Reviews

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

lyntwhit's review against another edition

5.0

Great book! Read it in one day! I liked the main character Ed. It was easy to relate to him. I thought the book was believable. Fans of books like A World Made by Hand will enjoy this book. I highly recommend!

jdeveret's review against another edition

3.0

I expected to like this book . Post-apocalyptic survival? Good. Protagonist is a husband and father? Good. Running is a featured theme? Good. So I was a bit disappointed to be underwhelmed in the end. The book read OK, and the plot, although somewhat contrived, moved along pretty well. My biggest issue was that Edgar is, frankly, a really unlikable guy. And I know that is kind of the point, and that

Spoiler

his experiences lead to some sort of character growth, but I couldn't quite buy it. His incompetence in many facets of basic survival should have led his companions to ditch him numerous times, yet they continually prop him up and deal with his faults, even at risk to their own well being. And I didn't feel like the others in the quintet, with the possible exception of Harvey, were developed much beyond 2D characters serving to bolster some aspect of Edgar's inadequacies. One thing I do like is that the twist at the end when he finds Beth and the kids seems a bit symbolic (in keeping with the religious theme of his vision while lost in the valley), in that he has atoned for his sins but must still do his penance.

Overall, I found the book to be a decent read, but I was hoping for more.

peaknit's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 actually. Post apocalyptic (meteors hit the earth) tale. At times it was a little draggy but overall a decent read.

barktea's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

dromwald's review against another edition

4.0

When I first started reading this I imagined it was going to be a black comedy. It does have humorous moments but it's pretty grim in places. However, the characters are brilliantly drawn and despite the grim subject matter - this does centre around the destruction of most of the Northern hemisphere via meteor storm after all - it illustrates throughout the resilience of the human spirit - and the human body.

It's part a story of survival but it is also a love story albeit not perhaps a conventional one. I particularly liked the main character who starts out as someone who is really pretty pathetic but through adversity and an epic slog across country turns into the sort of character that you find yourself cheering on.

Well worth a read.

heidi_mcj's review against another edition

4.0

Excellent survival story with great descriptions of how running can feel. There is a LOT of swearing involved so if that bothers you then I suggest you don't read it.

probablynotabot's review against another edition

The main character is an asshole, and I found the narrator grating.

fatima_d's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.5

moragscot's review against another edition

3.0

Post apocalyptic fiction isn't my usual choice and I expected more from this because of who recommended it to me. It's very much a book by numbers: major bad thing happens; there's a journey; there's a destination; the end. There wasn't much depth to the characters and it moved slowly particularly the last quarter. It's written well enough and wasn't terrible, it just didn't grab me.

peachie_pie's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

4.0