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We Have Reached the End of Our Show
Thanks to an unrelenting cycle of cancer treatments, thirty-two-year-old Gabe is too weak to dance gracefully on stage or through NYC’s sparkling social scene like he once did. And although he and Josie have been in love for six years, lately Gabe’s been feeling more like Josie’s patient than his boyfriend. So one day, Gabe makes a choice: he’ll forgo treatment and live out his remaining days on his own terms.
Then a harrowing announcement blasts over the news—TWENTY-FIVE DAYS UNTIL IMPACT—and as the world falls into chaos around him, something sparks inside Gabe for the first time in a long time: the chance for adventure. When his cousin, Lisi, shows up with a car and a plan, the three begin a journey none of them ever expected—a road trip through the end of the world.
Profound, moving, and delicate, We Have Reached the End of Our Show is a crystalline depiction of the best of humanity and the love we’re all capable of, even in the bleakest of times. Gabe, Josie, and Lisi take turns at the wheel of this novel, steering readers along hauntingly empty highways and through the adventure that happens when we’re forced to put down the carefully drawn map of our lives and look around at what really matters: each other.
Then a harrowing announcement blasts over the news—TWENTY-FIVE DAYS UNTIL IMPACT—and as the world falls into chaos around him, something sparks inside Gabe for the first time in a long time: the chance for adventure. When his cousin, Lisi, shows up with a car and a plan, the three begin a journey none of them ever expected—a road trip through the end of the world.
Profound, moving, and delicate, We Have Reached the End of Our Show is a crystalline depiction of the best of humanity and the love we’re all capable of, even in the bleakest of times. Gabe, Josie, and Lisi take turns at the wheel of this novel, steering readers along hauntingly empty highways and through the adventure that happens when we’re forced to put down the carefully drawn map of our lives and look around at what really matters: each other.
211 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2025
6 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 29, 2025
Omg what a beautifully sad story!!!! I know I’m biased cuz I love Ali so much, but I think that made the experience even more emotional. To know this could be born from her beautiful mind!!! Honestly I’ve thought about the end of the world a lot lately (I think we all have?) and this was such a thoughtful insight into what it could look like for a group of loved ones who are already facing health crises. So beautifully done, Ali!!
July 20, 2025
Thank you to the author (and publisher) who sent me an ARC of this book to read before publication in exchange an honest review! Out September 30.
In this book, it is announced that a an asteroid is going to hit the earth in 25 days and it will end the entire planet. Josie and Gabe, a gay couple, offer to drive Gabe’s cousin Lisi to Sacramento to be with her parents at the end of the world. A road trip across the country through the last weeks of civilization on earth ensues, and the three of them must navigate (literally) through what it means to love and care for one another in the most unexpected of circumstances.
This book was an incredibly emotional read about end of the world and how we show up for each other in times of crisis (one could say the ultimate crisis). I loved getting to see the growth of the relationships between all of the characters. Definitely not your typical road trip story, but I mean that positively.
In this book, it is announced that a an asteroid is going to hit the earth in 25 days and it will end the entire planet. Josie and Gabe, a gay couple, offer to drive Gabe’s cousin Lisi to Sacramento to be with her parents at the end of the world. A road trip across the country through the last weeks of civilization on earth ensues, and the three of them must navigate (literally) through what it means to love and care for one another in the most unexpected of circumstances.
This book was an incredibly emotional read about end of the world and how we show up for each other in times of crisis (one could say the ultimate crisis). I loved getting to see the growth of the relationships between all of the characters. Definitely not your typical road trip story, but I mean that positively.
July 21, 2025
Thank you to the publisher, Wilding Press, and the author, Ali Gordon, for a gifted ARC of this novel!
I have so many feelings for this beautiful, explosive little book. I started this innocently enough on a Sunday night, and just a couple hours later I was heavy sobbing on my couch. My cats and my partner wandered in to check on me, and I found it hard to articulate the impact I was feeling as Lisi, Josie, and Gabe ran from their own Impact. I’m gonna try my best to highlight some feelings (although they will be vague and ramble-y, I apologize in advance).
First: as a queer person, the notion of the world ending and “being with those you love at the end” for me looks different than for other people. I don’t speak to my parents or extended family- it’s painful, but it’s nothing compared to the pain they put me through when I do speak to them. I wouldn’t ever want to spend time close to them, even if the world was ending. Thank you, Ali Gordon, for capturing that feeling, and for using Gabe and Josie’s disregard for their families to make me feel like me own decision is okay. ♥️
Second: the need Josie has to FIX! I’m gonna try to be spoiler-free; I relate so much to the weight he carries (some of it self inflicted, if we’re honest). He spends a lot of time putting things on the back burner (and then crying, which, is very relatable LOL), and in the end has to reconcile that habit. His love for Gabe is…beautiful. Queer love is so beautiful. Thank you for that.
Third: ugh, Lisi. I’ll say this: I didn’t like her very much at the beginning (…ok ok I favor Josie, mayyyybe his opinions had influence…maybe). But, one of my FAVORITE things is when an author can write a character that is real, not my fav, but has a growth arc and redeeming qualities and feels genuine. Lisi really shut me up by the end of the book…good for her!! Also, side note, I wanna see this cropped leather jacket. I’m imagining something I wore in middle school that I STILL miss to this day.
Fourth: Gabe Gabe Gabe my baby. My little performer, my little sweetheart, my little lover boy. I love your commitment to Josie, I love your love. (Yes I am writing this to Gabe directly, everyone else can avert their eyes). I have a chronically ill partner and I think my love for you stems from my love for my own partner. Caring for someone you love, but not being able to help them, is a gut wrenching experience. I wanted to step into the book and hold your hand Gabe, stroke your hair while you slept, and love you through your awful symptoms. Thank you for showing so much grace and humor in the face of your illness, and also for being irresponsible and beautiful and selfish and messy, bc sick ppl don’t have to be idealized and perfect!!
It’s not about gayness, or dying, or fear, or family. This book is about the lack of importance of everything at the end- your past, popularity, material possessions, etc. It’s about love in a painful, raw, turned-on-it’s-head kinda way. It’s about going full speed toward everything, because we cannot slow time down. It’s about white knuckling life and enjoying life and life as a living being that goes on regardless of your permission or protest. It’s very, very good.
I’ve rambled on for too long at this point, but I will say that I can’t wait to reread this. I think people should read this in schools. I’m gonna infiltrate 100 book clubs just to get them to read this book. It’s that good. Obviously, 5 stars, for sure. Thank you again SO MUCH to Wildling Press for this golden gift of a galley copy. It’s a prized possession. Thank you also to the author for this creation, and that really good cry it gave me. And now, officially, we have reached the end of our show. See you when I see you <3
I have so many feelings for this beautiful, explosive little book. I started this innocently enough on a Sunday night, and just a couple hours later I was heavy sobbing on my couch. My cats and my partner wandered in to check on me, and I found it hard to articulate the impact I was feeling as Lisi, Josie, and Gabe ran from their own Impact. I’m gonna try my best to highlight some feelings (although they will be vague and ramble-y, I apologize in advance).
First: as a queer person, the notion of the world ending and “being with those you love at the end” for me looks different than for other people. I don’t speak to my parents or extended family- it’s painful, but it’s nothing compared to the pain they put me through when I do speak to them. I wouldn’t ever want to spend time close to them, even if the world was ending. Thank you, Ali Gordon, for capturing that feeling, and for using Gabe and Josie’s disregard for their families to make me feel like me own decision is okay. ♥️
Second: the need Josie has to FIX! I’m gonna try to be spoiler-free; I relate so much to the weight he carries (some of it self inflicted, if we’re honest). He spends a lot of time putting things on the back burner (and then crying, which, is very relatable LOL), and in the end has to reconcile that habit. His love for Gabe is…beautiful. Queer love is so beautiful. Thank you for that.
Third: ugh, Lisi. I’ll say this: I didn’t like her very much at the beginning (…ok ok I favor Josie, mayyyybe his opinions had influence…maybe). But, one of my FAVORITE things is when an author can write a character that is real, not my fav, but has a growth arc and redeeming qualities and feels genuine. Lisi really shut me up by the end of the book…good for her!! Also, side note, I wanna see this cropped leather jacket. I’m imagining something I wore in middle school that I STILL miss to this day.
Fourth: Gabe Gabe Gabe my baby. My little performer, my little sweetheart, my little lover boy. I love your commitment to Josie, I love your love. (Yes I am writing this to Gabe directly, everyone else can avert their eyes). I have a chronically ill partner and I think my love for you stems from my love for my own partner. Caring for someone you love, but not being able to help them, is a gut wrenching experience. I wanted to step into the book and hold your hand Gabe, stroke your hair while you slept, and love you through your awful symptoms. Thank you for showing so much grace and humor in the face of your illness, and also for being irresponsible and beautiful and selfish and messy, bc sick ppl don’t have to be idealized and perfect!!
It’s not about gayness, or dying, or fear, or family. This book is about the lack of importance of everything at the end- your past, popularity, material possessions, etc. It’s about love in a painful, raw, turned-on-it’s-head kinda way. It’s about going full speed toward everything, because we cannot slow time down. It’s about white knuckling life and enjoying life and life as a living being that goes on regardless of your permission or protest. It’s very, very good.
I’ve rambled on for too long at this point, but I will say that I can’t wait to reread this. I think people should read this in schools. I’m gonna infiltrate 100 book clubs just to get them to read this book. It’s that good. Obviously, 5 stars, for sure. Thank you again SO MUCH to Wildling Press for this golden gift of a galley copy. It’s a prized possession. Thank you also to the author for this creation, and that really good cry it gave me. And now, officially, we have reached the end of our show. See you when I see you <3
July 22, 2025
Rating: 5/5 stars (easily)
Wow. Wow, wow, wow.
First, a massive thank you to Wilding Press and Ali Gordon for an eARC of this book!
It's hard to put the impact of this book into words, and there is so much to say about it that to say it all would end up in a novel itself. I could not put this down!
This story is so much more than what you could imagine before diving in. It is more than just having an adventure before the literal end of the world. It is packed with passion, love, humor, growth, and relationships.
I became SO invested in these characters and the story. Their situation is complex, but what is more compelling is how they are complex as people and as parts of a whole. Each of the three main characters (Gabe, Josie, and Lisi) are so distinct while being inextricably tied to one another. The author did an incredible job of balancing each of their characters in the story, and we got different amounts and kinds of background information about each of them through the seamlessly executed dual timeline. While the information we get about each is different in kind and amount, by the end of the story I realized that we got exactly what we needed for each of them to understand them as they are.
They each have such different perspectives on what is happening around them. Gabe has been slowly moving towards death because of his cancer, so his take on the world ending is almost comforting to read in the midst of Josie's and Lisi's (and really, all of humanity's) terror. He finally feels alive again, feels happy, is taking full advantage of a new kind of freedom. As someone who has lost a family member to cancer, Gabe's character made me feel so many things all at once, but he comforted me.
