A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

by C.A. Fletcher

My name's Griz. My childhood wasn't like yours. I've never had friends, and in my whole life I've not met enough people to play a game of football.

My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs.

Then the thief came.

There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you.

Because if we aren't loyal to the things we love, what's the point?

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Audiobook, Fantasy, Young Adult

365 pages, Hardcover

First published April 23, 2019

About the author

C. A. Fletcher has children and dogs. He lives in Scotland and writes for a living.

Also see Charlie Fletcher

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.

An important post-apocalyptic story that teaches us to always be kind, loyal, and hopeful.

With countless books being published every single day, the cover art quality of a book published by an author I haven’t heard of is very crucial in grabbing my interest; that's not exactly what happened with this book. Don't get me wrong, the cover art is certainly pretty but what grabbed my attention immediately was something of a rarer occasion: the title of the book. After that, I heard that the novel is perfect for readers of Station Eleven and The Girl With All the Gifts, I haven’t read the latter but I’ve read and loved Station Eleven last year, and I just knew that I have to read this book as soon as I can. Plus, I find it adorable that there’s a warning on spoiler stated at the beginning or the back cover of the ARC. No need to worry, just like always, I’ll make sure to take extra care in my review to make sure it’s spoiler-free.

“And those that remain are still with us now, here at the end of the world. And there may be no law left except what you make of it, but if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you. If we’re not loyal to the things we love, what’s the point? That’s like not having a memory. That’s when we stop being human. That’s a kind of death, even if you keep breathing.”

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World follows Griz as he takes on a journey to save his stolen dog. It’s a post-apocalyptic story that centers on survival, courage, hope, love, humanity, family, and most importantly the importance of being grateful. Just like Station Eleven, even though it’s a post-apocalyptic story and the setting can be considered bleak and lonely, the tone and the messages delivered was hopeful and heartwarming. Fletcher shows that even though the world has pretty much ended, it doesn’t mean that we have to lose sight of what truly matters. On contrary, maybe somewhere along the way, we have lost sight of them due to the constantly hectic lifestyle and situations that life forced on us. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World teaches us to pay more attention to our surroundings. Don’t wait until the end of the world for the small things to shine again. Even the simple act of listening to music, reading, drinking tea, or walking around with your dogs and friends shouldn’t ever be taken for granted. I, for one, highly appreciate this kind of story.

“Reading is another way we survive. It helps to know where we came from, how we got here. And most of all, for me, even though these low and empty islands are all I have ever known, when I open the front cover of a new book, it’s like a door, and I can travel far away in place and time.”

Regarding characterizations, although there wasn’t a lot of characters in this book, every character—dogs included—has an important role to play in Griz’s journey. For the entirety of the novel, Griz was the only character with a POV to read. Due to the fact that the novel was mostly told in a diary/book written by Griz about his journey, it did results in quite a lot of self-introspection, especially in the first half of the book. Admittedly, there was one section in the second quarter of the book where I found the book to be a bit too slow because Griz was pretty much alone. This means that there was close to zero dialogue or interactions with other side characters. However, this was only a minor con which was soon redeemed in the halfway point of the book when Griz met another side character.

Fletcher’s prose was one of the most important strengths in providing the compelling nature of the story. The prose was simple, beautiful, and full of meaningful passages. It's written in a first-person narrative but added with a little touch of second person narrative. He did a great job in writing how much the world and its inhabitants have changed or how they still stay the same.

“Better a brain than a fist. A brain can hold anything, from giant things, like distant stars and planets, to tiny things we can’t see, like germs. A brain can even hold things that aren’t and never were, like hobbits. A brain can hold the whole universe, a fist just holds what little it can grab. Or hits what it can’t.”

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is a powerful melancholic story that that shows how incredible loyalty and friendship can be. Displaying humanity at its best and worst, the message “simplicity taken for granted” was absolutely well delivered and this wonderful tale of survival and friendship in a bleak setting shouldn’t be missed. If you love a post-apocalyptic story that gives a feeling of joy, calmness, well-placed tension, you can’t go wrong with giving this book a go. Was it a poignant read? Well, the title speaks for itself. I'll conclude with saying that reading this book did leave a smile upon my face several times and I consider it a MUST read for any reader who love reading about the friendship between human and dogs. I’ll leave the rest for you to read and find out on your own.

P.S:
I want to praise the team at Orbit—I believe this one applies only to the UK edition—for the superb package and design delivered within their physical ARC of this book. The photos, the compass, and the book itself, I only realized how awesome everything was after having read the book. Great job!

Official release date: April 23, 2019 (US), April 25, 2019 (UK)

You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOW AVAILABLE!!!

i have never seen this on an arc before:



usually, i am very mindful to avoid potential spoilers in reviews of ARCs.

BUT THIS EXPLICIT, POLITELY-WORDED REQUEST MAKES ME FEEL SO MISCHIEVOUS! THERE IS NAUGHTINESS STIRRING WITHIN ME!! WHAT WILL HAPPEN???

*************************************

THIS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN

*************************************

Ends happen fast, and often arrive before you’ve been warned they’ve coming.

i’ll write a general review first, for the booknerds, and then i want to say a few words about SEEEKRITS which will not be the giving away of seeekrits, but more of a slurry of thoughts about ‘em, which may or may not be interesting or useful or even a smart use of my time.

