to fill the void…which included Ali. Clearly they didn’t get along.
Ali was interesting because she definitely had feelings for Clay but because of the society, she wasn’t allowed to talk to him or be around him as long as he kept his distance. When things turn around for them, they both admit their feelings and this eventually leads to the rest of the story. I have to admit, I didn’t fully see what was going to happen so kudos to Liggett for the successful twist.
Overall I enjoyed this book. Liggett does a fantastic job of setting up the reader to try to figure things out right alongside Clay from the very first page and I appreciated that what was really going on wasn’t completely transparent. If you are looking for something that has that creepy horror movie vibe and will keep you guessing on what will really happen, consider checking this one out. I will definitely be looking forward to whatever Liggett decides to share with us next.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
Clay is the main character and he has been dealing with a lot since his father died a year ago. He is the oldest and that means he is the one who has taken on the responsibility of keeping things going since his mom hasn’t been the same ever since. Clay has two younger sisters, Jess and Noodle, and he is doing everything he can to keep his family together (including harvesting the wheat before the first freeze) and providing them with the things they need but with the anniversary of his father’s death, things are getting weird and he doesn’t know who to trust.
Clay’s family was one of the founding families of Midland, Oklahoma and along with 5 other families in town, they make up a group called the Preservation Society. The group is most recently led by a group of people that Clay goes to school with, including Ali, the girl he has had feelings for. Clay has done his best to avoid the group and the founding families but something happens one day while he is out on the combine that he can’t explain and he ends up drawn to the Neely farm where he sees something even more disturbing.
Liggett does a fantastic job of setting up this story and the setting is perfect. First, the small town setting is perfect for this story because it creates a weird vibe. Not only is Clay going through a major life event over the last year but he saw something with his dad that day that he doesn’t really understand. As the story moves forward, pieces are revealed that start to tie what happened with his dad to the things that Clay is facing today. There were some parts that were especially creepy and I appreciated how Liggett was able to set them up.
The characters in this story were quite interesting and definitely creepy. Of course, there is Clay and at times he seems completely clueless but I sympathize as it was really hard to figure out who to trust in this book. Just when he started to think someone would be able to help him out, something would happen that had me wondering whose side they were really on. I loved how much he cared about his family though and how willing he was to do whatever he could for them.
The characters that make up the society and go to school with Clay were mostly there to tie Clay to the group and the rest of the story. Ali and Tyler were the most prominent of the group. Tyler was Clay’s rival and when Clay stepped back from football and the group, he is the one who stepped in to fill the void…which included Ali. Clearly they didn’t get along.
Ali was interesting because she definitely had feelings for Clay but because of the society, she wasn’t allowed to talk to him or be around him as long as he kept his distance. When things turn around for them, they both admit their feelings and this eventually leads to the rest of the story. I have to admit, I didn’t fully see what was going to happen so kudos to Liggett for the successful twist.
Overall I enjoyed this book. Liggett does a fantastic job of setting up the reader to try to figure things out right alongside Clay from the very first page and I appreciated that what was really going on wasn’t completely transparent. If you are looking for something that has that creepy horror movie vibe and will keep you guessing on what will really happen, consider checking this one out. I will definitely be looking forward to whatever Liggett decides to share with us next.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
February 7, 2017
That was an okay read but nothing more than that. The story, which revolves around Devil worshipping, has been done many times before and better than this. I think part of the problem is that the author doesn't go all the way into full-blown horror, it's more of a watered down plot probably marketed toward YA audiences, and it shows.
The story is told entirely in the main character POV; in that regard, we get to know Clay very well as he suffers through an endless series of supposed hallucinations and strange, prophetic dreams in the anniversary of his father's suicide following some very disturbing circumstances. But the rest of the characters are simply not well developed and I couldn't care less what happened to them, even if that was horrifying.
There are enough twists and turns to keep you turning pages to finally see what the hell was going on but even so the ending felt somewhat anitclimactic, even though it has a satisfying conclusion.
If you're a horror fan, this book will disappoint you, so steer clear of it.
The story is told entirely in the main character POV; in that regard, we get to know Clay very well as he suffers through an endless series of supposed hallucinations and strange, prophetic dreams in the anniversary of his father's suicide following some very disturbing circumstances. But the rest of the characters are simply not well developed and I couldn't care less what happened to them, even if that was horrifying.
There are enough twists and turns to keep you turning pages to finally see what the hell was going on but even so the ending felt somewhat anitclimactic, even though it has a satisfying conclusion.
If you're a horror fan, this book will disappoint you, so steer clear of it.
June 4, 2014
I got to read some early pages of The Last Harvest at a workshop with the author, and I am hooked! Clay is a character you want to follow, and I'm so curious to learn more about what is going on in his creepy Oklahoma town. The writing really draws you in, and the mystery is nicely laid out to keep you turning the pages. If only I'd had more pages to turn!! Can. Not. Wait. to read the rest!
October 28, 2017
Zombieslayer/Alienhunter's 31 Days of Hallo-reads #8
People call this God's country. But you can't have God without the Devil.
Clay Tate is almost eighteen. He's got big-time football colleges willing to give a poor Central-Oklahoma farm boy a full ride in exchange for playing ball, the chance of a lifetime when you come from such humble backgrounds as Clay.
The sixth American-born generation of an Irish immigrant family who came rushing for the land rush in 1889, Clay, as well as the other sons and daughters of Midland, OK's Preservation Society, is the first one to earn his own shot at the world. Begrudgingly, he does love Midland. His family is founding, almost royalty, (ironic, considering the Tates are dirt-poor) but Clay's always wanted to get out and make something of his life. Give something back to the people who raised him. Give something back to his homeland.
I know it's just a bunch of particles making the light rays scatter, but it still gets to me.
An Oklahoma sky will make a believer out of anybody.
But that's history.
History, football and the Preservation Society have taken a backseat in Clay's life over the last year.
Because last fall, after slaughtering every pregnant cow on the property next door, spouting off about the sixth generation, the blessed seed and the golden calf, and trying to gut a prized breeding bull, Clay's father walked into the Tate wheat crops and died a bloody death at his own hand.
"I plead the blood," he whispered.
