The Town at the End of the World: Book One: Founding

by Genevieve Carr

A plague ended the world. Now the fight is for what comes next.The Pandemic claimed nearly all of humanity, leaving Irina Karrigan to mourn her husband while fighting to keep her young son alive in the ruins of Bend, Oregon. A flyer from a distant community sparks a difficult remain in isolation or risk everything for the promise of connection.

Irina's journey ends in Ferndale, California, where instead of a thriving community, she finds only Rafael Delgado, a grieving parent, like herself, raising his daughter alone. Together they dare to imagine a new world built on fairness, resilience, and hope. But old world dangers return when a charismatic opportunist threatens to unravel everything they've built.

In this sweeping post-apocalyptic tale of survival, love, and political rebirth, the community must decide whether to uphold the fragile ideals that brought them together—or let history repeat itself.

The Town at the End of the World series is a gripping speculative fiction saga set in the haunting ruins of a post-apocalyptic world. Grounded in realism and high-stakes survival, it weaves unconventional love stories with action and political intrigue. Featuring complex, multifaceted characters, the series delves into the challenges of relationships, government, and human connection in a fractured and dangerous world.

491 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 10, 2024

Reviews

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I was a beta reader on this book, so I'm biased. But I'd like to share a bit about what I like about it.

We live in the 21st century, and that means we've learned many things about gender roles, relationships, and just...life in the time since "might makes right" was the ubiquitous norm. Things like the fact that women are every bit as intelligent as men, and more so as often as not. Or that power dynamics create issues in romantic contexts. And that the world is just....better when it's not dog-eat-dog and people can get along.

But what if all that progress was lost? What if we were forced to start over in a world where might makes right? What do you do? How do you build a society? How do you flirt or express romantic interest in someone? How do you survive? And if you build something, what do you do when things go wrong?

This book explores those questions, following a diverse group of characters as they strive to rebuild society in the wake of a devastating event. It's a fun and engaging story that also delves deeply into the challenges of creating a just and equitable world, from government structures to technological innovation. And yes, there's romance. :-) At one point, I told the author I thought it was post-apocalyptic Jane Austen, and it is that. But more than that, it's an exploration of what it means to strive to preserve modern values in a world where the past and future collide.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is a new take on the post- apocalyptic future genre. It focuses more on the challenges of rebuilding society. It also has a romantic element and the characters are interesting and relatable. I can’t wait read the next book!