GENERAL REVIEW:

this is a solid post-slowpocalypse novel, in which humanity has dwindled down to nearly nothing after all but 0.0001% of the population underwent the Gelding - an epidemic of sterility/barrenness of unknown origin. those who have managed to survive see few, if any, humans outside of their immediate family over their lifetimes, knowing only what that family knows about the larger world.

this is certainly the case for griz’s family: teenage griz, siblings ferg and bar, their parents and their two dogs jip and jess. they are further isolated by living on an island off the coast of former-scotland, with only one other family within sailing-distance, getting by through scavenging and farming, and certainly having suffered their own losses along the way.

and then a man arrives on their shores - brand is tall and charismatic, a vikinglike adventurer with stories of his travels and a ship full of treasures to trade - who charms his way into their hearth and home and then takes off in the night with jess, a beloved family pet but also a valuable commodity; female dogs being nearly as rare as fertile humans.

and griz is just not gonna stand for that, setting off into the unknown with jip to get jess back, completely unprepared for the threats and truths of the world beyond those islands.

it’s a good contribution to the post-apoc genre, and i love that griz is a total booknerd whose favorite thing to read is…books about apocalypses and dystopias; because it’s always interesting to see what the Before thought the After would be like, and i love how many aftermath books survived the aftermath for griz to read.

the situation is inventive, the voice is appealing and a believable combination of knowledgable and innocent. there’s a thoughtfulness in the character’s worldview that i very much enjoyed — ordinarily i get frustrated with… pacifism, i guess i’ll call it, in aftermath lit, because once the world ends and all that’s left are predators and prey, you’d better adjust right quick because nature won’t coddle things that don’t fight back. those things are called “food.” but while griz’s reluctance to fight is naive, I didn’t want this story to end with a fight. I just wanted my dog, it makes sense given the circumstances - with so few people left in the world, it seems wasteful to kill any of ‘em. but me personally - you steal my dog, apocalypse or not, you best run fast and far ‘cuz i will fight back.

it’s not a very long book, but there’s a lot packed into it - backstory, currentstory, coming-of-age musings, action sequences and even WOLVES! the pacing is also really fast even when there aren’t action sequences, because this is one of those books that likes to hint forward - i thing i know i have lambasted before (The Known World &etc), but this book does it well, and it makes you want to keep turning the pages to find out what those hints are foreshadowing.

it is a very good book. this huge, nearly empty world is beautifully realized, with equal parts dark and light, ultimately optimistic, with definite sequel potential.

SLURRY OF THOUGHTS ABOUT SEEEKRITS:

that warning, though. this is We Were Liars all over again.

if you tell me there are SEEEKRITS, then i will know that there are SEEEKRITS and i will most likely figure out your SEEEKRITS before you want me to. which i did, in this case. now, thankfully, this book is way better than We Were Liars and is more than *just* its twist, but once i clocked it, i couldn’t help but wonder if the book really even needed this extra move, and the whole time i was in that readingspace of knowing what without knowing why, i was apprehensive about whether this was twist for twist’s sake or whether there was going to be a good reason for it.

aaaaaand - inconclusive.

i’m on the fence about it. sometimes a twist changes everything for the viewer*, forcing you to think back over and reinterpret everything you were shown through the filter of this new information: it was eeeeearth all alooong, he was deeeeead the whole tiiiiiime, yadda. and sometimes the twist only really changes things for the characters - i am your faaaaather, these are not the genitals you were expeeeecting, etc. here it doesn’t really do... either. it’s less of a twist and more of a fact. there’s a reason for the secrecy, but it doesn’t change the way you read the book— the consequences would have been the consequences with or without springing it on the reader in this way. all of this is just me being fascinated by authorial choices in general - benefits of choosing first-person over third, chapter titles v numbered chapters, basic structural decisions interest this brain ‘o mine. and maybe the point here is just that - an extratextual point being made about how little it matters. i am being cagey here, because i was so ordered, but yeah - i don't know why the THING was a THING, but i do know that no one should ever announce that there will be a THING if they want people to be surprised by a THING.



* i’m using films because there’s a larger body of commonly-known twists to work with. apologies if i’ve just spoiled the empire strikes back for anyone.

come to my blog!

[Robin Hobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, the usual Caveat. I received this book free from the publisher. I have not met C. A. Fletcher. I do not think receiving the book for free affected my reaction to it.

I think all my readers know that I love dogs. I form very deep and strong bonds with my dogs. They are my companions, not my 'pets'.

So the first word that comes to mind for this book is 'harrowing'. Several times I thought, "I can't read any more of this book." But I also found I could not walk away from the story until I knew the ending.

Griz is a well constructed and compelling character. Given how I feel about my dogs, Griz's actions were completely believable to me, even as I was shrinking away from the page and going, "No, no, don't do that!" As a kid, I persevered through Black Beauty and Lassie, Come Home, with similar feelings of dread. This book is a good solid read, but there were several places of agonizing suspense.

The four rather than five stars are because there were a few places where I felt there was a plot hole. But I also felt that those holes could have been patched with just a sentence or two of extra explanation. No, I'm not going to say what those moments were because if you don't see them and aren't bothered by them, then no one should poke a hole in your enjoyment of the story.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys a good 'end of the world as we know it' tale.

[Charlotte May · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so I wasn’t as blown away as I was hoping to be, especially with so many gushing reviews.

So Griz lives with his family and 2 dogs on an island off of what once was Scotland. The world’s population has dwindled astronomically since what they refer to as ‘the Gelding’, when nearly all the human race became infertile and basically died out.

When a stranger arrives offering to trade, they seem nice enough - but in the morning Griz notices one of the dogs is missing. He knows they were stolen, and is determined to get them back whatever the cost.

So main gripes for me: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

You have been warned!!!!!!!

1. The big ‘twist’. Not really a twist IMO. If you are lied to throughout the book and then the author Is like - jokes on you I lied. It’s not really a twist. Griz who was referred to as he for about 75% of the book is actually a girl.

2. I say this all the time and I will say it forever. If you can make your own world, then make your own religions. Don’t just steal parts from ones that exist here. This is a world that does not know electricity, but somehow they managed to hold on to parts of what I assume is Christianity? I feel like it would have made so much more sense for them to have created new gods for this new reality they live in. Just seems a cop out for me.

However, I did like the world. I enjoy a good post apocalyptic world, and the idea that everyone became infertile was clever.

I would have liked to know for sure if Griz’ sister really was sold by her parents or not? Just that final clarification would have helped. I also didn’t follow most of the ‘conversations’ between Griz and ‘John Dark’ the whole language barrier thing was hard to read about and got old pretty quickly.

3 stars for imaginative world building, just not enough else.

[Scarlett Readz and Runz....Through Novel Time & Distance · Rating 5 out of 5]

It begins at the end.