He looked terrified- not of death, but of me.
Clay's father, the prime caretaker of the wheat, left Clay, his mother, and his little sisters high and dry.
Turning his back on what made him a small-town golden boy, Clay took full responsibility for the farm, getting his sisters taken care of and tending to his fragile mother, who, sometimes, still thinks his father is alive.
That'd be enough to make anybody snap, especially a teenager.
But this-?
A hand thrusts out of the cow's stomach.
A human hand, fingers outstretched.
Accompanied by blood-soaked visions of his friends and family that feel real enough to touch are nightly terrors about a dead calf Clay accidentally ran over with the combine.
... A golden calf.
They say Clay's father was schizophrenic, badly afflicted with hallucinations and mania, never treated.
That's why, ever since his father's death, Clay has been seeing the school counselor, outsider Emma Granger. Young, not a whole lot older than the seniors she counsels, Emma is a kind soul. Clay actually thinks he can confide in her about the visions, the sleeplessness, the nightmares when sleep comes.
But Miss Granger doesn't offer the advice Clay was hoping for.
Instead-
On the page, I find a sketch of the symbol, the upside-down U with two dots above and below. Scrawled beneath it, the words "DEVIL'S PORTAL."
"What is this?"
"... It's considered an invitation."
I try to play if off, but a chill runs though my veins. "An invitation for what?"
"The Devil."
Midland, Oklahoma has been spared every natural disaster that's ravaged the rest of the state; floods, droughts, tornadoes, even the dust bowl.
Why?
Nobody knows for sure.
But Miss Granger, a devout Catholic and outsider in the small town, a recent implant from 'elsewhere' after Mr. Tate's death, has a few ideas.
The phenomena that's spared Midland over the years may be the same that drew evil to its' sixth generation, the fabled bloodline of proud farmers and ranchers.
Clay's visions aren't JUST visions, and neither were his father's.
The Devil's come to Midland, but just who invited him?
The sun doesn't feel as bright as it did before, like there's something hanging over us. Hanging over the world.
It feels like judgement day.
Co-manning the fight between light and dark, what could be Armageddon, Clay holds the keys to his loved ones' souls in his hands.
But those keys unlock secrets Clay was never meant to know, and hurt he was never meant to feel.
The fight begins.
The frost comes.
Whatever's happening, it all leads back here. I have to finish the last harvest, before it's too late.
The first frost is coming.
I can feel it.
I. Freaking. Loved. THIS. BOOK. Okay?
I'm trying my hardest to come up with something I didn't like and I CAN'T.
There's gonna be a bit of Zombieslayer/Alienhunter history here, so skip down for writing specs, and my TBR-review from when I found out the book was coming out is in the spoiler.
I was born in Texas. Born in the big city but brought up for four years in the country. I'm a Texas native and I'm proud as all hell of that.
But, I'm also an adopted Oklahoma son. I've been here most of my life. I moved here, to Central OK, when I was five, and I'll be turning eighteen here.
I was raised here among farm kids, though I'm not one, and I've watched Mother Nature try to knock these people down, only to watch them stand up against her.
I'm proud as all hell of that, too.
This state has like a shit-ton of problems. Stronger earthquakes every year from waste-water injection. Meth and opioid addictions. Poor funding for schools.
But these people, the people you don't see on the news, who help other people scavenge for their belongings after a tornado, the NG who deployed to Houston after Harvey, the volunteers and underpaid employees keeping struggling small-town hospitals from going under, are good.
They're not all Billy Bob and Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel throwing Bibles at people. They're not all bullies and bigots.
And Kim Liggett freaking GETS that.
Clay even jabs at such folks, those who never saw through 'the Satanic Panic', and how stricter members of the church hypocritically bash addicts, non-church-goers, and gay people.
--all reviewy stuff here down--
Kim Liggett actually wrote HORROR with a TEENAGED protagonist, not 'YA horror'. No sight was spared for the sake of younger readers. Demons and madness were detailed, the Devil's vengeance and mass possession were darkly portrayed with blunt prose.
I've already recommended two books to any readers of these Hallo-reads reviews, and The Last Harvest has easily joined their ranks.
The only reason for the 4* and not 5* is that I felt like the plot twists were a bit abrupt.
I get that Clay was floundering mentally and we were getting his perspective, but the jumpiness of the revelations gave a bit of a detachment.
But hell, the Crimson King himself has done that. I'm not going to beat the book up for it because I'm in lesbians with everything else.
This is a blood-soaked love letter to a very specific target audience. If you're not an Okie, or at least have some roots here, you may not like it.
I honestly think any horror fan would enjoy this for the descriptiveness of the rapid deterioration of Clay's state, and the dedication to keeping up a dark theme.
As for the whole God vs. the Devil thing, as an Agnostic, I believe that that particular in-state rivalry can be metaphorical for the battle we as people fight for ourselves; striving for 'the light', being good, being kind, giving back, and fighting 'the dark', the evil and capability of violence we all have inside us.
I see most Biblical and holy stories that way. They're STORIES to teach us things, not to guideline our lives.
But you as a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew, a Pagen, an atheist, a follower of the spaghetti monster, etc, may see it differently.
And that's great.
Take my review with a drum of salt, know that I love this shit for reasons you may not.
But don't take my word for it.
I plead the blood.
original 'review'.
People call this God's country. But you can't have God without the Devil.
Clay Tate is almost eighteen. He's got big-time football colleges willing to give a poor Central-Oklahoma farm boy a full ride in exchange for playing ball, the chance of a lifetime when you come from such humble backgrounds as Clay.
The sixth American-born generation of an Irish immigrant family who came rushing for the land rush in 1889, Clay, as well as the other sons and daughters of Midland, OK's Preservation Society, is the first one to earn his own shot at the world. Begrudgingly, he does love Midland. His family is founding, almost royalty, (ironic, considering the Tates are dirt-poor) but Clay's always wanted to get out and make something of his life. Give something back to the people who raised him. Give something back to his homeland.
I know it's just a bunch of particles making the light rays scatter, but it still gets to me.
An Oklahoma sky will make a believer out of anybody.
But that's history.
History, football and the Preservation Society have taken a backseat in Clay's life over the last year.
