Scan barcode
A review by beate251
Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book UK for this ARC.
Jane and Dan have been married for 19 years and brought up two children, Sissy and Josh. They have booked an anniversary meal in the super exclusive La Fin du Monde Restaurant in the Californian mountains, where, over the lobster, Jane calmly informs Dan that she wants a divorce.
Before Dan even gets the chance to react, the place is stormed by eco-activists with a personal grudge who take everyone hostage. The strange thing is that six years ago Jane had a not very successful book published about activists holding up a restaurant (well, tea room), and suddenly life seems to be imitating art. To say that this is an unexpected development is an understatement - especially when Dan and Jane figure out who one of the activists is. Jane thinks she knows the ending to her book and therefore this situation, but does she?
Told in dual, third person POV, this is as much a detailed analysis of a nearly 20 year old marriage and the parenting of teenagers as it is about eco-activism, crypto currency and arrogant chefs in over-hyped restaurants for the rich. It almost reads like a satire - a theatre play of this would be a hoot. It's a quirky, hilarious drama with many twists and turns where the world seems to be ending personally and on a larger scale, signified by the name of the restaurant and the position on the edge of a cliff.
Granted, it drags a bit in the middle when we are waiting for Otto, and Jane and Dan pass the time by having petty arguments, plus cop Kip doesn't get much of a look-in, but altogether this is an engaging read that will keep you on your toes. I liked sweet, clueless podiatrist Dan from the beginning, and Jane grew on me too. And a hurray at being really good at frisbee!
Jane and Dan have been married for 19 years and brought up two children, Sissy and Josh. They have booked an anniversary meal in the super exclusive La Fin du Monde Restaurant in the Californian mountains, where, over the lobster, Jane calmly informs Dan that she wants a divorce.
Before Dan even gets the chance to react, the place is stormed by eco-activists with a personal grudge who take everyone hostage. The strange thing is that six years ago Jane had a not very successful book published about activists holding up a restaurant (well, tea room), and suddenly life seems to be imitating art. To say that this is an unexpected development is an understatement - especially when Dan and Jane figure out who one of the activists is. Jane thinks she knows the ending to her book and therefore this situation, but does she?
Told in dual, third person POV, this is as much a detailed analysis of a nearly 20 year old marriage and the parenting of teenagers as it is about eco-activism, crypto currency and arrogant chefs in over-hyped restaurants for the rich. It almost reads like a satire - a theatre play of this would be a hoot. It's a quirky, hilarious drama with many twists and turns where the world seems to be ending personally and on a larger scale, signified by the name of the restaurant and the position on the edge of a cliff.
Granted, it drags a bit in the middle when we are waiting for Otto, and Jane and Dan pass the time by having petty arguments, plus cop Kip doesn't get much of a look-in, but altogether this is an engaging read that will keep you on your toes. I liked sweet, clueless podiatrist Dan from the beginning, and Jane grew on me too. And a hurray at being really good at frisbee!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail