I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for approving me for an ARC of this book.

I did try reading this back in March of this year but as the UK was back in another lockdown it felt a little too close to home then. I also struggled to keep track of all the character so I set it to one side but I was determined to give it another visit.


The first thing that struck me was the pandemic world the author had created. Considering that this was written before COVID-19 even existed her portrayal of pandemic life was scarily accurate! The reactions of the characters and how it all unfolded brought back a lot of memories from the early pandemic life in the UK.

Of all the characters I absolutely loved Dr Amanda MacLean. She wasn’t afraid to call a spade a spade even if she looked mad in the process. It’s just a shame that more people didn’t listen to her from the start. Her journey through the whole book was very interesting and there were certainly moments when I wanted to shout hooray because she had finally been proven right.

What I hadn’t expected with this story was the amount of emotion it would stir in me. Having lived through a pandemic you almost feel numb to it all. The more I listened to Catherine’s story the more emotional I became. This was probably due to her having a son the same age as my eldest and knowing how I would feel if I was in her shoes.

With a full cast of narrators I soon found myself absorbed in this brilliant, thought provoking read. Christina Sweeney – Baird has written an exceptional debut that will only cause its readers to reflect on their own journey through this pandemic.

Told through an array voices, from doctors to politicians to civilians, victims to sufferers to survivors, The End of Men is a dystopian take on if a mystery virus wipes out 90% of the male population.

I love dystopian novels, and even though we're still in one, I find books about pandemics fascinating. I think it's the science fiction twist on things (if there's a virus, I NEED to know where it came on and how it's spread) paired with the 'well it could always be worse' slice of hope. This book had both of those things. I loved the different medical points of views of the characters, from doctors treating the infected patients to the virologists researching a vaccine. It was skimmed over and just dismissed as a 'mystery virus' which always annoys me.

There is also a broad range of characters and lives affected and we see how this virus that kills men is handled by different people. The point of view characters range from those with only sons, those with only daughters, orphans with no father, those desperate for children who may come into this world and die straight away, those who don't believe in the virus. It's also really interesting to see a take on the world where women make up the majority of the population, to the extent where one in ten men survived and the rest died. Women now make up the majority of heads of state, of business managers, but also electricians and rubbish disposal workers - jobs which were predominantly male. It was interesting to see how these things that I hadn't thought of as being a key problems in this dystopian world were addressed. Along with this, it was mentioned that seatbelts and safety gear was adapted to suit womens bodies better, so now there was a much higher chance of women surviving car accidents. The author obviously went to a lot of trouble to research how womens lives are affected in ways we don't even know and to sprinkle those details throughout the book.

I also enjoyed the time frame this book took place in. It's told in chronological order, but we see from the very beginning, with the treatment of Patient Zero, and the book takes place over the next 5 years or so. I won't spoil how it turns out, but I liked how we were given a broad look at this new world, and not just a snap shot with no long term answers.

Despite there being quite a lot of point of view characters to hear from, it wasn't too many. There are a handful we hear from again and again throughout the book, to tell the story and provide us with the key plot points. But there was also a few one off characters who made excellent additions, adding in extra point of views.

There were a few bits and pieces which I would have liked expanding on or including a bit more. I would have liked more LGBTQ characters. There is a lesbian couple, and a mention of a gay man towards the end of the book. There is also a trans nurse towards the end who depicts how terrifying and confusing it was for the trans community to have a disease which specifically targets the Y chromosome, if your gender doesn't align with the percieved sex of your DNA. I feel like this would have made a very interesting and vital viewpoint to hear from throughout the whole book, and not just at the end.

I also would have liked to have a bit more of a global perspective. Most of the characters are from the UK, US or Canada. I understand that since the virus originated in Scotland and spread through the UK first, but we have one Filipino character in Singapore, and we have secondary Chinese characters. It would have been better to see a wider range of cultural perspectives.

However, I really enjoyed this book. The short chapters kept me hooked, and it was both emotional and terrifying.

Christina Sweeney-Baird did not disappoint me with this story.

A virus that sweeps the world killing only men.

I enjoyed how the story was set out, reminded me slightly of the format of world war z. And it turns out I'm a huge fan of pandemic related books.

The End of Men had me hooked from the start told from the perspective of many of the women effected by the loss of the men in their lives wanting to document the crisis. I enjoyed how this story although a story about a virus it also covers the importancy of sexism and many other topics. How women aren't taken seriously even within medical fields as they are 'emotional' and therefore irrational or overreacting. Yet it is women who are left to pick up the pieces and pave the way despite being the 'weaker' sex.

