“The Last One Out” by Victor Adams

The Last One Out by Victor Adams is an over-the-top satire, mocking everything from franchise businesses, to expat romance, from themed weddings, to profitable non-profits and internet comments.

Most of the story revolves around amusingly unprincipled characters going directly after wealth, no holds barred. Wealth here can be the valuables TSA lifts from passengers’ bags, or lost shipwreck gold, or endless bills from endless lawsuits, or other exaggerated greed.  The characters are almost all unlikable in hilarious ways, so the plot is less about seeing beloved characters through conflict, and more about ridiculous events unfolding with internal logic. In a system where hard work gets you more hard work, why not try audacious greed? And that’s what sets this satirical adventure in motion.

The “system” here is a familiar one. Anyone who’s every had to trash their liquids for airport security theater, and then re-purchased a $12 mini tube of hand cream in the terminal will recognize this satire. The Last One Out turns everyday annoyances up, creating a world that’s basically ours, taken just a bit further.

Everyone is corrupt and grasping, from the usual suspects like lawyers and politicians, down to kid’s lemonade stands. One drama plays out over a harsh Yelp review, and framing a millennial would-be critic as a spoiled rich girl (ignore that she was served frozen food — in the battle of public opinion, framing is everything).  It’s constantly over-the-top, creating exaggerated conflict for funny scenes. Even in conflicts where I wasn’t rooting for anyone in particular, I was always dying to see what they’d do next. Without giving away too much, the novel’s drama always intensifies when family gets involved, whether that’s an ancient inheritance, vengeance on an ex-spouse, or just a job for a screwup son. Oh, yes, one of the intersecting plotlines is about a central American treasure hunt, but in the search for shipwreck gold, the real treasure is the ridiculous snark along the way.