Because last fall, after slaughtering every pregnant cow on the property next door, spouting off about the sixth generation, the blessed seed and the golden calf, and trying to gut a prized breeding bull, Clay's father walked into the Tate wheat crops and died a bloody death at his own hand.
"I plead the blood," he whispered.
He looked terrified- not of death, but of me.
Clay's father, the prime caretaker of the wheat, left Clay, his mother, and his little sisters high and dry.
Turning his back on what made him a small-town golden boy, Clay took full responsibility for the farm, getting his sisters taken care of and tending to his fragile mother, who, sometimes, still thinks his father is alive.
That'd be enough to make anybody snap, especially a teenager.
But this-?
A hand thrusts out of the cow's stomach.
A human hand, fingers outstretched.
Accompanied by blood-soaked visions of his friends and family that feel real enough to touch are nightly terrors about a dead calf Clay accidentally ran over with the combine.
... A golden calf.
They say Clay's father was schizophrenic, badly afflicted with hallucinations and mania, never treated.
That's why, ever since his father's death, Clay has been seeing the school counselor, outsider Emma Granger. Young, not a whole lot older than the seniors she counsels, Emma is a kind soul. Clay actually thinks he can confide in her about the visions, the sleeplessness, the nightmares when sleep comes.
But Miss Granger doesn't offer the advice Clay was hoping for.
Instead-
On the page, I find a sketch of the symbol, the upside-down U with two dots above and below. Scrawled beneath it, the words "DEVIL'S PORTAL."
"What is this?"
"... It's considered an invitation."
I try to play if off, but a chill runs though my veins. "An invitation for what?"
"The Devil."
Midland, Oklahoma has been spared every natural disaster that's ravaged the rest of the state; floods, droughts, tornadoes, even the dust bowl.
Why?
Nobody knows for sure.
But Miss Granger, a devout Catholic and outsider in the small town, a recent implant from 'elsewhere' after Mr. Tate's death, has a few ideas.
The phenomena that's spared Midland over the years may be the same that drew evil to its' sixth generation, the fabled bloodline of proud farmers and ranchers.
Clay's visions aren't JUST visions, and neither were his father's.
The Devil's come to Midland, but just who invited him?
The sun doesn't feel as bright as it did before, like there's something hanging over us. Hanging over the world.
It feels like judgement day.
Co-manning the fight between light and dark, what could be Armageddon, Clay holds the keys to his loved ones' souls in his hands.
But those keys unlock secrets Clay was never meant to know, and hurt he was never meant to feel.
The fight begins.
The frost comes.
Whatever's happening, it all leads back here. I have to finish the last harvest, before it's too late.
The first frost is coming.
I can feel it.
I. Freaking. Loved. THIS. BOOK. Okay?
I'm trying my hardest to come up with something I didn't like and I CAN'T.
There's gonna be a bit of Zombieslayer/Alienhunter history here, so skip down for writing specs, and my TBR-review from when I found out the book was coming out is in the spoiler.
I was born in Texas. Born in the big city but brought up for four years in the country. I'm a Texas native and I'm proud as all hell of that.
But, I'm also an adopted Oklahoma son. I've been here most of my life. I moved here, to Central OK, when I was five, and I'll be turning eighteen here.
I was raised here among farm kids, though I'm not one, and I've watched Mother Nature try to knock these people down, only to watch them stand up against her.
I'm proud as all hell of that, too.
This state has like a shit-ton of problems. Stronger earthquakes every year from waste-water injection. Meth and opioid addictions. Poor funding for schools.
But these people, the people you don't see on the news, who help other people scavenge for their belongings after a tornado, the NG who deployed to Houston after Harvey, the volunteers and underpaid employees keeping struggling small-town hospitals from going under, are good.
They're not all Billy Bob and Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel throwing Bibles at people. They're not all bullies and bigots.
And Kim Liggett freaking GETS that.
Clay even jabs at such folks, those who never saw through 'the Satanic Panic', and how stricter members of the church hypocritically bash addicts, non-church-goers, and gay people.
--all reviewy stuff here down--
Kim Liggett actually wrote HORROR with a TEENAGED protagonist, not 'YA horror'. No sight was spared for the sake of younger readers. Demons and madness were detailed, the Devil's vengeance and mass possession were darkly portrayed with blunt prose.
I've already recommended two books to any readers of these Hallo-reads reviews, and The Last Harvest has easily joined their ranks.
The only reason for the 4* and not 5* is that I felt like the plot twists were a bit abrupt.
I get that Clay was floundering mentally and we were getting his perspective, but the jumpiness of the revelations gave a bit of a detachment.
But hell, the Crimson King himself has done that. I'm not going to beat the book up for it because I'm in lesbians with everything else.
This is a blood-soaked love letter to a very specific target audience. If you're not an Okie, or at least have some roots here, you may not like it.
I honestly think any horror fan would enjoy this for the descriptiveness of the rapid deterioration of Clay's state, and the dedication to keeping up a dark theme.
As for the whole God vs. the Devil thing, as an Agnostic, I believe that that particular in-state rivalry can be metaphorical for the battle we as people fight for ourselves; striving for 'the light', being good, being kind, giving back, and fighting 'the dark', the evil and capability of violence we all have inside us.
I see most Biblical and holy stories that way. They're STORIES to teach us things, not to guideline our lives.
But you as a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew, a Pagen, an atheist, a follower of the spaghetti monster, etc, may see it differently.
And that's great.
Take my review with a drum of salt, know that I love this shit for reasons you may not.
But don't take my word for it.
I plead the blood.
original 'review'.
October 13, 2022
Wow !! I didn't expect the end like this , one of the best horror books for this season
November 5, 2017
"It's too late. No matter what happens, no matter what you do...he's coming."
Wow, this was a gory, creepy and fun story! It's the perfect mix of mystery and horror to keep the pages flying.
Clay's father did a horrible thing to the town last year. Once he was gone, Clay is now the man of the house. Between his mom's depression, Jess's rebellion and Noodle's young age - Clay is trying to get the harvest done, keep food on the table and the bills paid with not a lot of help in the house. But that's not even the worst part.