Watching these characters navigate a new world without men, and how the roles reverse, as some men (but not many) are immune from the effects of the virus they get a small glimpse into the problems some women face such as sexual harrassment now that there are few men to go around.

A great story about a virus, touching on gender issues, political issues, loss and resilience

In a world where a deadly virus has decimated the male population, The End of Men explores an environment where women rise to power. Following different characters, we see the results of a pandemic that both decimates and reshapes the world as we know it, while exploring what the world would be like without men.

The initial premise for this is really interesting and brings up a lot of discussions around the social and economic impact of a change in power and responsibility. Western society is so heavily swayed towards the male, white, gender, so it was interesting to have this flipped on its head. It opens up a lot of opportunities to examine ingrained sexism and feminism as well as how different cultures around the world would react to this situation.

I will say that I don't think the backstory and science is particularly well developed with regards to explaining what the virus is and where it comes from. It's a bit whisy washy, but if you can suspende your disbelief a little then overall the world building and plot pull the reader through the story. I also found most of the characters really interesting. Told in multiple perspectives, you'll always find a few characters that stand out more than others, and for me I felt particularly drawn to Catherine and Amanda. They're the more logical narrator's with similar backgrounds to myself and I could relate to their stories and build up and emotional connection.

Well paced and well written book that does a decent job at presenting a world without men and opening up a conversation on the many situations this could leave the world in. An interesting read.

The outbreak of a virus threatens the world order, affecting only men. Brilliantly written page-turner that boasts sensitivity and hope.

A doctor is worried about her patient. He presented a mild fever yet within three hours, he's dead. And he's not the first. She quickly realises that this mysterious illness is a terrible threat, and is killing only men, but she isn't heard.

As more families, communities, countries are affected, action is taken but will they find a cure before it's too late? Or will this be the end of the world?

Told through different perspectives and experiences, this is a stunning book. Easy to read in terms of being a pageturner, difficult to read in that we are close to living the story in a way the author never imagined when she wrote the novel. 

It's full of compassion and ultimately hope. The characterisation and scene setting is achieved with precision and immediacy. The reader is drawn in to every event and experience, and isn't let go until the final page. Excellent.

What a book! I’m baffled!

Somehow Christina Sweeney-Baird managed to write a book so similar to our current situation before it happened! The only major difference is that it only killed men!

I loved how this was written, it focused on a few key players and their stories throughout the pandemic. Such a great idea!

A powerful and devastating novel. It suffers a little from trying to focus on too many characters, and I definitely struggled to remember who was who for a good 60% of the novel, but it was a compelling and interesting read. While the Plague is much more devastating to the population than covid has been, I found it an incredibly affecting story, with far too many similarities to real life right now. I still don't know if I was ready to read it.

Fantastic read and very thought provoking. What would happen if a virus killed mainly men? Some would survive but why? This book looks at the dilemma's faced by a mainly female population. A great title to discuss in a book club. Well worth reading and one I recommend.

Very topical! Set in 2025 and this virus effects men only. It’s a bit scary and as everyone will know close to the bone. I really enjoyed it and it made me realise we are so lucky covid didn’t mutate into anything as severe….

I listened to the audioversion of this book - brilliantly read!

This is one of those timely reads, made even more relevant and relatable after our recent experiences! The amount of times you felt so connected to the story and the fear portrayed by the characters because of what we've all been through with this pandemic!

In this book, set in 2025, there's a virus that comes out of nowhere and only seems to affect men. And they drop like flies pretty quickly. While in the early stages, the seriousness is trying to be flagged up, there are those who dismiss the concerns... we all know how that works out in reality! But this is a story cleverly told from the point of view of a variety of women looking on with different hats on, so to speak! Those working in the medical industry, those reporting on it, those looking for a cure/vaccine - and those seeing their loved ones becoming poorly and wanting to do all they can to not lose those closest to them.

The author really captures the uncertainty and the panic with each character and it did feel like a race against time thriller at times with the urgency needed to do what needed to protect people. And how women were stepping up to fill the positions normally inhabited by the men and how that impacted on day to day life. And the emotional aspects of becoming pregnant, and then being told your baby was a boy was really stark and bought home the harsh reality of it all.

A gripping read.

This book was so close to home with everything that has happened around the world recently! It was a good read though and maybe a slight insight into how the world could be in the future!

