Reviews

The End and Other Beginnings: Stories from the Future by Veronica Roth

z_bookfluencer's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad

5.0

I absolutely enjoyed my reading experience and read this collection of science fiction stories in one sitting. The writing style worked really well for me, and I immediately fell into an agreeable reading rhythm. I felt immersed through the entirety of my reading experience; my attention was captured from the first lines and didn't wane. I felt each of the short stories were compelling. I found the characters and the events of the story interesting. Overall, I really enjoyed The End and Other Beginnings: Stories from the Future. It's a new favorite, and I felt it was wonderful written. I would highly recommend it to other science fiction readers who enjoy reading collections of short stories [ That being said, I would be mindful of the heavy topics touched therein and I have included a content guide below. ].

Content Guide: self harm, severe depression, alcoholism, absent parent, grief, violence, abuse, parasitic being

c00kie123's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

literarylover37's review against another edition

3.0

I liked it. Pretty interesting stories. Some would've been better fleshed out but the premises were unique.

arielrenee21's review against another edition

3.0

It’s hard to rate a book based on short stories as some are better than others, so here’s my ratings for the individual stories.

Inertia 4/5
The Spinners 3/5
Hearken 5/5
Vim and Vigor 5/5
Armored Ones 2/5
The Transformationist 2/5

pantsreads's review against another edition

2.0

2.5/5

Interesting set of stories, but there wasn't a cohesiveness to the whole collection, and at least one of the stories felt very incomplete. (And three of the stories have been published in other anthologies. Not a bad thing, but that fact makes it seem like more of a re-package deal.)

Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.

jessicaisanerd's review against another edition

4.0

Inertia - 4
The Spinners - 1
Hearken - 5
Vim and Vigor - 2
Armored Ones - 3
The Transformationist - 4

melissasbookshelf's review against another edition

1.0

Meh, not worth the read unless you want to read two obscure novellas from the Carve The Mark world. The problem with Veronica Roth is that she tries too hard to appease the woke police. Once she decides to just tell the story without tons of swearing and inserting her stereotypical moralizing at every turn, she writes a decent story. The other problem with these stories is that there is no coherent cohesive thread other than "future!" Most anthologies I enjoy reading have a common thread that is woven throughout the stories, whether it is an object or character, etc. The reader just gets intrigued by a world when they are abruptly pushed into a new story and new world. I liked the Divergent series and wish she would stop trying so hard and return to the way she wrote before.

z_brarian's review against another edition

4.0

I’ve never read Veronica Roth‘s books before. The short stories were a good introduction to her world. I would assume that the last two stories were part of her novel world. Each story was different, a story about self discovery, free will. stories about choice, and deciding which choice is the best for you

luigiboard31's review against another edition

4.0

It’s rare to like every story in a short story collection, but I actually did like every single one of these stories.

dizzyizzyy's review against another edition

3.0

Fast-paced, which is usually my favorite type of reading style, although it sometimes left too much room for wanting in this book. Usually the short story format is perfect for my short attention span, but some of these shorts had so little “going on” that they felt like they lasted an eternity. The first story especially was, frankly, a bore. The “surprise” at the end was predictable from the start, and lacked in a proper execution. I was hoping for more of a Black Mirror, society-turning-on-itself vibe, especially with Roth’s name being credited for #1 bestsellers like the Divergent series, but was sadly disappointed. Extra points awarded for the open representation of queer characters, especially main characters.