Clay has almost completely stopped sleeping. When he does sleep, he's having horrible dreams - full of gore and blood and people he loves....getting hurt. He's starting to slip - wondering if something is real or dream - and those around him keep warning of someone coming (more signs of losing his mind?) and mysterious prophecy and "sixth generation" quotes. It's all Clay can do to get the Harvest done as he sorts his thoughts.
It was compelling and hard to put down. And I saw the twist coming but it was a great time getting there. I will definitely read more by this author.
Wow, this was a gory, creepy and fun story! It's the perfect mix of mystery and horror to keep the pages flying.
Clay's father did a horrible thing to the town last year. Once he was gone, Clay is now the man of the house. Between his mom's depression, Jess's rebellion and Noodle's young age - Clay is trying to get the harvest done, keep food on the table and the bills paid with not a lot of help in the house. But that's not even the worst part.
Clay has almost completely stopped sleeping. When he does sleep, he's having horrible dreams - full of gore and blood and people he loves....getting hurt. He's starting to slip - wondering if something is real or dream - and those around him keep warning of someone coming (more signs of losing his mind?) and mysterious prophecy and "sixth generation" quotes. It's all Clay can do to get the Harvest done as he sorts his thoughts.
It was compelling and hard to put down. And I saw the twist coming but it was a great time getting there. I will definitely read more by this author.
July 25, 2020
Summary
It's been a year since Clay's father died in a horrific way. Everyone thought he was crazy for what he'd done before he died.
Now Clay is starting to have some very disturbing nightmares and everyone in town seems to be acting strange.
He begins to wonder if he too is going crazy or maybe his Dad knew something evil was coming and died in an attempt to stop it.
Personal Opinion
Kim Liggett has a special talent when it comes to writing about farmers fields and cults. But I'm not complaining, so far her corn and wheat filled books have been really good. Even though I really liked both Blood and Salt as well as Heart of Ash, I think this is my new favorite of Kim's novels so far.
Clay is a mostly caring and protective brother of his youngest sister and a good son to his mentally unstable mother. I did feel like the romance aspect with Ali was lacking a bit though. For a girl who completely avoided him for a year, Clay seemed more obsessed with her in a stalker kind of way more than anything else.
The ending really took me by surprise, I always love a good unexpected twist.
I would definitely recommend for both Kim Liggett and cult story fans.
February 23, 2017
3,5*
Midland-ben két dolgot imádnak: az amerikai focit és Istent, valószínűleg ebben a sorrendben.
Clay 17 éves, és az utóbbi éve minden volt, csak nem egyszerű. Mindene megvolt korábban, megbecsülés, mint a 6 alapító család sarja, kollektív imádat, mint a középiskola sztár quaterback-je. Fényes jövő előtt állt. Egészen addig, amíg az apja látszólag bedilizik és furcsa körülmények között meghal. A foci edzéseket felváltja a farm körüli munka, át kell vennie a családfő szerepét, mivel az anyja nem funkcionál, és két húga túl fiatal, Jenn 13, Noodle 7 éves.
Noodle haláli pofa, koravén kislány cuki dumával és számolgatási kényszerrel. Imádja Clayt, és vica versa.
Jess nem különösebben érdekes/szerethető karakter, éppen egy kellemetlen tini korszakban van, szomorú és dühös is az apja halála és a kialakult új helyzet miatt, olyan rossz arcokkal barátkozik mint Lee Wiggins.
Clayt apja halála óta rémálmok gyötrik, ám újabban elkezd hallucinálni, nehezen választja el a valóságot az elméje szüleményeitől. Attól fél, ő is elkezd megőrülni, mint az apja. Segítséget kér a helyi Sherif-től, miután látja egy tehén gyomrából újjászületni Alit, a lányt akibe évek óta szerelmes. Elmondja a Sherif-nek azt is, hogy korábban a kombájnja tárcsák közé ragadt egy arany szőrű borjú is, ami aztán eltűnt. Mondanom sem kell, süket fülekre talál Clay.
Tudja a srác, hogy valami nincs rendben ebben a városban,valami gonosz bujkál, és minden központja a Preservation Society, a 6 alapító család és gyermekeik. A vezető, Mr Neely zsarolással eléri, hogy Clay és családja újra csatlakozzon a PS-hez.
Közben Clay segítséget talál Miss Emma Granger személyében,
Először is, a horror és én nem keveredünk jól, akár könyvről, akár filmről beszélünk. Így elég nagy szó, hogy tulajdonképpen kellemes élménynek tudom elkönyvelni a Last Harvest-et. A katarzistól azért messze van, de végig fent tudta tartani az érdeklődésemet, és csupán a vége felé kellett a szememet forgatnom néhány dolgon.
Kicsit hátrány talán, hogy YA-ként, jellegzetesen E/1-ben íródott a könyv. Így jól megismerjük Clay-t, mint karaktert, de senki mást. Ez azért baj, mert annyira nem érintett meg, amikor tragédia tragédiát követett. Viszont Clay-t nagyon megszerettem, csak 17 éves, de van benne tartás és erő, habár nem a brightest cookie a vidéken, néha megráztam volna, hogy jusson már el a megfelelő következtetésig. Olvasóként sokszor jártam a “történet előtt”, kitaláltam előre mi fog történni.
Nagyon jól átjön a teljes káosz a fejében, a mély frusztráltság a valóság és a képzelet összemosódása okán.
A feszültséget jól fokozza a könyvben, hogy nincs igazán megbízható sidekick-je Clay-nek, hiába helyezi többször is valamilyen szinten a bizalmát Aliba, a sherifbe vagy Miss Granger-be, lehet végig tudni, hogy a srác csak magára számíthat, mert nincs másik személy, aki ne viselkedne egy kicsit (vagy nagyon) furán.
Van egy szerelmi szál is a könyvben, amit nem igazán szerettem. Többnyire Clay vágyainak kivetülése az egész, ez a belső hajtóerő, amiért minden áron meg akarja menteni Alit a gonosztól. Egyéb iránt nagyon nemes gondolkodású Clay, azt szeretné, hogy minden szempontból Ali legyen neki az első és az utolsó is, gondoskodni és szeretni akarja őt egy életen át. Erősen idealizálja a lányt, gyerekkori barátságból lett szerelem az övék. Ali, és az iránta táplált érzései az egyetlen fénysugár a kialakult, borzalmas helyzetben. Persze a gonosz minden erejével azon van, hogy kihasználja ezt a gyengeséget.
