The Great Unknowable End

by Kathryn Ormsbee

Slater, Kansas is a small town where not much seems to happen.

Stella dreams of being a space engineer. After Stella's mom dies by suicide and her brother runs off to Red Sun, the local hippie commune, Stella is forced to bring her dreams down to Earth to care for her sister Jill.

Galliard has only ever known life inside Red Sun. There, people accept his tics, his Tourette's. But when he’s denied Red Sun's resident artist role he believed he was destined for, he starts to imagine a life beyond the gates of the compound...

The day Stella and Galliard meet, there is something in the air in their small town. Literally. So begins weeks of pink lightning, blood red rain, unexplained storms... And a countdown clock appears mysteriously above the town hall. With time ticking down to some great, unknowable end they’ll each have to make a choice.

If this is really the end of the world, who do they want to be when they face it?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Historical, Fiction, Science Fiction

384 pages, Hardcover

First published February 19, 2019

About the author

Kathryn Ormsbee is the author of contemporary novels for children and young adults, including Growing Pangs, Candidly Cline, and Tash Hearts Tolstoy.

Her books have been critically acclaimed, translated into eight languages, selected for the Indie Next List and Junior Library Guild, and made “best of” lists at NPR, Amazon, Kirkus, and the Chicago and New York Public Libraries. She lives with her wife in Texas.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Unknowable End by Kathryn Ormsbee is a historical young adult read that takes a reader to the small town of Slater, Kansas in 1977. Along with being set in the past there’s also a bit of a fantasy vibe involved too as this small town and our teen characters experience some odd phenomenon.

Stella is an average teen that is doing the best she can with her situation. A bright girl she should have big plans for college and escaping her small town except she can’t bare the thought of leaving her father and sister after having already lost their mother and brother.

Galliard is a member of Red Sun, a hippie commune on the outskirts of Slater. Having been born into the community Galliard never really thought o f leaving until he’s passed over for his dream job. When Galliard begins venturing out he and Stella become friends despite their differences.

The Great Unknowable End was a fun trip back into the late 70s bringing in music and events of the era to set the tone. Galliard and Stella were both likable characters you couldn’t help but feel for each o f their situations. Galliard having Tourette’s also seemed to be well done and brought another layer to his character. The thing that had me rating this one at 3 1/2 stars was it felt like it just fizzled out at the end otherwise it was a nice story.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Stacee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was completely sold by that synopsis and the previous book I read by this author. Sadly, this title was disappointing.

I liked Stella and Galliard well enough. They’re both struggling and trying to figure out what they want from life and it was easy to root for them. There are a few other characters, but no one stood out for me.

Plot wise it was boring. I was expecting all of these odd things {and they happened}, but the ending and so called explanation was a let down. The movement of the story was slow and repetitive and absolutely missing a spark for me.

Overall, I liked the growth of the characters, but definitely wanted a lot more out of this book.

**Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster BFYR for providing the arc free of charge**

[Shannon Miz · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

I have really enjoyed everything I have read by Kathryn Ormsbee. And I didn't dislike this one, but it definitely isn't my favorite of hers either. There are definitely some good points, and some that are... less so, so might as well break 'em down!

Things I Liked:

•The atmosphere and time period were fabulous! The 70s, punctuated by some eerie shenanigans, was quite the trip to read about! I mean, 1977 Kansas probably wasn't the most exciting place to grow up, so an unexplained potential "end of days" has to shake things up. I definitely felt the vibe of both the time period and the ominousness of the events taking place.


•I enjoyed the mystery aspect, and wanted to know how it would unfold. I mean, what is happening here? And why? And what about everywhere else? Can it be stopped? Will it be stopped? So many questions, right? And I was quite eager to find out the answers, since I really didn't have any idea where things were headed, which is another plus.

•The character growth was really well done. Stella really needed something to shake up her daily mundanity. She was stuck, let's be honest, and she wasn't going to become unstuck without some serious intervention. Galliard was stuck too, though I suppose in a more literal sense, considering he was in a cult. But they're at a precipice when the book starts, and it's clear that they're going to have to decide what they want out of their lives.

