Reviews

The End of the World Running Club by Adrian J. Walker

eliathereader's review against another edition

5.0

Kıyamete Koşanlar Kulübü seveceğimi düşündüğüm ama acaba güzel midir diye şüpheye düştüğümden okumayı ertelediğim bir kitaptı. İyi ki elime almışım çünkü favorilerime girmeyi başaran az sayıdaki kitaplardan oldu. Asteroitlerden dolayı dünyanın sonu geliyor ve oldukça sıradan Edgar’ın, karısı ve çocuklarıyla yaşadıklarını anlatıyor. Kitabın güzel kısmı ise bir yol hikayesi olması. Ailesinden istemeden ayrı düşen Edgar’ın onlara ulaşma çabasını okuyoruz kitap boyunca. Mükemmel bir eş ve baba değil hatta bu konuda kötü de olduğu kabul edilebilir ama kitapta ilerledikçe onun dönüşümünü de okuyoruz. Göbek büyütmüş ailesine ilgisiz bir adamdan kafasına koyduğunu yapmak için yola çıkan ve asla pes etmeyecek olan bir adama dönüşümünü okuyoruz. Geçmişteki olaylar üzerinden hatalarını görmesini ve kabullenmesini ayrıca bencilliğinden, tembelliğinden sıyrılmak için de mücadele etmesini okuyoruz. Hem içsel hem de dışsal bir yolculuğu anlatıyor bu yönüyle çok sevdim. Karakter gelişimleri, kurgu harika anlatılmıştı. Yol boyunca karşılarına çıkan iyi-kötü kişilerle yarı gergin havada geçen iletişimlerini de okuyoruz. Çaresizlik duygusuyla yapılanlar, otorite yokluğunda insanların nasıl örgütlendiği ve bütün bunların ortasında Edgar’ın düşünce biçimindeki değişimlerin aktarılması çok başarılıydı. Güzel bir filmi izliyormuşum gibi hissettim. Akıcı bir roman ayrıca duygusal olarak da etkileyici. Don’t Look Up’tan sonrası gibi hissettiren bir tarzı var hatta Stephen King Mahşer’i ve The Walking Dead’in virüssüz kıyamet sonrası hallerini de anımsatıyor. İşin bilimsel, sosyolojik, siyasi boyutundan çok tek bir adamın ufak hayatı üzerinden şekillenen bir roman. Yer yer dramı yer yer gerilimi çok iyi aktarıyor (özellikle Jenny Rae’nin olduğu kısımlar garip bir ürkütücülüğe sahipti). Yol hikayesi sevenler ve bilimkurgu sevenler mutlaka okusun.

rachael_reading's review against another edition

2.0

Started out great and exciting but then got more and more meh. I ended up skipping about 75 pages at the end and didn't miss them. Main character was kind of annoying and whiny. There were tons of little things that happened to them on their journey but they were all basically the same - they need food/water/a vehicle so they come up on a house, someone lives there, they are wary of the person that lives there, person seems nice, ends up trying to kill them, they manage to escape. Ending wasn't worth it although it was different than I expected at least.

gisbornius's review against another edition

dark emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

bridging's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I am torn by this book. It parades as character driven, but the character development is almost non existant, such a sheer veneer it is almost infuriating. But the plot if solid, interesting, and there are a few bright points about human nature, and conflict, that I persoanlly found quite clever. It's a 3.5 kind of book. Not life changing, with its moment, plot driven, and somewhat fairly believable. 

adambest's review against another edition

5.0

Good.

alongreader's review against another edition

3.0

At first this book confused me, because while there was the end of the world, there was no running. But then, at about 50%, the running started.

As an apocalyptic story it's very good, with a type of apocalypse that doesn't often show up and a moderately unlikeable hero. I liked his determination, and being in his head as his mental state deteriorated was unsettling. Now, I must go and stock up some water and canned food...

Thanks to netgalley and sourcebooks for the chance to read it.

angelamorrison2606's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

kirstynicol's review against another edition

4.5

Wow what a story. Not normally a book I would read/listen to but it was recommended to me. I really love the character & the journey they took. I can really visualize the world. It was very well narrated.

annauq's review against another edition

3.0

Not the best apocalyptic fiction but decent.

barefootamy's review against another edition

4.0

This book was both excruciatingly hard to read for the amount of tragedy, violence, and death but equally hard to put down once I started reading it. Walker weaves a tale of present day mass chaos centered around a man living outside of Edinburgh when a series of asteroids pummel the Northern hemisphere. The struggles of a middle class, modern parent who has been numbing his realty with alcohol and is emotionally checked out of his life fade into the background when he's now faced with death of himself and his family on all sides. There's moments in the book that feel a bit too preachy as our unlikely hero shores himself up and faces this new and cruel reality. Overall I liked the progression of his evolution from a couch potato to a driven father running the length of Great Britain to reunite with his family.