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The Last Resort

Emily Gallo (Goodreads Author)

3.94 · Rating details · 33 ratings · 26 reviews

An old sixties musician and his trim mama run a pot farm in the Emerald Triangle of northern California and welcome an exonerated ex-con, a Las Vegas prostitute, a union organizer from the Bronx, an escapee of a sex slave cult, a retired carney with Parkinson's Disease, and an old Mississippi blues guitarist down on his luck. Together they create a last resort, a modern ve ...more

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Paperback, 332 pages

Published February 5th 2020 by Independently Published

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· 33 ratings · 26 reviews

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Oct 11, 2020 Erin Clemence rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, first-reads

Thanks to the author, @emilygallo, for giving me the oppourtunity to read and review this novel.

“The Last Resort”, by Emily Gallo, is certainly an appropriate name. A collection of “lost souls” (an ex-con, a prostitute, a mob boss, a junkie, just to name a few) find safety, solace and a reason for being working and living on a pot farm run by Dutch, a musician from the sixties who finds peace helping others.

I enjoyed the family dynamic this novel provided, taking a group of society’s “low Thanks to the author, @emilygallo, for giving me the oppourtunity to read and review this novel.

“The Last Resort”, by Emily Gallo, is certainly an appropriate name. A collection of “lost souls” (an ex-con, a prostitute, a mob boss, a junkie, just to name a few) find safety, solace and a reason for being working and living on a pot farm run by Dutch, a musician from the sixties who finds peace helping others.

I enjoyed the family dynamic this novel provided, taking a group of society’s “lower” denizens and forming them into a tight-knit band of friends and family in an unusual place. Gallo’s characters are unique in that they are the types usually overlooked in other novels. Her characters are the ones we would pass judgment on if we walked by them on the street, and Gallo’s ability to bring them into the light and force the reader to view them as compassionate, contributing members of society deserving of respect and love was certainly unexpected. However, there is an awful lot of characters in the novel, and it took some sorting through to keep up.

The plot itself was choppy, as it did not seem to have a consistent flow. Initially, we see the collective gathering at the pot farm, from different backgrounds, being put to work and forming their family. Then, we move on to the specifics of farm life, including growing marijuana, and using various psychotropic meds as treatments for Parkinson’s disease. Of course, there is a music festival (which really doesn’t connect to any of the plot lines) and a love triangle (which serves to get rid of one character, although his story is not complete) . Although on their own, the plot lines are intriguing, neither of them seemed to be completely flushed out. I wanted to know more about some plot lines that seemed abandoned, and less about plot points that seemed to be the main focus.

Gallo’s writing is also unique. It does not have the poetic prose and descriptive structure that we see in more mainstream novels. Gallo writes the novel almost like a screen play, the entire story written almost entirely through conversation between characters. There is very little description of settings or characters. I don’t know if this was intentional, but it certainly was a new format for me. I am not sure if I enjoyed this style of writing or not, as it is not something I have a lot of experience with. Readers who enjoy more character-driven stories with little focus on setting and descriptive nouns may find what they need in this style.

Overall, Gallo’s “The Last Resort” is unique and creative, with a character-driven storyline that, although disjointed and choppy, still pulled me in enough to want to see how it ends. With some fine-tuning, Gallo could be the writer to watch. ...more

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Dec 12, 2020 Lynelle Clark rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: new-beginnings, recommended-reads, relationships

I was contacted by the author for a review.
The last resort is an intriguing story of the lost who found a place to recoup, recover and begin anew.
Each person has a story filled with horror and grief. Of pain and rejection.
The development of the plotline filled with bittersweetness and human interaction.
The author's empathy is a true testimony of her desire to write about people's pain and the road to healing. Highlighting the devastation one human can do to another without thinking about the ...more

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Nov 07, 2020 Sharon rated it really liked it

I was contacted by the author to review this intriguing story set at a pot farm in the Emerald Triangle in California. Ironically, I had heard of this area because I had watched a documentary on Netflix about Murder Mountain which is touched on in the book and is a location in the Emerald Triangle filled with mystery and unexplained deaths.

Dutch Bogart, musician and pot grower, is making changes. He has been growing weed since the 70s and has been welcoming harvesters to his home ever since. Thi ...more

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Jun 05, 2020 Lynne Piza rated it it was amazing

This is such a beautiful story about coming together, bonding, forming unexpected friendships and a bunch of complete strangers becoming their own little version of a family!