Josie and Lisi are understandably terrified, not only of dying, but of losing Gabe. For both of them, Gabe is their everything. That thread remains throughout the story, and it hit me HARD - Gabe is *the* connecting link. The way both Josie and Lisi adore him and cling to him for comfort and happiness is endearing and twisted my heart.
The characters grow so much over the story, and I wish I could know them in reality. By the end of the story, I felt like I was part of their group. I loved Gabe just as much as they did, and I loved Josie and Lisi.
While the story is largely character-focused, it also speaks so much to other themes. It comments on survival, desperation, and hope. It highlights acts of kindness and humanity. It talks about courage and dignity, expectations and false assumptions. It forces you to think about who you'd want to be with at the end and the way 'family' doesn't just mean blood. It is a found family story, in a way, that goes beyond the typical "my friends have become my family." It also features so much queer representation and commentary that is incredible - the love and the challenges that come with a queer identity.
And THE. END. I had to sit with it, frozen, after reading it as I connected a few links that made the ending so layered, rich, and meaningful. It was the PERFECT ending, the perfect last few lines, the perfect story. I won't give any spoilers, because the ending and the story is something everyone needs to experience. There is nothing I wouldn't give to be able to read this for the first time again.
In 160 pages, Ali Gordon has managed to write a story that is going to stay with me for years. I hope everyone gets the chance to read this.
Wow. Wow, wow, wow.
First, a massive thank you to Wilding Press and Ali Gordon for an eARC of this book!
It's hard to put the impact of this book into words, and there is so much to say about it that to say it all would end up in a novel itself. I could not put this down!
This story is so much more than what you could imagine before diving in. It is more than just having an adventure before the literal end of the world. It is packed with passion, love, humor, growth, and relationships.
I became SO invested in these characters and the story. Their situation is complex, but what is more compelling is how they are complex as people and as parts of a whole. Each of the three main characters (Gabe, Josie, and Lisi) are so distinct while being inextricably tied to one another. The author did an incredible job of balancing each of their characters in the story, and we got different amounts and kinds of background information about each of them through the seamlessly executed dual timeline. While the information we get about each is different in kind and amount, by the end of the story I realized that we got exactly what we needed for each of them to understand them as they are.
They each have such different perspectives on what is happening around them. Gabe has been slowly moving towards death because of his cancer, so his take on the world ending is almost comforting to read in the midst of Josie's and Lisi's (and really, all of humanity's) terror. He finally feels alive again, feels happy, is taking full advantage of a new kind of freedom. As someone who has lost a family member to cancer, Gabe's character made me feel so many things all at once, but he comforted me.
Josie and Lisi are understandably terrified, not only of dying, but of losing Gabe. For both of them, Gabe is their everything. That thread remains throughout the story, and it hit me HARD - Gabe is *the* connecting link. The way both Josie and Lisi adore him and cling to him for comfort and happiness is endearing and twisted my heart.
The characters grow so much over the story, and I wish I could know them in reality. By the end of the story, I felt like I was part of their group. I loved Gabe just as much as they did, and I loved Josie and Lisi.
While the story is largely character-focused, it also speaks so much to other themes. It comments on survival, desperation, and hope. It highlights acts of kindness and humanity. It talks about courage and dignity, expectations and false assumptions. It forces you to think about who you'd want to be with at the end and the way 'family' doesn't just mean blood. It is a found family story, in a way, that goes beyond the typical "my friends have become my family." It also features so much queer representation and commentary that is incredible - the love and the challenges that come with a queer identity.
And THE. END. I had to sit with it, frozen, after reading it as I connected a few links that made the ending so layered, rich, and meaningful. It was the PERFECT ending, the perfect last few lines, the perfect story. I won't give any spoilers, because the ending and the story is something everyone needs to experience. There is nothing I wouldn't give to be able to read this for the first time again.
In 160 pages, Ali Gordon has managed to write a story that is going to stay with me for years. I hope everyone gets the chance to read this.
September 4, 2025
we have reached the end of our show by ali gordon is everything all at once. it achieves a perfect balance between love and grief, fluff and angst. it’s perfect to the point where even the length of the story is ideal. for someone who generally avoids apocalyptic narratives because they remind me a bit too much of the pandemic, the themes of “found family”, “queer love story”, and “crystalline tribute to art, love, and things that make life worth living” were too good to pass up.
gabe and josie love each other so fiercely and authentically until the very end. josie, introverted, shares the most vulnerable parts of himself and continues to care for gabe, despite the possibility of losing him to terminal illness. gabe’s defiance in the face of it—his desire to live and continue creating art—considerately represents the disabled community.
in my interview with the author ali gordon, she mentions part of the reason the book takes place during an apocalypse is because it illustrates the most heightened version of people’s reactions “when they know that time is limited”. the grief the characters encounter as they realize everything they love will be stripped away from them reminds me of my privilege of experiencing the world.
i fear i will never be the same after reading this book. it has altered my brain chemistry. it’s a wild ride. the end of our show has left me “queasy with motion sickness”.
thank you so so much to ali gordon and wildling press for the digital arc!
full review and the interview coming soon on substack https://unapologeticallypod.substack....
gabe and josie love each other so fiercely and authentically until the very end. josie, introverted, shares the most vulnerable parts of himself and continues to care for gabe, despite the possibility of losing him to terminal illness. gabe’s defiance in the face of it—his desire to live and continue creating art—considerately represents the disabled community.
in my interview with the author ali gordon, she mentions part of the reason the book takes place during an apocalypse is because it illustrates the most heightened version of people’s reactions “when they know that time is limited”. the grief the characters encounter as they realize everything they love will be stripped away from them reminds me of my privilege of experiencing the world.
i fear i will never be the same after reading this book. it has altered my brain chemistry. it’s a wild ride. the end of our show has left me “queasy with motion sickness”.
thank you so so much to ali gordon and wildling press for the digital arc!
full review and the interview coming soon on substack https://unapologeticallypod.substack....