This story was written in the last moments of a hopeless soul that’s lost it all, locked up in a prison cell of a post-apocalyptic society at the edges of a mainland near the Atlantic ocean on the North East coast.

The world is empty after the Gelding with only a few remaining people that escaped, survived and spread wide and far. Resources are scarce and what is left resembles living peoples of the past void of technology. Vying for resources in a world without electrical power and invention has left humans scattered and reinventing farming and tools to live. Traveling by boat, hunting and fishing are the main sources of acquiring foods and goods.

Griz lives with his parents and his two siblings Ferg and Bar, and his two dogs Jip and Jess on the small island named Mingualay (formerly Scotland) off the Atlantic coast. They are the only human inhabitants there and share the land with horses. Telling stories and reading old books of past civilizations is how they entertain themselves and learn. Griz has an inventive mind and creates his own fantasies from scraps of evidence. This helps him with overcoming the grief and loss of his sister and caring for his mom, who has been silent in a catatonic state since that fatal day.

One afternoon, a stranger arrives on a ship from another island. His name is Brand and he travels and trades commodities in search of remaining resources. The family invites him in and Brand shares Orange marmalade with the family. A delicacy they have never had and the atmosphere relaxes as they sit around the fire and talk into the night. The next morning, the family is sick and vomiting and Griz sees that Brand has taken off with one of his dogs, Jess. By natural reflex and without thinking, Griz takes off with Jip in the family’s small sailboat, the Sweethope.

Brand’s boat with signature red flags is much faster of a boat than Griz’s. It takes him a while, but he finally catches up and encounters the man. This is where Brand’s true colors show and after an altercation, Griz finds himself and Jip on an island with a burned down boat and no way to go back home. But Griz is not even considering a way home yet. Not until he finds Brand’s home and rescues his dog, Jess. What lies ahead is an arduous long journey through a world left behind after a disaster; a wildly overgrown landscape with wild and dangerous animals. On this journey, he meets a woman on horseback that has come from France and has escaped the “pest”. The two of them strike up an unlikely friendship without words as they can’t understand each other. With sign language and a dictionary more or less to communicate and miscommunicate as they travel on for weeks on a perilous journey west. Their little “pack” together is what saves them in many risky and tough situations through sickness, hunger, and despair. What awaits them is the end of the road. The end of life.

Imprisoned, Griz writes about his travels and makes his final entry in his notebook. You can read it when you pick up this book.

It begins in the end,
An end to a new beginning.

***

C.A. Fletcher is undoubtedly a master storyteller. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is divinity in its kind; rare and special. A reader’s journey for the mind and heart.
The writing in this novel composed a pure and honest orchestra fusing tethered notes and tones into an intricate and tight plot, reflecting a flawed world and characters stripped of pretense left raw and savage in the face of the unknown. It is a masterfully executed composition that leaves the reader in a toiled state of emotion conducted at will.

Like a child befallen in awe by a fairytale, I was positively surprised and captivated by this book. A mixture of adventure, good spirit, hope and endurance with bursts of action and fast-paced plot are balanced by hardship, endurance, turmoil, despair and long passages filled with descriptive landscape portraits and the reflection of time passing by slow. A well-metered plot if you will, crafted with highs and lows, long and short passages.

This is one of those books you can get lost in, shut out the rest of the world and be right next to the main character. At times I felt like I was 12 years old struggling with Griz, with the absence of his courage. A book that could be enjoyed by teens as well, I think.

Albeit the title refers to a dog, I felt it wasn’t so much about the dog itself really, as it was more about Griz’s journey. The loss of his dog Jess was a driving force for Griz’s adventure and Jip played a part along in his travels, but it wasn’t a plot centered on a dog, as I had suspected. I was happy for the story to take me along in an unexpected and unique way with an ending I completely unanticipated as the pages were drawing close to the end. I had no idea where this was heading. I contemplated a very tragic ending crushing me and evoking some anger for bringing me to the edge like that. Silently, in my mind, I almost cursed at the author for my turmoil and how dare he do this to me as the reader.

I could not possibly spare you the emotions and give away spoilers about the final ending right now. Instead, I’ll just let you go on this journey with A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World and let you experience it all by yourself.

Enjoy!

I received an Arc from Orbit in exchange for an honest review. I am very grateful for the chance to read and review it. Thank you, CA. Fletcher, Orbit and Jenni Hill for making it possible. All opinions are my own.

More reviews of mine here:
https://scarlettreadzandrunz.com/

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

”Of all the animals that travelled the long road through the ages with us, dogs always walked closest.”

In 1923, Robert Frost wrote of the end of the world in one of his most popular poem Fire and Ice, but C.A. Fletcher’s post-apocalyptic world isn’t quite as dire, it offers a “softer” slowing down of the world, the loss of many things, among them the very limited ability of humans to procreate, as well as the inability to use electronics. No computers, no television, no radios, no Snapchat or Twitter or mail delivery.

”The world—the human part of it—had been gelded or maybe turned barren—perhaps both—and people just stopped having kids. That’s all it took. The Lastborn generation—the Baby Bust as they called themselves, proving that irony was one of the last things to perish—they just carried on getting older and older until they died like people always had done.
“And when they were all gone, that was it. No bang, no whimper even. More of a tired sigh.”

But that doesn’t mean that evil left this world when the Gelding occurred.

Griz, a teenager, and what is left of his family live on a small island, Mingulay, off the coast of Scotland, with their two dogs Jip and Jess. A traveler, who happens upon their island and the family, is welcomed into their home, chatting into the evening with Griz’s father. In the morning, Jess is gone, along with the traveler and his ship, and Griz doesn’t take a moment to consider the wisdom of going after this man. He’s stolen his dog, and Griz and Jip must rescue Jess.

”If we’re not loyal to the things we love, what’s the point? That’s like not having a memory. That’s when we stop being human.
That’s a kind of death, even if you keep breathing.”

A journey ensues, and Griz faces obstacles and fears and eventually meets some of the others left, but with an eye, always, on rescuing Jess. Meeting a young woman along the way, they are able to find some joy in discovering a house left with some books, and records, and respite from the elements, and a friendship evolves.

