Scan barcode
A review by xangemthelibrarian
Izzy at the End of the World by K.A. Reynolds
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I love Izzy, Raven, and Akka so much. And I love the bond they form. And while I love Izzy's frank portrayal as an autistic character, and Raven's accurate portrayal of living with anxiety in the worst of all situations, I left this story feeling just a little confused and vaguely dissatisfied.
Spoilers ahead, so if you don't want those, this is the end of the spoiler-free review. Below this paragraph I just kind of explain more in depth why I felt the way I do about this story.
I do really love Izzy and Raven. And I love how transparent they are with each other when they are uncomfortable or are really caught up in the own heads. I just thought it was rather convenient that they had so much supernatural help throughout the story. Like, they were going through it, seriously. They were worried about thier families and whether or not this was truly the end. But they always had help.
And while there isn't anything wrong with having help, especially adult help from the afterlife, it felt just like What Stays Buried by Suzanne Young. Callie had all the answers given to her, and Izzy and Raven are no different.
And then the ending. Absolutely nothing changes for them. They defeat the aliens and literally everything goes right back to the way it was. All the damage caused to the earth was undone. Izzy and Raven were the only ones who even remembered what happened. It literally felt like the author had pulled one of those "It was only a dream" plotlines.
So, it's like, I'm super torn. Because again I love Izzy and Raven. If I were their age, I would 1000/10 want to be friends with them. But like... The convenience of thier adventure took away from that sense of danger. The only one I was really worried about was poor Akka. And I am so glad Akka did not die and all the damage caused in his body by the black dust was reversed.
Spoilers ahead, so if you don't want those, this is the end of the spoiler-free review. Below this paragraph I just kind of explain more in depth why I felt the way I do about this story.
And while there isn't anything wrong with having help, especially adult help from the afterlife, it felt just like What Stays Buried by Suzanne Young. Callie had all the answers given to her, and Izzy and Raven are no different.
And then the ending. Absolutely nothing changes for them. They defeat the aliens and literally everything goes right back to the way it was. All the damage caused to the earth was undone. Izzy and Raven were the only ones who even remembered what happened. It literally felt like the author had pulled one of those "It was only a dream" plotlines.
So, it's like, I'm super torn. Because again I love Izzy and Raven. If I were their age, I would 1000/10 want to be friends with them. But like... The convenience of thier adventure took away from that sense of danger. The only one I was really worried about was poor Akka. And I am so glad Akka did not die and all the damage caused in his body by the black dust was reversed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Dementia
A lot of Akka's (the dog) trauma and injuries are explained pretty medically and detailed. I was often very afraid that this was going to be one of those books where the dog dies in the end.