September 10, 2025
Review: "I don't resent a life I spent any part of with you." Whew. This book. This book was beautiful, devastating, heartwarming, and wrecking. I laughed, I cried, I contemplated who I'd want as part of my end of the world road trip. This book is about so many things, but at the end of the day, it's about love. True love. Familial love. Platonic love. I will genuinely be thinking about this book for a long time.
Synopsis: Thanks to an unrelenting cycle of cancer treatments, thirty-two-year-old Gabe is too weak to dance gracefully on stage or through NYC’s sparkling social scene like he once did. And although he and Josie have been in love for six years, lately Gabe’s been feeling more like Josie’s patient than his boyfriend. So one day, Gabe makes a choice: he’ll forgo treatment and live out his remaining days on his own terms.
Then a harrowing announcement blasts over the news—TWENTY-FIVE DAYS UNTIL IMPACT—and as the world falls into chaos around him, something sparks inside Gabe for the first time in a long time: the chance for adventure. When his cousin, Lisi, shows up with a car and a plan, the three begin a journey none of them ever expected—a road trip through the end of the world.
Gabe, Josie, and Lisi take turns at the wheel of this novel, steering readers along hauntingly empty highways and through the adventure that happens when we’re forced to put down the carefully drawn map of our lives and look around at what really matters: each other.
Synopsis: Thanks to an unrelenting cycle of cancer treatments, thirty-two-year-old Gabe is too weak to dance gracefully on stage or through NYC’s sparkling social scene like he once did. And although he and Josie have been in love for six years, lately Gabe’s been feeling more like Josie’s patient than his boyfriend. So one day, Gabe makes a choice: he’ll forgo treatment and live out his remaining days on his own terms.
Then a harrowing announcement blasts over the news—TWENTY-FIVE DAYS UNTIL IMPACT—and as the world falls into chaos around him, something sparks inside Gabe for the first time in a long time: the chance for adventure. When his cousin, Lisi, shows up with a car and a plan, the three begin a journey none of them ever expected—a road trip through the end of the world.
Gabe, Josie, and Lisi take turns at the wheel of this novel, steering readers along hauntingly empty highways and through the adventure that happens when we’re forced to put down the carefully drawn map of our lives and look around at what really matters: each other.
December 15, 2025
you know it's good when it manages to completely destroy you in one short sitting exactly as this quietly profound little gem did for me (and to tell a full compelling story and make me care for these characters so much in such a short amount of time was literally bawling my eyes out at one point like wtf was not expecting this at all)
September 15, 2025
Thanks to Wildling Press for the arc! We Have Reached the End of Our Show is a short, emotionally devastating read.
It’s definitely a character driven story with a focus on our three MCs - Gabe who’s been diagnosed with cancer, Josie his boyfriend, and Lisi his cousin as they spend their last 25 days before the end of the world roadtripping across the country.
I do wish there was more of a plot so it felt like a full length book rather than a depressing short story. This is NOT an action/adventure apocalypse novel, very little actually happens, and there are very few happy moments, but it is an impactful look at relationship dynamics and the human condition. And it’s full of love.
(I cried)
Josie was by far my favorite character and POV - soft, observant, and empathetic. His relationship with Lisi was fun to watch develop throughout the book and I think the novel ended in a good place.
All in all I recommend for sad girl autumn.
Tigger warnings: terminal illness, childhood sexual trauma, apocalypse
It’s definitely a character driven story with a focus on our three MCs - Gabe who’s been diagnosed with cancer, Josie his boyfriend, and Lisi his cousin as they spend their last 25 days before the end of the world roadtripping across the country.
I do wish there was more of a plot so it felt like a full length book rather than a depressing short story. This is NOT an action/adventure apocalypse novel, very little actually happens, and there are very few happy moments, but it is an impactful look at relationship dynamics and the human condition. And it’s full of love.
(I cried)
Josie was by far my favorite character and POV - soft, observant, and empathetic. His relationship with Lisi was fun to watch develop throughout the book and I think the novel ended in a good place.
All in all I recommend for sad girl autumn.
Tigger warnings: terminal illness, childhood sexual trauma, apocalypse
October 7, 2025
Ali Gordon is so impressive in the thoughtfulness and depth throughout her debut novel 🥰. The book is real and complex about the challenges and darkness of grief, terminal illnesses, family, and love and still ultimately left me feeling hopeful and grateful for my life and my loved ones and my loved ones' loved ones. I am always a fan of time jumps and character POV switches and this was no exception-- both of these used perfectly to allow us to truly meet each character and learn the quiet and loud parts of who they are.
October 4, 2025
A Heartrending and Beautiful Debut Novel
I absolutely loved the experience of reading this! The characters are vibrant, richly painted, and bursting with emotion. And the central premise of the novel is immediately compelling: What happens if your death is imminent, but suddenly, everyone else on earth will die soon as well? Gordon explores the concepts of love, loneliness, and mortality through the “end of the world” in a fresh frame. Please read this wonderful book!