Still, eventually Griz and Jip must move on and find Jess, and the further they roam, the stranger the surroundings become and the more danger seems to loom.

This is, among other themes, an ode to reading, as both a means of survival, knowledge and joy, as well as an ode to loyalty, and love.

[exploraDora · Rating 5 out of 5]

***5 stars***

Special thanks to netgalley for providing me with an arc for this AMAZING book! (arc I was approved for months ago, but only now got to read) - I absolutely loved it!

There are a million post apocalyptic stories out there and more often than not, I end up disappointed by too many of them. But this book is a gem that stands out in this genre.

”Of all the animals that travelled the long road through the ages with us, dogs always walked closest.”

The story follows Griz, a teenager who lives with his family and their two dogs, Jip and Jess, on a small island in Scotland. Set in a time after a plague that has left the world sparsely populated, seeing other people is strange to Griz and his family. So one day, when a 'traveler' happens upon their island and the family, he is welcomed into their home. In the morning, Griz finds that the stranger is gone and he took one of his dogs. So Griz doesn’t hesitate one moment and goes right after this man. He’s stolen his dog, so it becomes his mission to rescue and bring Jess back.
A journey full of obstacles ensues.

I don't want to give any more away from the plot because it is all just so absolutely engrossing, thrilling, heartwarming and original, you have to read it on your own.

The writing is beautiful and characterization was splendidly done. I especially loved Griz as a character and was pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end. I also LOVED LOVED LOVED the author's take on the human psyche in a post apocalyptic world, it was all very refreshing to read.

As a dog mom, I especially admired and adored Griz's conviction to get Jess back. This is an ode to loyalty and love. A masterpiece.

[Hamad · Rating 3 out of 5]

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“If we’re not loyal to the things we love, what’s the point?”

Disclaimer: Copy provided by the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

🌟 I always try to stay positive whenever I read a book and focus on things that I liked, my rants reviews are usually saved for books that made me angry and this does not apply here. This is a good book and I enjoyed it, I think it will appeal more for dog owners and dog persons. Due to my allergy for dogs, I can not say that I related much but it still was a solid book nonetheless.

🌟 The first thing that I noticed about this book is the writing style, I honestly liked the prose, it was poetic and unique and due to the many fantasy books I read, this was definitely different and refreshing. I think it is one of those cases where the author has his own writing style and not like other typical styles in most books.

🌟 I am a big fan of well written characters and I can not say that the characters here were not well written, the problem was just that there are few people who lives in the world and fewer that we get to meet in the book, this made it kind of bland and the best parts in my opinion were those involving secondary characters and their interactions with the MC.

🌟 I think there is a sadness to post apocalyptic stories and that’s why I don’t read much of those. I could touch this in this book and the settings, characters and prose helped in getting it right. The story is written like journal entries and that also gave us an idea about the contrast between the before and after.

“Dogs were with us from the very beginning. And of all the animals that walked the long centuries beside us, they always walked the closest. And then they paid the price. Fuck us.”

🌟 Summary: This is a case of me not the book’s fault. I think the book has great writing and characters although it could have used more of those. I can recommend this for fans of the post apocalyptic genre and if you are a dog person then that surely will enrich your experience reading this one!

You can get more books from Book Depository

[Holly Hearts Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Remembering dreams is like picking up a jellyfish-they slip through your fingers-and you never know if it’s a dream you had or if you added to the dream in the remembering of the dream. Sometimes it’s hard to know if you’re dreaming a dream at all, or just a dream about remembering a dream.”

WHAT?! You want to run that by me again.

“And if that doesn’t make sense, well, neither do dreams.”

Okay at least you’re self aware.

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is a dystopian scifi that starts with a lot of promise and I thought for sure the dog elements would have given me a sense of companionship and adventure,
but ultimately left me feeling bored. The story opens up immediately with the reason for the end of the world and something called the Gelding happened and it’s basically caused..well, people to stop having babies. No one getting it on in this book. No berry white in the bedrooms. The population went from 7.7 billion to 8 and a half thousand in just 70 years. We’re not really given any more explanation.

This story is being told by a young boy named Griz in a journal like format which I feel like is common in dystopian stories. He’s recounting what happened like he’s talking to you personally. He lives on an island with his family; his parents, brother and sister and his two dogs. We are pretty quickly given information about how the family gets by and the many tragic events they have had to go through which are very heartbreaking. The first chapter definitely sets a vibe for the rest of the book like “oh man, this is tough.” Which I don’t ever expect less from apocalyptic stories and this one hits hard in the feels. Plus it being centered around dogs does not help.

Getting visitors is such a rarity that it’s become a big event for the family so when a stranger shows up to the island in a boat, they are immediately wary but to show hospitality they invite him in and the stranger has gifts and but also strange stories along with them. After some events that you’ll have to read to find out yourself, Griz realizes this stranger has stolen one of his dogs and man, you’d think that wasn’t such strong turning point in the story but the author makes it feel dire. The stranger also stole some very important resources from the family as well. Griz, without thinking, grabs his other dog, hops in a boat and chases after the stranger which leads him to the empty mainland where he finds out he’s chasing something different entirely.

“Solitude is its own kind of madness. Like hope Itself.”

Like I said above, this is in a diary/journal perspective. Something I would normally gobble up and though it is pretty short, it took me a lot longer than I thought to finish it because it’s all just long descriptive paragraphs. Even the conversations. There are no quotations that indicate the dialogue. Since it’s a diary format, I think it would have really benefitted with pictures or drawings the character would likely add to a real diary. It would have helped break up the stiff writing and made it more interesting for sure.

The voice of the main character is very dry. He’s supposed to be maybe 13 or 14 but it actually feels like your being told a story by your grandpa. He runs into a roller coaster and complains about it but sees a casino and thinks it looks exciting. He gets tired easily and needs to rest. He’s just overall a very flat character. There’s no personality there.