Tetszett még a könyvben, hogy milyen jól tudja átadni a hátborzongató hangulatot az írónő. Nem szeretnék a közeljövőben búzamezőkön járni, sem pajtban vagy város széli erdőben. Pozitívum még a jó dinamika, a végig izgalmas (bár kicsit kiszámítható) plot. Sikerült azt is elérni, hogy habár a vallás és a hit fontos része ennek a közösségnek, mégsem erőlteti rá a nézeteit az írónő az olvasóra, csak jelenlét van.
Jól vegyülnek a véres, gyomorforgató jelenetek a pszicho horror elemekkel, de igazából sehol nem félelmetes annyira, hogy megemelje a pulzusomat.
Negatívumnak gondolom a Clay-en kívüli karakterek laposságát, illetve pár nem jól átgondolt és valószerűtlen szituációt, amit sokkal jobban meg lehetett volna oldani.
Midland-ben két dolgot imádnak: az amerikai focit és Istent, valószínűleg ebben a sorrendben.
Clay 17 éves, és az utóbbi éve minden volt, csak nem egyszerű. Mindene megvolt korábban, megbecsülés, mint a 6 alapító család sarja, kollektív imádat, mint a középiskola sztár quaterback-je. Fényes jövő előtt állt. Egészen addig, amíg az apja látszólag bedilizik és furcsa körülmények között meghal. A foci edzéseket felváltja a farm körüli munka, át kell vennie a családfő szerepét, mivel az anyja nem funkcionál, és két húga túl fiatal, Jenn 13, Noodle 7 éves.
Noodle haláli pofa, koravén kislány cuki dumával és számolgatási kényszerrel. Imádja Clayt, és vica versa.
Jess nem különösebben érdekes/szerethető karakter, éppen egy kellemetlen tini korszakban van, szomorú és dühös is az apja halála és a kialakult új helyzet miatt, olyan rossz arcokkal barátkozik mint Lee Wiggins.
Clayt apja halála óta rémálmok gyötrik, ám újabban elkezd hallucinálni, nehezen választja el a valóságot az elméje szüleményeitől. Attól fél, ő is elkezd megőrülni, mint az apja. Segítséget kér a helyi Sherif-től, miután látja egy tehén gyomrából újjászületni Alit, a lányt akibe évek óta szerelmes. Elmondja a Sherif-nek azt is, hogy korábban a kombájnja tárcsák közé ragadt egy arany szőrű borjú is, ami aztán eltűnt. Mondanom sem kell, süket fülekre talál Clay.
Tudja a srác, hogy valami nincs rendben ebben a városban,valami gonosz bujkál, és minden központja a Preservation Society, a 6 alapító család és gyermekeik. A vezető, Mr Neely zsarolással eléri, hogy Clay és családja újra csatlakozzon a PS-hez.
Közben Clay segítséget talál Miss Emma Granger személyében,
Először is, a horror és én nem keveredünk jól, akár könyvről, akár filmről beszélünk. Így elég nagy szó, hogy tulajdonképpen kellemes élménynek tudom elkönyvelni a Last Harvest-et. A katarzistól azért messze van, de végig fent tudta tartani az érdeklődésemet, és csupán a vége felé kellett a szememet forgatnom néhány dolgon.
Kicsit hátrány talán, hogy YA-ként, jellegzetesen E/1-ben íródott a könyv. Így jól megismerjük Clay-t, mint karaktert, de senki mást. Ez azért baj, mert annyira nem érintett meg, amikor tragédia tragédiát követett. Viszont Clay-t nagyon megszerettem, csak 17 éves, de van benne tartás és erő, habár nem a brightest cookie a vidéken, néha megráztam volna, hogy jusson már el a megfelelő következtetésig. Olvasóként sokszor jártam a “történet előtt”, kitaláltam előre mi fog történni.
Nagyon jól átjön a teljes káosz a fejében, a mély frusztráltság a valóság és a képzelet összemosódása okán.
A feszültséget jól fokozza a könyvben, hogy nincs igazán megbízható sidekick-je Clay-nek, hiába helyezi többször is valamilyen szinten a bizalmát Aliba, a sherifbe vagy Miss Granger-be, lehet végig tudni, hogy a srác csak magára számíthat, mert nincs másik személy, aki ne viselkedne egy kicsit (vagy nagyon) furán.
Van egy szerelmi szál is a könyvben, amit nem igazán szerettem. Többnyire Clay vágyainak kivetülése az egész, ez a belső hajtóerő, amiért minden áron meg akarja menteni Alit a gonosztól. Egyéb iránt nagyon nemes gondolkodású Clay, azt szeretné, hogy minden szempontból Ali legyen neki az első és az utolsó is, gondoskodni és szeretni akarja őt egy életen át. Erősen idealizálja a lányt, gyerekkori barátságból lett szerelem az övék. Ali, és az iránta táplált érzései az egyetlen fénysugár a kialakult, borzalmas helyzetben. Persze a gonosz minden erejével azon van, hogy kihasználja ezt a gyengeséget.
Tetszett még a könyvben, hogy milyen jól tudja átadni a hátborzongató hangulatot az írónő. Nem szeretnék a közeljövőben búzamezőkön járni, sem pajtban vagy város széli erdőben. Pozitívum még a jó dinamika, a végig izgalmas (bár kicsit kiszámítható) plot. Sikerült azt is elérni, hogy habár a vallás és a hit fontos része ennek a közösségnek, mégsem erőlteti rá a nézeteit az írónő az olvasóra, csak jelenlét van.
Jól vegyülnek a véres, gyomorforgató jelenetek a pszicho horror elemekkel, de igazából sehol nem félelmetes annyira, hogy megemelje a pulzusomat.
Negatívumnak gondolom a Clay-en kívüli karakterek laposságát, illetve pár nem jól átgondolt és valószerűtlen szituációt, amit sokkal jobban meg lehetett volna oldani.
