The Last She

2023 University of Wisconsin Madison English Department Early Career Alumni Award

Survival is everything. So is love.

Ara hasn't seen another human in months―not since her father disappeared. As the only female to survive a devastating virus, her world is haunted by the ghosts of her former life. Her mother. Her sister.

Kaden and his crew live by a code: stay alert, stay alive. When they catch Ara trying to steal from them, they are furious―and confused. She's the first girl they've seen in three years. And while Kaden knows taking her captive is wrong, he tells himself it's for her protection. That the only place she'll be safe is with the clan, his new home. The world of men.

However, Ara is determined to discover the truth about the plague, and nothing will stop her. And as Kaden becomes mesmerized by her will and beauty, he realizes that he will do anything to help her, even if it tears their worlds apart.

But the world of men isn't prepared for The Last She, and the odyssey to save themselves means Kayden and Ara have to leave behind everything they've come to know. To burn it down to the ground. In the ashes they can start again.

H.J. Nelson is an Idaho native who graduated from University of Wisconsin with degrees in Creative Writing and Wildlife Biology. She began writing on Wattpad in 2015, where her story The Last She was one of the most read science fiction stories in 2016 and 2017. Since then her works have been optioned for television by Sony and garnered over twelve million reads. She has also written for brands like General Electric, Writer's Digest, and National Geographic. When not writing, Nelson has lived on a boat in the British Virgin Isles, worked in two zoos and ridden an elephant through the jungles of Laos-- though she considers raising two daughters her most dangerous adventure yet. You can sign up for her newsletter at hjnelsonauthor.com, or find her on Instagram at @h.j.nelson.
H.J. Nelson is an Idaho native who graduated from University of Wisconsin with degrees in Creative Writing and Wildlife Biology. She began writing on Wattpad in 2015, where her story The Last She was one of the most read science fiction stories in 2016 and 2017. Since then her works have been optioned for television by Sony and garnered over twelve million reads. She has also written for brands like General Electric, Writer's Digest, and National Geographic. When not writing, Nelson has lived on a boat in the British Virgin Isles, worked in two zoos and ridden an elephant through the jungles of Laos-- though she considers raising two daughters her most dangerous adventure yet. You can sign up for her newsletter at hjnelsonauthor.com, or find her on Instagram at @h.j.nelson.