The End of the World Running Club

I always said I’d be brutally honest in these posts because at the end of the day, they’re more for me to be able to look at my bookshelf and recall how I felt about the books. So hear I go…

I didn’t like it.

I hate being negative about a book because I think about how much effort the author has put into the book….but I can say in all fairness it wasn’t the book’s fault, it was me.

This isn’t the kind of thriller that I usually read, even my colleagues in work were surprised when I told them what book I was currently reading. But I like being adventurous, I like trying new genres and I thought that if any book was going to persuade me to like apocalyptic books, why not this one.

The story is about the after math of thousands of asteroids hitting the UK and Ed’s ability to get from Glasgow down to Cornwall where his family are –  a quick debrief: after Ed and his family are rescued from their cellar, they spend a few weeks in army barracks until helicopters are sent to rescue the survivors, but unfortunately they came whilst Ed was out on a food mission.

Ed and a few other interesting characters are left with three members of the army; who together, must find a way of getting all the way down to Cornwall, where ships are waiting to take survivors to South Africa and other countries that were not affected.

At first, they drive but after realising that all the roads and motorways have either been destroyed or are full of leftover vehicles, they decide to run….all the way to Cornwall… I couldn’t help but laugh at the idea. But through shear determination, they do in fact, make it to Cornwall before the ships leave.

I won’t spoil the ending for you, but after a rather depressing journey, I was hoping there’d be a light at the end of the tunnel…but no… I’d feel wrong to criticise the ending because it’s probably a realistic view on what would happen… however, for me I would have liked a happily ever after.

I had no issue with the writing technique, the words flowed beautifully and there weren’t many ‘dull’ moments. I enjoyed the book being told through Ed’s eyes only, it made a refreshing change to the back and fro that I so love. It provided a deep and moving account of one’s feelings, actions and thoughts. I think for me, it was the subject matter that ‘put me off’ this book. There was too much sadness, too much death and too much uncertainty on the future. I think it left me in a rather somber mood and perhaps that was the point? We don’t know what the future will hold, the human race is definitely not invincible and perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stock up on baked beans and bottled water… but for me, I like to read books to escape from everyday life and enjoy the world the author has created – imagining what the UK would be like following an apocalypse is just not… my thing.

So for all you who love the apocalypse genre – I’m sure you’d love this and don’t get me wrong, it definitely gave me some ideas. Perhaps my next house should have a basement?

Until next time, Chloé x