Last Call For Caviar is a dystopian fiction story by Melissa Roen that starts by showing us the horrible things happening in the world in 2018. Tornadoes, earthquakes, disasters, and hurricanes are just the start. Maya is an expat American living in the very opulent and rich world of the French Riviera. She is mourning the loss of her true love, Julian, who has gone missing since their last quarrel a few months ago. Maya fears he's on the wrong side of the security perimeter now. When her family retreats to the northwest part of the US, Maya begins to think she should try to join them, but getting out isn't easy anymore. There are riots everywhere and Maya doesn't travel anywhere without her guns. Unless fate intervenes, it does not seem likely that she will reunite with her family. And then there is Julian. How could she ever abandon her lost love? Especially when she has such realistic dreams about him at night. Certainly that is enough proof for Maya that he is still very much alive.

Last Call For Caviar is a really cool story about how crazy the world would get if it ever ends, and what one person would do to stay close to those she loved. I loved the way Roen wrote her characters. Maya was a kick butt kind of heroine that I was instantly rooting for and I think a lot of other people will love her! Her intense feelings for Julian were very realistic and I felt like Roen nailed it when she created these characters to inhabit this crazy but realistic world.

Last Call for Caviar by Melissa Roen is a dystopian novel of great beauty and strength. It takes place in 2018 so, regarding technology and culture, these people are definitely us living here now in 2016, but some major new developments have changed the landscape dramatically for the worse. Think of the developing migrant crisis in Europe now, throw in an approaching celestial event, some huge natural and man-made disasters, with a few more wars to up the ante a bit. That’s the mood and setting for Last Call for Caviar. When a novel like this is done well it is believable enough to frighten you and this one is done very well indeed. If you like, love, or admire France, Italy, Monte Carlo and Europe in general, you are in for a cultural and literary treat, which includes language lessons and a glimpse into the lives of people most of us only get to read about.

I really enjoyed Last Call for Caviar. I enjoyed the lyrical writing, the exotic settings, and most of all the strong, independent, but sometimes vulnerable main character. Maya Jade totes a Glock and knows how to use it. She is fierce and independent, but she had a wonderful love at one time and she thinks maybe she will have it again. You have to love that. Melissa Roen tells this story through Maya’s journal and I found this worked for me because it adds an element of mystery surrounding what happens and the people who are reading the journal. A great read.