I found this book to be very unusual, I don't remember ever reading a book quite like it!
Set to the backdrop of the world ending (Im no scientist but the explanation of toxic gases escaping from melting permafrost which will smother oxygen sounds mind boggling!) this is Libbys' story, she is painfully shy and unsure of herself, then Enter Cousin Natasha, who proceeds to pull Libby out of her shell by the scruff of her neck.
Full disclosure I loathed Natasha from the start, as Im sure the writer intends, but all the characters are complex and interesting, as are the twists of the plot.
(No spoilers) Im slightly confused by the ending though, was I meant to be?
Very very good YA read, I found it a great plot, really well written.

As a disclaimer, I don’t usually read thrillers, because I’m both easily spooked and prone to getting so invested/stressed out by what I’m reading that I have to physically put the book down before I have a heart attack. Things to Do Before the End of the World was one such thriller, but MAN am I glad I read it, because WHAT. A. BOOK. I defy anyone to not be at least a bit freaked by the end – I finished it about a week ago, and I’ve been thinking about it almost non-stop since then.

I’m not exaggerating when I say Emily Barr’s writing gets under your skin in this book. In Things to Do, an environmental catastrophe nicknamed ‘the Creep’ is imminent; the air on planet Earth will become unbreathable, and all life on the planet will suffocate. Humanity is given less than a year to live. It’s perhaps easier than usual to picture what this catastrophe could look like in real life, given the year we’ve had, but even this scale of terminal judgement is difficult to imagine. Barr paints an eerily convincing picture of this future that is fascinating in a very morbid way. Often the best part of a dystopian book is the way the author sets up and describes the nature of the dystopia and how it came about, but here, the Creep is simply a backdrop to a bigger picture and a dramatic plotline. Having said this, though, it’s constantly present and cannot be ignored; if anything, the further through the book you get, the more the Creep weighs on you as it begins to inch closer. As the world heats up in the book, so does the tension, to the point where the atmosphere is almost cloying, but in the best possible way as far as pace goes.

The Creep provides an organic sense of foreboding throughout, so the pace constantly seems to be picking up, even when the characters are acting normally. There are so many plot threads that are foreshadowed and interspersed throughout, so by the end, my pulse was racing, my palms were sweating, and at one point, I genuinely had to put the book down and exhale slowly because I might actually pass out. This book is a self-contained, slow-building adrenaline rush, and lends itself wonderfully to binge-reading. I read it in two sittings: one substantially calmer, even when feeling slightly perturbed, and the other in a frenzy as I realised I wouldn’t be able to rest until I’d finished it.

Protagonist Olivia is down-to-Earth and relatable in her shyness. As much as she is desperate to push herself out of her comfort zone and go after the girl she likes, go to the parties everyone else her age does, etc, she still finds herself struggling and holding back. Olivia is not an extraordinarily brave person – or even overly unique in the ‘classic YA protagonist’ sense – but I don’t think she’s meant to be; she’s just someone trying to live what she believes to be the last few months of her life to the fullest. That alone makes the book hit you where it hurts, because it’s all too easy to imagine yourself in Olivia’s position. The introduction of the Creep into her life agitates her for obvious reasons, but also kickstarts a determination to push herself out of her comfort zone. Enter cousin Natasha, who appears out of the blue to help Olivia do exactly that. From this point onwards, the plot shoots off in a variety of unpredictable directions; to say more would risk dropping spoilers, but rest assured, this book is full of dramatic and emotional bombshells.

One week on from reading it, and I’ve not entirely recovered. I picked up a rom-com within minutes of finishing it as a way of calming myself down – just to give you an indication of the book’s intensity! I cannot recommend it highly enough: whether you’re a fan of realistic climate change fiction, slow-building psychological thrillers, or just want a fabulous book to binge-read under the covers with a torch at 2am (but only if you really want to creep yourself out), Things to Do Before the End of the World is an excellent read.

This was such an interesting read and it will be enjoyed by such a wide range of readers. It is so engaging and asks the reader to think about what they would do if they only had a year left to live. I think it had some really important messages about overcoming shyness and negativity. One to add to the school library for sure!

Olivia has just found out along with everyone else her life is likely to end in nine months. The air is running out and ‘The Creep’ as it has been named is coming. Olivia is a quiet girl and she is in love with another girl called Zoe and she writes to her but never sends the messages. Then she finds out that her Dad had a brother who has recently died and that she has a cousin Natasha who lives in America.

