Maja Lunde has a way of pulling you into her writing from the very first line. The world of this novel is a future dystopia where there is endless drought and salt water is rapidly becoming the only water available. This is an earth where society as we know it has gradually collapsed leading to water wars and mass migration to countries where fresh water still exists. We meet a man and his daughter making their way to a refugee camp for those in France wanting to move further north. Our narrator has lost his wife and baby son somehow in the chaos, but they have arranged to meet at a particular camp. They are dirty, exhausted and the sun is constantly beating down. He blames himself for his inaction, constantly staying put, refusing to believe his country had come to this and now he is just one of a multitude trying to reach the same goal.

Lunde gives us the wider picture of the world but also brings it home to us in tiny every day details. It is these small details that also show us the relationship between father and daughter. The showers at the camp are subject to rationing and he has to explain to Lou that the first squirt of water is to wet her hair and body, then she must use the soap to scrub herself, followed by two more spurts to fully rinse off. Later he notices dirt in the creases of her neck and considers how much easier it would be if she were a boy, then he could go into the same shower and help.

Further North in Scandinavia we meet Signe, an older woman who is, by her own admission, invisible to most people. She lives where ice is in abundance for now and she watches with anger as companies sell it off and ship it out for rich people to put in their drinks. Even now, there are some willing to get rich exploiting the worlds remaining resources. Seeing her once magnificent birthplace full of glaciers being reduced to a dry desert makes her so angry that she is determined to make her feelings known to those she holds responsible.

While we read alternating chapters and learn more about these characters and their back stories, the over-arching narrative is that of climate change and ecological destruction. I didn’t fully identify with the characters because I think the earth is meant to be the main character. The individual characters are there to show us the detail of what climate change might mean for us. It’s about making the crisis relatable and showing us how our current lifestyles will slowly create this dystopia where water is such a scarce resource there is mass migration and we would be living purely at subsistence level. Rather than identify with the characters I identified with the crisis. It’s slow going but a love story does emerge and as the two strands of the story weave together there is a seed of hope for the future. This is a book that makes you think and is part of the series that started with The History of Bees. It certainly has impact and might make you think about how your household would cope in these conditions and what part you can play in preventing them.

"The End of the Ocean" follows two timelines, with two different sets of characters: the first is the elderly environmental campaigner Signe in 2017; the second is that of David and his daughter Lou in 2041. 

Signe's story deals with her protests against the extraction of glacial ice for drinking water and her concern about its impact on the environment. In the future, somewhere in France, David and Lou's story unfolds in a post-apocalyptic France, where the consequences of the extraction on the environment and the climate have unfolded catastrophically. 

I love a dystopian / post-apocalyptic work of fiction, and this one is gripping, with beautifully realised characters, and pertinent concerns. We have never been more aware of the effects of climate change and our impact on the environment, and this timely novel is all the more frightening for that: a future like the one David and Lou are inhabiting doesn't feel impossible at all. 

I would definitely recommend this novel - I actually haven't read Maja Lunde's other novel, but will assuredly be doing so in the very near future. This book tackles huge and important topics as well as themes such as family, separation, climate anxiety, and the consequences of our actions on the future, and in the hands of a less capable author, it could have sunk, but Maja Lunde manages it deftly and with real skill. A beautiful and terrifying novel. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fabulous story of what the future of our planet could be like if we don't do something to address the major issues of climate change.
A well written book with lovely characterisation and gives the reader plenty of food for thought.

The End of the Ocean by Maja Lunde is Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi) at its best and most stark. At its best, because everything that happens feels as though they are the reasonable consequences of what we are predicted now; most stark, because this is truly a terrible version of the future.

In the present day(2019), 69 year old environmental activist Signe discovers that her home town, and in particular her ex-boyfriend, is responsible for cutting up and shipping off ice from their glacier to sell to the rich, so that they can have glacial ice in their expensive cocktails. She decides to sabotage the shipment, and steals some of it - or what she can carry in her boat. She sails her ship through a terrible storm with the intention of taking it to the person responsible.

