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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Quite a find. Quiet, moving end-of-civilisation family story.
I only discovered this through my annual trawl of the Carnegie longlists. It would have passed me by otherwise, which would have been rather sad. I'm very grateful to the author for translating this to English, as it's quite a beautiful tale.
There are a lot of post-pandemic/apocalyptic stories out there, for YA and adult audiences. Here is a mother-and-son point-of-view novella. We piece together through their joint entries that The End in 2018 wasn't instant, but it was 'all change' quite swiftly, no zombies or sweeping viruses. But a post-nuclear-bomb illness that wiped out most, certainly near Rowenna's north Wales little town.
Her then 6-year-old barely remembers life before he and his mother set up vegetable polytunnels. Now 14, Dylan has forgotten what it means to be a child, he works and reads and helps with his young, ill sister Mona. Not that he can understand how she joined them.
Rowenna is our eyes on life before The End, and how it changed both her and her son. Dylan gives us the practical man of a new age. They agree not to read each other's writings in their Blue Book, and in doing so give the reader a very moving look at a possible world we could easily find ourselves needing to survive in. What we might think of that is only within ourselves to say.
Loved this. Sped through it, could picture the quiet Welsh rural setting, the history the two describe, the normal lives upended and rearranged and resettled. With some very sad moments, it's a deep and dark teenage title but one I am so glad I found.
I only discovered this through my annual trawl of the Carnegie longlists. It would have passed me by otherwise, which would have been rather sad. I'm very grateful to the author for translating this to English, as it's quite a beautiful tale.
There are a lot of post-pandemic/apocalyptic stories out there, for YA and adult audiences. Here is a mother-and-son point-of-view novella. We piece together through their joint entries that The End in 2018 wasn't instant, but it was 'all change' quite swiftly, no zombies or sweeping viruses. But a post-nuclear-bomb illness that wiped out most, certainly near Rowenna's north Wales little town.
Her then 6-year-old barely remembers life before he and his mother set up vegetable polytunnels. Now 14, Dylan has forgotten what it means to be a child, he works and reads and helps with his young, ill sister Mona. Not that he can understand how she joined them.
Rowenna is our eyes on life before The End, and how it changed both her and her son. Dylan gives us the practical man of a new age. They agree not to read each other's writings in their Blue Book, and in doing so give the reader a very moving look at a possible world we could easily find ourselves needing to survive in. What we might think of that is only within ourselves to say.
Loved this. Sped through it, could picture the quiet Welsh rural setting, the history the two describe, the normal lives upended and rearranged and resettled. With some very sad moments, it's a deep and dark teenage title but one I am so glad I found.
sarahbonas88's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
jbanman's review
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I wanted to like this book but I just couldn’t. I understand that the mother was complex and lonely and was having a rough time (but not all the time?) but I just couldn’t like her.
dawnmw93's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
oldemort's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
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? No
2.0
luelle_'s review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Animal death
lynbrey's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
khuizenga's review against another edition
5.0
A weirdly cozy post-apocalyptic book about life after war and nuclear meltdown. It was beautiful and still and I loved the way it was divided into journal entries from 2 different perspectives
aaronreadabook's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75