Natasha is the complete opposite of Olivia and she tries to encourage Olivia to be braver, which she struggles with. Her Mum and Stepfather decide that they should all take a trip to Europe, for what what will probably be their last summer together. Olivia is happy to go along, she then finds out that Natasha is coming to Europe for the summer too. This makes her anxious but feels that she can’t prevent her from coming but what will it mean for her ?

I really enjoyed this story, it was fast paced and kept me interested. I felt sorry for Olivia who not only is anxious and insecure about herself but she is living with the knowledge that her short life could soon be over. Natasha made my heckles go up immediately, I just didn’t trust her and the further the book progresses I knew I was right to have this feeling! I won’t give anymore away but this is a great read. I loved Olivia’s teenage angst and how she grows as a person in an unimaginable situation. There is a lot of secrets and deception and I really enjoyed the travel to Madrid and Paris. A pacey book with a lot to absorb but very entertaining.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Characters:
This book had some very interesting characters. From the blurb I already wasn’t sure about whether I would like or trust Natasha and her character was very interesting to read. She had so many sides, and not all of them were good, and I wasn’t sure what she was going to do next throughout, but I was sure that it wouldn’t always be good. Olivia, or Libby, was a lovely character to read. She was shy at the beginning of the book and really came out of her shell throughout the story. She was a very sweet character who was so trusting in everyone, and learned a lot about herself and others throughout the book. I enjoyed reading Libby’s relationship with both of her parents and her step-parents, and seeing how well they all got on, even in tougher moments. There was a relatively small ‘main’ cast of characters in this book, and that was something I really liked as it made it easier to keep track of everything, especially as this book takes place over a few months, and over 3 cities.

The Story:
Throughout this book, you are aware that ‘The Creep’ (the end of the world) is coming on a certain date, however there are still so many uplifting moments in this book. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded, and learning more about Libby and Natasha, and seeing who they became by the end. As I’ve mentioned above, I loved the change we saw in Libby and how she came out of her shell more and more, speaking her mind and developing stronger relationships in a dark and scary time for the world. I’ve not read many ‘end of the world’ books, but I enjoyed the way this one was written and how not everything was focused on the end, but rather on the now.

Overall Thought:
Overall I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars as I enjoyed it but it took me a while to get into it but once I did, I flew through it. I really enjoyed the open ending of this book as well, I actually reread the last paragraph a couple of times just to see I’d not missed anything! I’d recommend this book if you are looking for something that is contemporary but with a twist.

I was smitten with the story from the first page. Imagine knowing that you only have one year to live your life. As someone who gets stressed over managing daily tasks, I can’t even imagine what a mess I would be. I’m sure I would regularly panic if I were in Libby’s situation.

I loved Libby from the start and could relate to her feelings. It’s challenging to feel positive when you see so much negativity around you. That’s why I adored Natasha’s character. Natasha is vibrant, complex, and unpredictable. I loved the instant rapport Libby shares with Natasha and how Natasha encourages her to get past her fears and shyness and live her life. I also liked the way the author wrote about Natasha’s psychic personality, which makes her intriguing.

The author beautifully writes the tale, where you don’t know how it would turn out. Some of the scenes that stood out for me were how Libby’s mother reacts when Natasha mentions Violet or when Libby’s attitude changes towards Natasha after what she hears. Moreover, I loved the various highlights the author makes of Spain, like The Prado and Prosecco, and highlights of Paris, like the Louvre. She brought the locations to life and made me feel close to the characters.

The author paces the story nicely towards the end, wondering how things will turn out for the two in Paris. Speaking of which, the last few chapters of the events that transpire in Paris blew me away. It became a roller-coaster ride that I didn’t expect and made the story so memorable.

Overall, I found “Things to Do Before the End of the World” beautiful and bittersweet with a mix of an adventure thriller, and I loved it!

Sometimes i have phases where I just can't get into a book. I pick things up, read a chapter and put them down again. It takes a really special book to get me out of that and hook me in again and this was one of those books that managed to do that.
Love the main character Libby.
The premise is good - that we have polluted the planet so much that mankind will be wiped out in a few months and everyone knows their time is up. It makes for an interesting backdrop to Libby's own personal journey.
I'm not the target audience (at 51, hardly a young adult!) but I'd really recommend it to anyone.

