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A Love Story from the End of the World: Stories
From the acclaimed author of Beasts of a Little Land and Reese’s Book Club pick City of Night Birds, an exquisite story collection about humans in precarious balance with the natural world.
‘A rare jewel … essential reading for right now’ COCO MELLORS‘Kim’s work is ambitious, elegant and deeply intellectual’ PANDORA SYKES‘In this collection, love becomes a framework for understanding what is worth the natural world, our capacity for human connection and the fragile but resilient threads that bind them. What emerges is not a pessimistic vision of apocalypse but a meditation on empathy and tenderness when such sentiments feel otherwise lost’ AnOther Magazine
'Encapsulates our very moment of ecological crisis' Country and Town House
What does it mean to live on our miraculous planet?
Vivid, transportive, and heartfelt, each of these ten stories is a reflection of individual choice in the face of manmade in a near-future Seoul encased by a translucent biodome, a civil engineer charged with its upkeep contemplates an arranged marriage. An American painter travels to the South of France and is seduced by an entrepreneur who claims to have unlocked human consciousness. And where the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet, on an island that has turned into a gargantuan landfill from other countries’ waste, a boy has a fateful brush with K-pop superstars.
For readers of Richard Powers, Elif Shafak and Barbara Kingsolver, Juhea Kim’s first story collection views our world from breathtaking heights. A Love Story from the End of the World is an impassioned reminder that our humanity – and our best hope – will always be found in nature.
‘A rare jewel … essential reading for right now’ COCO MELLORS‘Kim’s work is ambitious, elegant and deeply intellectual’ PANDORA SYKES‘In this collection, love becomes a framework for understanding what is worth the natural world, our capacity for human connection and the fragile but resilient threads that bind them. What emerges is not a pessimistic vision of apocalypse but a meditation on empathy and tenderness when such sentiments feel otherwise lost’ AnOther Magazine
'Encapsulates our very moment of ecological crisis' Country and Town House
What does it mean to live on our miraculous planet?
Vivid, transportive, and heartfelt, each of these ten stories is a reflection of individual choice in the face of manmade in a near-future Seoul encased by a translucent biodome, a civil engineer charged with its upkeep contemplates an arranged marriage. An American painter travels to the South of France and is seduced by an entrepreneur who claims to have unlocked human consciousness. And where the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet, on an island that has turned into a gargantuan landfill from other countries’ waste, a boy has a fateful brush with K-pop superstars.
For readers of Richard Powers, Elif Shafak and Barbara Kingsolver, Juhea Kim’s first story collection views our world from breathtaking heights. A Love Story from the End of the World is an impassioned reminder that our humanity – and our best hope – will always be found in nature.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published November 20, 2025
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About the author
Juhea Kim
4 books909 followersJuhea Kim's internationally bestselling debut novel, Beasts of a Little Land, was a finalist for the 2022 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. It won the 2024 Yasnaya Polyana Award, Russia's biggest annual literary prize awarded by the Leo Tolstoy Estate-Museum. Juhea is donating the entire prize money to Siberian tiger and Amur leopard conservation. Beasts of a Little Land has been published in 13 countries to date and a TV series adaptation is currently in development. She donates a portion of the worldwide proceeds of Beasts of a Little Land to tiger and leopard conservation.
Juhea's second novel, City of Night Birds, is forthcoming in November 2024. She donates a portion of the proceeds of City of Night Birds to Caritas Somalia, a development and emergency aid NGO.
Her writing has been published in Granta, Slice, Zyzzyva, Catapult, Guernica, Shenandoah, Times Literary Supplement, Joyland, Sierra Magazine, The Independent, Portland Monthly, The Massachusetts Review, and Dispatches from Annares anthology, among others. Her translation of Yi Sang Award-winning author Choi In-Ho was published in Granta.
She has given lectures and workshops at Arizona State University, Seoul National University, Yonsei University, the University of São Paulo, Seoul International Book Fair, and more.
In addition to writing fiction, Juhea also works with essays and narrative journalism focusing on the environment. She serves as a goodwill ambassador for the Korean Tiger Leopard Conservation Fund. She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Art and Archaeology. She lives in London. Follow Juhea on Instagram @juhea_writes.
Profile photo © Bitna Chung
Juhea's second novel, City of Night Birds, is forthcoming in November 2024. She donates a portion of the proceeds of City of Night Birds to Caritas Somalia, a development and emergency aid NGO.
Her writing has been published in Granta, Slice, Zyzzyva, Catapult, Guernica, Shenandoah, Times Literary Supplement, Joyland, Sierra Magazine, The Independent, Portland Monthly, The Massachusetts Review, and Dispatches from Annares anthology, among others. Her translation of Yi Sang Award-winning author Choi In-Ho was published in Granta.
She has given lectures and workshops at Arizona State University, Seoul National University, Yonsei University, the University of São Paulo, Seoul International Book Fair, and more.
In addition to writing fiction, Juhea also works with essays and narrative journalism focusing on the environment. She serves as a goodwill ambassador for the Korean Tiger Leopard Conservation Fund. She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Art and Archaeology. She lives in London. Follow Juhea on Instagram @juhea_writes.
Profile photo © Bitna Chung
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 11, 2025
In a Nutshell: A story collection set in various eras and locations. The resilience of humans and the destruction of the planet are the common themes. Intriguing storylines, flawed characters, slow-paced character-oriented narratives. Mixed feelings about the endings. A good collection, but not for all.
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Author Juhea Kim is known for her two historical fiction novels. This is her first short story collection.
The ten stories herein span multiple eras (from historical to futuristic) and countries. There is no foreword introducing the theme of the collection, but it soon becomes clear that the stories have two things in common: broken people and a broken world.
The ‘broken people’ aspect is quite significant in this character-oriented collection. Each character is either flawed in some way or misused by others. They are a product of their own nurturing (or lack thereof) as well as of the society that is concerned more about personal wellbeing than about the planet.
The ‘broken world’, though highly dystopian in a couple of the stories, still feels very real. It’s a world where humans have learned to live with the consequences of their actions, where nature no longer protects, where climate crisis is the present and not the future. At the same time, despite these dire circumstances, the focus still stays on the characters. The resultant worldbuilding is thus an eerie one, where we get only hints of the damaged planet and its shattered environment and climate, but even these teeny glimpses are worrisome enough. (Will these stir us into caring better for our planet? I doubt it. Today’s humans are mostly idiots when it comes to implementing long-term actions that don't offer instant results. 😒)
The pacing is quite slow in the stories due to the characters driving the narration. The tone is also mostly melancholic, though a couple of scenes are heartwarming and hopeful. The length is quite varied across the tales, so some stories seem to drag a bit, especially as they also contain multiple subsections.
Most of the stories had plotlines that appealed to me. However, in a few cases, I felt like I wasn’t clever enough to appreciate the story, or at least, its ending. It felt overly literary. A couple of the stories came really close to a higher rating, but lost on account of their abrupt closure. Some narratives were creative enough to deserve a separate novel or novella.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the ten stories, four touched the 4-star mark. Two more stories (‘Older Sister’ and ‘A Love Story From the End of the World’) came close to this rating, but their endings left me wanting more. These were my top favourites:
Overall, this ought to be a good option, but not for those looking for a light or quick read. The character-focussed narration, slower pacing, and somewhat sudden endings would find restricted appeal, but to readers focussed more on the journey than on the destination, this set of stories offers plenty of mind fodder.
Recommended to literary fiction readers looking for a thought-provoking collection highlighting humans, their frailties and their blind hopefulness in a damaged world.
3.25 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each tale.
My thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, and The Borough Press for providing the DRC of “A Love Story from the End of the World” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author Juhea Kim is known for her two historical fiction novels. This is her first short story collection.
The ten stories herein span multiple eras (from historical to futuristic) and countries. There is no foreword introducing the theme of the collection, but it soon becomes clear that the stories have two things in common: broken people and a broken world.
The ‘broken people’ aspect is quite significant in this character-oriented collection. Each character is either flawed in some way or misused by others. They are a product of their own nurturing (or lack thereof) as well as of the society that is concerned more about personal wellbeing than about the planet.
The ‘broken world’, though highly dystopian in a couple of the stories, still feels very real. It’s a world where humans have learned to live with the consequences of their actions, where nature no longer protects, where climate crisis is the present and not the future. At the same time, despite these dire circumstances, the focus still stays on the characters. The resultant worldbuilding is thus an eerie one, where we get only hints of the damaged planet and its shattered environment and climate, but even these teeny glimpses are worrisome enough. (Will these stir us into caring better for our planet? I doubt it. Today’s humans are mostly idiots when it comes to implementing long-term actions that don't offer instant results. 😒)
The pacing is quite slow in the stories due to the characters driving the narration. The tone is also mostly melancholic, though a couple of scenes are heartwarming and hopeful. The length is quite varied across the tales, so some stories seem to drag a bit, especially as they also contain multiple subsections.