Here’s an example of the most dullest confrontation ever:

“Just give me my dog, I said.
I own her, he said.
No, I said. You stole her.
I want my dog, I said. You stole her.
You keep saying stole, he said.
I do, I said. You’re a thief.
Give me my dog. And the fish. And my dad’s coat.
It’s a good coat, He said. But it’s mine. I traded for it.
You did not, I said.”

THAT IS A LINE FOR LINE SEGMENT FROM THE ARC (subject to change hopefully.) Aren’t you thrilled?

About half way through, I became exhausted and like I said before, bored. I need action in my stories and this one felt like one big run on sentence. I get what the author was trying to do. Paint a brutal landscape of a world that has fallen apart but I found it to be tedious and not something that moved the plot along whatsoever. There’s really like maybe 5 actual events that happen here. Everything else is just forgetful descriptions.

[Lisa Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A man stole my dog.

I went after him.

Bad things happened.

I can never go home.

I'll keep this short and to the point, because it would be way too easy to veer into spoilery territory, and this book is best experienced fresh and free from a whole lot of expectations. It's a wonderful story about love and loyalty, centered around a quest to retrieve a beloved dog, and filled with danger, unexpected alliances and moments of grace, bravery, and defiance. And yes, a little sadness too.

The title says a lot about the basics of the book. The key point is that this is a world of after -- nothing is as we know it. And it's not because of a world war or other doomsday scenario. Instead, the world basically went infertile, except for a very small percentage of people who didn't. There was a last generation, and once they died out, the people who remained -- about 7,000 worldwide -- were left to live on in whatever fashion suited them. The world we know was essentially dead. Nothing new was made or created, and people survived through farming and scavenging (or, as Griz's family calls it, "viking" -- they'd go "a-viking" to see what they could find to reuse and repurpose on their own little isolated island).

Told through Griz's first-person narration, the story takes us along Griz's journey, across the sea and through an abandoned and alien mainland... because a stolen dog cannot be forgotten. I loved the writing, both plain and unembellished, yet full of fun word play and cadences:

And then the thing that happened happened and what happened was really three things and they all happened at once.

I really truly loved this book. It's sad and frightening, but also lovely and inspiring. Griz is a terrific, memorable main character. The story wraps up well, neatly enough to leave me satisfied, but I still wish I could learn more about this world and the people left in it.

Hiding some additional thoughts inside a spoiler tag... I wish the book hadn't started with a plea to not reveal spoilers, because it put me on high alert for a twist -- and it was enough of a hint that I'd already (correctly) assumed what the twist would be, long before it was revealed. If there hadn't been a warning at the beginning, the surprise would have been more effective.

Highly recommended. What a treat!

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a good book. A title will often provide the clues to what lies within. It's true here to a point, but a good story can make the reader forget about the title, and better yet, change his perceptions. If I tried to explain the path destined for this boy – and the dog who certainly will accompany him – I'd either steer you wrong, or say too much. Yes, in a way that is cop-out on my part. Looking at it another way though, it is better. It is the boy that writes the story, and I feel it is one for him to tell. What I will say, is that it's an adventure in the waiting, not the fairy tale kind, but one fraught with perils. It is coming-of-age, if you like that. It's an example of living with partial hope in a devastated future and at times a nostalgic look back at the world which used to exist. Certainly it is good for a dog-lover to read, though it is more about the people and relationships in this story, especially the boy, and what it means to live with consciousness in a time when that would be hard to find. Finally, as a small but meaningful bonus, the boy is a lover of books. Without doubt then the author is too.

[Nils | nilsreviewsit · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

‘Dogs were with us from the very beginning. And of all the animals that walked the long centuries beside us, they always walked the closest.
And then they paid the price. Fuck us.’
~
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A Fletcher was a book that really caught my eye by its title alone. I love books that have a coming of age story, heartwarming animal friendships, and I also love a lonely setting, so this quickly became a must read. After delving into merely a few pages, I knew I was in love.
🐕
Griz, our main protagonist, lived on an island with his mother, father, his sister Bar, his brother Ferg, and his two dogs, Jip and Jess. The author specifically asks at the beginning of the novel to not reveal any of the books ‘secrets’ therefore I’m not going to tell you much about the plot other than we follow our main protagonist Griz as he goes on a mission to rescue his dog. This short read packed in a lot of events, and I loved how it had me gripped right until the very last page.
🐕
The book is set in a post apocalyptic world where the human race has dwindled to almost extinction. Humanity has turned back to the old ways of living off the land and making the best use of what is left from the ‘Before’ world where technology thrived.
🐕
Firstly, what I most adored about this book was Flether’s incredibly beautiful prose. There was a sad, melancholic, and pensive tone throughout that really immersed me into this story. The book is solely narrated in first person by, Griz. He tells his story in the form of a diary, which I felt worked perfectly. Even though we are presented with a young protagonist he has very mature voice; he tells us his flaws, he has an innocent trait but he also displays a lot of intelligence by realising the mistakes he had made and details what he could have done differently. At the end of each chapter there is much foreshadowing used, and it just made me eager to find out more.
🐕
Through Griz’s account of the world he experiences during his travels, we see the stark contrast of the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ the Gelding, which was what caused the destruction of humans. He sympathises with his imagined population that used to inhabit the world before it became a barren, savage and hollow place. And in doing so it really made me think of all the things we take for granted, from the simple act of being able to listen to music, to having antibiotics to cure infections. To see a read about a world where these things have stopped existing was quite haunting. I love that Flethcher’s poignantly reflects on what we should appreciate more.
~
‘I wonder if it would be sad for you to think that the wild is well on the way to winning back the world you and your ancestors took and tamed. I can imagine it might be, especially when I see the amazing stuff you all built.’
~
However, Fletcher never represents this world as completely hopeless, or without any joy. He shows even when the world may seem desolate, there is always a reason to strive for, always beauty to find and always moments to appreciate. In this case to Griz, saving his dog and exploring beyond his island grants him many life experiences, that shaped his character.
~
‘I was strangely cheered by the fact that people had once camped out here in the sky, listening to music and drinking. It seemed a life-enhancing thing to have done, presumably while the world was dying around them.’
~
🐕
I did feel the book was slightly less emotional than what I was expecting. There was undoubtedly a strong connection between Griz and his dogs, but I think this could have been written a bit deeper with maybe some flashback scenes with Griz first forming his friendship with Jip and Jess. However, towards the end as the plot reached a dramatic climax, my heart strings were definitely pulled at, and I felt a stronger emotional impact.
🐕
At its heart, A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is a story of adventure, courage, and never losing hope. Griz’ companionship with Jip and Jess reminds us that there are some bonds so deep and strong that can never be severed no matter what life presents us with.
~
Thank you to Orbit for this review copy. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is out now!