What would you do if the world were ending? Who would you connect to and what would you say? These are the questions that centralized this novel about the main character who knows it will be over soon. This is the kind of book you read more than once and think about long after you've read it.

Everyone has thought about what it would be like to die, how it would happen, how it would feel. The biggest fear and question is when is it going to happen? For Olivia, and the rest of the world, they know when. In nine months time, the world will come to a halt and they will cease to exist. All of them.

17-year-old Olivia has barely had the time to figure out who she is or what she wants to be by the time the world is informed of their death date. She’s socially inept, very shy and crushing on a girl that she can barely speak to. The only way she really gets to speak to her is through emails that she never sends, or when she’s playing a character. With the end of the world looming, Olivia wants to put herself out there, to experience living before she isn’t able to anymore, but for some reason she just can’t.

Enter, Natasha. The cousin Olivia never knew she had, and the person she never knew she needed. Natasha is everything Olivia wishes she could be; illusive, bold, brave, conversational, out there. Except, of course, things aren’t always as they seem to be with Natasha. When are they ever?

Natasha thinks she can communicate with the dead, and with her dead dad no less, and soon everything starts to unravel. Natasha wants Olivia to do this, Natasha wants Olivia to do that, and Olivia doesn’t know how to say no. She just wants to keep her cousin happy and interested, because it’s her only way of getting herself out there before she dies. Before they all die. But how can Olivia trust Natasha to make her the person she wants to be, when she’s not sure that Natasha is the person Olivia thinks she is?

I was provided an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As an avid fan of Emily Barr and her writing, I had high hopes for this book. I’ve previously read every single one of Barr’s other published works, and raved about all of them. Things To Do Before You Die is no exception to that!

I went in pretty blind on what the book was about, only knowing that I loved the author and the style of writing from her other books, and I was so pleasantly surprised.

The relationship between Natasha and Olivia was toxic at best, and manipulative and frightening at it’s worst. Every chapter I was more and more suspicious of Natasha, and more and more fearful for sweet, unsuspecting Libby. Right up until that big plot twist in the last 30% of the book.

Overall, I was so enticed the entire way through. I went in expecting one thing, and came out having experienced several things I didn’t expect, all in a good way. I don’t think I’ll be over this book for a while.

Rating this book a cumulative 4/5 stars! Thoroughly enjoyed, and I can’t wait to see what Emily Barr does next.

So where do I begin with this one?

First off I think it's really important to note for anyone considering picking this up that the blurb and cover really don't give the best idea of what this book is actually about.

If you are looking for a good end of the world story, this really isn't it.

I am not even sure I would consider it to be a real thriller... I don't know exactly what this is. That probably sounds quite negative but I want to make it clear that I did actually like this book quite a lot.

The concept behind it is really good, the pace is fast and I honestly breezed through the book so quickly and really enjoyed it.

So we have our main character, Olivia/Libby. She is pathologically shy with seriously bad social anxiety.

She wants to do so many things but feels held back by her own social issues.

One day she is sitting in the park when NEWSFLASH, severe weather changes are melting the ice caps and some poison gas or "creep" as it becomes known is being released into the atmosphere and it is predicated that in 9 months time humans will no longer have air to breath and it will basically be the end of the world.

This sounds terrifying right? What would you do if you knew you had less than a year to live? What would the world do?

Personally I predict that there would be mass panic, hysteria, the breakdown of society as we know it.

People wouldn't go to work or school, there would be mass violence and it would just be bad. That's how I picture it anyway.

In this book though once the initial bombshell about the end of the world is dropped, thats pretty much it.

I don't know if the world is just living in denial but life pretty much carries on as normal with most people continuing with work and normal every day stuff. It's really weird and not what I expected.

So moving on Libby is pretty freaked out and decides that she wants to make the most of the time she has left. She really struggles though and I think as a person who is quite shy myself I totally related to her struggles.

The book shortly introduces Natasha, a long lost cousin that Libby didn't know she had who is basically the polar opposite. She is bubbly and confident and a lot of fun.

Libby befriends her via email but never expects to be able to meet her and so feels comfortable talking about herself and her life and it helps her to cope with the impending end of the world.

It's summer though and Libby's mum decides to take a long holiday with the family to Spain to enjoy their last few months and Libby decides to go with her of course and amazingly Natasha ends up in Spain too and by this point you're about halfway through the book and not a whole lot has really happened but you feel like you know Libby pretty well and you want her to be able to come out of her shell and travel and see places and do things, you don't want her life to end with regret.

