A beautifully-written story full of heart and an honest human portrayal on the meaning of time and connection. Two voices are heard in this novel through each chapter dedicated to Lucinda and Simon's narrations. Taking place during pre-apocalyptic time, as the end of the world is coming near Lucinda and Simon are tied together during their final weeks to seek answers of their mutual friend Tilda's sudden murder.

From the beginning to the end, every moment in this book was carried with grace and perfection. Mats Strandberg's brilliance resonates through strong character developments delivering the heartfelt yet flawed human-interest stories. He writes with such nuance effortlessly interweaving thought-provoking sociopolitical commentaries on climate change and race relations with a touch on philosophical quanderies. This book truly made me ponder what it is to live meaningfully and the acceptance in the face of death. Originally written in Swedish and translated by Judith Kiros. The translation was wonderfully done in conveying the intented message and its tone. I am introduced to Mats Strandberg's work with this book and this won't be my last. I am very impressed with this YA novel and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this novel and how deeply invested I was with this story and the characters.

Thank you to Net Galley and Arctis Books for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. I fell in love with the story and characters in this book and I cannot wait to read more by this author!

I loved the combination of a murder mystery and eventual destruction! These characters made you wonder how the story would end and if they would all die. This book definitely kept you on your toes!

This story reminded me of the movie I loved called Deep Impact. In that movie there was a similar plot only the world was going to end because a giant asteroid known as a global killer was coming soon. The movie had a similar plot to the action/disaster movie Armageddon but wasn't promoted as much.

The reason I loved the movie Deep Impact more than Armageddon is the same reason I loved this book. The plot focuses not on the disaster itself but on the people that are being affected by it. Lots of times people think they have all the time in the world, others know they have a limited time they just don't know the exact date.

In the case of these plots everyone knows when they're going to die and it will be the same day. So this book makes you think what would you do if you were in this situation.

Personally I would visit as many places here in the US I haven't seen like the Grand Canyon and the Pacific Ocean. I would stop by and pick up my cousins Matt and Mike and my friend CK that I haven't seen in years and have them road trip with me. I would spend my last days with them making up for as much lost time as possible.

I should do that asap anyway.

The End was such a beautifully written story. The story is told from the point of view of two characters who are going to die when a meteor called Foxworth strikes the earth. The whole world is on countdown. I loved the switching back and forth between Lucinda and Simon, both characters were so well written. The story is so intense because you know that the world is coming to an end for these people. There is a mystery thrown in the mix which was a solid whodunit. I felt like I was holding my breath through the last part of the book. I did not want it to end. This is such a great book.

This is an interesting read given I don't usually read dystopian books. But The End incorporates a mystery and YA tale into the last days on earth thanks to a coming meteor name Foxworth.

The world has an ending date and everyone knows it down to the minute. Some carry on as if it's not happening - they are called Deniers. But others don't actually deny, they just live their life as usual because what else is there to do. In the midst of this, a teenage girl is found in a vacant lot. Murdered.

Tilda has been murdered and her best friend Lucinda is obsessed with finding out who did it and why. Tilda's boyfriend, Simon, also becomes involved with the investigation. So with the backdrop of the world ending, new relationships form, others heal, some come to light.

Written pre-pandemic but in the first Trump era, many digs are made towards the politics of the day. These are just as present now as from when this book was originally penned. It was no accident the meteor was named Foxworth. Makes me chuckle every time. The mystery is good, the anarchy from some groups of young people rings true. Hypocrisy and religion are hit hard in these pages.

I find on reflection, this book was much better than I had expected and still remains relevant.

In "The End" by Mats Strandberg, a comet is hurtling towards Earth and humanity knows the exact date of their demise. The story follows a group of teenagers, including Simon and Lucinda, as they face the end of the world. When Tilda, Lucinda's former best friend, is found dead and Simon is accused of her murder, they must navigate their own mortality and what truly matters in life. Strandberg's writing is powerful and suspenseful, exploring themes of survival, friendship, and love. Overall, "The End" is a poignant and impactful young adult novel that will leave readers pondering how they would spend their last days.

Sometimes I read something that pushes at the boundaries of my comfort zone. The End is one of those books as it is YA, translated from Swedish, and sci-fi. These qualities are found in a minimum of the books I usually read. This novel explores the questions of what one would do if they knew that the world was ending on a specific date & what tensions would arise between you and your loved ones as a result?