•Speaking of the characters, I really enjoyed the family dynamics, especially within Stella's family. Her sense of responsibility and duty warring with her own dreams and desires is all too common. I also loved the friendships that were presented during the book, and yes, eventually the romance!

Things That Sent Me Down a Research Hole:

•There is no such thing as 98.5 AM. Okay look obviously I am not going to factor this into my rating, but it drove me bananas, because 98.5 is an FM frequency. I searched many, many sites to make sure that back in the 70s, frequencies weren't done differently, and my research seems to indicate that this distinction between AM and FM radio has been in practice in the US since the 1930s. If anyone has any different info, please share! Anyway it's mentioned so many times in the book that I just couldn't let it go, so here I am, perseverating on a tiny detail. 🤷‍♀️

Things I Didn't Love:

•The "talking to dead musicians" is my least favorite trope in the history of books. Ugh I don't even know why I loathe it so fully, I just know that it irks me and I can't help it.

•I wanted the cult to be... cultier. The cult wasn't actually all terrible? Which is not what I want from my cult! I wanted it to be a little more awful, I guess. Maybe some cults aren't the worst, and this is some kind of... equal opportunity cult representation? I have no idea, but when I hear "cult", I am hoping for dark and twisted, and it really wasn't so much here.

•I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I'd have liked. I liked the relationships and their struggles and development and such, but I just wanted to feel a little more of an emotional connection with them, and I didn't.

•The end was a little underwhelming for me. I don't think I necessarily had any particular expectations for how I wanted it to be, but it just felt a little easy, perhaps? Anyway, I don't want to say anything else about that, for obvious reasons.

Bottom Line: Not bad, but not as epic as I'd expected. The friendships, family, and ambiance made it worth it, though.

[belle ☆ﾐ (thisbellereadstoo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed watching Stella coming into terms with her capabilities. She’s intelligent, good with numbers and passionate about sci-fi/spacecraft. With her mother dead and older brother at the Red Sun, she felt like she had to step up. She’s more than just a normal girl who should stay at home to take care of her family.

The interaction between Galliard and Stella felt genuine. Despite coming from different places and growing up with completely opposite ideas, beliefs and environment, they got together quite nicely. Galliard is hiding a secret, have been ever since he found Phoenix’s sister’s letters in his wastebasket. Galliard has always been curious about the Outside since he was born in the Inside. All his life, he only knew about his commune and their rules.

Galliard is a wonderful musician, but he never got to showcase it. Not when the Red Sun banned all music past the 70s, so they don’t know about Queen but only Elvis Presley, and books. Since Galliard has tics, it was fascinating to watch everyone’s reaction to him. I love that he never let it affect him when new people interacted with him for the first time.

The whole countdown thing was building up to a huge event but I was disappointed at how it happened. There wasn’t any explanation to it, who caused it to happen, how it happened. Nothing. Was it nature? Was it aliens? Supernatural? Paranormal? WHAT HAPPENED?!??!!??!??!

I’m left with so many questions but I thought the rest of the endings were appropriate and felt right.

[✨Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars

[Marochka · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Edelweiss for the chance to review this book.

Wow. This book was weird and fun, and surprising.


This story is set is the 70's in a town called Slater, Kansas and involves one girl and one boy whose lives could not be more different. Hey, let's throw in some mysterious phenomena and here we have The Great Unknowable End.

Enter Stella. She lost her mother to suicide and works two jobs, one at an outdoor movie theater and another at a hair salon. She puts her dreams of becoming a space engineer to the backburner to care for her father and little sister when her older brother suddenly leaves for a commune called The Red Sun without a word two years prior. Her family has distanced themselves from a town who associates evil with The Red Sun.

They're loners, but they're loners together.

Enter Galliard. He was born at The Red Sun and has little knowledge of the Outside. When he loses a spot as the resident artist within the commune, he seeks answers beyond the commune's gates. But will the world outside accept his Tourette Syndrome without judgment as The Red Sun?