February 28, 2021
3,5*
The perfect read for someone that is looking for a Halloween/Fall read about a really small town and a secret society that is ready to do anything to make sure everything will be ready for The Last Harvest.
After losing his father, Clay is struggling with keeping his family and their wheat farm afloat. His mom's mind is gone, Jess is acting out and he is having disturbing nightmares that could be related to his father's strange death.
This was a great dark tale about a secret society/cult in a small town where some teenagers are involved and targeted. Loved that the plot went more obscure as we progressed but some of the teenage romance parts were a bit too cheesy for this type of story.
The perfect read for someone that is looking for a Halloween/Fall read about a really small town and a secret society that is ready to do anything to make sure everything will be ready for The Last Harvest.
After losing his father, Clay is struggling with keeping his family and their wheat farm afloat. His mom's mind is gone, Jess is acting out and he is having disturbing nightmares that could be related to his father's strange death.
This was a great dark tale about a secret society/cult in a small town where some teenagers are involved and targeted. Loved that the plot went more obscure as we progressed but some of the teenage romance parts were a bit too cheesy for this type of story.
October 3, 2018
Loved how disturbing this was! Perfect for Stephen King fans.
December 30, 2016
This book is EVERYTHING! I have been reading creepy reads for a long time and The Last Harvest tops my favorites of ALL.TIME!!! Yes it is that good!!
Right from the beginning Liggett throws her readers into a story filled with dark and scary elements. From the breeding barn, wheat fields, and Preservation Society you can just feel the sinister smoke following Clay around. It was AMAZING!! I don't think any other story has been this way and I loved it!
The story itself was dark and had a religious tone throughout, but it wasn't too heavy handed and I honestly liked the way it was woven throughout the story. It plays a huge part in the overall plot, but the author didn't let it get too preachy which I appreciated. It felt right inside the story and I don't think it would have worked otherwise. There is one part that's a bit aggressive and bothered me, but I am guessing the author chose to throw that particular scene in to show how bad the church was and it's thinking. Not quite sure why it was necessary, but I am grateful it was only one scene and the author chose to move on.
Clay was a great character. He was flawed, but he just wanted to help his family after his fathers gruesome death. That's another thing I liked about this, Liggett didn't throw all the gory at you at one time she let things build. Like with Clay's dads death, you know it was gruesome, but she only throws bits and pieces (okay that's a bit gross if you have read the story you will understand...ick) at you and you don't really see the full picture until later in the story. I liked this because I felt like the story was building into something spectacular and I was right. Okay back to the characters, Clay was awesome. I think the played his part right and didn't come across as too good or too bad. He tried to be the man of the house, but when you are seventeen and well things beyond your control start happening one can't expect to be perfect. I appreciated that he stood his ground throughout and he did the best he could.
I also liked the town feel. Like I said this author painted a great picture for her thriller and this small town was a great addition. It sounds cliche, but it worked and she did a great job weaving in the history to show why this town was the way it was. It all just really worked!
I honestly can't think of one thing I would change and for me that's rare. The pacing, flow, writing, characters, setting, and plot were all key pieces to this masterpiece and they all pulled their own weight. Side note I would love to see this on the big screen!!
My favorite part was the ending!!! OMG! I don't think I have ever been as surprised at an ending before! I won't spoil anything, but let me just say Kim Liggett has become my now go to author for creepy!! I loved the way she chose to end The Last Harvest and I won't lie I had nightmares last night about that ending!! SO.MUCH.FUN!! If you love creepy thrillers this book is definitely for you!!!!!!!!
Right from the beginning Liggett throws her readers into a story filled with dark and scary elements. From the breeding barn, wheat fields, and Preservation Society you can just feel the sinister smoke following Clay around. It was AMAZING!! I don't think any other story has been this way and I loved it!
The story itself was dark and had a religious tone throughout, but it wasn't too heavy handed and I honestly liked the way it was woven throughout the story. It plays a huge part in the overall plot, but the author didn't let it get too preachy which I appreciated. It felt right inside the story and I don't think it would have worked otherwise. There is one part that's a bit aggressive and bothered me, but I am guessing the author chose to throw that particular scene in to show how bad the church was and it's thinking. Not quite sure why it was necessary, but I am grateful it was only one scene and the author chose to move on.
Clay was a great character. He was flawed, but he just wanted to help his family after his fathers gruesome death. That's another thing I liked about this, Liggett didn't throw all the gory at you at one time she let things build. Like with Clay's dads death, you know it was gruesome, but she only throws bits and pieces (okay that's a bit gross if you have read the story you will understand...ick) at you and you don't really see the full picture until later in the story. I liked this because I felt like the story was building into something spectacular and I was right. Okay back to the characters, Clay was awesome. I think the played his part right and didn't come across as too good or too bad. He tried to be the man of the house, but when you are seventeen and well things beyond your control start happening one can't expect to be perfect. I appreciated that he stood his ground throughout and he did the best he could.
I also liked the town feel. Like I said this author painted a great picture for her thriller and this small town was a great addition. It sounds cliche, but it worked and she did a great job weaving in the history to show why this town was the way it was. It all just really worked!
I honestly can't think of one thing I would change and for me that's rare. The pacing, flow, writing, characters, setting, and plot were all key pieces to this masterpiece and they all pulled their own weight. Side note I would love to see this on the big screen!!
My favorite part was the ending!!! OMG! I don't think I have ever been as surprised at an ending before! I won't spoil anything, but let me just say Kim Liggett has become my now go to author for creepy!! I loved the way she chose to end The Last Harvest and I won't lie I had nightmares last night about that ending!! SO.MUCH.FUN!! If you love creepy thrillers this book is definitely for you!!!!!!!!
August 27, 2018
I find it only fair to let you know that I'm the type of reader who is fairly desensitized to horror novels at this point. I read a lot of them and, since I found this genre early on when YA horror wasn't a big thing, most of them are targeted to adults. So take my review with a grain of salt, my friends. I expect a lot from books that market themselves as horror. I love to feel the tension, hate/love the characters, and be completely blindsided at every turn. Basically, The Last Harvest had a lot to live up to. It nearly made it there too.