[Sebastien Castell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best way to decide if A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is for you is to simply read a couple of the opening chapters. There's a very specific voice and style to this book, one that works incredibly well for the story it tells, but also one that can be described as heavy, even oppressive at times. Griz, the narrator, lives in a dystopian future in which humanity has almost entirely died out due to "The Guelding" - an epidemic that left most of the population infertile. As a result the book feels very much as if we're reading a personal journal written by someone unfamiliar with many of the trappings of civilization that they aren't familiar with.

The book borrows a great deal from the old adventure wilderness stories – the lost wanderer with their faithful dog/horse/platypus (okay, it's a dog in this book per the title) and the bond between them. Those stories often shift between being heartwarming and heartbreaking, and for me that can create a constant tension in which I'm terrified the dog's going to end up dead on the next page. Without spoiling anything in the book, I'll simply say I'm glad I kept reading until the end.

Fletcher has mastered the style and genre elements here, keeping the drama high without ever going over the top and losing the essence of the story: a character in a strange world trying to get their dog back. There are a couple of big twists towards the end, and at first I wasn't sure they really merited the secrecy, but they certainly didn't detract and I suspect many readers will feel surprised and very satisfied at the resolution of the book.

Overall A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is a true page-turner and fulfils all its promises, leaving you thinking maybe it's time to find more of the author's books.

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com

Just as the author requested at the beginning of the book, to keep reviews spoiler free, I will give you a short introduction into the book.

Griz lives with his parents, his brother Ferg, and his sister Bar, oh and their two dogs Jip and Jess, on a remote island called Mingulay off the coast of Scotland. They are the only occupants on the island, in fact, the whole world is sparsely populated due to something called the Gelding. No-one really knows what caused the Gelding, but people stopped having children, well all but 0.0001 percent of people did.

The family rarely see any other people, so when a stranger called Brand sails up to their island they invite him in and listen to his stories of what the world is like. After eating the marmalade that Brand brought with him the family take ill and fall asleep. In the morning Griz realises that that Brand has left without a goodbye or trading any items, he soon realises it’s much worse than that though, the man had stolen Griz’s beloved pet dog, Jess.

Not thinking straight, Griz grabs a weapon and his dog and jumps into the families boat and chases after Brand. This is the story of what Griz learns about the world, the past and himself whilst trying to get his dog back.

A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World is a post-apocalyptic novel following Griz as he tries to rescue his dog Jess from a stranger who has stolen him. The way the world has come to have such few people is nothing new in the post-apocalyptic novel world, in fact, I read a book early this year which used infertility as to how the world was coming to an end, and Dan Brown used it in one of his books too.

The book is told from Griz’s point of view as he looks back over what happened to him and what he learned on his adventure trying to get his dog back. He is mainly talking to a photograph of a boy he found in an abandoned house, but it does feel like he is talking to the reader as he mentions what it must have been like before the Gelding. Afterward, the world not only lost people it also went back in time as technology disappeared and food became sparse and people had to hunt for their food.

I don’t really want to give any more away than what I have. What I will say is that the book is an adventure. There aren’t many characters in it, just like there aren’t many people left in the world. It has plenty of poignant moments and moments which might make you look at your own life and the world we currently live in.

The book is extraordinary. You can tell how much heart, blood, sweat, and tears went into creating this story. It is quite simply beautiful. It is not so much about life in a post-apocalyptic world but more about Griz, his dog, and the people and places he encounters. If you are an emotional person you might want to keep tissues at the ready throughout too.

[Claude's Bookzone · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: I am putting quite a lot of warnings in here because on the surface this may look like a good book for middle school kids but in my opinion it needs to be reviewed by parents first. I will be tagging it YA. apocalypse caused by infertility, family pet is stolen, animal deaths, suicides (off page), animal attacks, kidnapping of girls for breeding purposes, sexual references, miscarriage, off page sexual assault of minor, death of loved ones, animal abuse, drugging, mother is physically and mentally unwell after loss of daughter, humane killing of injured animal on page.

Well that was an amazing story about the power of love and loyalty in a post apocalyptic world.

Griz was such a relatable and endearing main character. I imagine their strong values and courage is why this book has such universal appeal. Readers need to be aware that this isn't a fast paced story and in fact tackles some serious issues in quite confronting ways at times. The face of survival can be quite ugly, however, we are presented with the beautiful soul that is Griz to balance this out. There were parts were I was thinking "I did not sign up for this 😭" because they were just so sad. I will leave my review here as the author is very clear about not discussing this book too much with people who have not read it as it would be easy to unwittingly spoil this book. I loved Griz and loved this book!

[Lee (the Book Butcher) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author at the beginning of the audiobook (which he narrates) asks the reader to be careful with spoilers. i know the spoiler he is most worried about being leaked but i will try to adhere to his wishes in general.

Griz's dog is stolen at the beginning of the tale and Griz sets out on a journey through a post-apocalyptical landscape to get the dog back. That's it! all you get! synopsis over!

very genre centric if you like post-apocalyptical stories or even dogs give this a try. Writing style is nothing special but the story has some spoiler protected twists. wish the author would have used less foreshadowing.

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book on audio because of the title and because a few trusted blogger friends convinced me with their reviews. I just want to tell you that I am not a big fan of adventure stories. I hold nothing against them and you are welcome to adore them. They just don’t happen to be the first thing I pick up when I’m looking for my next book but this book which is nothing but one large adventure is the exception. If you like action and adventure or even if you don’t, I think you should read it because it is amazing. Even if you think I have atrocious taste and know nothing, go read the other reviews and then go read this book!

