A beautifully written book which touches your heart. It takes you through a parent’s journey and how they make their way through the toughest time of their lives and how their decisions affect their entire lives.

Clare Macintosh is an author with enviable storytelling skills who has knife-like precision when it comes to writing the perfect thriller. Her pacing, characters and ability to ramp up the tension to the final few pages is incomparable. Therefore, I will buy and read anything she writes without knowing a single thing about the novel I’m about to delve into – she could write anything, and I’d read it!
I am so very thankful to __ for allowing me an early NetGalley copy of After The End to review. I will be buying myself a copy as soon as it comes out to treasure forever because this book has firmly found a place in my ‘Top Books Of All Time’ list.

I curled up in bed and opened After The End ready to get involved in another wickedly clever thriller, determined more than ever to outsmart Clare and work out the plot. However, what I got myself lost in was an intimate, intoxicating, incandescent novel that lingered in my mind every second I was away from the pages. I want to leave this review as enigmatic as possible because the most effective way to read this novel is to know very little about what it entails and uncover the beauty of it for yourself. What I will say though is this book will leave you torn in half with an impossible decision dividing not only the narrative but the characters within it.

Clare draws on her own personal experience to write this touching novel and it is brutal in its honesty. It’s, at times, overwhelmingly emotional and will touch even the hardest of hearts. I flew through the pages of After The End with tears pricking at my eyes and a heavy heart. You sometimes read books that feel important or life-changing but it’s rare to find a book that is both and then a little bit more. It moved me in ways I haven’t been moved by a novel in a long time, it renewed my faith in so many little things and gave me the chance to explore a decision I hope I’d never have to make.

This novel is both heart-warming and heart-breaking. It is funny and sad, light and dark, upsetting and uplifting. It is a novel of pure brilliance and one I would read a thousand times over and still not get bored. I can only hope this marks the first of many novels like this from Clare.

I have really enjoyed all of this authors books and this was no exception.
After the End is completely different to her other books, it's not a thriller but a superbly written emotional heart breaking story.
I found the characters to be believable with strong voices and the plot was very well paced and incredibly thought provoking.
A must read for anyone who loves Claire Mackintosh as an author. A riviting storyline that will grip you to the end
and will definitely pull your heart strings.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It's hard to find words to describe this book - I've just spent the last four hours devouring it in one sitting, close to tears for much of it. Mackintosh writes beautifully and with buckets of emotion, and her author's note at the end was touching. I have so much sympathy for her, and am impressed with how she's used her own experiences to write such a deeply moving novel. The characters are all likeable and realistic, and I thought the way that she explored the consequences of both scenarios was effective. Despite the premise of the of the book making it in some ways a difficult read,, the ending(s) were ultimately heartwarming and uplifting, with hope and love ultimately shining through the darkness. I'm so impressed with this book, and look forward to reading more from this author.

I've read all of Clare Mackintosh's previous work so when I saw this book come up on NetGalley I thought great another psychological thriller. How wrong I was.

This is an utterly brilliant yet heartbreaking book about parents who have to make an incredibly difficult decision about their critically ill son.

It is full of emotion and hours later I'm still thinking about it and I'm sure I will still be thinking about it in days to come.

I think this may be Mackintosh's best book yet.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

Well, this was something completely different! With this galley having minimal synopsis I was still expecting a psychological thriller.. I stuck it out to the end anyway. Not an easy read. The subject matter is highly emotional, not that that’s a bad thing, just be prepared that you may spend a few days in tears.
The characters were well thought out and the story well researched. However, I wasn’t a fan of the way the story was told from halfway through, I was left confused a lot and I felt like this half just tried to desperately find an endding to something that was more just life with twists and turns and no set ending.
I’ve loved all her other books and this was a brave decision to move away from her norm. I’d give it a 2.5 if that was possible, but I’m going with a 3. Well written but just not for me.

Totally different to what I had read before from this author, but amazing and thought provoking. A sliding doors style approach to a situation which tugs at the heartstrings. Thank you for the read

A truly thought provoking, poignant, beautiful story. As a parent this is your worst nightmare and it truly got into my head and my heart. I loved the change halfway through and thought it was a clever way to start the second half of the story. I must admit the last page has truly confused me so much so that I have to read the chapter again to see if I'd missed something but still at a loss. Anyway the story is sad, beautiful, heartbreaking but gives hope at the same time.

