The Last Place by Michael Adams

Last trilogy bk 4. Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781743316740
(Age: 15+) The last place concludes the fast paced sci-fi trilogy by Michael Adams.
The action from the first book to the last is compressed into a few months, and the young protagonist, Danby, has by now become a battle-hardened 'soldier' who is too reliant on uppers to keep her going. Her judgement is clouded and she is alienating her only companion because she doesn't want to get too close - she is so focussed on the fight with Jack (now a hive mind) - she has lost a lot of perspective.
It's an interesting challenge to try to maintain sympathetic identification with such a person, but as the novel progresses, we see maturity and experience working on her in a positive way.
This book is best read immediately following the first two. It would appeal to middle secondary school students who enjoy immediacy of action and a fast story.
Anne Veitch