Strange things begin to happen in Slater. From red rain to eyeless snakes. The town puts the blame on the Red Sun. The Red Sun returns blame to the Outside. Meanwhile, Stella and Galliard meet and strike up an unlikely friendship. In the backdrop of all of these strange happenings, there's a girl with a weird face and a boy with tics who find each other amongst their secrets and pain.

What this book reminded me of: The Twilight Zone, Donnie Darko, and Stranger Things.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved it because the two main characters were so flawed and so real that I couldn't stop reading to see what would happen to them. I love magical realism, and I love it more when there's no explanation for it. For some reason, that mystery is better for me. But you can speculate, and I am sure there might have been something I missed that wrapped it all up together.

What drew me into requesting this book was the magical realism aspect. What I got was the stories of two teenagers whose lives weaved with each other with that desire to be found and understood. It's about devotion to family, no matter blood-related or not or how blindly it is. There's a reminder in there about no matter what happens in life, be it a loss or the world coming to an end, that there are opportunities to follow your heart and to never give up on your dreams.

This is the type of book that sticks in your brain long after you've read it. When I finish a book, I usually move on quickly, but this one has lingered. I've never read a character with Tourette's, and I'm grateful for the education about the disorder. And a girl who is in love with the stars? GIVE IT TO ME.

In closing, add this to your reading list, preorders, whatever. I am certainly going to add it to my shelves.

[Jessica (Goldenfurpro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd

Short and Simple Review
I originally added this book to my TBR list right after I read Tash Hearts Tolstoy and all I really knew about it then was that it was going to take place in Kansas so I automatically wanted to read it (I'm from Kansas, okay? And there are not enough YA books that take place in Kansas. Granted I want more YA books that take place near the city. Why does everyone automatically think of rural when it comes to Kansas?). I'm not sure if the geography made sense, but I was really drawn into this book. The setting was very atmospheric, not just the small town setting, but there was such a clear feeling of summer and the '70s. The pacing was slow throughout a majority of the book, but that did not bother me. It just put a focus on the characters and I loved both Stella's and Galliard's perspectives. As the book progressed the pacing quickened in a very exciting rate. The last portion had a hint of magical realism and I'm still not sure what happened, but I overall liked this book. Also, I'm glad the Cosmosphere at least got a tiny shoutout at the very end.

[USOM · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

The Great Unknowable End is about self-discovery. Whether it be Galliard and his questioning of his Red Sun life, or Stella's assumption of her motherly role towards her family, both of our main characters are at points in their life where they have figure out who they want to be. When you don't think you can be anything else than what you've known, what you've thought, how do we break free? How do we become something we never thought was possible?

full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...

[Claire]

PRE-REVIEW


Inspired by The Twilight Zone, you say?



Well, sign me the hell up!

(Note: These gifs are from the episode, Monsters are due on Maple Street. All I can say is... ALIENS!)

I'm a huge fan of this series. I've only watched it the first time when I arrived to America (7 years ago). I was born in the Philippines, so give me a break! I've watched and re-watched the episodes of The Twilight Zone ever since I lived in the United States...

My top 3 favorite episodes would be:
1) The Eye of the Beholder or The Private World of Darkness (not really sure what the title was)
2) Number 12 Looks Just Like You
3) To Serve Man

If you've lived in America all your life and haven't watched a single episode of The Twilight Zone, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE???

Anyway, let's get back to the book - I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK! The premise sounds like the Maple Street episode, which involves mass hysteria, conspiracy theories, and mistrust amongst other people. SPRING 2018 WHY?! GIVE IT TO ME!!!

[Melina Topp · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.15 / 5 stars

This book is a lot. It's a historical fiction taking place in the 70's, with Tourette's representation and character's coping with loss and grief. It balances chasing ambitions and passions with reality. Oh and there's a cult. Did I mention the insane weather and unexplainable countdown clock? With intense doomsday vibes???

You could take anyone of these themes, run with it, and write a book. 'The Great Unknowable End' has ALL of that. And more. It's a lot. A bit too much for to fully enjoy it.