This is such a feel good read and is soooo easy to read! The story is pretty much explained above, but basically we have all of those characters above, from all different walks of life, ending up at the farm needing a place to stay and to work! They all seem to have been escaping something and are more than happy to live and ...more

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Apr 21, 2020 Kate rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

TL;DR
Several individuals all looking for a second chance at life find camaraderie and family amongst the trees of the Emerald Triangle at a marijuana farm owned and operated by a blues songwriter.

FULL REVIEW
This book check-marked all of my criteria I look for when reading: I felt I learned something new, I found something I could walk away with (i.e. message, a new perspective), and I left the story with a feeling of closure.

When Emily Gallo suggested her new book for a read-and-review, I would TL;DR
Several individuals all looking for a second chance at life find camaraderie and family amongst the trees of the Emerald Triangle at a marijuana farm owned and operated by a blues songwriter.

FULL REVIEW
This book check-marked all of my criteria I look for when reading: I felt I learned something new, I found something I could walk away with (i.e. message, a new perspective), and I left the story with a feeling of closure.

When Emily Gallo suggested her new book for a read-and-review, I would be lying if I said I wasn't hesitant once I realized it was focused on a marijuana farming estate in Northern California. This is not because I'm anti-marijuana; I grew up in the Bay Area, where marijuana is very much a part of people's livelihoods- it simply wasn't part of my immediate upbringing and I had zero experience or knowledge to this degree. Emily brought light to a topic most would be hesitant to breach, and she did so in an extremely accurate and informative way.

The characters in The Last Resort banded together as one big mismatched family, still maintaining their individuality and identity pre- joining Dutch on the farm. I felt as though each was able to address their specific issues and gain closure surrounding their circumstances (although I would have loved to hear more of Juniper's backstory).

The scenery painted in the novel was to me, a walk down memory lane. I thoroughly enjoyed the imagery throughout, and every time Emily described San Francisco or Garberville, I was immediately transported to a time I, too had visited those spots. I love being able to walk down a street or past a building mentioned in a book and remember what it connects with in the story. This, to me, will be something I will remember fondly the next time I am back in Northern California.

I highly recommend this read to anyone who is willing to open their mind and enjoy a story of togetherness, second-chapters, and learning to accept all walks of life. Buster said it best:" We're just a bunch of ordinary people trying to live our lives the best way we can". ...more

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Jun 26, 2020 Jose Ikram rated it it was amazing

As a summary, the story is about a fascinating farm where a lot of people who carry different stories and different experiences met and lived together. They escaped their old lives, problems, and the dark past hoping they will survive and start a new life with new opportunities. This farm was a new home for them, a safe home in which they could stay and make adventures.

The events are unexpected which made the reader excited to know what's going to be next and how the characters are going to fin As a summary, the story is about a fascinating farm where a lot of people who carry different stories and different experiences met and lived together. They escaped their old lives, problems, and the dark past hoping they will survive and start a new life with new opportunities. This farm was a new home for them, a safe home in which they could stay and make adventures.

The events are unexpected which made the reader excited to know what's going to be next and how the characters are going to find a way in each situation. This is what I liked about the story. I could feel a lot of emotions and feelings at once because each character has special characteristics and personality. One makes you laugh, the other one will make you feel a sense of sadness and pity. I could live with each character a lot of joyful moments as if I was one of them and as if I was living the story not reading it. Also, I could imagine through reading the author's words how the farm could be so beautiful and green. The language was easy, anyone can read it without any difficulties. There were not many descriptions which make the reading process boring, on the contrary, it contains a lot of interesting thoughts and themes, for instance, Friendship, Hope, and Goodness that may change your perspective towards life.

Each one of us has a story and each one experiences different things from the other one. Life is not always easy and comfortable, sometimes we have to go through rough situations and hard moments in life, but on the bright side, this hardship will create a protective wall by the time which will stop any harm to get in our hearts, yet our hearts will always remain free and warm. Additionally, Injustice may cause innocent people the experience of homelessness poverty, besides the feeling of loneliness and self-loss. Fortunately, there are always good people who will make life easier for us, who will help us find light in the darkest days and relief in the most painful moments. These are the main lessons that I have learned from the masterpiece The Last Resort written by Emily Gallo.

...more

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Feb 26, 2020 Píaras Cíonnaoíth rated it it was amazing

Home is where you make it...