Told from the alternating viewpoints of two Swedish high schoolers writing journal entries in a cloud-based diary that will hopefully be found in future centuries, it captures the weeks and then the countdown days leading up to a massive comet approaching the Earth and about to decimate it. The End galvanized my attention throughout an intense read. As an avid reader of apocalyptic fiction, an advanced reader’s copy of The End from the publisher proved impossible to resist. Turns out it’s brilliantly absorbing, filled with memorable characterizations, and uplifting despite its intense doomsday focus. It really makes you think about what you would do, how you would feel, and how you would reconcile the meaning of your life, if you knew the specific date of your death. From those joining hippie, artist communes to those finding religious fervor to those getting lost in the haze of drugs to the deniers and to the gather-all-your-loved-ones-close, people’s reactions and the mayhem that ensues challenges your own beliefs and anxieties. And the ending, while foretold, just floored me when it came. While pitched as young adult, this moving read is great for adults as well.

Translation of an award-winning Swedish novel, I read this through the courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley. This was a terrific novel. The characters won your sympathy for their own stories and circumstances outside of the main fact of the impending destruction of Earth by a comet hurtling toward it. The “countdown” is in months, then weeks, then days. The narrative is divided between the teens who are friends. The suspense is, at times, almost unbearable. The search for answers in the face of different tragedies other than the end of all life reveals their strengths and vulnerabilities. Also reviewed on Goodreads.

What a tale! YA has some of the better books lately and this one up at the top. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book! I was not expecting it to be as good as it was, honestly, so I was very pleasantly surprised. The story is set in the few weeks prior to an asteroid hitting and obliterating Earth, but it doesn't really read like a sci-fi novel. It's more of a mystery/thriller set against a sci-fi backdrop, since the central plot centers around two kids, Simon and Lucinda, who are trying to figure out who murdered their friend Tilda. The relationship building in the book is truly spectacular, and I especially loved the dynamics between Simon and his two moms and sister, and between Lucinda and her dad and sister. The family relationships were truly what made this book great. If you like YA mysteries with great family dynamics and a bit of romance, you will enjoy this book. Definitely recommend!

The End
By Mats Strandberg

If you knew when your last day on earth would be, as a meteor is getting ready to crash towards Earth, how would you spend those last days?

This is a riveting and immersive pre-apocalyptical dystopian sci-fi young adult read that I found to be entertaining and surprisingly addictive. With a murder mystery thrown in to the impending doom, this was a deftly written dystopian and translated from The Swedish by Judith Kiros.

Realistic, relatable and raw, this is a book I highly recommend.

Those on Earth discover their days are numbered. A giant meteor, Foxworth, will reach Earth in 3 ½ months, destroying it and all on the planet. For Simon, all he wants to do is spend his time left with his girlfriend, Tilda. But Tilda, not able to compete in her swimming meets, her future no more, suddenly wants to live life, which means without Simon as she spends time with other guys and dipping into drugs and drink. Meanwhile, her friend, Lucinda, who had dropped out of school and drifted away from her friends, including Tilda because she had developed cancer, has stopped chemo. She writes on the TellUs app--a journal to be left for aliens about life on Earth.

Tilda is found dead—suspected murdered, but police no longer have resources or time to find her murderer. Lucinda decides to find out who might have done it. With the help of Simon, who many say killed her.

I was surprised to find myself hooked with this YA pre-apocalyptic thriller novel that has teenage angst (especially with Simon) and a mystery. I wanted to see if Lucinda and Simon solved the whodunit and followed the story to the end, which I knew would be the end of the earth and all life. It’s a dark storyline, but a damn good story.

I had a million different feelings while reading this book. The idea that you're only given 4 months before the world ends is truly terrifying. What would you do? Who would you spend it with? That's the struggle the main characters, Simon and Lucinda, are originally struggling with. Then a close friend to both characters dies. It seems like she was murdered. So to make sense of their final days Simon and lucinda team up to try and solve it. My one annoyance with this book, which isn't really an annoyance, is that its so slow. But the fact that it's slow makes the reader really feel the helplessness of the characters. They know they're going to die. The countdown is present every day for them. So having to be constantly reminded as a reader was both good and bad. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone interested in it (and friends and family). I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The ending is satisfying and unsatisfying all at the same time. 5 stars. I've already got my sights set on Strandsberg's other novel- Blood Cruise!

This book broke my heart. It brought me into a world so thoroughly there were moments that I thought our world was actually being struck by the meteor (thankfully it’s not). The was so much emotion in every page and you were rooting for the main characters the whole time. It was super easy to fall into their shoes.

Highly recommend for anyone who wants to see the world ending while solving a murder. Sadie meets Life As We Know It.