I absolutely loved the experience of reading this! The characters are vibrant, richly painted, and bursting with emotion. And the central premise of the novel is immediately compelling: What happens if your death is imminent, but suddenly, everyone else on earth will die soon as well? Gordon explores the concepts of love, loneliness, and mortality through the “end of the world” in a fresh frame. Please read this wonderful book!
September 28, 2025
"Everything was incomprehensible. Everything was manageable."
**First off, thank you to Ali Gordon and Wildling Press for an ARC of this book!**
I know Ali Gordon from college, and she has always been a phenomenal writer, a brilliant human, and wicked smart. That blend of sharp intelligence and human groundedness shines through every page of this debut, which balances devastating honesty with unexpected tenderness.
The story follows Gabe, a 32-year-old performer living with cancer. Along with his long-term partner Josie and his cousin Lisi, Gabe sets out on a road trip when they learn that an asteroid will hit Earth in 25 days.
The book starts slowly (I wasn’t quite sure what kind of "apocalypse" I was stepping into) but then all of a sudden it sucked me in. Gabe and Josie’s relationship is messy, beautiful, and tender in a way that feels so real: complex, earnest, gritty, and painful all at once. Lisi… well, let’s just say I started out hating her, but eventually grew to tolerate her (begrudgingly). I loved the way Ali weaved in the edges of each character without painting the whole picture. Sometimes I wanted more, but that restraint felt intentional. It made the characters feel real, and it especially made the relationship between Josie and Lisi feel very real.
What stayed with me most were the lines that captured the tension of opposites. One of my favorites: “Everything was incomprehensible. Everything was manageable.” It reminded me of Gavin Creel’s saying, “Everything is both.” That’s the heart of this book: it is both devastating AND beautiful, slow AND quick, raw AND simple. Incomprehensible AND manageable.
The apocalyptic backdrop isn’t the typical bleak, horror-filled survival story. Honestly, part of me kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and for hunger, violence, or chaos to rip our characters apart. Some of those elements are there, but Ali takes a different path. Instead of focusing on external terror, she zeroes in on what happens inside people when the end is coming. That choice made space for unexpected moments of joy, curiosity, and even peace. Watching Gabe soften into himself, freed from being just “the sick one,” was moving and unforgettable.
If anything, I wanted even more of the present-day story. The flashbacks were so rich that they made me crave the same texture in the current timeline.
All in all, this debut is powerful, tender, and gorgeously written. It’s a story about love, loss, found family, and the beauty of living honestly at the edge of the world. I'm still sitting here reeling and feeling the ending of the book. It's the kind of book that really sticks with you!!
Tags/Triggers: MLM relationship, Queer/LGBTQ+, found family, apocalypse, cancer, grief, sexual assault of a minor (off-page, referenced).
**First off, thank you to Ali Gordon and Wildling Press for an ARC of this book!**
I know Ali Gordon from college, and she has always been a phenomenal writer, a brilliant human, and wicked smart. That blend of sharp intelligence and human groundedness shines through every page of this debut, which balances devastating honesty with unexpected tenderness.
The story follows Gabe, a 32-year-old performer living with cancer. Along with his long-term partner Josie and his cousin Lisi, Gabe sets out on a road trip when they learn that an asteroid will hit Earth in 25 days.
The book starts slowly (I wasn’t quite sure what kind of "apocalypse" I was stepping into) but then all of a sudden it sucked me in. Gabe and Josie’s relationship is messy, beautiful, and tender in a way that feels so real: complex, earnest, gritty, and painful all at once. Lisi… well, let’s just say I started out hating her, but eventually grew to tolerate her (begrudgingly). I loved the way Ali weaved in the edges of each character without painting the whole picture. Sometimes I wanted more, but that restraint felt intentional. It made the characters feel real, and it especially made the relationship between Josie and Lisi feel very real.
What stayed with me most were the lines that captured the tension of opposites. One of my favorites: “Everything was incomprehensible. Everything was manageable.” It reminded me of Gavin Creel’s saying, “Everything is both.” That’s the heart of this book: it is both devastating AND beautiful, slow AND quick, raw AND simple. Incomprehensible AND manageable.
The apocalyptic backdrop isn’t the typical bleak, horror-filled survival story. Honestly, part of me kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and for hunger, violence, or chaos to rip our characters apart. Some of those elements are there, but Ali takes a different path. Instead of focusing on external terror, she zeroes in on what happens inside people when the end is coming. That choice made space for unexpected moments of joy, curiosity, and even peace. Watching Gabe soften into himself, freed from being just “the sick one,” was moving and unforgettable.
If anything, I wanted even more of the present-day story. The flashbacks were so rich that they made me crave the same texture in the current timeline.
All in all, this debut is powerful, tender, and gorgeously written. It’s a story about love, loss, found family, and the beauty of living honestly at the edge of the world. I'm still sitting here reeling and feeling the ending of the book. It's the kind of book that really sticks with you!!
Tags/Triggers: MLM relationship, Queer/LGBTQ+, found family, apocalypse, cancer, grief, sexual assault of a minor (off-page, referenced).
September 20, 2025
Hands down one of my favorite books of this year! I'm one of those fun people who spends too much time dallying in existential dread so of course I'm a big fan of "oh no, how do we come to terms with imminent death" books like this.
Honestly this book offers a perfect balance of negotiating hard things with both humor and despair, love and distance, pain and beauty. I felt like I was building my own relationship with each of the three main characters where I could recognize their intentions, strengths, quirks, and flaws. They became so real so quickly, and I was eager to follow their adventures through the highs and lows of their final 25 days on Earth. What I appreciated most was that there are certain areas without closure, which is an excellent reflection of real life - you just can't get answers for everything and you have to come to terms with that.