Most of the stories had plotlines that appealed to me. However, in a few cases, I felt like I wasn’t clever enough to appreciate the story, or at least, its ending. It felt overly literary. A couple of the stories came really close to a higher rating, but lost on account of their abrupt closure. Some narratives were creative enough to deserve a separate novel or novella.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the ten stories, four touched the 4-star mark. Two more stories (‘Older Sister’ and ‘A Love Story From the End of the World’) came close to this rating, but their endings left me wanting more. These were my top favourites:
🌏 Biodome: An intriguing setup that would have been fabulous in a novel. There's so much potential to extend this story. It wasn't bad, but it left me longing for more, which is both good and bad in short fiction. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌏 KwaZulu-Natal: A bittersweet story about a young man and a young elephant. Excellent depiction of human nature in this one. Trigger for animal cruelty. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌏 Mountain, Island: A really sad story. A dual narrative is rare in short fiction, but this makes good use of it to present two contrasting lifestyles. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌏 Notting Hill: Took me a while to gauge how I felt about this more realistic version of Notting Hill, but I ended up deciding that I liked it for its true-to-life portrayal of relationships and the believable, less than saccharine ending. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall, this ought to be a good option, but not for those looking for a light or quick read. The character-focussed narration, slower pacing, and somewhat sudden endings would find restricted appeal, but to readers focussed more on the journey than on the destination, this set of stories offers plenty of mind fodder.
Recommended to literary fiction readers looking for a thought-provoking collection highlighting humans, their frailties and their blind hopefulness in a damaged world.
3.25 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each tale.
My thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, and The Borough Press for providing the DRC of “A Love Story from the End of the World” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
September 14, 2025
“Oh, people knew when the point of no return was. They knew how to fix things too. Scientists issued cris de coeur from Durban to Oslo—it was in the newspapers every day, all that breast-beating exhortation. It’s not because they didn’t know, Herman. It’s because they didn’t want to.”
'A Love Story from the End of the World: Stories' is the third book by Juhea Kim (김주혜) after her two previous novels - her debut, the well-crafted historical love story (if not entirely my genre) Beasts of a Little Land and City of Night Birds.
This is a collection of 10 stories, all around the 20-page mark, which is long enough for Kim to neatly craft a separate world in each one, without outstaying their welcome.
Thematically these are, as the collection's title, suggests stories with an element of love (sometimes interpersonal and specific; other times for humanity and the planet) set in near-future end-times, the end being hastened by anthropocene climate change.
There is a Korean flavour to the works, with stories set in South Korea itself, Koreatown in Los Angeles in the US, and from a wider Korean diaspora, although others have a less culturally specific flavour.
The first story, 'Biodome', is set in New Seoul, now turned into a giant biodome to protect the city from the 황사, the yellow dust, the first such dome in the world, Korea then turning misfortune to its advantage by exporting the tech:
Yellow Day commemorated the Yellow Sand that blew in from the deserts of China and Mongolia every spring, carried by the west wind. This was a phenomenon that was documented in the earliest annals in ancient Korean history, going back at least two millennia. Through most of the twentieth century, the sandstorm happened three days a year in April, leaving a thick layer of dust over everything in the whole country, city, and countryside alike. Then as the desert in China grew ever larger, the sandstorm lasted longer every year: seven days, then twelve, twenty-five, fortythree, sixty-seven ...
[...]
They were saved at last, and only, by the Biodome—completed on April 14, thirty years ago. The first Yellow Day. When it was built, no one objected to it saying things like the sanctity of the sky or the humanity of nature. They were all glad to be alive and to breathe the air without worrying that it would cause cancer of the throat or lungs. The Bio (BEE-oh), as it was also called, was a clear enclosure of fifty-kilometer diameter over New Seoul, blocking off the Yellow Sand and letting in what remnants of sunlight could penetrate the particles. The Bio’s internal atmosphere was always a foggy sepia—not because of the sand passing over the enclosure, but because the combined glare of millions of neon lights reflected back on the inner surface of the Bio as a volcanic, redtinged brown, every day and every night.
[...]
Bio technology became Korea’s most important and lucrative export, so that even while importing nearly all food and other products that they no longer made themselves, the country as a whole became more prosperous than ever.
This concept of a world that is increasingly uninhabitable is a common theme across the collection.
'Older Sister' is primarily a story of the interfamilial relationship between two sisters, and their parents, Koreans who emigrated to the US - along with the age-enforced hierarchy, another fundamental aspect of Korean culture is arguing easily and intensely.
Their parents came to the United States after the 1965 reforms which replaced the ethnically discriminatory Immigration Act of 1924 (a needed reminder that the land of the free has historically, as well as increasingly presently, been anything but) and finally allowed legal Asian immigration. It takes in the LA riots, and the way in which different ethnic communities were set against each other, although the story's key present-day event comes from the increasingly widespread forest fires:
White people had been oppressing Black people for centuries before Koreans arrived here, and then they encouraged the narrative of Black-versus-Korean fight – better for them to keep the minorities fighting against one another.
The title piece, 'A Love Story from the End of the World', plays on the 'end of the world' theme in two ways. The narrator, 바다 (Bada) brought up in the US, but adopted from a Korean orphanage, is on a scientific polar expedition, in the increasingly melting ice-cap around the North Pole, where she tries to save an orphaned polar bear cub, while one of her fellow scientists - a Somalia-Norwegian, adopted after his parents died in a migration crossing, protests against nearby oil drilling, each realising that in both micro- and macro-ways they can make more of a difference by action than research.
And Bada lay there watching until the three white dots could no longer be distinguished from the waves, the sea, the sky—everything that made up this hard, ugly, broken, and beautiful world where, in the end, absolutely nothing mattered except how much one loved.
And that sentiment of taking action features in the author's impassioned afterword, where she particularly advocates veganism, but ultimately that each reader should 'find something that you feel truly passionate about and give this cause your energy and time'. And the author herself does so, as with her previous books, from the proceeds of the works:
A worthwhile and well-crafted work. 3.5 stars. Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC.
'A Love Story from the End of the World: Stories' is the third book by Juhea Kim (김주혜) after her two previous novels - her debut, the well-crafted historical love story (if not entirely my genre) Beasts of a Little Land and City of Night Birds.
This is a collection of 10 stories, all around the 20-page mark, which is long enough for Kim to neatly craft a separate world in each one, without outstaying their welcome.
Thematically these are, as the collection's title, suggests stories with an element of love (sometimes interpersonal and specific; other times for humanity and the planet) set in near-future end-times, the end being hastened by anthropocene climate change.
There is a Korean flavour to the works, with stories set in South Korea itself, Koreatown in Los Angeles in the US, and from a wider Korean diaspora, although others have a less culturally specific flavour.
The first story, 'Biodome', is set in New Seoul, now turned into a giant biodome to protect the city from the 황사, the yellow dust, the first such dome in the world, Korea then turning misfortune to its advantage by exporting the tech:
Yellow Day commemorated the Yellow Sand that blew in from the deserts of China and Mongolia every spring, carried by the west wind. This was a phenomenon that was documented in the earliest annals in ancient Korean history, going back at least two millennia. Through most of the twentieth century, the sandstorm happened three days a year in April, leaving a thick layer of dust over everything in the whole country, city, and countryside alike. Then as the desert in China grew ever larger, the sandstorm lasted longer every year: seven days, then twelve, twenty-five, fortythree, sixty-seven ...
[...]
They were saved at last, and only, by the Biodome—completed on April 14, thirty years ago. The first Yellow Day. When it was built, no one objected to it saying things like the sanctity of the sky or the humanity of nature. They were all glad to be alive and to breathe the air without worrying that it would cause cancer of the throat or lungs. The Bio (BEE-oh), as it was also called, was a clear enclosure of fifty-kilometer diameter over New Seoul, blocking off the Yellow Sand and letting in what remnants of sunlight could penetrate the particles. The Bio’s internal atmosphere was always a foggy sepia—not because of the sand passing over the enclosure, but because the combined glare of millions of neon lights reflected back on the inner surface of the Bio as a volcanic, redtinged brown, every day and every night.
[...]
Bio technology became Korea’s most important and lucrative export, so that even while importing nearly all food and other products that they no longer made themselves, the country as a whole became more prosperous than ever.
This concept of a world that is increasingly uninhabitable is a common theme across the collection.
'Older Sister' is primarily a story of the interfamilial relationship between two sisters, and their parents, Koreans who emigrated to the US - along with the age-enforced hierarchy, another fundamental aspect of Korean culture is arguing easily and intensely.
Their parents came to the United States after the 1965 reforms which replaced the ethnically discriminatory Immigration Act of 1924 (a needed reminder that the land of the free has historically, as well as increasingly presently, been anything but) and finally allowed legal Asian immigration. It takes in the LA riots, and the way in which different ethnic communities were set against each other, although the story's key present-day event comes from the increasingly widespread forest fires:
White people had been oppressing Black people for centuries before Koreans arrived here, and then they encouraged the narrative of Black-versus-Korean fight – better for them to keep the minorities fighting against one another.