So when Natasha arrives in Spain too you really start to root for these two young girls and its lovely to see how their friendship blossoms but at the back of your mind you can't help but think that something is not quite right with Natasha, you just don't know what.

In the last third of the book the pace really picks up and a lot of secrets are revealed and there are a couple of shocks! Before you know it, you're finished. I mean I basically read it all in one sitting and I have no regrets.

My main criticism is that I don't know exactly what to label this book as because I did not find it particularly thrilling or exciting but it was different, interesting and fun. It was more about Libby and Natasha than it was about the end of the world. Not what I expected but still a good read!

When Libby’s confident, long lost cousin appears in her life shortly before the end of the world, Libby has an amazing summer travelling with her. But is Natasha all that she seems? A tense thriller with lots of surprises.

I really enjoyed this book! During a college Christmas party Olivia, and the rest of the world, receive the news that life will end on Septemper 17th. Due to some environmental changes and a dangerous cloud of unbreathable gas which will cover the planet, humans and other life will likely not survive after that date. Olivia (Libby) doesn’t know what she wants to do before the end of the world, but when a long lost cousin suddenly enters her life, she’s dermined to start enjoying life and become a new person, someone more confident and outgoing than her real self. Libby’s cousin Natasha has a positive effect on her, but is Natasha all she says she is, and can Libby really trust her?

I did enjoy this story and was suprised with how easy it was to get into, sucking me in from the very first page. When the news of the end of the world and when it will happen is revealed, Libby isn’t sure what to do. As a teenager she’s having to face having feelings for someone from her college and on top of that she soon finds out about a cousin that she didn’t know we had. And Natasha, as she soon finds out, turns out to be a real character. The book is split into three parts with each taking place in a different city. The first part takes place in Winchester England, while parts two and three take place in Europe. I enjoyed what happened to Libby in the story although I have to admit that I really didn’t know what was going to happen in the tale and I didn’t expect it to go the way it did.

Libby’s life in the UK and what happens with some of her friends and her crush is interesting but I really enjoyed the story much more once she and her family had decided to spend the summer in Spain. The descriptions of the area and atmosphere were lovely and I loved the constant reference to her pet plant. There is something in the author’s writing throughout the book that often made me smile and even laugh at the odd sentence here and there, the way something was described, it was just brilliant and unique! When Libby’s cousin Natasha shows up in Spain she and Libby become instant friends. I enjoyed what happened and how different Natasha’s character was to Libby. I enjoyed the relationship that developed between the two and the magic tricks and things they did together.

As the story moves on there are several revelations from various chracters. I like what happens when the story moves towards the third part, how Libby grows and despite what happens towards the end, I liked how everything worked out and how mature Libby was and how she resolved to be happy with the way she was. Although the story of the end of the world is in the background all the time, the tale is actually more centred around Libby and what happens with her and her cousin. It’s actually an interesting story that could have easily not had the backdrop of the impending end of the world and it still would have worked for me.

I read this book really fast, it has a good fast pace and just kept me glued to the pages wanting to find out what would happen next, and although the story takes place in a few different locations I enjoyed what happened to Libby and her cousin and the different side that they saw to the cities they were in. The whole story has a good ending overall, and I like how everything resolves right at the end. But despite my enjoying the coming of age story and the way Libby grows as a charater, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed with the ending. I do know that it was probably difficult to know what to do with such a book’s ending, but to me it felt a bit open ended and I just didn’t enjoy not really knowing what would happen at the end.

The story has a few uses of the f and s swear words but nothing else really upsetting, other than the idea of the world ending and the mention of a few dead animals. I did enjoy this story overall and I did like what happened, but if I’m honest I did expect the story to be more focused on the end of the world and be grander than it actually was. This felt more of a simple coming of age tale with some dramatic things happening which could have easily happened in another setting, as I’ve said, but I did like what happened with all the characters and even how we find out some things about Libby’s dad and mum at the end.

I would recommend thins book for its fast and exciting pace as well as how interesting it felt as a coming of age tale. I’m not sure if everyone will enjoy the slightly open ending when it comes to the end of world story but it’s still a good tale and makes you think and wonder what would really happen if the end of the world was approaching our world. It’s a book I would like to pick up again and has made me keen to read more of the author’s work.

I’ve read some of Emily Barr’s earlier books and enjoyed them . I was intrigued by the premise of this one, when I saw it was YA , I passed it over to my 15 year daughter to read first, as she is the target audience for this book.