Many thanks to Ali Gordon and Wildling Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book!
Honestly this book offers a perfect balance of negotiating hard things with both humor and despair, love and distance, pain and beauty. I felt like I was building my own relationship with each of the three main characters where I could recognize their intentions, strengths, quirks, and flaws. They became so real so quickly, and I was eager to follow their adventures through the highs and lows of their final 25 days on Earth. What I appreciated most was that there are certain areas without closure, which is an excellent reflection of real life - you just can't get answers for everything and you have to come to terms with that.
Many thanks to Ali Gordon and Wildling Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book!
September 17, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up
This novel is a reminder that life is short and spending time doing the things you love with the people you love is never more important than now.
An announcement blares over the TV: there are only twenty-five days until the end of the world.
Josie and Gabe have been together for six years when the announcement comes. While humanity is devastated and thrown into chaos at the idea of a world-ending asteroid headed straight their way, Gabe isn't hit with the same urgency.
The news is only speeding up what his cancer diagnosis already started.
So what do Josie, Gabe, and Gabe's young cousin Lisi do when the world is about to end? They hit the road!
This book hit me in ways I never would have expected. It was delicate and beautiful and wove an intricate tale of love, hope, and life throughout an apocalyptic nightmare.
I found myself sobbing as I read through the back half of this beautiful tale. It was such gorgeous storytelling and you really got to know these characters, even if for only 25 days.
My only wish is that the book had been a little longer, but alas, such is the same with life.
Thank you to Wilding Press and Ali Gordon for the advanced copy!
This novel is a reminder that life is short and spending time doing the things you love with the people you love is never more important than now.
An announcement blares over the TV: there are only twenty-five days until the end of the world.
Josie and Gabe have been together for six years when the announcement comes. While humanity is devastated and thrown into chaos at the idea of a world-ending asteroid headed straight their way, Gabe isn't hit with the same urgency.
The news is only speeding up what his cancer diagnosis already started.
So what do Josie, Gabe, and Gabe's young cousin Lisi do when the world is about to end? They hit the road!
This book hit me in ways I never would have expected. It was delicate and beautiful and wove an intricate tale of love, hope, and life throughout an apocalyptic nightmare.
I found myself sobbing as I read through the back half of this beautiful tale. It was such gorgeous storytelling and you really got to know these characters, even if for only 25 days.
My only wish is that the book had been a little longer, but alas, such is the same with life.
Thank you to Wilding Press and Ali Gordon for the advanced copy!
September 8, 2025
Ali somehow made me care more about these two character instead of WHY the world was ending!
October 16, 2025
this book will wreck you, and what a privilege it is to be wrecked by such a grounded and resonant story. do yourself a favor and buy a pack of tissues and read this book.
August 24, 2025
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (rounded up)
Romance level: 🔥🔥.5 (sometimes a lil steamy but mostly sweet)
“’I don’t resent a life I spent any part of with you.’”
The world is ending in this book but somehow the author makes you care about the 3 main characters and their own microcosm more than everything happening around them. This was seriously so good and packs a punch for such a short book - deep and believable character development, a balance between darker edges and softer spots, and some really well-done relationship development between characters. I’d absolutely recommend!
Romance level: 🔥🔥.5 (sometimes a lil steamy but mostly sweet)
“’I don’t resent a life I spent any part of with you.’”
The world is ending in this book but somehow the author makes you care about the 3 main characters and their own microcosm more than everything happening around them. This was seriously so good and packs a punch for such a short book - deep and believable character development, a balance between darker edges and softer spots, and some really well-done relationship development between characters. I’d absolutely recommend!
October 31, 2025
We Have Reached the End of Our Show is a tender rumination on grief, love, and art in a world unraveling around you.
In 25 days, life ends. An asteroid will impact Earth and it is unsurvivable.
Gabe is already preparing to die – he has a terminal brain cancer diagnosis and left his treatment options (and his professional dance career) behind a while ago. His boyfriend Josie has been serving as his caretaker, and loves him more than anything.
When Gabe’s cousin Lisi shows up with the hope of returning home to California one last time, the three of them set off on a cross-country road trip. They have no idea what they’ll face or if they’ll make it there to say goodbye, but Gabe is ready for one final adventure.
Though the plot is bleak, Gabe, Josie, and Lisi are all beacons of light. Their relationships with each other are complicated - and they keep some things tucked away - but they truly care for each other. There’s so much gentle compassion, even amidst some conflict and ribbing, and a bit of humor and wit, too.
Josie is more introverted, and there are memories and feelings he shoves inside of him. He steps up to be the responsible, pragmatic provider and leader and driver of the car. But over time, things bubble up.
Gabe is a little bit more of a wildcard, always ready to dive into a new artistic challenge. He balances his own impending death between anger that he can’t return to dance, stubbornness when he won’t admit he’s struggling and wants to be seen as strong & independent, dry humor around the facts that he can’t change, and a lot of self assuredness that he’s finally making the right choices for himself.
Lisi is so lost. She’s fumbling her way through life, even though she has a solid social circle and is wonderfully talented. She just wants someone who will love her and will be there for her. I think she had the greatest arc, but the character development for all three protagonists was wonderfully done.
Both Josie and Gabe have past hurts and have distanced themselves from their families. Neither one wishes to attempt to see them one last time, and that’s accepted. At the end of the world, it doesn’t matter who your blood relatives are. What matters are the people who put in the work for you, who accept you as you are, and who love you furiously.