I have to admit that I was a little worried at first because things weren’t 100% clicking with me but I think it was more my fault than anything in the book. When I discovered it was less a post-apocalyptic story and more of a “boy on an adventure tale” I started to tune out just a little bit. I’m sorry, I can be a jerk like that but I usually stick with things and in this case I am so very glad I did.

So, it’s sometime in the future and most of humanity has died out which likely serves them right. Idiot humans did something idiotic to the dogs so they are scarce as well and the love of a good dog isn’t something to be taken for granted. When Griz’s best dog Jess is stolen he doesn’t stop to think. He is angry and upset and he sets off after the thief like his pants are on fire, leaving his life and everything familiar behind except his other little dog Jip. Things naturally go awry. He makes some decisions that he will come to regret but he’s young and hurt and his actions are always believable. I loved Griz. Griz had so much grit and courage and was such a strong young soul. Griz lived on an isolated island before his big adventure and knows little of the world and seeing everything new from his eyes was fascinating. He’s also a big reader so most of you here will appreciate all of the bookish references.

This is how the book starts and once Griz is off after his pup the book barely comes up for air (except for one section that was a wee bit slow). There aren’t many characters in this book but the one’s Griz meets are compelling and interesting characters. Some good, some somewhere in the middle and some quite terrible but through it all Griz never gives up hope. There are turns and twists and all of them caught me off guard. It was an exhilarating read.

I admit that I feared this book with its dogs and children constantly in peril was going to break me by the end and though it came close to doing that a time or two, it did not destroy my heart and crush all of my dreams and I will say no more about that. It’s ultimately about risking it all for the love of your best companion and never giving up despite the odds against you. It was a little slow in that one section but mostly it’s nail-biting and heart-warming and all of those clichéd things people say about the best books. This is one of the best books. Go read it or listen to it. If you’re a dog lover I don’t think you will be disappointed and if you are you can blame one of those other reviewers!

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came into this with a distinct feeling that I was gonna get a twist on Harlan Ellison’s A Boy and His Dog, since both are so close in title and they’re both dystopias.

Upon reading it, it is fairly close, too, as long as you blur your vision and focus on the outlines.

The good stuff is in the details, however, and there are no telepathic dogs.

What we DO have is a great little coming of age story that underscores the necessity of being KIND and TRUTHFUL even if you’re living in a post-disaster dystopia. Don’t lie and cheat others. Being good is a SURVIVAL trait.

And frankly, I LOVE this little message.

And since a lot of it was sprinkled with references to some wonderful SF classics between The Road and The Day of the Triffids and even A Canticle for Leibowitz (among others), it’s also a commentary on all of them. I LOVE that, too, and the direction it also took the message.

No spoilers, but the twist is quite enjoyable if not entirely necessary. The strength of this tale is in the journey, not the destination OR the way the journey is re-colored with the discovery. It’s dark, either way, but the positive message is a real joy to me.

I’m pleasantly surprised.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher (Orbit) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

“Solitude is its own kind of madness. Like hope itself.”

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this book. I knew it was going to be post-apocalyptic and involve a dog, but that’s really all I knew. And I’m incredibly glad I went in so blind.

“Hope can keep you afloat in troubled times. It can also drown you if you let it distract you at the wrong moment.”

Griz is one of the very few members of Earth’s dwindling population. Over a century before we meet him, an event called the Gelding had taken place, rendering all but a scant few members of the population incapable of reproduction. No one ever figured out the catalyst for the Gelding, whether it was a biological weapon gone wrong or simply Mother Nature deciding that enough was enough. Whatever the case, the world’s population went from billions to thousands as people began dying of old age. Griz and his family live on a little island with their dogs, and they’re mostly happy. Until a visitor appears that will change the course of Griz’s life forever.

“Better a brain than a fist. A brain can hold anything, from giant things, like distant stars and planets, to tiny things we can’t see, like germs. A brain can even hold things that aren’t and never were, like hobbits. A brain can hold the whole universe, a fist just holds what little it can grab. Or hits what it can’t.”

What instantly won me over in regards to this book was how much it reminded me of books from my childhood. Not in post-apocalyptic setting, but in the idea of man both battling against and find a way to peacefully exist with nature. This book brought me back to stories like Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain and Island of the Blue Dolphins. In those novels we see kids suddenly thrown into solitude in the elements, whether by choice or happenstance. Seeing these young people find new strength within themselves in the face of adversity always brings out loads of emotions within me.

“Forgetting is a kind of betrayal, even if it’s what happens to all grief. Time wears everything smoother as it grinds past, I suppose.”

That being said, even though I enjoyed returning to something from my childhood, I didn’t connect with this book on an emotional level for the majority of the book. There were a lot of elements I loved. I appreciated that Fletcher took the themes I loved as a child and crafted a story that felt more adult. I loved the closeness Griz had to his dogs, and his family, and the books that he had discovered and treasured over the course of his life. As a side note, can I just say how much I adored the literary references? Authors that I love were mentioned with great care, and books that I haven’t read yet suddenly became even more appealing because of Griz’s love for them. Fletcher did a great job giving Griz a unique voice, and his storytelling style had a really cool balance of foreshadowing that never gave away too much.

“I lose myself in stories. I find myself there too.”

While I enjoyed the book from the start, it didn’t blow me away until around the last fifty pages of the book. There were a couple of massive plot twists, one of which completely blindsided me. Looking back, I still can’t see any hints of that twist. Those twists are what rocketed this book from 3.5 stars to 4.5 stars. The author included a note at the beginning of the book asking that readers try not to spoil the story for others, and I think that’s an incredibly wise inclusion.

“If we’re not loyal to the things we love, what’s the point? That’s like not having a memory. That’s when we stop being human. That’s a kind of death, even if you keep breathing.”