The characters were fine, the plot was fine, the ending was fine. I read it pretty quickly.

My least favorite part of the book was when it would break into second perspective and tell me what I was feeling. (I know what you are thinking. You are saying....) It just took my out of the story each and every time.

Overall a decent book with a beautiful cover!

[Basil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the beginning/first three-quarters almost beyond words & comprehension. had everything i loved in a book and was kind of mind-expanding in the sense that it was like, wait, we can do this? with YA? like sort of an epiphany of like ohhh THIS is what we should be doing with YA. but then the last quarter or so was so darn frustrating it really let me down and made me really disappointed with the work as a whole. no spoilers in this review, and i still would recommend to anyone who wants to see what good YA is and like, why I love kid's books so dang much. I feel lucky to live in a world where I get to share my enthusiasm about literature and reading with people, and this book made me really appreciate that, despite its flaws!

[Teenreadsdotcom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slater, Kansas, is like most Midwest towns --- record shops, hair salon, an outdoor theater and Red Sun, a nearby pacifist community that strives toward unity, shunning the Outside and its corrupting influence on relationships and the environment. While the commune is far from a mystery to the town, it certainly isn’t embraced, frequently the scapegoat for incidents in Slater. For some, however, tensions with the commune run higher --- like for the Mercer family.

After Stella’s brother Craig leaves home for the community, she struggles with the bitterness of his abandonment, especially after her mother’s death by suicide, and wonders what could have persuaded him to leave their family behind.

But Galliard, born and raised in Red Sun, thinks that individuals on the Outside miss the value of the community he calls home --- until he finds himself assigned to menial work in the kitchens, passed over for the artist position in the community that would allow him to become the musician he’s dreamed of being. Meanwhile, Slater itself faces more than internal tensions --- strange weather events, from pink lighting to tornadoes, keep occurring, while a countdown clock appears in the town. What are Stella and Galliard, and the rest of Slater, heading toward? And who will they become before what might be the end?

With THE GREAT UNKNOWABLE END, Kathryn Ormsbee explores dreams, responsibility and identity in a novel that captures the distinct attitude of late 70s and early 80s. One of the most distinctive features of the story is the historical context and the way that Ormsbee recreates its unique feeling. With bicycle rides, supernatural events and teens exhilarated by possibility and chance, THE GREAT UNKNOWABLE END brings to mind classics of the era like E.T., while Ormsbee also includes the intersection of hippie culture, environmental activism, a thriving music industry and, most importantly, Star Wars. Even the reactions of the characters echo the mindset of a decade where global powers interacted in unexpected and, at times, frightening ways, and project the uncertainty of the time. Down to the smallest detail, Ormsbee includes little reminders of the historical context, demonstrating her concrete understanding of the time period and successfully making the story feel firmly integrated into the era, rather than existing in the time period on a superficial level.

In terms of the content of the story, Ormsbee develops the central conflict between personal aspirations and responsibility that shapes identity, exploring this same idea from the two unique perspectives of her main characters. While Stella debates her commitment to her family, particularly her little sister, Gillard wrestles with his bond to his own community, and the role he needs to take for the harmony of the group as a whole. Stella’s characterization, in particular, feels deeply developed, with a vulnerable and honest narrative that allows readers to connect with her. However, Galliard’s personality feels somewhat less explained by the end of the novel, and his character could have been made more compelling with a deeper understanding of his relationships with others in his community, as well as the history of his connection with music. Even without these details, though, both characters prove relatable and passionate.

Where Ormsbee’s novel may fall short for some readers, however, is in the pacing and closure of the novel. The strange, almost supernatural events of the story slowly gain intensity, keeping the reader engaged in the unexplainable, while the reactions of the townspeople seem realistic and add to the tension of the events. However, the climax itself feels rushed, with many events happening in such a short span of time that they lose their individual resonance, leaving the reader looking for more. Additionally, the resolution of the novel lacks a completely satisfactory explanation. While the style of the conclusion seems to fit the historical context of the novel in some ways, readers who like tidy endings may not feel like the final chapters of the story measure up.

