This Last Adventure
Binding: Hardcover
Age 10+
General Fiction
A fantasy-loving boy learns to cope with loss by adjusting his ideas of what it means to be a hero and figuring out how to face a monster he can't slay: his grandfather's Alzheimer's disease.
When Archie's beloved grandpa is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Archie desperately wants to slow the progression of his grandpa's memory loss. Using Grandpa's old journal entries as inspiration, he creates shared role-playing fantasies with epic quests for them to tackle together—allowing Grandpa to live in the present and stay in touch with his fading memories.
But as Grandpa's condition gradually worsens, Archie must come to terms with what's happening to his hero. The limits of the fantasies, revelations about Grandpa's past, and a school project about the future force Archie to grapple with what it truly means to live a life worth remembering.
Creators
Ryan Dalton an author, a singer, a voiceover artist, and a lover of all things geek. He is also the author of the Time Shift Trilogy. Ryan lives in an invisible spaceship that’s currently hovering over St. Louis, Missouri.
Reviews
This Last Adventure has something for everyone: family, friendship, a little bit of fantasy, and a whole lot of heart. I loved it.
This Last Adventure is a sensitive, touching story that emerges right when this generation of kids needs it. Archie is a funny, awkward, wholly relatable character with big problems, and a bigger imagination. Like Archie, you’ll find yourself rooting for the impossible . . . and dealing with the realization that life is a real adventure and there are no guarantees. How is a book about a boy dealing with his grandfather’s Alzheimer’s disease fun? I’m not sure, but Ryan Dalton has pulled it off! With a family history of the disease, I can’t wait to hand this book to the younglings in my family.
This Last Adventure is a touching story that a lot of young readers will find relatable. As empowering and inspiring as it is heart-wrenching, this book will no doubt comfort kids who are dealing with the emotions and struggles that come with watching an aging loved one go through changes, whether from Alzheimer’s or another condition.