The title piece, 'A Love Story from the End of the World', plays on the 'end of the world' theme in two ways. The narrator, 바다 (Bada) brought up in the US, but adopted from a Korean orphanage, is on a scientific polar expedition, in the increasingly melting ice-cap around the North Pole, where she tries to save an orphaned polar bear cub, while one of her fellow scientists - a Somalia-Norwegian, adopted after his parents died in a migration crossing, protests against nearby oil drilling, each realising that in both micro- and macro-ways they can make more of a difference by action than research.
And Bada lay there watching until the three white dots could no longer be distinguished from the waves, the sea, the sky—everything that made up this hard, ugly, broken, and beautiful world where, in the end, absolutely nothing mattered except how much one loved.
And that sentiment of taking action features in the author's impassioned afterword, where she particularly advocates veganism, but ultimately that each reader should 'find something that you feel truly passionate about and give this cause your energy and time'. And the author herself does so, as with her previous books, from the proceeds of the works:
Each of my three books has an associated cause to which I donate a portion of my proceeds. My first book was dedicated to Siberian tiger and Amur leopard conservation, and my second to Somalian development and aid. It’s tiger and leopard conservation that taught me how many years it takes to even understand my comprehensive role and long-term goal within a cause, but this realization has been incredibly rewarding. For this book, I changed my strategy: instead of choosing charismatic megafauna or a global cause, I am giving microgrants to grassroots organizations that are making tangible and lifechanging differences in their local communities.
A worthwhile and well-crafted work. 3.5 stars. Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC.
November 20, 2025
A Love Story From The End Of The World by Juhea Kim
Oh boy, how should I even begin to write about this wonderful book? I’m mesmerized by how beautifully evocative it is, and how it inspires and haunts you in equal measure.
The book consists of ten stories with different settings. Beginning with a dystopian, barren, and damaged world to ending in a world somewhat alive but on the brink of irreversible destruction. What all these stories have in common are characters who care about nature, animals, and people more than they let on, but who are helplessly and devastatingly torn apart by a force greater than themselves.
The word ‘love story’ in the title isn’t restricted to typical love between two people; it also explores love between sisters, as well love between animals and humans. But beware, not every love story is a happy one. Some have tragic endings, while others are left to your interpretation, and some are genuinely happy ones. But even the happy endings don’t feel happy when you remember the setting and circumstances.
This is the kind of book that shows you a future that is not too distant. And honestly, this book is a little painful to read. Some stories suffocate you with their raw honesty and painful situations. The helpless detachment of humans when torn away from their roots, the search for a deeper meaning of life when covered on all sides by people who have become accustomed to it and have accepted artificial intelligence, who make you question your sanity and make you feel as if you are the problem and not the other way around, is disturbing in a much-needed way.
This book also has a lot of technical and scientific details such as genetic modification, cell culturing, research publications, and mentions of popular journals such as Nature, and so on. As a biotechnology student, I found these terms very relatable and they enriched my reading experience. Even with a non-science background, this book won’t throw you off track. So, there is no need to worry about that > <
Another aspect of the book that greatly impressed me is the number of diverse topics these stories covered. From racism and hierarchical manipulations to technological discoveries and ethical concerns, the author’s careful and thoughtful research is visible in every story.
As a person who loves nature, this book showed me the harsh reality of the looming dystopian future if we don’t correct our ways now. A world without sky, seasons, and animals scared me more than I would like to accept when I imagined it. The number of realizations I had when reading this book made my reading experience worth it. I felt some of the stories were a little dragged, which made me a little bored in the middle, and that is what took away 0.25 stars for me.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to read something that is eye-opening as well as emotionally rich.
Rating: 4.75/5
Thank you, Harper Fiction and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book.
Oh boy, how should I even begin to write about this wonderful book? I’m mesmerized by how beautifully evocative it is, and how it inspires and haunts you in equal measure.
The book consists of ten stories with different settings. Beginning with a dystopian, barren, and damaged world to ending in a world somewhat alive but on the brink of irreversible destruction. What all these stories have in common are characters who care about nature, animals, and people more than they let on, but who are helplessly and devastatingly torn apart by a force greater than themselves.
The word ‘love story’ in the title isn’t restricted to typical love between two people; it also explores love between sisters, as well love between animals and humans. But beware, not every love story is a happy one. Some have tragic endings, while others are left to your interpretation, and some are genuinely happy ones. But even the happy endings don’t feel happy when you remember the setting and circumstances.
This is the kind of book that shows you a future that is not too distant. And honestly, this book is a little painful to read. Some stories suffocate you with their raw honesty and painful situations. The helpless detachment of humans when torn away from their roots, the search for a deeper meaning of life when covered on all sides by people who have become accustomed to it and have accepted artificial intelligence, who make you question your sanity and make you feel as if you are the problem and not the other way around, is disturbing in a much-needed way.
This book also has a lot of technical and scientific details such as genetic modification, cell culturing, research publications, and mentions of popular journals such as Nature, and so on. As a biotechnology student, I found these terms very relatable and they enriched my reading experience. Even with a non-science background, this book won’t throw you off track. So, there is no need to worry about that > <
Another aspect of the book that greatly impressed me is the number of diverse topics these stories covered. From racism and hierarchical manipulations to technological discoveries and ethical concerns, the author’s careful and thoughtful research is visible in every story.
As a person who loves nature, this book showed me the harsh reality of the looming dystopian future if we don’t correct our ways now. A world without sky, seasons, and animals scared me more than I would like to accept when I imagined it. The number of realizations I had when reading this book made my reading experience worth it. I felt some of the stories were a little dragged, which made me a little bored in the middle, and that is what took away 0.25 stars for me.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to read something that is eye-opening as well as emotionally rich.
Rating: 4.75/5
Thank you, Harper Fiction and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book.
December 18, 2025
This is a heavy collection of ten stories set possibly in the same universe, that is, our current one and not too far off into the future. A conceivable one, if we project the worst of right now tenfold. In one story, Korea invented a protective "biodome" to cover select cities, but that's just a stopgap measure. In another story, humans live in "bioarks" that are constantly on the move because land has become inhospitable to human life and people cling to flimsy concepts of nationality while feeling profoundly unmoored and nationless. Another story imagines a country turned into a landfill for foreigners to visit and feel superior.
There's no magical technology that can save humanity from itself, and in a way, the vision presented here is rather bleak. For instance, the ice caps can literally be almost all gone and still there will be a corporation drilling for oil. Can people really be that stubborn about digging their own graves? Yes, probably. I was also impressed by the ventriloquistic quality of her stories—e.g., the African narrator in 'KwaZulu-Natal,' the Yakama narrator in 'A Woman's Life, in 10 Scenes'—and the global scale of her vision. Her stories span Korea, USA, France, Africa, the Atlantic Ocean, Southeast Asia, London, and Norway.
In the author's note, she wrote, "If you're an artist, it is not conscionable to use our ecological catastrophe as material for fiction and not personally do something to help." She presents a concise but convincing list of reasons for individuals to go vegan, or at the very least, make an effort as far as possible. Given that this came right after how her last story made me cry (baby animals are my greatest weakness), the appeal is undeniable.
There's no magical technology that can save humanity from itself, and in a way, the vision presented here is rather bleak. For instance, the ice caps can literally be almost all gone and still there will be a corporation drilling for oil. Can people really be that stubborn about digging their own graves? Yes, probably. I was also impressed by the ventriloquistic quality of her stories—e.g., the African narrator in 'KwaZulu-Natal,' the Yakama narrator in 'A Woman's Life, in 10 Scenes'—and the global scale of her vision. Her stories span Korea, USA, France, Africa, the Atlantic Ocean, Southeast Asia, London, and Norway.
In the author's note, she wrote, "If you're an artist, it is not conscionable to use our ecological catastrophe as material for fiction and not personally do something to help." She presents a concise but convincing list of reasons for individuals to go vegan, or at the very least, make an effort as far as possible. Given that this came right after how her last story made me cry (baby animals are my greatest weakness), the appeal is undeniable.
May 26, 2025
“Oooh love stories from the end of the world, that sounds fun” I said. Reader, it was not fun, it was heartbreaking. While not a romance, but this book is very much about Love. All different stories, but all something about the way we connect to the world, people, and creatures around us. But they all made me just so sad. Which was probably the point. The last and title story was the perfect one to end on. It was one of the only ones that left me with a feeling of hope and the last line is really touching.
One thing I wish was that translations were provided where other languages were used. It kind of took me out of the story to have to look them up.
Thank you Netgalley & HarperCollins for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review
One thing I wish was that translations were provided where other languages were used. It kind of took me out of the story to have to look them up.
Thank you Netgalley & HarperCollins for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review
May 11, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for the ebook. These ten stories span the world, most in a slightly altered future. One couple is thinking about dating, but it can’t work because she never dates anyone who doesn’t live on the hundredth floor or above. A woman adopted as a baby in Korea goes to the ends of the earth trying to find any sign from her birth mother. In one of the poorest place on earth, a small island that is disappearing under mountains of trash, a young boy tries to impress a K-pop band for a chance at a new life. Again and again these are big idea stories that are so grounded in the day to day life of real people.
