Thanks to the publisher for the gifted ALC & ARC

1985. A rising artist, Anita de Monte, is found dead in New York City under suspicious circumstances. By 1998, her name has been largely forgotten. But when Raquel, a third-year art history student preparing for her thesis, stumbles upon Anita's story, she questions the dynamics of her relationship that eerily mirrors the late artist's.

Following two Latinx women in the art & academia across a decade, González brilliantly explores the psychological burden of Brown women surviving in white-dominant spaces and their conscious/unconscious need for white validation.

The dual timeline works well in juxtaposing Anita & Raquel's struggles and exposes how little has changed for women of color to move through institutions built to uphold white supremacy. From microaggressions and sexism to the false belief of meritocracy, my heart especially aches for all that Raquel has to endure.

While some chapters are a little on the nose, I love the unexpected twist that portrays Anita as the ultimate unhinged woman. The sharp, sarcastic writing keeps me engaged and rooting for Anita to exact her revenge. LAST reminds me of DISORIENTATION (Elaine Hsieh Chou), YELLOWFACE (R.F. Kuang), and THE TREES (Percival Everett), and I loved every moment of it.

The full-cast audiobook is phenomenal and captures each character's emotions & personalities perfectly. Reading LAST is noticing the simmering rage within me threatening to boil over; I laughed, I raged, and I think you will too.