The Last One

by Fatima Daas
The Last One cover
Good Books rating 4.5
Literary Fiction
Technical:
  • ID: 1077
  • Added: 2025-09-25
  • Updated: 2025-09-25
  • ISBN: 9781635421859
  • Publisher: Other Press, LLC
  • Published: 2021-11-23
  • Formats: 17
  • Reviews: 3
Buy online
Waterstones
Paperback • £11.99

The Last One is a deeply personal and lyrical debut novel by Fatima Daas, drawing from her own experiences growing up in a Parisian banlieue as the youngest daughter of Algerian immigrants. The story delves into the complexities of her identity—French, Algerian, Muslim, and lesbian—while exploring the taboos surrounding love and sexuality within her family and community. Through her journey, Daas grapples with the contradictions of her faith and her attraction to women, ultimately finding her own path to self-acceptance and love. Anchored by the refrain 'My name is Fatima,' the novel offers a vital portrait of a young woman finding herself in a modern world full of contradictions. Daas's journey is both intimate and universal, providing a powerful perspective on the queer experience and the struggle to reconcile personal desires with cultural and religious expectations.

Reviews
The Guardian · 2022-01-21
insightful 4.50

The novel beautifully explores the intersection of religious faith and sexuality, offering a profound and engaging read. The author's examination of identity is both captivating and thought-provoking.

This debut novel is a stunning exploration of identity, faith, and sexuality. The reviewer is struck by the author's ability to weave together complex themes in a way that feels both intimate and universal. The writing is lyrical and hypnotic, drawing the reader into a deeply personal journey. They appreciate the author's courage in addressing such sensitive topics with such grace and clarity. The novel's fragmented structure adds to its emotional impact, making it a memorable and resonant read.

Quick quotes

    Exploring themes of religious faith and sexuality, the French-Algerian author's interrogation of identities is a gorgeous and galvanising read.

    The novel beautifully explores the intersection of religious faith and sexuality, offering a profound and engaging read.

    The author's examination of identity is both captivating and thought-provoking.

The Times Literary Supplement · Alev Adil · 2022-01-07
urgent 4.20

The novel's fragmented narrative gives it a sense of urgency and immediacy, making it feel like cinéma vérité. The reviewer admires the author's ability to capture the complexities of identity and belonging.

Alev Adil praises Fatima Daas's debut novel for its urgent and fragmented narrative, which mirrors the chaos and confusion of an identity crisis. They find the author's exploration of being a young, gay, Muslim woman in modern France to be both groundbreaking and deeply personal. The reviewer appreciates the raw honesty and emotional depth of the novel, which they feel will resonate with many readers. They also note the lyrical quality of the writing, which adds to the overall impact of the story.

Quick quotes

    Fatima Daas's impressive debut novel has the urgency of well-made cinéma vérité.

    Its narrative is constructed from fragments, mirroring the chaos and confusion of an identity crisis.

    The reviewer admires the author's ability to capture the complexities of identity and belonging.

Foreword Reviews · Monica Carter · 2021-12-15
mesmerizing 4.80

The novel is a mesmerizing exploration of identity, family, and sexuality. The reviewer is captivated by the author's semi-autobiographical storytelling and the powerful themes it addresses.

Monica Carter finds The Last One to be a mesmerizing and semi-autobiographical novel that delves deeply into the meanings of identity, family, and sexuality. They are particularly impressed with the author's ability to convey the complexities of these themes in a way that feels both personal and universal. The reviewer appreciates the novel's lyrical prose and the way it challenges traditional narratives about identity. They believe this book will leave a lasting impression on readers, encouraging them to reflect on their own experiences and perspectives.

Quick quotes

    The Last One is a mesmerizing, semiautobiographical novel about the meanings of identity, family, and sexuality.

    The story of eponymous protagonist is both deeply personal and universally relatable.

    The reviewer appreciates the novel's lyrical prose and the way it challenges traditional narratives about identity.

Appears in Lists