For readers looking for a story with a distinctive tone, compelling characters and a touch of the supernatural, Kathryn Ormsbee delivers a unique and interesting novel in THE GREAT UNKNOWABLE END --- one that 70s readers would be sure to have called “groovy.”

[Lais · Rating 4 out of 5]

re-read 241021
upon re-read, this one didn't hit as hard, but it's still a really emotional thought-provoking ride.

re-read 210925
this book did a NUMBER on me. i don't think i'll ever stop thinking about it

[Seoling :)]

CAN I GET A HECK YES?

I am so excited for this book. Why is summer 2018 not here yet?

[Maraia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly, this didn't live up the high expectations set by the other three books I've read by Kathryn Ormsbee.

[Chelsea Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I completely fell in love with this book. I think it shows such strong growth from the author, Kathryn Ormsbee, and is easily my favorite novel by her to date.

The novel is dual POV with alternating chapters. Stella and Galliard's voices were easily identifiable and had clearly been crafted with care. It didn't take long for me to root for both of them individually, and for me to root for the two of them to fall in love!!

Both character arcs were well thought out and made sense. I wished I could just dive into the novel to encourage both of them as they struggled with ghosts from their pasts and the looming uncertainty of the future. They each have such painful parts of their pasts that, while they're completely different from each other, make them uniquely able to understand what the other person has gone through. Also, I am always here for representation, and my brother has Tourette's Syndrome like Galliard does, so I loved that Ormsbee incorporated a character who has TS as a part of his story, but by no means the only interesting thing about him.

This novel is beautifully atmospheric. So many questions swirl about what is happening in their hometown of Slater, Kansas, and it dances on the lines of being spooky without ever being terrifying (something I personally appreciated!) But it is so beautifully written that I was completely captivated. Ormsbee's writing style grows with each book she writes, and this was clearly the culmination of years of writing. The world of Slater and Red Sun, the nearby hippie commune, were painted so clearly and vividly, whether it was a normal afternoon or there was pink lightning.

This is a gorgeous book that left me wanting more of Stella and Galliard's stories, and I would be lying if I said I wouldn't gobble up a sequel!

[Christabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Hmmm... I did enjoy it. The atmosphere and strange apocalyptic happenings (like the pink lightning) were very cool. I really liked Stella as a character, and enjoyed reading her POVs a lot. I also though the character arcs and growth of both of the main characters was well done, and the ending felt satisfying in that way.
The rest of the ending was a bit unsatisfactory though? I honestly don’t know how the whole apocalypse plot could have been wrapped up better, but I think I would have appreciated a little more closure.
Honestly the main thing that annoyed me the most about the book was just Galliard himself, and all his POV chapters. I feel like the writing quality decreased significantly in his POVs compared to Stella’s. Also he spent a large chunk of the book complaining about how selfish Phoenix was applying for the job Galliard wanted, but he never stopped to think that maybe he was being selfish too? Like maybe Galliard wasn’t entitled to the Resident Artist job just because he wanted it so badly? And maybe shunning Phoenix, just because Phoenix wanted a chance to do a job he enjoyed too, was kind of hypocritical. Smh
Overall though, it was an enjoyable story, and I’m glad I read it.

CW: a good deal of swearing, especially in Galliard’s POVs, some smoking of marijuana, a few sexual references and a kiss.
TW: Talks often about suicide and its effects on family and friends, including two different past suicides being described.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Great Unknowable End takes place in the 70s and features a cult. Well, they don't call themselves that, obviously, they're a commune if you ask them. 

The story switches point of view between Galliard, who was the first child born in the commune and has lived there his entire life, and Stella, whose brother ran off to join the commune two years prior.

Galliard has parents in the commune, but they aren't called that. Kids are basically raised by the entire commune and belong to everyone. 

Their purpose was basically to live in peace, as they weren't a religious community. In fact, Galliard prays to rock legends who are no longer living. He also cusses like a sailor, which I thought was an interesting aspect as I guess I always see communes like that not swearing? Maybe that's just my weird thoughts on it haha.

