End of Story by Louise Swanson is an outstanding book about a world where no one is allowed to write fiction. Authors are forbidden to operate and are punished severely for their crimes. In this surveillance state nothing is hidden from the authorities. Government officials visit with little or no notice—namely, two individuals Fern describes as “the tall one and the short one.” It’s a compelling book, set in 2035, revealing a cruel, totalitarian era where disaster is sure to come at full force. It’s almost The Handmaid’s Tale meets Delirium (Dare to Love) in that individuals must undergo disciplinary procedures to “cure” them.

Fern Dostoy, once a fiction laureate with a bright future, has been robbed of her house by the river and a lifestyle that once complimented her bestselling status. Hobbled to an existence that almost resembles imprisonment, she lives a nightmare of rules and isolation, longing for the old life; book tours, library events, the warmth of fellow authors, and someone of substance with whom to talk. So when a blue trainer, a tea seller (Fine-Fayre) and a notebook are her only companions, it’s easy to resonate with her grief.

When book lovers leave hints of Bedtime Stories in secret places, Fern sees a chance to reconnect with old friends. She begins reading a story a young boy to whom she becomes attached, a boy she’d already dreamt about. But it’s clear she cannot fly under the legal radar for long. The tall one and the short one will be back to take her away.

Her words kept resonating with me; “If you tell a story well enough, it’s true,” and it’s through these words I began to understand the mystery of her confinement. Thank God for Fine-Fayre and his mock-vintage van, depicting a picture of a family drinking tea and eating custard creams. I loved him! As I continued to follow Fern’s traumatic journey through the five stages of grief, hoping she would find a way out of her incarceration, I cried a lot, laughed a lot and wished the book wouldn’t end.

The book is multi-layered and complex, Fern’s tragedy unfolding with each chapter. But by the end, it provided hope. My husband kept asking why I was sobbing in a tissue—well, several actually—and I said it’s sad in a good way. It gave me an opportunity to address my own stages of grief and to come out the other side a stronger person.

The book is a prophetic and highly visual novel—a thought experiment about what could happen if fiction writers were seen as a threat to the government. But more than that, it’s a knitting together of “family”—Fern’s greatest loss. It’s true to say I savoured every single page. This is definitely one you can’t afford to miss.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Louise Swanson and Hodder & Stoughton for the privilege of reading this book.

A propulsive and incredibly creepy dystopian premise – I was hooked from the outset, and every twist was perfectly executed. A fantastic thriller that deserves all the accolades.

The story is set in a future where fiction is banned, but all is not as it seems. As we watch the protagonist fall apart more and more questions are raised. The pacing is great – you'll find yourself racing to the end to see how this original premise pans out. Bravo!

Admittedly when I finished this utterly amazing novel I bawled like a baby for a good hour. I mean really, you should all read it and share the completely honest trauma.

I hadn't actually read the blurb, I love this author when she writes as Louise Beech and genuinely if you can manage to read this with as little influence as possible I'd recommend doing that. Any description you get couldn't possibly encompass the strange beauty of this story it is entirely its own thing.

The writing is gorgeous and the author presents a pretty horrific scenario, which sets a scene that slowly slowly absorbs you in. The main protagonist is enthralling, the deep emotional layers of the narrative are hard to put into words but you'll run the gamut of all of them at various points then the end will slap you around a bit before releasing you into the aftermath.

Gorgeously crazy and crazily gorgeous. Stories that do what this one does pitch perfectly don't come along that often so I wouldn't miss it if I were you.

Highly Recommended.

It's the year 2035 and fiction has been banned by the government for five years. Writing novels is a crime. Reading fairytales to children is punishable by law.
Fern Dostoy is a criminal. Officially, she has retrained in a new job outside of the arts but she still scrawls in a secret notepad in an effort to capture what her life has become: her work on a banned phone line, reading bedtime stories to sleep starved children; Hunter, the young boy who calls her and has captured her heart; and the dreaded visits from government officials.
But as Fern begins to learn more about Hunter, doubts begin to surface. What are they both hiding? And who can be trusted?
Totally gripping really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton
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