December 20, 2025
Very clearly a collection and sometimes the themes were maybe hammered in a bit much for my liking, but the tenderness in these stories moved me to 5 stars
December 9, 2025
Was going back and forth to rate either 4 or 5, went with 5 instead. I absolutely loved this book, though it’s mostly heartbreaking. Each story has the theme of love but between who and what is the core element. I especially liked the author’s note towards the end. Overall, highly recommended to read given that the stories here are eerily getting closer to reality. 😭
December 2, 2025
A collection of short stories about humans in a world in varying states of ecological catastrophe, often from a Korean perspective. The title comes from story #10. I appreciated that the Author's Note at the end was basically, "put your money/actions where your mouth is." I'm rating this as a 3.5, rounded to 4 stars.
The stories:
1. Biodome- In the future, a big, annual sandstorm covered Korea and contaminated all the food and water supply. Eventually, the government built a biodome to protect New Seoul's citizens and agriculture. Manager Park, who maintains the biodome, goes on some dates and contemplates love.
2. Color of the New World- An American artist travels to France to see some of the last snow in the world and has two vacation romances that are as fleeting as the snow.
3. A Woman's Life, in 10 Scenes- Celeste (Cece) Thompson falls in love with Tommy Wolf, a Yakama horse racer. Cece's dad holds the rights to a hot spring that the Oregon water companies want to access. This is a series of scenes in the Thompson family.
4. KwaZulu-Natal- A biracial Afrikaner boy's only friend is a baby elephant that his (abusive) park ranger father allowed to live.
5. Bioark- Humans destroyed the earth, and all that's left are a few biodomes and the Bioark. Herman lives on the Bioark with the other hot young people, but he starts to question everything.
6. Older Sister- A Younger Sister remembers her tense relationship with her Older Sister, including a house ghost, the 1992 LA riots, competitive college applications and careers, and a wildfire rescue.
7. Mountain, Island- An impoverished community survives on a landfill, and Heru tries to get famous doing kpop dances.
8. The Tree of Life- K was a lonely child who was unwanted by his arms manufacturer father and novelist mother. K shows up for military service and has an earth-shattering experience.
9. Notting Hill- An American moves to Notting Hill for a romantic adventure working for a handsome man she knows professionally. It doesn't go down like the romcoms.
10. A Love Story from the End of the World- Bada's scientific research team travels to a Norwegian island to study climate change and end up rescuing a polar bear.
This collection was a slow read for me. I think I had a hard time getting into this book because the stories were slower and more thoughtful, and the first ones didn't have a ton of action. Goodreads has this book in Literary Fiction (and Speculative Fiction and Science Fiction), and I think I would agree. Interesting stories, but harder to get through than the SFF short stories I typically read.
CW: Child abuse (stories 4 and 8), uncertain memory (story 5), animal death (story 8).
Thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for the ARC.
The stories:
1. Biodome- In the future, a big, annual sandstorm covered Korea and contaminated all the food and water supply. Eventually, the government built a biodome to protect New Seoul's citizens and agriculture. Manager Park, who maintains the biodome, goes on some dates and contemplates love.
2. Color of the New World- An American artist travels to France to see some of the last snow in the world and has two vacation romances that are as fleeting as the snow.
3. A Woman's Life, in 10 Scenes- Celeste (Cece) Thompson falls in love with Tommy Wolf, a Yakama horse racer. Cece's dad holds the rights to a hot spring that the Oregon water companies want to access. This is a series of scenes in the Thompson family.
4. KwaZulu-Natal- A biracial Afrikaner boy's only friend is a baby elephant that his (abusive) park ranger father allowed to live.
5. Bioark- Humans destroyed the earth, and all that's left are a few biodomes and the Bioark. Herman lives on the Bioark with the other hot young people, but he starts to question everything.
6. Older Sister- A Younger Sister remembers her tense relationship with her Older Sister, including a house ghost, the 1992 LA riots, competitive college applications and careers, and a wildfire rescue.
7. Mountain, Island- An impoverished community survives on a landfill, and Heru tries to get famous doing kpop dances.
8. The Tree of Life- K was a lonely child who was unwanted by his arms manufacturer father and novelist mother. K shows up for military service and has an earth-shattering experience.
9. Notting Hill- An American moves to Notting Hill for a romantic adventure working for a handsome man she knows professionally. It doesn't go down like the romcoms.
10. A Love Story from the End of the World- Bada's scientific research team travels to a Norwegian island to study climate change and end up rescuing a polar bear.
This collection was a slow read for me. I think I had a hard time getting into this book because the stories were slower and more thoughtful, and the first ones didn't have a ton of action. Goodreads has this book in Literary Fiction (and Speculative Fiction and Science Fiction), and I think I would agree. Interesting stories, but harder to get through than the SFF short stories I typically read.
CW: Child abuse (stories 4 and 8), uncertain memory (story 5), animal death (story 8).
Thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for the ARC.
November 29, 2025
These are exceptionally well written short stories that dive into various futures and the people who maneuver through them. As with all short story collections, I really connected with some stories and didn't connect so much with others. With this collection, I can confidently say that each story was worth reading.
Read
December 18, 2025(Audiobook) DNF
November 24, 2025
this was a giveaway, thank you for the arc!
I really enjoyed most of the stories in this book. there's a focus on individuals affected by the suffering of their environments. all in all the book was heartbreaking but tender enough to make you feel very connected to the characters and hopeful for their future choices. loved the writing style and diversity of the stories. I need an update on Celeste, please. definitely read this if you're feeling like the world is chaos and you need a hug.
*fyi I noticed the table of contents doesn't match up with the actual page numbers
I really enjoyed most of the stories in this book. there's a focus on individuals affected by the suffering of their environments. all in all the book was heartbreaking but tender enough to make you feel very connected to the characters and hopeful for their future choices. loved the writing style and diversity of the stories. I need an update on Celeste, please. definitely read this if you're feeling like the world is chaos and you need a hug.
*fyi I noticed the table of contents doesn't match up with the actual page numbers
December 16, 2025
Juhea Kim's debut collection is a profound meditation on love, belonging, and survival at the margins of human existence. This is not a typical romance novel. These interconnected stories explore what it means to love when the world is ending, when identity is fragmented, and when we're searching for connection in the most unlikely places.
Each story is a universe unto itself, yet together they form a constellation about how people reach toward each other, sometimes to save themselves, sometimes to save others, and sometimes knowing that love itself is an act of defiance against an uncaring world.
The First Story: A Girl's Impossible Pregnancy and the Longing for Recognition
The opening story begins with
What unfolds is heartbreaking:
◆ Celeste's longing to be seen and remembered is desperate and human
◆ The bridge scene is visceral, you feel her suicidal ideation completely
◆ Her mother's unconditional love is the counterpoint to Tommy's abandonment
The Second Story: The Indian Horse Relay - Where Love Becomes Visible Through Motion
The second piece circles back to Tommy Wolf from the first story, but from a different perspective.
The story structure itself shows how the same moments are experienced completely differently depending on who's observing. This is Kim's genius, she shows us that love is not shared understanding but parallel universes of experience.
◆ The horse relay is raw physicality and grace
◆ Tommy's aliveness in motion mirrors what Celeste loves and can't hold
◆ The race symbolizes freedom Tommy won't surrender for her
The Third Story: A Boy and His Elephant in South Africa - Love Across Species
One of the most unusual and moving stories in the collection takes place in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
The narrative voice is perfectly rendered., part South African accent, part heartbreak, part resilience. The story echoes the first story but inverts it: instead of the caregiver abandoning, here the caregiver must abandon to be moral.
◆ Love between human and animal is portrayed as completely real and valid
◆ The boy's isolation makes his bond with Rocky everything
◆ Letting go becomes the ultimate expression of love
The Fourth Story: A Woman at the End of the World Living on an Ark
The Ark story is Kim's most science fiction, but it's really about how love can be both a cage and a reason to live. It's about the fundamental human need for connection even in dystopia.
◆ The Ark represents a constructed, artificial world that seems perfect but is a prison
◆ Herman's temptation to abandon is the albatross temptation - freedom
◆ Love pulls him back into captivity, and he accepts it
The Fifth Story: Sisters, Ghosts, and the Korean Riot of 1992
The deepest moment:
◆ The 1992 riots are the traumatic backdrop that explains Korean-American immigrant experience
◆ The sister bond supersedes everything else in both their lives
◆ Each sacrifices for the other, but Older Sister's sacrifice is heavier
The Sixth Story: Bada Moon - An Oceanographer at the End of the World Seeking Her Mother
The central tragedy:
◆ Bada's search for her mother mirrors her care for the polar cub
◆ Abandonment for love and for freedom are the same act
◆ The book ends not with resolution but with this impossible choice
Strengths:
These stories are beautiful. Kim's prose is precise, lyrical, and emotionally devastating. The structural interconnections (stories circling back to previous ones, themes echoing across continents and timelines) are sophisticated without feeling show-offy. Each story can stand alone, but together they create a complex meditation on love, sacrifice, abandonment, and what we owe to those we care for.