In 2041, David and his daughter Lou, arrive at a refugee camp after escaping from war and fire in their French home. There is little water and food, but David is hopeful that his wife and infant son (who they’ve been separated from) will be there or arrive soon.

The two stories are linked when David and Lou find Signe’s boat in the garden of one of the abandoned houses.

This is such a powerful book. It takes current scientific research and arrives at the extreme end of its prediction: drought, famine and war. I had to read it in short chunks, because I found the story so moving and intensely depressing, to be honest. It doesn’t feel exaggerated: I didn’t read it thinking “Well that would NEVER happen”. It’s all too plausible, in fact. I really liked how the two stories ran parallel to one another and joined up in the latter half of the book, with the boat as some sort of symbol of hope.

It’s not all depressing though. There is an element of hope, and we see the enduring strength of the human spirit. I have The History of Bees on my bookshelf, which I will read now - and I’ll definitely look out for the third in this quartet of books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for my copy of this book.

Have a glass of water ready.
Two time zones but easily understandable. Beautifully written, descriptions made you cold, thirsty, hot and cold. Love books in extreme climates and this is certainly one of them. Characters were all synthetically written. A few unanswered questions, where did supplies from the camp come from and what was happening in other countries? left to the imagination.
Ending tidied things together very well.
Moving and a modern day warning.

The End of the Ocean, Maja Lunde's sophomore novel, is a speculative fiction epic about conservation, ecology, climate change, family ties, the deep inner strength we all have as human beings and, most of all, water. Initially published in 2017 in Norwegian, this a book about survival and the desire human beings have to struggle through the often overwhelming obstacles and the adversity that stands in their way. It centres around three characters in particular: Signe, David and Lou. Signe's story is based in 2017 Norway whilst father-daughter duo David and Lou are living in France circa 2041. Signe involves herself in conservation and fights to stop prospective developments that would spoil the natural beauty of the local area and the destruction of waterfalls, lakes and glaciers. David and Lou who are living in post-apocalyptic times are making their way through a Europe in decay and utter chaos; food, water and medicine are all in short supply and the drought is creating tension between the people.

This is an important and timely book about a topic we are hearing so much more about now. Our ecological systems are dying and we must look for ways to try and save our planet before it is too late. It's an exciting read but chilling too as it is all too real; there is the distinct possibility we could end up in this situation in the future if we don't take action to remedy the issues. Both Signe and David are passionate, hopeful and hearty and you take them to your heart very quickly. The book immerses you so well into both of these times with one in the recent past and one in the not too distant future. These two interlinked accounts are emotive and affecting from the beginning and Lunde projects our fears for us all to see. This is a tale rich in intricate detail and a wake-up call to change glaciers before it is no longer possible. Beautifully written, we are treated to a superb, engaging work of fiction that, terrifyingly, could actually become reality. Many thanks to Scribner for an ARC.

My thanks to Simon and Schuster U.K./Scribner for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The End of the Ocean’ by Maja Lunde in exchange for an honest review.

This work of speculative fiction was originally published in Norway in 2017 as ‘Blå’ (Blue) and translated by Diane Oakley. It is the second in Lunde’s planned Climate Quartet.

The novel is set in two time periods. In 2041 David and his young daughter, Lou, have fled from their home. Southern Europe is in the grip of a drought and war has devastated the region. They have become separated from his wife, Anna, and baby August.

In 2017 67-year old Signe returns to the small has Norwegian village where she grew up and is deeply disturbed by the environmental changes linked to the nearby glacier. Later, she undertakes a hazardous solo voyage in her sailboat, Blue, while recalling events from her earlier life.

Their stories link when David and Lou find Signe’s boat in a French garden, miles away from the shore.

According to the author’s website the 2041 scenario links to the desperate conditions depicted in Taos’ story in ‘The History of Bees’, although fifty years earlier and in Europe. The lack of fresh water provides the major source of conflict and despair.

Lunde creates an all too possible near future. Water is something that we take for granted and this novel emphasises that it may not always be so.

