Scan barcode
A review by alongreader
Things to Do Before the End of the World by Emily Barr
3.0
This is a read of two halves, so I'll review them separately.
The apocalyptic story: Although it's a very plausible apocalypse, I didn't quite follow the way it presented. The CO2 was seeping out all the time, which is why the weather got hotter and birds and small animals died. But at some point, it was going to erupt in a huge wave and kill everyone everywhere all at once, and they could track that right to a specific day? I just didn't follow it, and I know that Libby didn't care much so wasn't reading any research about it but I still think we could have been given a better explanation.
Libby's adventures: It's easy for an introverted character to be swept along by an extrovert, she says from pained experience. And from outside the story we can see things much more clearly than the characters can. I'm torn about whether Libby should have suspected Natasha or not; to me personally she just didn't seem like a nice person, but Libby so badly wanted a connection that I can understand why she ignored all those little things. I can say now that I wouldn't have let anyone push me into the things Natasha pushes Libby into, but if I were in that situation? Hard to say.
Overall it's an intriguing read. I'd have liked to know more about how the world was reacting to the Creep, but as Libby was actively avoiding finding that out it would have been hard for the author to work it in. The romance seemed a little creepy to me if I'm honest, but at least Zoe seemed really nice and friendly. I felt bad for Libby's mother, and loved her stepfather for all the assurances that of course they wouldn't make Libby chose between them and her father's family. Her little half siblings were cute but not in it very much.
I'm glad I read it, and I think other readers will enjoy it, but I won't be racing to reread it.
The apocalyptic story: Although it's a very plausible apocalypse, I didn't quite follow the way it presented. The CO2 was seeping out all the time, which is why the weather got hotter and birds and small animals died. But at some point, it was going to erupt in a huge wave and kill everyone everywhere all at once, and they could track that right to a specific day? I just didn't follow it, and I know that Libby didn't care much so wasn't reading any research about it but I still think we could have been given a better explanation.
Libby's adventures: It's easy for an introverted character to be swept along by an extrovert, she says from pained experience. And from outside the story we can see things much more clearly than the characters can. I'm torn about whether Libby should have suspected Natasha or not; to me personally she just didn't seem like a nice person, but Libby so badly wanted a connection that I can understand why she ignored all those little things. I can say now that I wouldn't have let anyone push me into the things Natasha pushes Libby into, but if I were in that situation? Hard to say.
Overall it's an intriguing read. I'd have liked to know more about how the world was reacting to the Creep, but as Libby was actively avoiding finding that out it would have been hard for the author to work it in. The romance seemed a little creepy to me if I'm honest, but at least Zoe seemed really nice and friendly. I felt bad for Libby's mother, and loved her stepfather for all the assurances that of course they wouldn't make Libby chose between them and her father's family. Her little half siblings were cute but not in it very much.
I'm glad I read it, and I think other readers will enjoy it, but I won't be racing to reread it.