First off, credit where credit is due, Kim Liggett does an excellent job of setting the stage for Clay's possible descent into madness. The little town of Midland, Oklahoma is brought to life almost immediately. You can feel the breeze on a humid summer night, see the sunset over the corn fields, and relish in the small town feel of the characters and their day to day lives. I love books with settings like these. They settle you firmly into a sense of nostalgia, in my case for a place I've never been. This is my favorite kind of story, and that's one of the reasons I loved it so much.
Liggett also shines with her creation of the characters in this book as well. Clay, the golden boy quarterback turned outcast, is easy to fall in love with. As I met the rest of this not quite friends, I saw how easily each of them fit into the setting that was so expertly built. These are kids who raised in a town that sees them as the budding next generation. They are the future of Midland and, as such, can do no wrong. Although there wasn't as much time to get to know them as I would have liked, I at least appreciated the fact that they felt like real people, with real issues.
What took the star rating down for me in this book, and again I remind you that I'm pretty picky about books in this genre, is a mixture of how slow it was to build and how unsurprising the majority of the story was. Don't get me wrong, YA horror has it rough. There's a line that you can't cross in terms of the actual horror/gore aspects and I really feel like it hampered this story. What should have been shocking events in Clay's story, felt more like small breaks from the lull of this book. Although I liked most of the characters well enough, their fates never really resonated with me. As I mentioned before, my favorite part of this genre is the attachment and tension that I usually feel. I didn't feel much of that here at all.
I can say that this book is very easy to read through though, despite anything else. I powered through the story in roughly two hours, and didn't feel like I wasn't going to finish. There was enough to keep me invested in what the ending would actually be, even though I thought I had figured it out, and so I appreciated that. I just wish there had been more to make me feel really invested. I'll give this three stars, and highly recommend it to anyone starting out in the horror genre! It's well written, and not too terribly terrifying. An excellent place for a beginning.
First off, credit where credit is due, Kim Liggett does an excellent job of setting the stage for Clay's possible descent into madness. The little town of Midland, Oklahoma is brought to life almost immediately. You can feel the breeze on a humid summer night, see the sunset over the corn fields, and relish in the small town feel of the characters and their day to day lives. I love books with settings like these. They settle you firmly into a sense of nostalgia, in my case for a place I've never been. This is my favorite kind of story, and that's one of the reasons I loved it so much.
Liggett also shines with her creation of the characters in this book as well. Clay, the golden boy quarterback turned outcast, is easy to fall in love with. As I met the rest of this not quite friends, I saw how easily each of them fit into the setting that was so expertly built. These are kids who raised in a town that sees them as the budding next generation. They are the future of Midland and, as such, can do no wrong. Although there wasn't as much time to get to know them as I would have liked, I at least appreciated the fact that they felt like real people, with real issues.
What took the star rating down for me in this book, and again I remind you that I'm pretty picky about books in this genre, is a mixture of how slow it was to build and how unsurprising the majority of the story was. Don't get me wrong, YA horror has it rough. There's a line that you can't cross in terms of the actual horror/gore aspects and I really feel like it hampered this story. What should have been shocking events in Clay's story, felt more like small breaks from the lull of this book. Although I liked most of the characters well enough, their fates never really resonated with me. As I mentioned before, my favorite part of this genre is the attachment and tension that I usually feel. I didn't feel much of that here at all.
I can say that this book is very easy to read through though, despite anything else. I powered through the story in roughly two hours, and didn't feel like I wasn't going to finish. There was enough to keep me invested in what the ending would actually be, even though I thought I had figured it out, and so I appreciated that. I just wish there had been more to make me feel really invested. I'll give this three stars, and highly recommend it to anyone starting out in the horror genre! It's well written, and not too terribly terrifying. An excellent place for a beginning.
February 17, 2017
Mon avis en Français
My ENglish review
It’s been a long time since I read a novel of this kind, a novel of anguish or even horror but it is always interesting to plunge back into this type of atmosphere. I had the opportunity to read some reviews before beginning the story and it was with pleasure that I saw that they were all positive even if several explained that for a YA novel, that it did not correspond to a youthful novel. I can understand that and it is true that I did not expect the story to be so black, but knowing it, it did not bother me.
We discover Clay, a young boy in charge of his family after the death of his father in strange conditions. But now, since this tragedy, almost a year ago, he is sidelined and his friends have abandoned him. Yet, it seems that things are changing …. His family gradually begins to dislocate, while his friends return to him, hoping that he would take his place in the Society of Preservation (something he did everything to avoid). The counselor of her school is convinced that these people worship the devil and that only Clay can prove it. But here, our hero does not know how to situate himself in relation to the different events, not knowing if he loses his head like his father and if something sinister is really happening.
I was easily taken by the story and the very special atmosphere of the book although it is true that it is very difficult to disentangle the true from the false. I understand the relentlessness nature of Clay as he tried to understand and tried to fix things even if it is something very complicated. Besides, I did not see the end coming at all and it was very amazing even though I understand a bit why now. Many events are taking place and we are trying to discover the truth with Clay. It’s a different story and it’s one really well done in its kind. I do not want to say too much because I think you really have to read it to understand everything but it was an amazing discovery. The story gives you chills while taking you through short chapters. There are many questions about the characters and their behavior. It really is very difficult to understand what is really going on, and the suspense is kept to the end.
My ENglish review
It’s been a long time since I read a novel of this kind, a novel of anguish or even horror but it is always interesting to plunge back into this type of atmosphere. I had the opportunity to read some reviews before beginning the story and it was with pleasure that I saw that they were all positive even if several explained that for a YA novel, that it did not correspond to a youthful novel. I can understand that and it is true that I did not expect the story to be so black, but knowing it, it did not bother me.
We discover Clay, a young boy in charge of his family after the death of his father in strange conditions. But now, since this tragedy, almost a year ago, he is sidelined and his friends have abandoned him. Yet, it seems that things are changing …. His family gradually begins to dislocate, while his friends return to him, hoping that he would take his place in the Society of Preservation (something he did everything to avoid). The counselor of her school is convinced that these people worship the devil and that only Clay can prove it. But here, our hero does not know how to situate himself in relation to the different events, not knowing if he loses his head like his father and if something sinister is really happening.