‘The End of the Ocean’ is a serious literary, character-driven novel, that was quite meditative. Its central premise focusing upon changes to the environment triggered by climate change and pollution is one of vital importance. I was heartened by Signe’s environmental activism that had extended throughout her life.

I found it quite a heartbreaking, melancholic novel as is fitting its themes. I wouldn’t be surprised to see ‘The End of the Ocean’ nominated for the 2020 International Booker Prize.

Having read this I now plan to read her ‘The History of Bees’ and look out for further works in Lunde’s Climate Quartet.

Highly recommended.

The End Of The Ocean was a timely and brilliant novel as Lunde examined what the world would be like if the water just simply disappeared, the weather no longer changeable but hot and arid.
Its structure flitted easily between the past and the present, Signe, the past in 2017, David the future, 2041.
Signe, the young headstrong girl who grew up the daughter of parents with a wide chasm of believes and ethics, a marriage fractured and torn about by the devastating effects the advancement of renewable energy and commercialism had in their native Norway. Signe was the activist, who could see into the future, her Father’s child, a lover of nature and wildlife who resented the erosion of her local glacier and lake. Her’s was also a story of love, one that got away, was ripped apart, yet one in which she never moved on from, one that always stayed within her. I loved her ‘journey’, Lunde’s description of her boat, of the wild and wonderful scenery of Signe’s native Norway, of Signe’s passion and determination.
David, thrown into a future, trying to survive, water scarce, the sun relentless and hot. Here was a young Father, in search of his wife and young son, his daughter Lou his sole responsibility, one that you felt drove his determination to survive. You felt he was a man conflicted, between his love for his wife, but also the need to seek comfort in those that he met, to cast of his responsibilities and to live the life of a young single man. It was their relentless need for water that dominated and the cross over between his life and Signe’s that was the real star of the novel.
You couldn’t help but recoil in horror at what Signe tried to prevent and the devastating consequences that David and the rest of the world had to contend with. It is a world that you just cannot comprehend. That is what I so loved about this novel, Lunde’s capacity to write a story that had elements of danger, tension and drama but also one that was utterly thought provoking and almost real.
Great characters, great narrative and a novel that will raise lots of questions.

This book has very beautiful writing as Lunde's other book. I really like reading from her.
It's also an important book drawing attention to climate change. It's quite thought provoking in that aspect.
The reason I give 4, but not 5 stars is, it was so long and I got really bored with all the sailing references and descriptions. I have no passion for sailing, so that's me.
I also thought it was overly negative.

But, it was a very well written, interesting book in the end and I totally recommend it.

Thanks a lot to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I wanted to appreciate this story I couldn't, though it is an appropriate tale for our time centering around the precious element of water and our need to preserve and care for it. But, I failed to really connect with the story as I had Maja Lunde's previous stellar novel, The History of Bees.

In The End of the Ocean we follow Signe, in our current time line of 2019, and also that of David and Lou in 2041, a world in crisis and severe drought. Signe was a scrappy character and continues to fight for what she believes in well into her seventies. A real go-getter, this made her interesting but she seemed cold and disconnected. Perhaps the result of a solitary life on Blue, her boat? Taking this into consideration she was the most likeable character and far surpassed David, and even Lou. I simply couldn't warm to the weak David and felt no sympathy for him and Lou, by extension. Though their existence in 2041 was that of a refugee, I still couldn't connect to them as I expected I would. At every turn David made poor choices and was a horrible guardian to Lou, his daughter. Even the climactic moment at the end, that was touching, failed to really reach my heart. Perhaps I am desensitized as a result of extinction rebellion who is currently running amok all over London?!?

Regardless, Maja Lunde's writing remains a real strength and her depiction of the future refugee existence is one we must strive to avoid. If anything it should soften our hearts toward refugees the world over as the future she writes of here is their current state of confusion and difficulty. Not my favorite book by Maja Lunde but certainly worth reading to appreciate the scale of climate change and a future that may await us.

I am really sorry but this wasn't for me and I didn't really enjoy the story so I had to DNF.
Therefore I will put it as 3 stars as I do not feel I am the right person to judge the book, it just wasnt for me.

