Last Last Chance by Fiona Maazel

Narcotics, Christian fundamentalism, suicide and super plague. Maazel’s fictional debut Last Last Chance, tackles each of these overwhelming issues of the modern day and manages to emerge a powerful story of survival. The beautifully constructed protagonist Lucy Clarke allows Maazel to explore the mentality of a young woman struggling with drug addiction. Working a dead end job, utterly unfulfilled, Lucy struggles to overcome the overwhelming grief of her father’s recent suicide and equally, to cope with the increasingly bizarre and destructive behaviour of her mother.

Whilst working for the U.S Government Lucy’s father had become increasingly and intricately involved in the development of a unique and lethal virus strain. Shrouded in secrecy and amid whisperings of a government funded conspiracy, when a vial disappears from the lab the press drum up a hate campaign so vehement that it leads to his suicide. This trauma coupled with increasingly strained relationships with both her mother, now dependant on class A drugs, and her religious fundamentalist sister, makes Lucy’s personal journey to recovery particularly poignant. Romping across the country, from Southern California to the rural Pennsylvania, Lucy embarks on a road trip to a Texan rehab centre, telling us uproariously, every last detail.

Absorbing from page one this novel taps into the frightening reality of 21st Century America, tackling everything from substance abuse to bioterrorism, religious fundamentalism to the deliberate instigation of fear within ethnic communities. Wickedly funny and at times excruitiatingly candid, the frenetic narrative deftly portrays the ambivalence, yearning and hopelessness of addiction and the cynicism felt by many addicts as they dip their toes into the depths of recovery. Narrated in a deadpan and distinctly conscious voice, it refuses to shy away from the realities of dependence, with moments of particularly poignant introspection and confession.

As a reader one becomes surprisingly fond of the characters and deeply involved in their chaotic lives. Take for example Lucy’s on and off lover, reeling from the death of his wife, we become acutely aware of his delicate mental state, and begin to see him as threat, seeking something far more sinister from her than love and comfort. A fascinating examination of human frailty and desperation to be loved I found some parts of this novel deeply moving.

It’s one weakness is perhaps the sense of being a little cluttered. The narrative voice, simultaneously reporting, speculating and reflecting is at times so densely packed that it can feel heavy and difficult to get into. The development of various subplots scattered here and there does not lend itself to clarity. However, persistence here is key, as much for Lucy as it is for her audience.

As a whole Last Last Chance is a sophisticated, stylish and yet humane and utterly vulnerable portrayal of need and survival. A novel entirely of and about our times, revealing people desperate to love and be loved but afraid to do so, voices unheard, and a country running from it’s fears, both real and imagined. An utterly astonishing debut infused with humour, compassion and timely wit, and absolute must read.

Lucy Knell-Taylor