The characters are vivid and fully realized despite sometimes appearing briefly. Celeste's desperation, the South African boy's loneliness, Bada's scientific rigor warring with maternal instinct, the sisters' unbreakable bond, you believe in all of them immediately.
The book's willingness to explore uncomfortable truths about love is rare. Love doesn't always lead to happy endings. Sometimes love means letting go. Sometimes love means being abandoned. Sometimes the person who loves you most is the person you resent most. These are truths that need telling.
Weaknesses:
The Ark story, while fascinating, is somewhat disconnected from the others thematically. It works intellectually but feels almost like it belongs in a different collection. The science fiction elements are less grounded than the other stories.
Some readers might find the collection emotionally exhausting. There are moments of joy, but the dominant tone is melancholic, even tragic. Every love story ends in some form of loss or compromise. This is philosophically appropriate but makes for heavy reading.
Who Should Read This:
Anyone who loves literary fiction that explores emotional truth.
Anyone interested in how love manifests differently across cultures and species and situations. Anyone who appreciated books like "The Overstory" or "Dept. of Speculation" or short story collections like "Her Body and Other Parties."
You should read this if you're willing to be emotionally moved and aren't looking for comfort or happy endings. This is for readers who want to think deeply about what we owe to each other and whether love always leads to good outcomes.
My Rating:
5/5 stars
Each story is a universe unto itself, yet together they form a constellation about how people reach toward each other, sometimes to save themselves, sometimes to save others, and sometimes knowing that love itself is an act of defiance against an uncaring world.
The First Story: A Girl's Impossible Pregnancy and the Longing for Recognition
The opening story begins with
What unfolds is heartbreaking:
◆ Celeste's longing to be seen and remembered is desperate and human
◆ The bridge scene is visceral, you feel her suicidal ideation completely
◆ Her mother's unconditional love is the counterpoint to Tommy's abandonment
The Second Story: The Indian Horse Relay - Where Love Becomes Visible Through Motion
The second piece circles back to Tommy Wolf from the first story, but from a different perspective.
The story structure itself shows how the same moments are experienced completely differently depending on who's observing. This is Kim's genius, she shows us that love is not shared understanding but parallel universes of experience.
◆ The horse relay is raw physicality and grace
◆ Tommy's aliveness in motion mirrors what Celeste loves and can't hold
◆ The race symbolizes freedom Tommy won't surrender for her
The Third Story: A Boy and His Elephant in South Africa - Love Across Species
One of the most unusual and moving stories in the collection takes place in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
The narrative voice is perfectly rendered., part South African accent, part heartbreak, part resilience. The story echoes the first story but inverts it: instead of the caregiver abandoning, here the caregiver must abandon to be moral.
◆ Love between human and animal is portrayed as completely real and valid
◆ The boy's isolation makes his bond with Rocky everything
◆ Letting go becomes the ultimate expression of love
The Fourth Story: A Woman at the End of the World Living on an Ark
The Ark story is Kim's most science fiction, but it's really about how love can be both a cage and a reason to live. It's about the fundamental human need for connection even in dystopia.
◆ The Ark represents a constructed, artificial world that seems perfect but is a prison
◆ Herman's temptation to abandon is the albatross temptation - freedom
◆ Love pulls him back into captivity, and he accepts it
The Fifth Story: Sisters, Ghosts, and the Korean Riot of 1992
The deepest moment:
◆ The 1992 riots are the traumatic backdrop that explains Korean-American immigrant experience
◆ The sister bond supersedes everything else in both their lives
◆ Each sacrifices for the other, but Older Sister's sacrifice is heavier
The Sixth Story: Bada Moon - An Oceanographer at the End of the World Seeking Her Mother
The central tragedy:
◆ Bada's search for her mother mirrors her care for the polar cub
◆ Abandonment for love and for freedom are the same act
◆ The book ends not with resolution but with this impossible choice
Strengths:
These stories are beautiful. Kim's prose is precise, lyrical, and emotionally devastating. The structural interconnections (stories circling back to previous ones, themes echoing across continents and timelines) are sophisticated without feeling show-offy. Each story can stand alone, but together they create a complex meditation on love, sacrifice, abandonment, and what we owe to those we care for.
The characters are vivid and fully realized despite sometimes appearing briefly. Celeste's desperation, the South African boy's loneliness, Bada's scientific rigor warring with maternal instinct, the sisters' unbreakable bond, you believe in all of them immediately.
The book's willingness to explore uncomfortable truths about love is rare. Love doesn't always lead to happy endings. Sometimes love means letting go. Sometimes love means being abandoned. Sometimes the person who loves you most is the person you resent most. These are truths that need telling.
Weaknesses:
The Ark story, while fascinating, is somewhat disconnected from the others thematically. It works intellectually but feels almost like it belongs in a different collection. The science fiction elements are less grounded than the other stories.
Some readers might find the collection emotionally exhausting. There are moments of joy, but the dominant tone is melancholic, even tragic. Every love story ends in some form of loss or compromise. This is philosophically appropriate but makes for heavy reading.
Who Should Read This:
Anyone who loves literary fiction that explores emotional truth.
Anyone interested in how love manifests differently across cultures and species and situations. Anyone who appreciated books like "The Overstory" or "Dept. of Speculation" or short story collections like "Her Body and Other Parties."
You should read this if you're willing to be emotionally moved and aren't looking for comfort or happy endings. This is for readers who want to think deeply about what we owe to each other and whether love always leads to good outcomes.
My Rating:
5/5 stars
September 2, 2025
This book was provided to me by NetGalley and HarperCollins UK. This doesn't affect my review
A Love Story from the End of the World: Stories by Juhea Kim - DNF at 40%
I was really excited to read this book, but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. There's nothing wrong with it, but the way the short stories are done just didn't allow me to connect to anything. Eventually, it just became a bit of a slog for me.
However, I do think the concepts in here were cool, which is why it has two stars! I also like how all of the stories were about different kinds of love. Sometimes, these types of books only focus on romantic love (and soooometimes parental love), but this one had a good variety.
I'm sure a lot of people will love this, but this just wasn't for me. (Additionally, my copy had some severe formatting issues that made it very hard to read).
A Love Story from the End of the World: Stories by Juhea Kim - DNF at 40%
I was really excited to read this book, but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. There's nothing wrong with it, but the way the short stories are done just didn't allow me to connect to anything. Eventually, it just became a bit of a slog for me.
However, I do think the concepts in here were cool, which is why it has two stars! I also like how all of the stories were about different kinds of love. Sometimes, these types of books only focus on romantic love (and soooometimes parental love), but this one had a good variety.
I'm sure a lot of people will love this, but this just wasn't for me. (Additionally, my copy had some severe formatting issues that made it very hard to read).
October 28, 2025
This collection of ten short stories is brimming with life, hope, and love. While occasionally uneven, they each explore the impact of environmental change—sometimes outright collapse—on ordinary people who never lose their yearning for the one thing that seems to persist when everything else fails: love.
This is my first time reading this author, and I was initially skeptical. The opening story (“Biodome”) is perhaps not the ideal entry point. Its moralistic overtones felt heavy-handed, and its handling of environmental transformation in a post-apocalyptic setting fell short of expectations.
Yet, having finished the book, I find myself reflective, inspired, and emotionally affected. The author ultimately conveys the essential role of love in human existence and how it can—and should—remain intertwined with the natural world. The moralism fades into the background, replaced by a quieter conviction: environmental decline may be inevitable, but love can soothe the human experience in the face of it—and perhaps even help delay or prevent the worst.
The stories that resonated most with me were “Older Sister,” “Mountain, Island,” “The Tree of Life,” “Notting Hill,” and the titular story. The first explores the power of familial love, especially between sisters—gentle and touching, a reminder that when all else fails, that bond endures. The second is perhaps the most political, juxtaposing life in one of the world’s largest garbage dumps with the glamour of pop stardom; the dissonance underscores the purity of the love shared between two friends. “The Tree of Life” offers a pointed critique of Korean high society’s indifference to anything that doesn’t serve its own hedonism: even love becomes distorted, stripping away vulnerability and tenderness, with the environment merely collateral damage. “Notting Hill” has little to do with climate and instead follows a woman’s futile search for love—caught between idealizing it and refusing to face its real form. It’s powerful, though somewhat undermined by the implausible assumption that one can live in Notting Hill on an NGO salary. Finally, the titular story may be the most affecting of all. Undramatic and never preachy, it suggests that if we could nurture love for the simplest things, life would be better for everyone.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This is my first time reading this author, and I was initially skeptical. The opening story (“Biodome”) is perhaps not the ideal entry point. Its moralistic overtones felt heavy-handed, and its handling of environmental transformation in a post-apocalyptic setting fell short of expectations.