A great story and tons of food for thought. It's one of those book that are a must read as the climate change is going to affect us all.
The style of writing was amazing and I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The End of the Ocean is an interesting book – giving a glimpse of how the world could be after devastating droughts caused by climate change. I did struggle with this book for a couple of reasons. First, it was hugely over-written, especially anything involving sailing. I suspect Maja loves sailing and wanted to incorporate every single nautical reference possible – these sections were massively skimmable, whole pages adding nothing to the narrative. And secondly, I’m not convinced the future would ever be that bleak – yep, there’s going to be significant changes, even if we do change course, and these will cause some pain but I can’t see Europe turning into refugee camps. Still, some nice writing, solid characterisation, so better than a three, so giving a four.

A very thought provoking read especially with climate change being so central in our lives (as it should be) haunting and sometimes difficult reading, this is a wonderful read, just as good a a history of bees, a wonderful read which I highly recommend

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This is a disturbing book dealing with issues that are affecting us now if you look at the climate crisis with a view to the future. It is written in a very believable style, with the effect of making some of the events in the book even more unsettling.

There are two stories in the book. The story of Signe, a 70-year old climate activist who is on a mission to settle old grievances but ends up in a different situation that she planned. Hers is a story of an independent life lived through choice and dedication, and Signe's character, story and relationships are very moving. The other story is set in the near future, with David and his small daughter Lou seen as drought refugees escaping the fire that burnt down their city and split their family.

Both timelines show characters that are not always likeable but who make choices and live the consequences, and the issues explored are very thought-provoking. There are clear warnings in the stories about the inevitable failure of society in the face of climate extremes, and the overall sense of despair at what we've done to our planet is balanced with some small and beautiful moments as characters form friendships and live through crises the only way anyone ever can, one hour and one day at a time.

I didn't always like the characters and the choices they make, but put together the stories form a reflection on the issues we may face in the coming years and how we might have to deal with them. As the stories of the characters move closer together there is still hope, and that is the feeling I'm left with at the end of this impressive book.

Thanks to NetGallet and the publisher for the chance to read this book in advance.

The End of the Ocean alternates between two timelines. The reader sees seventy-year-old Signe in 2019 as she returns to her hometown in Norway. Signe is a great character. She lives alone on her boat, and has for a long time been aware of the impact that humans and industry have on the environment, including global warming, the destruction of natural habitats and the impact this has on biodiversity. In her youth, she was involved in various protests against the way in which nature is sacrificed for industrial gain, and it felt as though she was ahead of her time, with environmental concerns around issues such as global warming really taking hold during the 1960s (to the best of my knowledge).

Even being aware of the issues, she is shocked when she returns to her hometown and sees the way in which the glacier there has reduced in size. Of equal concern is that the glacier is being drilled in order to ship the ice abroad for use by some of the wealthiest people on the planet, with them being the only ones who could afford such an outrageous habit. Signe is not afraid to get her hands dirty, and she sabotages the latest batch of ice. She then sets sail, both before she can be caught, but also to confront Magnus, her former lover and the man who approved this scheme. Her journey is perilous, but Signe is extremely capable, and I loved her no-nonsense attitude. Throughout her journey, she looks back on her life, and the reader sees her as a young girl, then woman, with all the ups and downs that one’s life may take. It’s a fascinating narrative, and Signe has made some difficult choices in her time. She has the usual share of regrets, but throughout she has stayed true to her beliefs, and she is an admirable character.

Signe’s story alternates with that of David in 2041. Forced to flee southern Europe with his daughter, Lou, he arrives at a refugee camp desperately seeking news of his wife and son from whom he became separated during their escape. David’s is an altogether different story, although the two narratives do link up. I didn’t find David to be a particularly likeable character, although his daughter Lou is lovely, but his story is a compelling one, particularly as the reader finds out more about the events that forced him and his family out of their home in southern Spain.