I do like a book where we start at the beginning, the plague such as it is, we see the patient in A&E going from flu to at deaths door in under 4 hours. How the doctors review to see what they missed because patients don't deteriorate like that without warning (usually) and the doctor flagging the plague and being ignored.

I liked that you can see how easy something like this could happen and bizarre how she started this before covid kicked off yet you can relate to so much. We flip between characters, families, people dying, losing their loved ones. The governments responses, how people react/respond, it is really dark and dire in some places but also great shows of strength and I love how strong the women become. In a world where men are dropping like flies we need women to step up, quickly train and take the reins.

It took a bit to settle when the story jumped from different people and view points but it was interesting to see such far reach. Couples, the doctor, how the losses impact on relationships and individuals, the route to working on the vaccine. How scary it would be to loose so many specialised trained males and scrambling to get their replacements, women or the little surviving men, up to speed.

It gives you a lot to think about, I know for some it may be too close to the current pandemic but I think it highlights how much worse things could be and insane how there are similarities! 3.5/5 for me this time. It certainly doesn't read like a debut, it is very well rounded, I look forward to this authors next offering.

I found this book gripping from the very beginning. Once I began reading I found it very hard to stop. The fact we are currently living through a global pandemic probably made the book a more interesting and fascinating read.

I found the writing very good and well thought-out. The subject matter pre-C19 certainly gave me something extra to think about. This is the second fiction novel I have read which is set in a global pandemic and whilst the books are both very different and written for different readers they both have their place on my shelves.

I finished this last year but forgot to leave my review. I loved it so much and finished it incredibly quickly.

It was well paced and so compelling and unique. I was immediately drawn in from the first chapter and loved the format and layout of the chapters. I will definitely be picking up whatever Christina writes next!

I would highly recommend picking up a copy if you’re looking for a unique and compelling story to read this autumn.

Review coming to IG soon.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great storyline with excellent characters. I would highly recommend this book as it was a great read.

Im amazed this is a debut book for the author - if this is what she starts with I cant wait to see what she writes in the future!

The book follows a number of women around the globe as they deal with the effects and aftermath of the 'Male Plague' which kills 90% of all men.

This was a great read which I couldnt put down. Fast paced, moving and, considering recent world events, truly frightening. The characters were all great and well developed - not all likeable but a well thought out-cross section of real women.

This is not just a sensationalist novel... it is an intelligent consideration of how all aspects of society would be affected a) by a devestating plague and b) a sharp shift in gender balance.

I would highly recommend this to anyone!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review :-)

Maybe not the book to be reading during the current COVID-19 pandemic but what I find even more scary is that it was written long before we ever heard about COVID. Probably most people, if they’d read it before our very own “plague” would have said it was so far-fetched and could never happen. Well we all know how that turned out.
I loved this storyline and in lots of ways it’s similar to the situation we currently find ourselves in. The seriousness of it was played down by people in authority when warnings were issued by medics working on the frontline in the Scottish hospital where the first cases originated. In the case of this book, by the time authorities realised the doctor alerting them to the problem wasn’t in fact crazy, it was too late. An illness with an extremely high mortality rate, short incubation time and only killing men was rampant and spreading nationally, then globally.
In time a vaccine was created to deal with the disease but not before the scientist that developed it decided to sell it to the world and become a millionaire . I decided immediately that I didn’t like her one little bit.
It was a fascinating story and really made me think about what would happen in a world where so many important jobs are held by men, such as police, fire service, security, drivers delivering food to our supermarkets. Very scary but a great read.

Liked the style this was written in. Can relate to it because of the current pandemic. Was so sad that a lot of the women lost their husbands. I liked the exploring of where it started and the vaccine created.
A great read. Finished in 3 days

This was an interesting and engaging read. However, I couldn't seem to connect with the style of writing. It was too factual for me when I thought it would have been more of a personal story. Nevertheless it was a great read that was so true to life compared with the Covid epidemic. Definitely recommended and thought provoking.

Thank you Netgalley.

Timing is just right to contrast this plague with Covid epidemic.
Lots of characters, I started making a list of key women but got overwhelmed by amount.
Book started really well, I was gripped by the uncertainty and spread of the virus, frustrated by Amanda's funding not being recognised. I needed more domestic detail, how did people cope with food supplies, care of elderly etc. the reality of the pandemic as we have known it, how did people survive? Also become roll out was not clear.
Novel portrayal of loss and grief was very moving. Men who were immune had unforseen problems, being perused and feeling used.
I felt the novel could have been shorter, but an interesting one nevertheless.