I have read all of this authors books and I’m a fan. This one didn’t disappoint. I love the way she writes. Full of twists and turns and I couldn’t put it down. Recommend it 100%

I absolutely loved this book, I have loved Clare Mackintosh's previous books and could not wait to pick this one up and get stuck in.

I found the first half emotional and tough going but I still couldn't put it down and read the second half in one sitting as I was not able to go to bed until I knew what happened to the characters. Throughout the book, I felt the highs and lows with the characters, what a book - I loved it.

This is beautifully written and very clever. My heart broke for the main characters - what a terrible decision to have to make, and live with. I loved seeing the outcomes of each route the couple chose. The characters are likeable and well-drawn and the dialogue is spot on. I didn't want to put it down.

The blurb says that Max and Pip are a strong couple who are facing the most important decision of their lives and they don't agree.
It didn't prepare me for the emotional rollercoaster that was 'After the End." It was the most heart-wrenching book I have ever read. I could not put it down. I cried and cried again. What a story. What a story-teller. I have never felt so emotionally wrapped up in characters in a book. The writing comes from the soul. Clare Mackintosh has written an amazing book, an honest, sad, traumatic yet uplifting book that every parent should read.
Five out of five.

This was a really clever book, and one that seems sadly too topical. It questions what happens when parents can’t decide on the medical treatment for their child, but more than just being a tragic tale of the short life and death of a toddler it goes on to explore what could happen to the parent’s relationship depending on what path is taken.

I surprised myself by not crying while reading this book but found it an utter page turner, and a courageous book to have written.

After the End is one of the most emotionally written book that I have ever read. Pip and Max seemed to have it all - meeting by chance on a transatlantic flight, they marry and go on to have their son Dylan. Tragedy strikes when Dylan is diagnosed with a brain tumour, and, as a consequence of treatment has to spend months in PICU. This takes its toll on the family, and the consequences of decisions made cannot be undone. Clare has the marvellous ability to draw her readers into the story, presenting each character in such a way that you are bound to champion them........but whose side do you take? I found myself changing my mind each chapter! This book presents the reader with real moral dilemmas, causing you to stop and think what you would do if faced with a similar situation. As with her other books, she likes to play with twists and turns, just when you think you know where the story is going, it surprises you! Having read a little about Clare’s personal life, the reader can feel the heart that has been put into this book.
Thank you to PenguinRandomHouse and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this e book.

I could not put this book down. It was not a thriller but a story of a couples relationship pushed to the limit by a terminally ill child. It brought you in close to experience a couples love for each other and their love for their child, who developed terminal cancer before his 3rd birthday.. Using the sliding doors technique helped look at the alternative outcomes to the major decision Pip and Max made. Every character portrayed in the book felt human. This was a beautifully written story with enough dimensions to engage the reader to the very last page. I would thoroughly recommend this original book. It would make for a great Book Group choice

I really enjoyed this book but found it quite difficult in places due to the sensitive subject matter. A couple have to decide to withdraw treatment from their three year old son who has non curable cancer. One parent wants to try experimental treatment the other is concerned about his quality of life and wants to let him die with dignity.
i was well written and is a thought provoking book that brings up a lot of questions about the choices we make in life.
As medicine advances more ethical questions will need to be discussed about keeping patients alive or providing just palliative care.

I think the book is very timely as there have been similar stories in the press and on TV programmes recently. I enjoyed the book and found it interesting but just a little sad and poignant especially with the authors note at the end.

Pip and Max are the parents of Dylan who is in a coma. The doctors believe his case is irreversible, however, some hope is given from an American doctor who offers a revolutionary new approach to treatment.
I felt the first half of the book dragged a wee bit, it was a bit back and forward between Pip and Max but it did set the scene. Both characters exasperated me at the same time I was trying to understand them!
The second half of the book moved faster as we heard the story from both sides and I felt it was a more enjoyable read..

When requesting this book there was nothing to indicate this was as far away from her usual genre as you could get. I assumed it was another thriller and probably wouldn't have requested had I realised otherwise. It was well written and thought provoking just not what I was expecting and I found the dual endings a little unsatisfying.

This is not in the usual Claire Mackintosh genre but don't let that put you off. In her usual style, she manages to really suck the reader in with her impeccable writing style and ability bring the characters to life. Full review to follow.

In all honesty I didn’t enjoy this as much as I expected too. I usually love Clare’s books but this one lost some of the thriller element. This was more of a Jodi Picoult style novel which certainly isn’t a bad thing but in I just found the storyline a little depressing.