This is an incredibly emotional read at the most heightened moment you can imagine. There are dark moments and cruel people, but I think overall this takes an optimistic look at humanity and the ways we might act during the ultimate crisis.
The writing is mostly straightforward and simple, but touching. The dialogue felt believable, especially when highlighting the things we say versus what we keep locked away. It’s bittersweet (you’ll cry, sorry) and thoughtful and the perfect length. I was really moved by this one.
CW: mass death, cancer, terminal illness, suicide, grief, rape, pedophilia, child abuse
Follow me on social media for book recommendations!
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
In 25 days, life ends. An asteroid will impact Earth and it is unsurvivable.
Gabe is already preparing to die – he has a terminal brain cancer diagnosis and left his treatment options (and his professional dance career) behind a while ago. His boyfriend Josie has been serving as his caretaker, and loves him more than anything.
When Gabe’s cousin Lisi shows up with the hope of returning home to California one last time, the three of them set off on a cross-country road trip. They have no idea what they’ll face or if they’ll make it there to say goodbye, but Gabe is ready for one final adventure.
Though the plot is bleak, Gabe, Josie, and Lisi are all beacons of light. Their relationships with each other are complicated - and they keep some things tucked away - but they truly care for each other. There’s so much gentle compassion, even amidst some conflict and ribbing, and a bit of humor and wit, too.
Josie is more introverted, and there are memories and feelings he shoves inside of him. He steps up to be the responsible, pragmatic provider and leader and driver of the car. But over time, things bubble up.
Gabe is a little bit more of a wildcard, always ready to dive into a new artistic challenge. He balances his own impending death between anger that he can’t return to dance, stubbornness when he won’t admit he’s struggling and wants to be seen as strong & independent, dry humor around the facts that he can’t change, and a lot of self assuredness that he’s finally making the right choices for himself.
Lisi is so lost. She’s fumbling her way through life, even though she has a solid social circle and is wonderfully talented. She just wants someone who will love her and will be there for her. I think she had the greatest arc, but the character development for all three protagonists was wonderfully done.
Both Josie and Gabe have past hurts and have distanced themselves from their families. Neither one wishes to attempt to see them one last time, and that’s accepted. At the end of the world, it doesn’t matter who your blood relatives are. What matters are the people who put in the work for you, who accept you as you are, and who love you furiously.
This is an incredibly emotional read at the most heightened moment you can imagine. There are dark moments and cruel people, but I think overall this takes an optimistic look at humanity and the ways we might act during the ultimate crisis.
The writing is mostly straightforward and simple, but touching. The dialogue felt believable, especially when highlighting the things we say versus what we keep locked away. It’s bittersweet (you’ll cry, sorry) and thoughtful and the perfect length. I was really moved by this one.
CW: mass death, cancer, terminal illness, suicide, grief, rape, pedophilia, child abuse
Follow me on social media for book recommendations!
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
September 29, 2025
This story starts out with a countdown until the end of the world - a meteor will be impacting earth in 25 days. We then follow 3 people as they journey together to their end. It is a beautiful story of grief, and love, and loss, and humanity. Gabe has a terminal cancer diagnosis and has been grappling with his expiration date prior to the news of the end of the world so while the timeline for his end may be altered, he was already mentally on his way to knowing it was coming soon. His boyfriend, Josie who has been acting as his nurse and caregiver, doesn’t know what to do with himself and with Gabe now that he has lost even more control over their lives. Gabe’s cousin, Lisi, leaves in NYC with them and has a very close, co-dependent relationship with Gabe but her and Josie often don’t see eye to eye.
I love the dual time line structure giving us the backstory to the relationship of this trio facing the end of the world. It gives you a glimpse into Gabe prior to his illness and how his personality, goals, and priorities changed after a diagnosis
There are two really fascinating storylines happening while both deal with death one is the death of one person who will be impacting those he leaves behind while the other storyline is an acceptance of mass death, all leaving but all doing this end thing together and its such a stark contrast that occurs when the impending death is seen as one loved person versus all ending together.
There are changes in Josie as he had to become caretaker and took on burdens Gabe didn’t necessarily want or need him to take on. When a disease has no solution or cure and there is no control left for those around the patient, you strive to take control of what you can whether the affected individual desires you to control it or not.
This book does a great job of showing the selfishness in grief and loss when you are losing someone close to you and you want to feel useful or involved instead of focusing on what the dying person’s wishes are.
There is this struggle between Lisi and Josie to prove who knows and loves Gabe better, as if in his last moments only one of them can be his closest partner. It feels crushing for Josie to have dedicated so much time to Gabe while sick and nursing him to then have Lisi show up for the end and swoop in like she was always his ride or die partner.
Overall I knew where this book was going to end but the journey there was a lovely view into these characters and their growth, realness, and humanity.
I love the dual time line structure giving us the backstory to the relationship of this trio facing the end of the world. It gives you a glimpse into Gabe prior to his illness and how his personality, goals, and priorities changed after a diagnosis
There are two really fascinating storylines happening while both deal with death one is the death of one person who will be impacting those he leaves behind while the other storyline is an acceptance of mass death, all leaving but all doing this end thing together and its such a stark contrast that occurs when the impending death is seen as one loved person versus all ending together.
There are changes in Josie as he had to become caretaker and took on burdens Gabe didn’t necessarily want or need him to take on. When a disease has no solution or cure and there is no control left for those around the patient, you strive to take control of what you can whether the affected individual desires you to control it or not.