Here’s her thoughts:

I read the description of this book and was immediately interested. What would you do if the world was going to end in the coming year?

However , this book was not what I expected it to be at all. It was better.

I really enjoyed the short and snappy chapters, it made it very easy to read. I read it in a couple of sittings, it engaged me quickly and it was difficult to put down.

The characters were so strong and well developed and I really cared about them and what was going to happen to them.

My only criticism is I would have preferred a slightly different ending . I really enjoyed this book and I will recommend it to friends.

Overall, a really enjoyable read, a good story and great memorable characters.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

( based on my daughters thoughts, I’m looking forward to reading this very soon)

YA dystopia. An anxious girl (Olivia) is convinced to go to France with her very extroverted cousin, and the book didn't really need or consult the fact that the world was ending at all.

I didn't feel that France or Spain were convincing for me, I've been to both countries and it was sort of imagined more than researched. This book me off the book quite a lot actually, but a weak expected ending ruined it completely!

This book is marketed as a “coming-of-age thriller” and I will say that this book appears to disregard every and all sub-genre out there. It is coming-of-age, but also discusses climate change and a very real possibility for the future, whilst also being dystopian and contemporary. This book really does find a way to incorporate multiple themes and discussion topics, in a way that still remains fast-paced and easy to read and get into.

Libby’s self-discovery almost comes at the worst possible moment, when the world’s end is imminent, but there is something so heartwarming and captivating about Libby’s character growth, amidst her cousin Natasha’s visit, and Libby’s own escaping from her self-imposed shell. The plot helps to keep up the intrigue, crossing into an almost YA thriller, with questions being raised about Libby’s mother, the family feud between her father and uncle, as well as about Natasha herself. Is she really who she says she is?

For me, I wish there was more emphasis on the “end of the world”. We are fed titbits of information when the world’s end is told to the population, and we do see the results through various means, but I just would have liked to have seen a more realistic reaction to finding out that life would cease to exist on a particular day. There were more rational characters that were shown to the reader, and I would have loved to have seen the flip side of this, which is touched on but never fully explored.

However, despite this, this book was an enjoyable read, and as a Brit, I love to read books set in my own country! A light-hearted, relatable, yet YA thrilleresque and suspense filled book that is one to check out!

I’ve been really lucky to be asked to take part in some great Penguin tours and this one is no exception. I really enjoyed the premise behind Things To Do Before The End of The World (TTDBTEOTW) – there is a high probability that the date for the end of the world is known. There’s a small chance that things can turn around and it won’t happen but chances are high that it will. Olivia (Libby) is our central character – she struggles with shyness at times and although seems pleasant enough, is on the peripheries of social groups in school. She writes notes almost cathartically as they are to remain in drafts rather than be read. When the end of the world is announced Libby finds something within herself and lands a leading role in the school play alongside the intended recipient of her notes! Her parents are divorced but she maintains good relationships with both and happily helps out with her little half siblings. Whilst deciding how to spend her, potentially, last summer she unexpectedly finds out about a long lost cousin and gets in touch. Natasha gives her some new perspectives and challenges her to come out of her shell.

Although very much not a teen, I found Libby to be a character I could relate to and felt a bit nostalgic about. The awkwardness of being on the cusp of adulthood yet still feel totally ill at ease within your own skin and missing out on things you’d love to do because you feel shy all rang true for me. The impending end of life brought a new dimension to the story. In the book most people are just getting on with life, either because they don’t believe it will happen but often because they can’t bring themselves to really think about it. I’m not sure I could have gotten on with my normal life as easily! I liked how the story took time to build up and spent some time letting us get to know Libby. I enjoyed finding out about her family and that gave us a natural lead into meeting Natasha. She was quite a contrast to Libby and I enjoyed reading their email exchange. When the girls meet the direction of the story changed slightly and I liked the shift.

I think this is book well worth your time and although it is aimed at the YA audience, I enjoyed it and think older readers will get a lot from it too. I found lots to think about as I read and I enjoyed letting the story unfold – it was different to what I had envisaged when I read the blurb but in a very good way!

Despite the content, I actually really enjoyed this book. It was fascinating to learn how different people react to the news that they only have nine months left on Earth. Some people celebrated, some were scared, some were in denial; it was interesting.

I loved Libby and Natasha. Libby is quiet and charming. Natasha is confident and ready to whisk Libby off to explore Europe.