I was easily taken by the story and the very special atmosphere of the book although it is true that it is very difficult to disentangle the true from the false. I understand the relentlessness nature of Clay as he tried to understand and tried to fix things even if it is something very complicated. Besides, I did not see the end coming at all and it was very amazing even though I understand a bit why now. Many events are taking place and we are trying to discover the truth with Clay. It’s a different story and it’s one really well done in its kind. I do not want to say too much because I think you really have to read it to understand everything but it was an amazing discovery. The story gives you chills while taking you through short chapters. There are many questions about the characters and their behavior. It really is very difficult to understand what is really going on, and the suspense is kept to the end.
February 7, 2017
When I first heard Kim talking about this book at Books of Wonder last fall, I knew I had to get my hands on it. She pitched it as Friday Night Lights meets Rosemary's Baby, which is both awesome and creepy at the same time. I definitely saw the similarities to both, and how she tied the two together was pretty neat. I really enjoyed reading through this one and I loved that I didn't want to put it down—except sometimes I did, because I got creeped out and was a bit afraid a creepy doll would be in my face if I woke up in the middle of the night.
I really enjoyed Clay's character and my heart definitely felt for him. Having tragically lost his dad the previous year to extraneous conditions, he is the man of the house and has to take care of his two younger sisters and his disconnected mother. All the while, he has to take care of the farm and make sure the harvest is ready before the first frost comes. As if that isn't enough, Clay is getting some pressure from the weird founding fathers society the town has going on and they want him to take his rightful place along with 5 others—one of which is a girl he desperately loves. It's a lot for a guy! His voice felt realistic and I felt I was right there in Midland with him.
I think Liggett did a great job of piecing everything together and keeping us guessing. I can easily envision this as a horror movie, in fact, it reminded me a bit of that Demi Moore movie The Seventh Sign. Religious things creep me out the most, so I was definitely a bit freaked out during this one. To say I would scream in a theater is this were a movie, would be an understatement!
*Received a copy of this book via the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
I really enjoyed Clay's character and my heart definitely felt for him. Having tragically lost his dad the previous year to extraneous conditions, he is the man of the house and has to take care of his two younger sisters and his disconnected mother. All the while, he has to take care of the farm and make sure the harvest is ready before the first frost comes. As if that isn't enough, Clay is getting some pressure from the weird founding fathers society the town has going on and they want him to take his rightful place along with 5 others—one of which is a girl he desperately loves. It's a lot for a guy! His voice felt realistic and I felt I was right there in Midland with him.
I think Liggett did a great job of piecing everything together and keeping us guessing. I can easily envision this as a horror movie, in fact, it reminded me a bit of that Demi Moore movie The Seventh Sign. Religious things creep me out the most, so I was definitely a bit freaked out during this one. To say I would scream in a theater is this were a movie, would be an understatement!
*Received a copy of this book via the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
September 11, 2019
First of all, I think that if a book relies so heavily on the twisted ending without anything else going for it in the middle isn't a very good book.
This book is about a small town that gets stuck into an occult and cult-like practices, that most of them weren't even explained by the end of the book. It's about the devil trying to come back using an old pact the first settlers made with him, in exchange for the souls of their sixth generation.
It was very confusing, the romance drama was very out of place, and the main character was so very annoying and there's something wrong with the way he set his priorities. I won't deny that the ending was startling and unexpected, but that's it. It was quite atmospheric, but not the best horror novel.
This book is about a small town that gets stuck into an occult and cult-like practices, that most of them weren't even explained by the end of the book. It's about the devil trying to come back using an old pact the first settlers made with him, in exchange for the souls of their sixth generation.
It was very confusing, the romance drama was very out of place, and the main character was so very annoying and there's something wrong with the way he set his priorities. I won't deny that the ending was startling and unexpected, but that's it. It was quite atmospheric, but not the best horror novel.
March 10, 2017
This was the written equivalent of a B-horror movie, which is NOT an insult in any way, shape or form because I f***ing love B-horror movies. Liggett doesn't really forge any new paths but the she does do a pretty good job with the formula material - a compulsive read that kept me up way past my bedtime and also kept me guessing as to how it was going to end. She does a great job with the protagonist and conveying the dread and paranoia he must have felt throughout this situation. A couple of plot holes that don't really get plugged up but easily overlooked. Would definitely recommend.
February 3, 2017
not sure how to rate this one yet; back later.
January 9, 2023
Clay used to be a popular football player with a cheerleader girlfriend, until his dad committed suicide. Now Clay spends his days trying to bring in the harvest and wondering what his dad meant with his last words: "I plead the blood." Then Clay runs over a golden calf in the field, and something else his dad said makes him begin to investigate the possibility that a group of founders' families are plotting a blood sacrifice... and he may be the target.
I wish I had read this one in the fall, as it had that Halloween / harvest moon feel, but it was still a good time. A secret group that's been branded, heavy religious undertones, creepy portentous dreams, the possibility that one or more of them might be insane... the plot moved right along. My biggest source of amusement, however, was that the library I borrowed this from labeled this book as "realistic," as there's definitely an element of the supernatural.
I wish I had read this one in the fall, as it had that Halloween / harvest moon feel, but it was still a good time. A secret group that's been branded, heavy religious undertones, creepy portentous dreams, the possibility that one or more of them might be insane... the plot moved right along. My biggest source of amusement, however, was that the library I borrowed this from labeled this book as "realistic," as there's definitely an element of the supernatural.
June 24, 2017
This was a good young adult horror book. The story is told from the view of Clay. A year ago his family lost their father when he apparently went crazy leaving Clay to work the farm and keep the family together. His Mom seems to have gone comatose, his younger sister is acting like she doesn't care and is hanging out with the wrong crowd and his littlest sister Noodle is positive and the light of his life. You really get to know Clay and Noodle the most but the rest of the characters are fleshed out enough to really care about them so as people die, I didn't really care. I was wanting to know what would happen next and Liggett does a good job of keeping my attention so that I want to get to the end and boy did she blow me away. I thought, wait...what?! I will definitely check out more books by Kim Liggett.
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