Yet, having finished the book, I find myself reflective, inspired, and emotionally affected. The author ultimately conveys the essential role of love in human existence and how it can—and should—remain intertwined with the natural world. The moralism fades into the background, replaced by a quieter conviction: environmental decline may be inevitable, but love can soothe the human experience in the face of it—and perhaps even help delay or prevent the worst.
The stories that resonated most with me were “Older Sister,” “Mountain, Island,” “The Tree of Life,” “Notting Hill,” and the titular story. The first explores the power of familial love, especially between sisters—gentle and touching, a reminder that when all else fails, that bond endures. The second is perhaps the most political, juxtaposing life in one of the world’s largest garbage dumps with the glamour of pop stardom; the dissonance underscores the purity of the love shared between two friends. “The Tree of Life” offers a pointed critique of Korean high society’s indifference to anything that doesn’t serve its own hedonism: even love becomes distorted, stripping away vulnerability and tenderness, with the environment merely collateral damage. “Notting Hill” has little to do with climate and instead follows a woman’s futile search for love—caught between idealizing it and refusing to face its real form. It’s powerful, though somewhat undermined by the implausible assumption that one can live in Notting Hill on an NGO salary. Finally, the titular story may be the most affecting of all. Undramatic and never preachy, it suggests that if we could nurture love for the simplest things, life would be better for everyone.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.
December 17, 2025
I loved the concept of this short story collection so much, but I only felt so so about the actual stories. I think this book really worked for me on a thematic level, on a structural level, and on an aesthetic level, but when it actually came to the narratives of the stories, I found them a little anti-climactic or unfulfilling.
The concept of this book is a collection of short stories that are all set in the near feature focusing on climate or conservation in some way. I loved how the author experimented with different styles, like stories told from the second person POV, time loops, and breaking a story into scenes. I also appreciated how global the scale of this book was. Stories were set in London, South Africa, South Korea, the Arctic, France, and more. I especially appreciated how among all these places, there was also a focus on some of the lesser known towns in the Pacific Northwest, with at least a few moments taking place in Warm Springs, Walla Walla, and Moscow.
Probably my favorite thing about this book is how each short story is built around a different color. I thought this was fascinating, and once I caught on to this, I always enjoyed catching clues to piece together what the color of the new short story was. I think this really serves one of the large themes of the overall collection. To me, this was all about the loss that comes with the climate crisis, but specifically the loss of beauty, the loss of passion, and the loss of love for our fellow living beings. This focus on color and aesthetics while being grounded in conservation is something I agree with wholeheartedly.
I would say my favorite stories in this collection were A Woman’s Life, in Ten Scenes (which is organized around the color black) and the titular A Love Story From the End of the World (organized around the color orange).
I always enjoy books that help us imagine what the future could look like, and how humanity will stay human in the face of the way things will get worse before they can get better. I think it is a great exercise to be able to realistically imagine the kind of future you would want to play a role in shaping, and I appreciate this book for that. Overall, I just wanted more from the plot and especially the endings of each story. I felt like really interesting ideas or struggles were brought up, but without some needed catharsis.
The concept of this book is a collection of short stories that are all set in the near feature focusing on climate or conservation in some way. I loved how the author experimented with different styles, like stories told from the second person POV, time loops, and breaking a story into scenes. I also appreciated how global the scale of this book was. Stories were set in London, South Africa, South Korea, the Arctic, France, and more. I especially appreciated how among all these places, there was also a focus on some of the lesser known towns in the Pacific Northwest, with at least a few moments taking place in Warm Springs, Walla Walla, and Moscow.
Probably my favorite thing about this book is how each short story is built around a different color. I thought this was fascinating, and once I caught on to this, I always enjoyed catching clues to piece together what the color of the new short story was. I think this really serves one of the large themes of the overall collection. To me, this was all about the loss that comes with the climate crisis, but specifically the loss of beauty, the loss of passion, and the loss of love for our fellow living beings. This focus on color and aesthetics while being grounded in conservation is something I agree with wholeheartedly.
I would say my favorite stories in this collection were A Woman’s Life, in Ten Scenes (which is organized around the color black) and the titular A Love Story From the End of the World (organized around the color orange).
I always enjoy books that help us imagine what the future could look like, and how humanity will stay human in the face of the way things will get worse before they can get better. I think it is a great exercise to be able to realistically imagine the kind of future you would want to play a role in shaping, and I appreciate this book for that. Overall, I just wanted more from the plot and especially the endings of each story. I felt like really interesting ideas or struggles were brought up, but without some needed catharsis.
November 12, 2025
(Audio courtesy of HarperAudio Adult/Ecco and NetGalley.)
4⭐, DNF @ 43%
A collection of magnificently human short stories set against a growing climate disaster. Life goes on, even as summer extends from March to November, or people are forced to live in biodomes to survive, and humans do what they've always done: they try to find meaning in their lives, to find love, and joy and fulfillment.
These stories are endlessly melancholy. Sad, in their own lonely way, and rarely because of the collapse of the planet. These are stories of humans yearning for connection, hoping for love, for purpose, for meaning. Stories of being scammed, of being rejected, of growing older, of being alone, of needing and not knowing how to put that need into words.
People don’t stop seeking, even while the world is ending. I love human stories. Stories about ordinary people doing ordinary things.
But…
I still ended up having to nope out at 43%. It wasn’t due to the craft, however. The collection really is incredible, but I found myself skipping certain stories. I couldn’t handle the one with the elephant culling because I was so afraid they would kill the MC's elephant. (I have no idea if it died or not because I just couldn’t bring myself to find out. Given the sad nature of most of these stories… I doubt there was a good end.) I then went on to the Bioark story, but there were group-sex themes (hard no for me), so I stepped away from that one too. I’m too tired to push through stories that make me this uncomfortable.
By then I’d skipped two stories and realized I couldn’t do the book justice if I kept jumping ahead. Instead, I’ll say this collection is brilliant and beautiful, and you should definitely read it if it sounds at all interesting.
It was just too much for me in the end, and that's okay. We should all read within our limits.
Audio-Specific 🎧: There was a jaunty little tune playing at the very beginning of the book, as Sue Jean Kim read off the title and the author’s name. It was an interesting little bonus. Her pronunciation in the various languages was lovely. She also did some great odd voices—like the horse race announcer. Given the international nature of the book, Kim did superb accent work. I really enjoyed her performance all around!
📌 TL;DR: It’s a beautiful, discussable book. Difficult, sometimes brutal. And, in the end, it’s just not for me.
4⭐, DNF @ 43%
A collection of magnificently human short stories set against a growing climate disaster. Life goes on, even as summer extends from March to November, or people are forced to live in biodomes to survive, and humans do what they've always done: they try to find meaning in their lives, to find love, and joy and fulfillment.
These stories are endlessly melancholy. Sad, in their own lonely way, and rarely because of the collapse of the planet. These are stories of humans yearning for connection, hoping for love, for purpose, for meaning. Stories of being scammed, of being rejected, of growing older, of being alone, of needing and not knowing how to put that need into words.
People don’t stop seeking, even while the world is ending. I love human stories. Stories about ordinary people doing ordinary things.
But…
I still ended up having to nope out at 43%. It wasn’t due to the craft, however. The collection really is incredible, but I found myself skipping certain stories. I couldn’t handle the one with the elephant culling because I was so afraid they would kill the MC's elephant. (I have no idea if it died or not because I just couldn’t bring myself to find out. Given the sad nature of most of these stories… I doubt there was a good end.) I then went on to the Bioark story, but there were group-sex themes (hard no for me), so I stepped away from that one too. I’m too tired to push through stories that make me this uncomfortable.
By then I’d skipped two stories and realized I couldn’t do the book justice if I kept jumping ahead. Instead, I’ll say this collection is brilliant and beautiful, and you should definitely read it if it sounds at all interesting.
It was just too much for me in the end, and that's okay. We should all read within our limits.
Audio-Specific 🎧: There was a jaunty little tune playing at the very beginning of the book, as Sue Jean Kim read off the title and the author’s name. It was an interesting little bonus. Her pronunciation in the various languages was lovely. She also did some great odd voices—like the horse race announcer. Given the international nature of the book, Kim did superb accent work. I really enjoyed her performance all around!
📌 TL;DR: It’s a beautiful, discussable book. Difficult, sometimes brutal. And, in the end, it’s just not for me.
November 25, 2025
Thanks Ecco for the gifted ARC book.
I felt immersed in climate grief while reading as each story explores the relationship between humans and the natural world – a world that is crumbling due to man-made disaster. My favorite stories were the first and last of the collection. In Biodome, Seoul is enclosed in a translucent shell to protect the city from fatal air pollution. The civil engineer responsible for the biodome’s upkeep considers an arranged marriage. In A Love Story from the End of the World, a research scientist on a polar expedition, who’s unsuccessful search for her birth mother resulted in estrangement from her adoptive family, rescues an abandoned polar bear cub despite a colleague’s objection to the interference. Another colleague, also an adoptee, protests oil drilling at a nearby location.