It was interesting to read about Natasha and the voices in her head. I thought it was really well described, and the fact that Natasha embraces it is refreshing. If only she could predict the future!

Overall, I thought this was an exciting plot to read. I enjoyed going on an adventure with Natasha and Libby. The writing style was different, but good.

I love Emily Barr books for their escapism. She is a wonderful writer of destination - always vivid description of travel and other countries. Perfect for a time when we aren't allowed to go anywhere! I didn't feel the story needed the 'end of the world' angle. It was interesting enough as it was. There were moments when I felt the main character was too separate from her own feelings eg when she found out her mum's backstory. But I liked this one.

This book was reviewed as part of The Write Reads blog tour. Thank you to them and to Penguin, for providing a copy of this book.

Before we get into this more, I want to say I did enjoy this, but it took me a fair while to get into it. The first half is relatively slow, and it takes a while to pick up. But I’ll go into more details about that later.

Olivia s very much an introvert, able to only fully come out of her shell when she takes on the role of someone else. Playing Juliet in an all-girl production of Romeo & Juliet is a dream come true, especially as Romeo is played by Olivia’s crush, Zoe. But the world is ending, the air running out, and when the play ends, Olivia is left adrift. Until her long-lost cousin contacts her. Everyone around Olivia has different reactions to what is happening. Her mother and step-father decide to spend time in Spain, while her father and step-mother block it out, focusing instead on their two young children. With Natasha’s help, Olivia realises she needs to make the most of the time she has left.

The writing is good, and it’s easy to see why people enjoy Barr’s other works. I really liked Olivia’s family situation, and the way she interacts with her parents and step-parents. Her father, like Olivia, is a fairly quiet person, introverted, with scars Olivia can’t quite see. Her mother is lovely, encouraging without being pushy, and as with her father, we find out more about her own past late in the novel. Both made for compelling characters, and I found I wanted to spend more time with Olivia’s family.

Olivia’s crush on Zoe is sweet, especially when she starts writing e-mails but not sending them, revealing how she feels without actually stepping over the line. It doesn’t help that Zoe has a girlfriend, and I liked how when the girlfriend does come up, Olivia doesn’t really spend time comparing herself to her or getting jealous or nasty. However, when she is in contact with Natasha, her cousin pushes her to just ‘grab what she wants’, and Olivia doesn’t seem to have a problem with the suggestion of ‘taking’ another girl’s girlfriend?

I was fairly up and down on this book throughout, but I do think the second half is stronger than the first. Though towards the end, there is a scene where a character recaps everything we’ve just seen happen, and it felt jarring. The first half felt like it dragged, with not much happening. The closest person to a best friend Olivia has is Max, and throughout she felt really dismissive of him. Once we get to the second half, however, the mystery deepens and the book becomes more engaging.

We see more, Olivia does more, and you kind of get swept along. The end of the world is much less important than the title suggests, but it does provide a good element of tension to the backdrop. The ending felt a touch rushed, almost like there was too much to be resolved in too short a space of time, and because of that some parts felt squeezed in. The book hits its stride when there’s just a little more happening, when there are things Olivia notices and takes note of, rather than when she’s just reacting to things. The characters – especially Olivia’s immediate family – do have lovely interactions, and the very end of the book was written well.

I enjoyed reading Things to Do Before the End of the World, but I didn’t love it, and felt consistently middle-ground throughout, but it’s easy to see this book will find its fan easily and a lot of people are really going to enjoy this one. Definitely check out the over reviews on this tour, as I suspect there are going to be a lot of people who love this and have raved about it.

Was it a page-turner? Yes, especially the beginning and the end sections of the book, which were the highlights of my reading experience. I couldn’t turn those (electronic) pages fast enough! When the girls reach Madrid the tension is so high that I just had to know what came next. And next. And next.

Did the book meet my expectations? Even though the end of the world is happening and we’re informed of it since the very first chapter, this is not a story about the apocalypse. It is a story about a girl finding her own place in the world, whether it’s coming to an end or not… which I guess it can feel like an apocalypse at the time! This is a sweet novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And that ending? Those very last lines. Genius!

Three words to describe it. Actual. Intriguing. Sweet.

Do I like the cover? Yes, it’s very end-of-days!

Have I read any other books by the same author? Yes, I read The Girl Who Came Out of The Woods and I loved it. I also read a novella called Blackout.