Book Review: The End We Start From by Megan Hunter

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Sometimes for whatever reason a book doesn’t work for me as a reader and book reviewer. The vast majority of books I read are quite enjoyable which is why 95% of the time the reviews I post for you are positive. But in the true spirit of reviewer-ship, I’ve got to give you the good with the bad. When I say bad, remember that book enjoyment is subjective. In fact, this book has won a bunch of awards and is listed as one of the top sellers on Amazon! So long story short, you may love this one but unfortunately it was a miss for me.

I enjoyed that it was a short story, but the lack of dialogue and character development really threw me. Some people will enjoy that the relative anonymity makes the story relatable as if it could happen to anyone, but I really enjoy meeting characters and immersing myself in their lives by getting to know them better. That helps me care about their stories and want to continue reading. I skimmed through this book because I did not feel a connection to anyone. Remember, I LOVE disaster, post apocalyptic, pre-apocalyptic, and anything related to societies collapse type novels. My husband always give me a hard time about that because he thinks its strange that I enjoy reading about everything collapsing. Ha! Nonetheless, they are my jam. So the premise of this book was right up my alley and my dissatisfaction was twice as bad when I didn’t enjoy it at all. Part of me feels like when I read a book like this the writer is more interested in getting writing accolades for “fancy” writing versus giving us a great story. I read a lot and can always see through a “fancy” books façade. Like I said, maybe it’s just me but I gave this book 1 Star on GoodReads. 1 Star is pretty bad! Sorry to the author and publisher. It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley! I received this ARC in return for an honest review.

Here is the the book summary:

The #1 Indie Next Selection for November 2017, a Summer/Fall 2017 Indies Introduce Selection, a Fall 2017 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection, an Amazon Best of the Month in Literature & Fiction “The End We Start From is strange and powerful, and very apt for these uncertain times. I was moved, terrified, uplifted―sometimes all three at once. It takes skill to manage that, and Hunter has a poet’s understanding of how to make each word count.”―Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl With a Pearl Earring Preempted by publishers around the world within days of the 2016 London Book Fair, The End We Start From heralds the arrival of Megan Hunter, a dazzling and unique literary talent. Hunter’s debut is a searing original, a modern-day parable of rebirth and renewal, of maternal bonds, and the instinct to survive and thrive in the absence of all that’s familiar.

As London is submerged below floodwaters, a woman gives birth to her first child, Z. Days later, she and her baby are forced to leave their home in search of safety. They head north through a newly dangerous country seeking refuge from place to place. The story traces fear and wonder as the baby grows, thriving and content against all the odds.

The End We Start From is an indelible and elemental first book―a lyrical vision of the strangeness and beauty The #1 Indie Next Selection for November 2017, a Summer/Fall 2017 Indies Introduce Selection, a Fall 2017 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection, an Amazon Best of the Month in Literature & Fiction <<<
strange and powerful, and very apt for these uncertain times. I was moved, terrified, uplifted―sometimes all three at once. It takes skill to manage that, and Hunter has a poet’s understanding of how to make each word count.”―Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl With a Pearl Earring Preempted by publishers around the world within days of the 2016 London Book Fair, The End We Start From heralds the arrival of Megan Hunter, a dazzling and unique literary talent. Hunter’s debut is a searing original, a modern-day parable of rebirth and renewal, of maternal bonds, and the instinct to survive and thrive in the absence of all that’s familiar.

As London is submerged below floodwaters, a woman gives birth to her first child, Z. Days later, she and her baby are forced to leave their home in search of safety. They head north through a newly dangerous country seeking refuge from place to place. The story traces fear and wonder as the baby grows, thriving and content against all the odds.

The End We Start From is an indelible and elemental first book―a lyrical vision of the strangeness and beauty.