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A review by lizzie_purplephoenix
The Quiet at the End of the World by Wren James
4.0
*3.5 stars
I much preferred the first half of this book to the second half. It sets up an interesting premise and setting, this empty world with the last humans left, and I enjoyed the conversations the two main characters have, and the protagonist's thoughts about humanity, what we're leaving behind, how to preserve history, all that stuff. However, after the midpoint twist, it began to lose me a bit, perhaps jumping the shark a little, and by the end I was basically irritated by its thesis and where the story arc went.
I liked that there is bi rep in this (and mention of a trans character too), but although I know it is YA, I did find the conversations had by the teenagers about their sexuality and attraction to people etc simplistic and shallow.
What the book has done for me though is remind me that I really want to read more apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic fiction, although I'd prefer to stay away from books about pandemics and viruses!
I much preferred the first half of this book to the second half. It sets up an interesting premise and setting, this empty world with the last humans left, and I enjoyed the conversations the two main characters have, and the protagonist's thoughts about humanity, what we're leaving behind, how to preserve history, all that stuff. However, after the midpoint twist, it began to lose me a bit, perhaps jumping the shark a little, and by the end I was basically irritated by its thesis and where the story arc went.
Spoiler
I wanted Lowrie and Shen to be the last two humans left, to say goodbye to humanity and the world. I loved the idea of them travelling around the world, finding bits of history and deciding how to leave their footprints behind, and I would have been happy for it to have had to end that way for them. It irritated me that they actually managed to save the lives of the 'grow-babies' and even more that they seemed to think the key to happiness for everyone is having children of one's own?! I mean, why should humanity continue on indefinitely (albeit in robot form), why would we deserve that? I thought they should let it go already, leave the world in peace lol.I liked that there is bi rep in this (and mention of a trans character too), but although I know it is YA, I did find the conversations had by the teenagers about their sexuality and attraction to people etc simplistic and shallow.
Spoiler
It seemed to be mainly confined solely to hair colour at one point?! And I thought that Lowrie's feelings about what she'd get from a relationship with girls vs boys was way too stereotyped and binary and again, simplistic. It would be okay if this was a middle grade, but at seventeen, there should have been a lot more depth to those conversations, even though they weren't what the book was about. Although, I suppose it's realistic enough given they hadn't had any interaction with anyone their own age other than each other, their knowledge coming from TV shows and movies in the archives, but still.What the book has done for me though is remind me that I really want to read more apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic fiction, although I'd prefer to stay away from books about pandemics and viruses!