Stella lives with her dad and little sister Jill. Her mother died years ago and her older brother has run off to the commune. 

This story totally takes on a creepy vibe as it goes on. It starts with bizarre weather that no other surrounding towns or cities have. There's things like pink lightning and then the rain is blood red, etc. It creeped me out and I loved it.

Not only that, but the town (and Stella's closet) have eerily lit numbers doing a countdown. To what? No one knows. 

Stella and Galliard strike up a friendship that turns part romance, and between their budding friendship and the building anticipation with the countdown and weather, I was super excited to see what happened.

Unfortunately, the ending was anti-climactic for me. It just....fizzled. And that's the best way I can describe it. It was such a let down because I was totally hooked into this book until the end.

Even though the ending wasn't for me, I thought the book itself was written well. I really liked the characters and loved the overall vibe of the book.

[Leah Hatch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

The Great Unknowable End by Kathryn Ormsbee is a historical fiction/fantasy novel set in 1970’s Kansas. The story follows our duel protagonists, Stella and Galliard, as they navigate the strange happenings around their city. Stella is a young woman working several jobs, just trying to get by and care for her family. Galliard is a member of a cult called Red Sun, and is trying to achieve his dream of being the resident artist so he spread the word of Red Sun to the outside world. Stella and Galliard meet under abnormal circumstances.

This was a fairly average book for me. The writing was good, but I didn’t feel very connected with either of our main characters. I did like reading from Stella’s perspective more than I did Galliard. While Galliard’s portions of the book could be interesting at some points, I felt so disconnected from his narrative, and sometimes didn’t like him altogether.

Even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of the characters, I do have to say that the writing was very atmospheric, and I could picture everything happening clearly. I wonder if I would have liked this better as a movie rather than a book.

If you are a fan of slight magical realism, you might want to give this book a shot.

[Alison Morquecho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The title of this book drew me in. When I read the synopsis I knew I would enjoy this book. And I did. I pretty much fell in love with this book within a few pages. I was intrigued immediately. Galliard, who is one of our POV's, is such a cool character. He struggles with Tourrettes syndrome, and it was so neat to be in his head and see how he thinks. I have a 7-year-old daughter who may have Tourrettes, it's still too early to tell, but this book has even helped me understand her tics a bit more.

Gilliard has grown up on Red sun, a commune, all his life. He doesn't know much of the outside world, only that it is horrible and he never wants to go. Once you hit a certain age in the commune, you can choose to either go or stay. Most people stay, and that is Gilliard's plan until events happen in his life where he's not so sure anymore. Our other POV is Stella. She has a younger sister named Jill, who she takes care of most the time. Her father works nights, so he isn't around a ton. Her mother committed suicide when she was younger and her brother has run away to Red Sun a few years ago. I loved Stella. She is a down to earth gal, but super smart. She is super into space and wants to be a space engineer. The only problem is, because all that has happened in her life, she feels like she has to take care of her sister instead of going to school.

The craziness starts happening in the town and nobody can explain it. Some of the things that happened really creeped me out. I kept trying to imagine what the world would I do if this stuff happened to me. I really liked the detail and creativeness in these weird occurrences. I read one review where they thought it should have been crazier, but I thought it was just the right amount.

One thing I loved about this book was all the music references. Galliard is super into music. He plays piano and guitar amazingly and can sing as well. The book is set in 1977 so it was fun to see all the musicians he was into. The other thing I really enjoyed about this book was Red Sun. I couldn't believe some of the stuff they thought to be the truth. It seemed so crazy, but then I had to remember that there are places like these that have the same insane beliefs. Some even worse.

I recommend this book to everyone. I couldn't put it down because I had to know what was going to happen next!

Read the rest of my review on my blog!!! http://readrhapsodizerepeat.com/revie...

[Chelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything changed because Craig moved to Red Sun, the local hippie commune. Stella, his younger sister, is now responsible for earning money for the family and caring for their youngest sister instead of going to college and working for NASA. Galliard, raised in the commune, now sees his dreams of becoming resident artist and creating music come crashing down, as Craig has gained the position instead. When a mysterious countdown emerges on Town Hall, nobody knows what will happen in 2 weeks. But if the end of the world is really coming, shouldn't Stella and Galliard live with abandon and try to realize their dreams?

There is A LOT going on in this book, and it sometimes suffers because of this. I really enjoyed Stella's journey and felt like it was very well-crafted. Unfortunately, Galliard's portions seemed less-so, and while I understand why his part was included, it didn't always feel necessary. Likewise, the weird end-of-the-world signs and events were explained inadequately, which was a little disappointing. I enjoyed a lot of this, but it was far too easy to set aside. Fits in really great with the 50th anniversary of the moon landing and this year's Summer Reading theme, though.

[Arshanti Tramm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received the book as a Christmas gift. I thought I’d give it a read although the cover by itself was too overwhelming to look at, I like simplicity but that’s a matter of taste.
The book does not per se sucks, but it lacks anything that would keep me interested to read.
I’ve never know Kathryn Ormsbee, but to be the first read. This book was whack.

The author seemed to just be stating truths but there was no in depth flow? The stories were super slow.
Stella and Galliard are both struggling to find out what they want in life. The characters seemed well developed.
Yet, the plot was boring, my life is much more exciting. The story was hella repetitive after 179 pages, I put the book down. Took me a month to be bored enough to read it again.

The cult was not a “cult”. I know cults. Truth is, I got bored and skimmed through. I got it as a gift and I usually read books that are gifts “for morality sake”. Great character development, but plot wise it did not teach me anything new and I felt no catharsis nothing. That saddened me. It was plain and flat. I hope to read another one of this writer.

[Jack Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a little sad I didn't enjoy The Great Unknowable End as much as Ormsbee's past two YA novels, but I still really liked it. Ormsbee is still a master at creating stories that are incredibly engrossing and well-developed characters you want to root for. I felt like I was transported to 1977 with the rich detail found in the pages, and I connected with both Galliard and Stella. The dual POVs worked incredibly well, and the former's Tourette's was well represented.

There were a couple of gripes I had with Stella's arc, especially after Chapter 19, but the ending made up for that, especially with her realization of what she can do with her life. Other than that, I look forward to whatever Ormsbee crafts next!

[Darcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story starts with a girl named Stella Who live in a town near a commune.She has a brother named phoenix ,He has left them for a more glorified life .One day a boy named Galliard finds one of her letters and decides to right back.As they brother wrote back to each other Stella thought it was her brother but it wasn't . It ends with the world ending and they are surviving by living near the commune at a nice not so far away home. My favorite part was when Stella told Galliard to "write back,but you can put your name on it.".I would recommend this to people who love endings that will warm your heart like teachers or adults and kids.

[Cordea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The whole reason why I bought this book was because I thought the cover was so beautiful. I had no idea what to expect when reading this and wow. This was such an unexpected take on the end of the world storyline. The writing was so atmospheric and you really felt the overarching dread of the impending end. Stella is one of the best characters I've read all year. She was so selfless and hardworking but also funny and smart; all while struggling with a lot of internal turmoil. I saw myself in her and learned a lot from her. I just really loved this it made me feel emotions.

[Clare Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There is a charge in this air, and a charge inside me, and I have an unshakable feeling that this charge is about to spark against another and burst into some great unknowable thing."

I didn't know what I was missing in life was historical apocalypse fiction. Where can I find more??

So anyway, this is spectacular, from every angle. I'm going with the Donnie Darko solution to all the weirdness and I love it.

"Where do you hide when you're trapped in an apocalypse? Where the hell do you go to hide from yourself?"

[pia laplaca · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* this book was so powerful and moving and it was honestly beautiful in the way it handled such important topics of grief and finding yourself and coming-of-age with such an interesting take on them and such a unique story

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5

[Destiny Soria · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eerily beautiful book. Like a Twilight Zone episode in YA form.