Kim does well within the length of these short stories to give developed characters and narrative while also leaving space for the reader to explore their own thoughts on the subjects at hand (and there’s quite a lot to think about). The themes of human vs. natural world and climate are found throughout while the particular type of love represented varies for each story – romantic, self, familial, inter-species, platonic. The very last line of the final story sums up everything quite perfectly and provides a satisfying conclusion to these poignant, heartfelt, and heartbreaking stories.
In her Author’s Note (don’t miss reading this!), Kim discusses what literature can do, an artist’s duty, veganism to reduce ecological impact, and other sustainable habits. She donates a portion of each of her book’s proceeds to an associated cause – this one being microgrants to grassroots organizations. This truly connects to the messages within these stories.
I felt immersed in climate grief while reading as each story explores the relationship between humans and the natural world – a world that is crumbling due to man-made disaster. My favorite stories were the first and last of the collection. In Biodome, Seoul is enclosed in a translucent shell to protect the city from fatal air pollution. The civil engineer responsible for the biodome’s upkeep considers an arranged marriage. In A Love Story from the End of the World, a research scientist on a polar expedition, who’s unsuccessful search for her birth mother resulted in estrangement from her adoptive family, rescues an abandoned polar bear cub despite a colleague’s objection to the interference. Another colleague, also an adoptee, protests oil drilling at a nearby location.
Kim does well within the length of these short stories to give developed characters and narrative while also leaving space for the reader to explore their own thoughts on the subjects at hand (and there’s quite a lot to think about). The themes of human vs. natural world and climate are found throughout while the particular type of love represented varies for each story – romantic, self, familial, inter-species, platonic. The very last line of the final story sums up everything quite perfectly and provides a satisfying conclusion to these poignant, heartfelt, and heartbreaking stories.
In her Author’s Note (don’t miss reading this!), Kim discusses what literature can do, an artist’s duty, veganism to reduce ecological impact, and other sustainable habits. She donates a portion of each of her book’s proceeds to an associated cause – this one being microgrants to grassroots organizations. This truly connects to the messages within these stories.
December 30, 2025
10 stories with ecological and emotional depth themes told in an exploration of humanity, climate change and human relationship premise. Having slow-burning prose with melancholic tone in a surreal hue of its setting which mostly set in the near-future or dystopian-like backdrop; from an ordinary neighbourhood to cities, remote island, a giant shelter and Arctic seas. I was engrossed on the author’s writing style which I find quite vivid and poetic as well how she crafted most of the characters to be rooted in an unresolved dilemmas andl emotionally flawed.
The titular story; A Love Story From The End Of The World was the most standout to me for its remote Arctic sea amid the melting ice backdrop following a marine biologist and her bond with an abandoned polar bear cub. Engaging, bit heartwrenched for its familial and identity views, and I liked the ending so much. Loved both Biodome for its quietly tense prose with an arranged love and freedom vs duty premise set in a near-future Seoul where people live in an enclosed dome due to air pollution and a riveting two sisters tale in Older Sister with its diaspora, on isolation with years of social unrest and environmental stress backdrop.
I liked how the friendship and one’s dream were observed in Mountain, Island with an engrossing setting at a landfill as well Bioark with its huge the ark concept where earth is a toxic wasteland and humans on the verge of extinction. Nothing too dull overall for me despite most were heavily plotted on its eco awareness, having anticlimactic progress or with no twist whatsoever— it was haunting and bittersweet, too thought-provoking and impactful throughout. 4/5*
**thank you Tines Reads for the gifted review copy!
The titular story; A Love Story From The End Of The World was the most standout to me for its remote Arctic sea amid the melting ice backdrop following a marine biologist and her bond with an abandoned polar bear cub. Engaging, bit heartwrenched for its familial and identity views, and I liked the ending so much. Loved both Biodome for its quietly tense prose with an arranged love and freedom vs duty premise set in a near-future Seoul where people live in an enclosed dome due to air pollution and a riveting two sisters tale in Older Sister with its diaspora, on isolation with years of social unrest and environmental stress backdrop.
I liked how the friendship and one’s dream were observed in Mountain, Island with an engrossing setting at a landfill as well Bioark with its huge the ark concept where earth is a toxic wasteland and humans on the verge of extinction. Nothing too dull overall for me despite most were heavily plotted on its eco awareness, having anticlimactic progress or with no twist whatsoever— it was haunting and bittersweet, too thought-provoking and impactful throughout. 4/5*
**thank you Tines Reads for the gifted review copy!
December 11, 2025
Having heard of the reputation of this author and her work (work I really I need to get to) seeing this collection on Netgalley I knew I wanted to read it as soon as I could, and thankfully they gave an ARC to review and I'm glad they did!
What I really appreciate is how the author brings these parts of the world to life from Nice to the frozen spaces of Kvitoya, Juhea uses colour to bring these places to life and the characters in these world a new perspective through her threading of colour through her stories. From elements of chartreuse to the naming of 'Hayang' in the last story (meaning white in Korean) these colours allow these stories to connect and to give these stories emphasis if not sometimes a little heavy-handedly.
In these stories the characters are written with humanity and connection. Connecting and creating new bonds even when the world seems to be going through changes in the climate at a faster rate or maybe a more 'seen' rate to the west, these stories show how human connect and continue living even when the world becomes dystopian in nature quite literally. Stories like 'Biodome' show how normal life become when something extraordinary becomes the ordinary this is clear in 'Bio-Ark' too where people have never known not being on the Ark.
It took me some time to get into this collection of short stories, but getting deeper into this collection I really enjoyed how they connected in their themes and thought and made me really want to delve more into the books of this author. I look forward to reading more.
(Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc for honest review).
What I really appreciate is how the author brings these parts of the world to life from Nice to the frozen spaces of Kvitoya, Juhea uses colour to bring these places to life and the characters in these world a new perspective through her threading of colour through her stories. From elements of chartreuse to the naming of 'Hayang' in the last story (meaning white in Korean) these colours allow these stories to connect and to give these stories emphasis if not sometimes a little heavy-handedly.
In these stories the characters are written with humanity and connection. Connecting and creating new bonds even when the world seems to be going through changes in the climate at a faster rate or maybe a more 'seen' rate to the west, these stories show how human connect and continue living even when the world becomes dystopian in nature quite literally. Stories like 'Biodome' show how normal life become when something extraordinary becomes the ordinary this is clear in 'Bio-Ark' too where people have never known not being on the Ark.
It took me some time to get into this collection of short stories, but getting deeper into this collection I really enjoyed how they connected in their themes and thought and made me really want to delve more into the books of this author. I look forward to reading more.
(Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc for honest review).
June 13, 2025
���� A Love Story from the End of the World: Stories - Juhea Kim
🔮 Genre: Short Stories, Literary Fiction, Climate Fiction
📅 Release Date: 11/25/2025
🌟 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
🖋 Quick Take: A hauntingly poetic reminder of our connection to the Earth—and the urgent need to protect it through short stories.
👇 Full Review Below! 👇
What first drew me to this book was its unique premise: exploring hope and humanity in the face of the world’s end. It’s not a genre I usually pick up, but I found this to be a deeply moving and beautifully written collection that lingers with you long after the last page.
The book follows 10 separate stories of people from around the globe, each grappling with life in a future shaped by climate catastrophe. The opening story sets a powerful tone, illustrating the stark reality of a crumbling world. While each story stands alone, together they create a rich tapestry of emotion, urgency, and reflection.
Juhea Kim’s prose is lyrical and vivid, making each setting and character feel fully alive. Many of the stories left me wanting more—but in the best way. They made me pause, think, and reevaluate the world around me.
The characters felt raw and real, and their varied experiences served as a poignant reminder of both our fragility and our impact.
The author’s note at the end was especially powerful. Kim doesn’t just paint a dystopian picture—she encourages us to take action now to prevent that future.
This was an eye-opening, thought-provoking read that blends literary beauty with environmental urgency.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! 🌎✨
🔮 Genre: Short Stories, Literary Fiction, Climate Fiction
📅 Release Date: 11/25/2025
🌟 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
🖋 Quick Take: A hauntingly poetic reminder of our connection to the Earth—and the urgent need to protect it through short stories.
👇 Full Review Below! 👇
What first drew me to this book was its unique premise: exploring hope and humanity in the face of the world’s end. It’s not a genre I usually pick up, but I found this to be a deeply moving and beautifully written collection that lingers with you long after the last page.
The book follows 10 separate stories of people from around the globe, each grappling with life in a future shaped by climate catastrophe. The opening story sets a powerful tone, illustrating the stark reality of a crumbling world. While each story stands alone, together they create a rich tapestry of emotion, urgency, and reflection.
Juhea Kim’s prose is lyrical and vivid, making each setting and character feel fully alive. Many of the stories left me wanting more—but in the best way. They made me pause, think, and reevaluate the world around me.