In Lunde’s future, global warming has caused widespread drought with the equatorial zone now uninhabitable. This causes people to seek the marginally more temperate and hospitable regions towards the poles. While refugee camps have been set up to aid those who have had to flee their homes, the reader sees how these are deteriorating as the story progresses, with increasing demand placed upon the ever-dwindling supplies made available to refugees. It’s a horrifying view of a future that is both possible and plausible, and not nearly distant enough. A powerful and compelling novel.

This book reminded me of The Overstory, by Richard Powers. I hope that's taken as a compliment, because it's certainly meant as one.

There are two stories here, two voices: Signe and David. Signe is maybe Greta Thunberg's older cousin? She can see the beauty and the power of nature, and the risks posed by its destruction. She's prepared to change her life over the issue.

The second story is set later in time. David and Lou are drought refugees, forced to seek shelter in a refugee camp, where resources are limited. At first they're just grateful to be there, but gradually, things deteriorate around them.

So, like Overstory, there's a theme of environmental activism, and a sense of powerlessness for the protagonists. It's a stark reminder that we aren't doing enough. The voices are clear and distinct, and these are real people struggling with real problems and real relationships.

I don't want to give away any spoilers. Thank you, Netgalley, for letting me read this one. It's going to stay with me.

This is a great read that is written to make us think. The author thinks what the world might be like if we ignore climate change and the damage we are inflicting on the planet.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

We first meet Signe, it’s 2017 and this seventy-year-old Norwegian lady has come back to the village of her youth. She is tortured by her past, by her fractured relationship with her mother but more so by what has happened to this beautiful place where she once lived. For as long as anyone could remember there was the mountain which on one side became a vertical wall creating the opportunity for the Sister Falls to descend hundreds of metres toward Lake Eide. On the other side of the mountain was the River Breio, habitat of the Water Ouzel and of freshwater mussels. This idyllic spot provided a wonderful haven for animals and for the people who lived here. But then industry arrived and mechanisation – a once magnificent glacier began being mined for ice to decorate expensive drinks and the river dried up, the water having been piped away underground to provide hydroelectricity. Signe is horrified and she’s on a mission; she plans to send a message to one of the people she holds responsible.

Then we meet David and his young daughter, Lou. The year is 2041 and Europe is in the midst of a horrific drought. David worked at a water salinization plant in the South of France but he’s been forced to flee the area after a fire. It’s not yet clear exactly what happened but he’s been separated from his wife and their infant son. The pair have made their way to a camp where they plan to stay for a while and hope to reunite with the other half of their family. It appears that Europe is at war and it’s difficult to move around, but many are trying to get to the Northern European countries, where the drought doesn’t yet seem to have impacted.

These two stories are to dovetail at some point, but it’s going to take a while. In the meantime, we follow both in alternating sections, learning more about the plight of these people and of their background stories too. There are many elements to this book - it could certainly be badged an environmental novel, with its focus on the impacts of industrialisation and global warming (and I’ve seen the term cli-fi used too), but it’s also an epic tale of survival against the odds and a love story. And in some way it works on all these levels. In truth, I found it slow going in places but I was definitely gripped by the narrative even if I failed to warm to either the dour Signe or shifty David. But ultimately, I did find myself wanting to know what happens to these people and though the tenor is decidedly downbeat throughout, the open-ended final section does neatly knit the two strands together and provide some hope for the future.

This is the second novel in what is planned by the author to be a quartet of climate themed books. The first book, The History of Bees, I’ve yet to catch up with but it was an award winning piece and received rave reviews from many respected sources. I might just have to seek that one out next.

After reading The History of Bees I was keen to read this next novel. As topical as before, The End of the Ocean looks at the environmental issues we could be facing within our lifetimes if we do not do more to halt global warming. Tackling energy use, plastic consumption, rising tides and greenhouse gases, Lunde transports us to a future (within my lifetime) in which Europeans have become refugees without enough water to survive for long.

Cleverly written with two timelines running through it, the terrifying facts of what our future could be like were written so convincingly that I didn't doubt the plausibility of Lunde's plot at all. An excellent read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.