Despite people’s attempts to make things black and white, there rarely are such moments. There are grays, nuances and intricacies. Those make up the proverbial spice of life. It’s often said that it’s important to “appreciate the little things.” In a fast-paced world with many things to do and simply not enough time to do them, it becomes all too easy to forget about the little things. The Last Resort illustrates ‘the forgotten ones, those barely scraping by in a soci ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 Mitaali rated it really liked it

The Last Resort by Emily Gallo is a beautifully written story of how fate takes you at the right moment to the right places. It is a story about a musician who runs a pot farm and is kind enough to let a few people like Luther, a prisoner accused for a crime he didn’t commit and Tasha, a prostitute and few others stay with him who were in search of a home. The author has done a wonderful job in weaving a beautiful bond of love, affection, romance, betrayal as well as unexpected friendships. The ...more

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Apr 29, 2020 TheBookersDiary rated it really liked it

What happens when a bunch of misfits who have been ostracized by the world come together in one place as a last resort.

Uniqueness: The storyline is pretty unique, but you will find yourself following the characters and ending up relating to them on some level.

Predictability: The only thing predictable aspect of the story would be when you'd expect the characters to end up at the last resort. The story follows a different path once all of them are together. But still manages to be unpredictable.

C ...more

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Apr 01, 2020 Fatima Salih rated it it was amazing

Firstly, I feel honored to be chosen by the author herself, @theemilygallo, to read and review her book.

The Last Resort focused on eight different characters who have different pasts and came from different walks of life. I was quite intrigued as how their story will eventually play out which kept me going. (I finished it in less than three hours)

The plot greatly revolved around their life on the farm which was their "last resort"; of which I perceived as their last shot at starting a new life a ...more

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Sep 13, 2020 Kelly Sgroi rated it liked it

What makes a family?

When an exonerated con, a prostitute and her companion, a cult escapee, an unwell old man, and a musician find respite on a marijuana farm in California, owned by an old music lover and run by a caring woman, there is no way of knowing how things are going to go.

But this is a surprisingly warm and happy read. It's about redemption and acceptance. How salvation and kindness provide hope. And that families can be formed not just bred. By forming the unlikeliest of families, eac ...more

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Jul 19, 2020 Kristina rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary-fiction

My three words: character-centered, found family, rural

I want to thank the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Resort is the story of a group of misfits who, through often difficult circumstances, find themselves living at a cannabis farm in northern California. The farm is run by Dutch, a man with a head for music and business and a heart of gold.

What I liked about the book is that it was all about the characters. The story was told from multiple points of v ...more

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Apr 22, 2020 Nancy rated it it was amazing

I really appreciate @theemilyGallo asking me to read her book, which I enjoyed very much.
It was a very easy read well-written with an intriguing storyline and a good dialogue.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 to me is a book about second chances and new beginnings, filled with different characters with remarkable stories.

The author transports the readers into a story about some very interesting well-defined characters with different past, weaknesses, strengths, flaws, fears, tastes, and dreams.
Finding themselves ...more

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Oct 29, 2020 Chalks And Books rated it liked it

This one came as a recommendation by the author herself😇. Honestly just to admit here I had no idea about the author or her previous books 🤔..but apparently that turned out to be good in this case because it came as absolutely fresh in every sense, the flow, the writing style, the topic, the characters.

Review:
It's a tale about few strangers that come from different settings and locale, they come together or they made to come together and stay in a farm. They create a bond, create a life, create ...more

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Apr 28, 2020 Janilyn Kocher rated it really liked it

The Last Resort is a different kind of book. It's a story of a motley group who congregate on a pot farm in California and not only form friendships but also a family with each other. It's a gritty read with sexual assault, a forest fire, drugs, and a roving band of thugs. My favorite characters were Luther and Leo. Character development occurs with them the most, in my opinion. One thing did leap out from the book, mentioning Effingham, Illinois, where Tasha claims to hail. I'm very familiar wi ...more

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Feb 21, 2020 Abbi Jackson rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-read-in-2020

The Last Resort illuminates all the wonderful intricacies of everyday life and reminds us to focus on these things, especially in the fast-paced, technologically focussed world that we live in today. Gallo’s writing style is intoxicating, she draws the reader in to a calm, peaceful life where we are introduced to incredibly complex and likable characters who make us feel at home in their world.

The plot follows Luther, an exonerated ex-con and his journey to be accepted back into society after tw ...more

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Jul 16, 2020 Kelly rated it really liked it

This is such a wonderful story about friendships that became family.

This was a quick and easy read. there really wasn't a character I didn't like. Jed and Monica were my favorites though. They seemed like such a sweet couple. I loved the beginning of this book and hearing the perspective of someone who has just been freed from prison after so many years.

This is such an uplifting book in these hard times.