The characters felt raw and real, and their varied experiences served as a poignant reminder of both our fragility and our impact.
The author’s note at the end was especially powerful. Kim doesn’t just paint a dystopian picture—she encourages us to take action now to prevent that future.
This was an eye-opening, thought-provoking read that blends literary beauty with environmental urgency.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! 🌎✨
November 9, 2025
This is a stunning short story collection, imagining various scenarios in the near future where humans are facing the consequences of the climate crisis, be it that they live in an artificial biome, or that they work with an endangered species. While each of these stories is a love story, they are not all romances. Some of them are about attempts at love, some about families or friends, some even about the bond between humans and nature.
The writing style is absolutely stunning. It’s rare that I’m struck by the effect of the language in a book, and usually I’d say that the best writing is the kind you don’t notice at all, but this stood out in all the right ways. Everything was described so beautifully and so evocatively. Kim also changes styles between stories, with one being in the second person, and another being made up of ten mini-chapters. It’s the perfect example of less is more; each story is so perfectly crafted, and they fit together to make the perfect collection.
My personal favourites were the first and last, which made excellent bookends and framed the overall thesis of the collection. While the first dealt with an abstract speculation on what the future might hold, the last was much more closely grounded in the present day, and took the title concept of ‘the end of the world’ in a very different direction.
I’m thrilled to have discovered Kim’s work, as I think she will be an author I will keep coming back to. I highly, highly recommend this collection!
I received a free copy for an honest review.
The writing style is absolutely stunning. It’s rare that I’m struck by the effect of the language in a book, and usually I’d say that the best writing is the kind you don’t notice at all, but this stood out in all the right ways. Everything was described so beautifully and so evocatively. Kim also changes styles between stories, with one being in the second person, and another being made up of ten mini-chapters. It’s the perfect example of less is more; each story is so perfectly crafted, and they fit together to make the perfect collection.
My personal favourites were the first and last, which made excellent bookends and framed the overall thesis of the collection. While the first dealt with an abstract speculation on what the future might hold, the last was much more closely grounded in the present day, and took the title concept of ‘the end of the world’ in a very different direction.
I’m thrilled to have discovered Kim’s work, as I think she will be an author I will keep coming back to. I highly, highly recommend this collection!
I received a free copy for an honest review.
September 13, 2025
This is a collection of ten short stories which I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
They’re set around the world from Korea, to the USA, to Europe and the Arctic. The author is an advocate for conservation, and most of these stories do highlight some of the concerns which are facing our world and could become more dangerous in the future: global warming, artificial intelligence and landfill sites.
Each story has a main character whose thoughts, concerns, decisions are examined in the face of those around them. They are all very unique tales and, as with any short story I read, left me wanting to hear more about them.
One of my favourites was the final story which has the same title as that of the book. It’s not a love story in the traditional sense, but does highlight the effects of a warmer world on the regions covered in ice.
There was just one story which I found hard to read - Kwazulu-Natal which is set in Africa and deals with controlling elephant numbers. It left me feeling incredibly sad.
Having said that, it is a collection of short stories which are all very different and very thought-provoking! They will hopefully inspire people to look after this wonderful planet we live on while we can.
I was sent a proof copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
They’re set around the world from Korea, to the USA, to Europe and the Arctic. The author is an advocate for conservation, and most of these stories do highlight some of the concerns which are facing our world and could become more dangerous in the future: global warming, artificial intelligence and landfill sites.
Each story has a main character whose thoughts, concerns, decisions are examined in the face of those around them. They are all very unique tales and, as with any short story I read, left me wanting to hear more about them.
One of my favourites was the final story which has the same title as that of the book. It’s not a love story in the traditional sense, but does highlight the effects of a warmer world on the regions covered in ice.
There was just one story which I found hard to read - Kwazulu-Natal which is set in Africa and deals with controlling elephant numbers. It left me feeling incredibly sad.
Having said that, it is a collection of short stories which are all very different and very thought-provoking! They will hopefully inspire people to look after this wonderful planet we live on while we can.
I was sent a proof copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
December 28, 2025
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an e-copy for an honest review.
I don’t usually read short stories collections as they can often hit or miss, however, as soon as I read the plot of this my attention peaked. I don’t think that this is a direct comparison, but if you loved How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu, you would love this, as it has the same vibes and explores humanity’s response towards earth’s destruction because of climate change. I enjoyed all the stories, but some hit differently like ‘Biodome’, ‘KwaZulu-Natal’, ‘A Love Story from the End of the World’, these were five stars if I were to rate them individually. Overall, this was a great short story collection, and I can’t wait to read more by this author that I actually have on my tbr already.
I don’t usually read short stories collections as they can often hit or miss, however, as soon as I read the plot of this my attention peaked. I don’t think that this is a direct comparison, but if you loved How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu, you would love this, as it has the same vibes and explores humanity’s response towards earth’s destruction because of climate change. I enjoyed all the stories, but some hit differently like ‘Biodome’, ‘KwaZulu-Natal’, ‘A Love Story from the End of the World’, these were five stars if I were to rate them individually. Overall, this was a great short story collection, and I can’t wait to read more by this author that I actually have on my tbr already.
October 29, 2025
This collection of stories is both stunning and thought-provoking, exploring life’s deeper meaning and humanity’s relationship with the changing world. I love the woven themes of color, and the characters’ awareness of something “beyond/more," whether it’s life beyond the biodome perimeter, or a true winter in the French mountains, or the appearance of a ghost in the middle of the night. In all these stories, there exists a hint of magic that pairs powerfully with the very real threat of environmental change. The various cultures and diverse settings highlight the universal power and importance of personal connection. And that, ultimately, is what these stories seem to be about: hope and a longing to belong, despite—or perhaps because of—our increasingly fractured world. A must read!
December 11, 2025
Juhea Kim's short story collection feels a little bit like a bait and switch. Called "A Love Story From the End of the World" it opens with a story of a future Seoul that exists under a dome. The next story in the collection has some vague climate future stylings but only as background. What follows is a series of interesting but unconnected stories. This are a collection of Kim's short stories over a period of fifteen years. They are in and of themselves engaging. But that are extremely diverse and there is little in the way of a connecting thread other than that they have the same author. A particularly good collection for fans of this author but also a good introduction for new readers to her work.
January 2, 2026
A Love Story from the End of the World: Stories by Juhea Kim is a collection of intricate love stories set in the distant future of a sci-fi world. This book carries themes like climate change, dystopia and social disparity.
Honestly, this book was not my cup of tea but I still decided to give it a shot because who knows, I might just enjoy reading it. Alas, I should have followed my instincts in the first place because I could not even begin to like it.
I like the themes discussed in this book, it felt very revolutionary and interesting. It certainly was unlike any other book I've read before. I don't think I have a story I find most memorable or I like most. They were pretty much the same to me.
All in all, I don't recommend you to read this book.
Honestly, this book was not my cup of tea but I still decided to give it a shot because who knows, I might just enjoy reading it. Alas, I should have followed my instincts in the first place because I could not even begin to like it.
I like the themes discussed in this book, it felt very revolutionary and interesting. It certainly was unlike any other book I've read before. I don't think I have a story I find most memorable or I like most. They were pretty much the same to me.
All in all, I don't recommend you to read this book.
September 1, 2025
An interesting read of sad love stories around the world between lovers, friends, family, acquaintences and living/unliving beings.
What would the world become in a loveless world and in our distant futures.
We also need to be more eco-friendly to save planet Earth from extinction!
The writing style differs between stories - futuristic and puzzling at some points. It has some different language styles of African, East London style English and Korean added into the book... so you will need different thinking caps on.
For readers who like Bora Chung and Sally Rooney.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK/HarperFiction for this ARC!
What would the world become in a loveless world and in our distant futures.
We also need to be more eco-friendly to save planet Earth from extinction!
The writing style differs between stories - futuristic and puzzling at some points. It has some different language styles of African, East London style English and Korean added into the book... so you will need different thinking caps on.
For readers who like Bora Chung and Sally Rooney.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK/HarperFiction for this ARC!
November 4, 2025
This book consists of 10 short stories set in the near future. The title says “a love story,” but don’t expect romance. These stories explore different kinds of love as the world changes with climate, culture, and time, not just romantic love. And don’t expect this to be a healing book either. It’s actually quite sad, because everything around the characters feels bleak. To think this might be where our planet is headed… But each story has a touching moment that pinched my heart and made me reflect on what it means to be human. The final story in particular hit me quite hard. A stunner 🥹
4🌟
4🌟
December 13, 2025
This is a realist near future sci-fi short stories collection. While it being a sci-fi, the stories focus more on the humanity aspect of a near future Earth affected by increasing climate change. The prose is poignant and introspective, the sci-fi aspect is minimal. I really enjoy the writing but would say that the collection gets a bit overly preachy about global warming sometimes, pointing out the obvious. I enjoyed this collection either way and did feel quite emotional after finishing some stories.
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