This book does a great job of showing the selfishness in grief and loss when you are losing someone close to you and you want to feel useful or involved instead of focusing on what the dying person’s wishes are.
There is this struggle between Lisi and Josie to prove who knows and loves Gabe better, as if in his last moments only one of them can be his closest partner. It feels crushing for Josie to have dedicated so much time to Gabe while sick and nursing him to then have Lisi show up for the end and swoop in like she was always his ride or die partner.
Overall I knew where this book was going to end but the journey there was a lovely view into these characters and their growth, realness, and humanity.
November 24, 2025
4 ⭐️
reading this book and listening to Drag Path by Twenty One Pilots has been quite the experience.
gods, do I start with words or tears? because I have so many tears and no fitting words at all.
this was so fucking beautiful and so fucking sad. every character felt so human; I saw myself in each one of them and mourned each one of them.
my only little insight is that I hoped they stayed with gabe or brought him with them but honestly, I can't even complain about this after reading the last few sentences.
the writing style was so, so, so insanely unique and I wanted to be lost in this story.
the book tore me apart and put me back together at the same time. I wish I had more to say but can say for sure that I felt more in these pages than I have in a long time.
Yes, he would have waited for Gabe. Who else in his life did he have to live and wait for?
“No one has ever loved me like that,” she wails, squeezing Josie harder.
reading this book and listening to Drag Path by Twenty One Pilots has been quite the experience.
gods, do I start with words or tears? because I have so many tears and no fitting words at all.
this was so fucking beautiful and so fucking sad. every character felt so human; I saw myself in each one of them and mourned each one of them.
my only little insight is that I hoped they stayed with gabe or brought him with them but honestly, I can't even complain about this after reading the last few sentences.
the writing style was so, so, so insanely unique and I wanted to be lost in this story.
the book tore me apart and put me back together at the same time. I wish I had more to say but can say for sure that I felt more in these pages than I have in a long time.
October 21, 2025
My friend wrote this!!!!!!!! Go Ali!!!!!!
October 31, 2025
Ali Gordon is so so so so cool oh my god 😭 read this in like 6 hours or so
November 9, 2025
Glorious! This end of the world, cross country, gay romance is tragic and beautiful and resilient and hopeful and horrifying and one of the loveliest things I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.
November 10, 2025
Great, speculative journey. The premise grabs you from the beginning. Very touching and reflective.
November 12, 2025
a devastating and beautiful read by an author who really knows her way around the human spirit. the characters feel so real, particularly in their responses to the ugliness and uncomfortable sides of illness and of grief. its so rare to see this type of, well, ugliness being written with this level of compassion. i felt instantly connected to josie, gabe and lisi, and was deeply invested in their last days. i cried on the subway on two separate commutes! i'm so glad i read this, and i'm so glad this was written.
September 28, 2025
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review!
I will start off by noting that I am a huge Starkid fan and was very excited that a member of my favorite theatre troupe wrote a book, let alone one in one of my fav genres, aka end of the world/apocalypse proportions.
Even with my expectation that I would enjoy it, I never expected to relate to it as much as I did. The character Josie and his entire backstory was (unfortunately) incredibly relatable to me as someone who escaped a high control religious cult so all the flashbacks to his Mennonite upbringing were all too familiar to me. And as an Ohio native I am very familiar with Amish/Mennonite communities having lived close to several of them for most of my life.
My religious deconstruction brain truly appreciates the commentary on sexual assault in culty closed church communities and also touching on just how incredibly difficult they are the leave, as well as the way that religious trauma never actually goes away and sometimes the beliefs that were hammered into a young age resurface at the strangest times. I also couldn’t help but wonder if Josie’s family saw the meteor as a rapture of sorts since that is a common belief in Americanized Christianity.
I absolutely loved the road trip aspect of this book, namely as someone who has done almost this exact drive. The characters in this story drive from New York to California while the road trip me and my partner had just taken was from Ohio to Vegas so I actually was familiar with many of the stops they made, especially the idea of having to stop in very specific towns for gas to avoid being stranded in the middle of nowhere stretches of desert especially in the mountains.
This is such a heartfelt and perfectly paced debut novel and I cannot wait to read more from Ali in the future 📖
I will start off by noting that I am a huge Starkid fan and was very excited that a member of my favorite theatre troupe wrote a book, let alone one in one of my fav genres, aka end of the world/apocalypse proportions.
Even with my expectation that I would enjoy it, I never expected to relate to it as much as I did. The character Josie and his entire backstory was (unfortunately) incredibly relatable to me as someone who escaped a high control religious cult so all the flashbacks to his Mennonite upbringing were all too familiar to me. And as an Ohio native I am very familiar with Amish/Mennonite communities having lived close to several of them for most of my life.
My religious deconstruction brain truly appreciates the commentary on sexual assault in culty closed church communities and also touching on just how incredibly difficult they are the leave, as well as the way that religious trauma never actually goes away and sometimes the beliefs that were hammered into a young age resurface at the strangest times. I also couldn’t help but wonder if Josie’s family saw the meteor as a rapture of sorts since that is a common belief in Americanized Christianity.
I absolutely loved the road trip aspect of this book, namely as someone who has done almost this exact drive. The characters in this story drive from New York to California while the road trip me and my partner had just taken was from Ohio to Vegas so I actually was familiar with many of the stops they made, especially the idea of having to stop in very specific towns for gas to avoid being stranded in the middle of nowhere stretches of desert especially in the mountains.
This is such a heartfelt and perfectly paced debut novel and I cannot wait to read more from Ali in the future 📖
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