Thank you to the author for sending me this book. I always feel honored when receiving req ...more

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Jun 11, 2020 Taralyn Beyler rated it really liked it

This book was recommended to me by the author and I found it to be a nice casual read. I really enjoyed how all the characters became so interconnected as the story progresses. This was a wonderful book about how people of different backgrounds can come together and create their own kind of family.

I also learned a couple new words and that is always a huge bonus for me while reading.

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Aug 31, 2020 Bookshelf Bunny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A great tale filled with diverse and gritty characters. Each one seeking second chances, healing, and a place to belong. Thanks to the generosity of stoic Dutch, at the aptly nicknamed Last Resort farm, they are given the chance to find all that and more. This is a great feel good read that shows us how powerful music, fellowship, and a little hard work can be.

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Nov 23, 2020 Amber rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Good Story

Good story about getting a second chance. Dutch is a pretty awesome man to help out these people in their time of need. And they were each able to help him as well.
I did enjoy the story but it was difficult to follow at times. The flow of the story was choppy in some parts. Great read and I look forward to reading other stories!

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Jan 13, 2021 Agnieszka rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Enjoyed the book. A story about a group of people in different stages of life connecting and finding redemption. It was beautifully written. I enjoyed the characters and North California environment.

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Apr 19, 2020 Romaine rated it really liked it

An enjoyable read with a colourful cast of diverse, intriguing and relatable characters living on Dutch’s farm. Would definitely recommend!

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Jul 09, 2020 Karishma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It's all about ordinary people trying to live their lives. The book speaks of a mixed batch of people that find a place, build a family and learn to live with each passing day. It's a fabulous read ...more

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Mar 01, 2020 Rachel rated it liked it

First off, I’d like to thank Emily for notifying me about her newest release. I always enjoy receiving requests from authors and publishers because it helps me to read books that I would most likely not have known about otherwise.

There are a wide variety of characters that are focused on within this novel. There’s Dutch Bogart (the owner/runner of the marijuana farm), Juniper (Dutch’s business partner with a difficult past), Scarlett (Juniper’s sister who has escaped from a sex ring), Buster McC First off, I’d like to thank Emily for notifying me about her newest release. I always enjoy receiving requests from authors and publishers because it helps me to read books that I would most likely not have known about otherwise.

There are a wide variety of characters that are focused on within this novel. There’s Dutch Bogart (the owner/runner of the marijuana farm), Juniper (Dutch’s business partner with a difficult past), Scarlett (Juniper’s sister who has escaped from a sex ring), Buster McCracken (a retired blues musician), Homer (an elderly man who suffers with Parkinson’s), Luther (an ex-convict who has just been exonerated), Leo (a union worker), and Tasha (a prostitute). I enjoyed the different personalities of each character, but with having so many, I found it difficult at times to remember who was who and would have to go back to a previous chapter to figure it out. Also, some of the personalities I conflicted with a bit, which made me not like the character too much; however, I did really enjoy Buster’s personality.

I do not have any experience with or any background knowledge on marijuana or the farming of it, so I found the subject matter intriguing. I had known, however, that marijuana was used medically to help improve certain medical conditions. One of my favorite parts to read about was how marijuana improved Homer’s condition so much that his hands would stop shaking and he would be able to talk without slurring his words.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the way this novel was written. I’m one of those people that like a certain amount of detail; not too little, but not too much. This book was at the end of too little detail. There were descriptions of certain scenes, but I felt that there weren’t enough details and really wish more were provided for each scene. This was my biggest issue with the book, but I did enjoy the overall plotline.

Like I’ve already mentioned, I really appreciate Emily messaging me about this book. Even though this isn’t one of my favorite novels, it had some pretty memorable characters and was a good read. ...more

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Apr 29, 2020 Maureen 'mo' rated it really liked it · review of another edition

TL:DR - Compelling story about an unconventional subject

When the author reached out to me to read her story, I admit I was hesitant. I wasn’t too keen to read a story about a pot farm but it was so much more then that.

It followed a fascinating cast of characters who were looking to start life anew. My favorite character, Luther, was a wrongly convicted ex-con who finds meaning again - something so relevant because of how hard it is for some ex-cons to return enter society. I also enjoyed Buster ...more

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Jul 14, 2020 Shannon | readwithhugo rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, author-review-requests

Taking place on a marijuana farm in Northern California, The Last Resort follows the owner of the farm, a former blues songwriter, and his business partner, along with their ragtag group of workers, which includes a sex worker, an ex-con, a sex slave cult escapee, a union organizer, a retired carney with Parkinson’s Disease, and a former blues guitarist. Each of these people live on the fringes of society and are looking for a place they can call home.

The author reached out to me and requested t ...more

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