If you’ve been sitting on the fence regarding this book, I encourage you to give it a read. If this is a book you’ve been anticipating, I’m so excited for you to get your hands on it and have your mind blown like mine was. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is poignant and thoughtful and surprising, and will have you looking at the world a little differently.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think there are quite a few readers who have wrongly concluded that due to its beautiful imagery and title it is a work of children's literature, but that couldn't be further from the truth. C.A Fletcher's dystopian debut (under this nom de guerre) will touch readers of all ages and all persuasions with its movingly powerful message and lyrical narrative. In this post-apocalyptic landscape, we journey with Griz, a young boy who has led a sheltered life on a remote Scottish island with barely a glimpse of others or the world beyond; that is until his beloved dog Jess is stolen and prompts Griz to venture outside for the first time in his life where makes some truly shocking discoveries,.

It is indeed a simple story, but this is one of many occasions when a simple, heartfelt plot holds so much power. It's such an emotionally involving tale and one that plays on the love we all have for our furry companions on whose love we can rely unconditionally. What I loved the most was the philosophical questions posed and the way these principles were raised in the story by Griz and explained in an accessible fashion. This adds plenty of food for thought to the novel for readers to ponder.

Fletcher also explores the tenuous distinctions between what we may perceive to be beautiful or ugly, good or evil, but, as is shown, nothing is really ever that black and white. The stark descriptions of returning to a world where we must scavenge in order to survive are haunting. I absolutely adored Griz and one of the lines I feel sums up his thoughts and beliefs the most is this gem: "... if we aren't loyal to the things we love, what's the point?" and he's right on the money there. Despite the messages of heartbreak and grief and the poignant moments throughout there are also countless moments of hope and messages of empowerment.

All in all, this is a captivating, exquisite story told by a true master storyteller who knows how to write so that both the plot and the characters deepen effortlessly as you read. I'll call it out now as a book that'll stand the test of time. An unforgettable, exceptional work of fiction. Unreservedly recommended. Many thanks to Orbit for an ARC.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unidentified disaster, referred to as the Gelding, has rendered most of the humans on Earth unable to reproduce. The population has dwindled to almost nothing and the people who are left lead a very isolated existence. Dogs also have trouble reproducing because few females are born, so they are a valuable commodity for their companionship. The story is told in the form of a journal written by a boy nicknamed Griz, who lives with his parents, siblings and dogs. He directs his writing to an unknown boy in a photo that Griz found. Griz has never ventured away from home until a stranger shows up one day and steals Jess, one of their female dogs. Griz and another of their dogs pursue the thief, but their pursuit doesn’t go as planned.

I liked the beginning and end of this book, and I didn’t see the big twist coming at the end, but the middle got a little repetitive. Griz encountered numerous dangers, however I never really felt a sense of urgency about his troubles. The book held my interest, but I think it might might have more appeal to a fan of YA fiction. The twist at the end raised my rating from 3.5 to 4 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[L. | That_Bookdragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐

Thank you so much to Orbit for sending me a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

"If we're not loyal to the things we love, what's the point?"

Usually, I'm not a big fan of post-apocalyptic novels and films because they make me think a lot about the future and it scares me a little, I have to be honest with you. Recent events have made me quite anxious about the environmental damages we, human beings, are causing to our home. However, when I first heard about this book, I was intrigued. I mean, a boy ready to go an a quest to get his dog back? This I can stand behind. At the beginning of the book, C.A. Fletcher requests the reviewers/readers to give no spoilers away and I will do my best to honor this request.

As I said, this book is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth and we are immediately introduced to Griz and his family and his two dogs, Jip and Jess. They live on their own island, the world having been the theater of the Gelding, a mysterious event that stopped people from having children and only 0.0001 percent of people survived and managed to have children of their own. No one really knows what caused the Gelding, but they all know the world has been brutally emptied of human lives. Having seen very few other people in their lives, Griz and his family let a stranger, Brand, sail to their island and invite him in. However, the next morning, Griz finds out his family was poisoned and Brand stole his dog Jess, one of the very few female dogs left. Griz doesn't think twice before he jumps on the family boat, Jip by his side, to rescue Jess and get her back.

This book is told from Griz's point of view. It is established early in the book that he is writing in a notebook and talking to the photograph of a young boy his age as some kind of imaginary friend. I found it striking the way Griz compared the Before to the After (before and after the Gelding). As I said before, post-apocalyptic novels in general make me think a lot and this book was no exception. C.A. Fletcher wrote a novel so well-thought out that it seemed real to me at times. I was shocked at the accuracy and the posibility of the events described in the novel as potentially happening nowadays, especially when the author is referring to plastic outliving people, event those of the After. Even though this book was turned into a quest and therefore adventures happened, the reality of this world was never forgotten. There is danger lurking everywhere and nobody is safe.

Even though I really liked this book, I sometimes found the writing to be hard to follow. Indeed, the author uses "said" a lot of times and since Griz is the one "writing" the book, I think different words should have been used, especially because Griz is an avid bookworm who devours books the same way you and I do.

"I realise how much time I used to spend with my head in a book, filling the emptiness of my world and letting the pages distract from the darkness in the shadows behind me."

It is clear that C.A. Fletcher is a lover of dogs. I just couldn't help but smile whenever Jip and Griz interacted together and their loyalty towards each other was shown. Their relationship was adorable and I loved the way Griz reflected about the way human beings treat(ed) animals. For example:

"Dogs were with us from the very beginning. And of all the animals that walked the long centuries beside us, they always walked the closest. And then they paid the price. Fuck us."

Finally, I would like to say that this book had so much depth, it shocked me at times. I've already told you it was well-thought-out, but it really is well-thought-out. This novel is about what human beings are capable of doing to survive and completely giving in to their instincts. I loved the way this aspect was portrayed because it made the story seem even more genuine. The ruthlessness of men is truly unequalled, no matter what the world looks like. I also very often complain about me figuring out plot-twists before they happen, but this book took me completely by surprise more than once, especially the last fifty-ish pages. Picture this, I was in the waiting room at the dentist and I GASPED OUT LOUD. People gave me weird looks but honestly I was too shocked to care. I literally didn't see most of the plot-twists coming throughout this storyso hats of to you C.A. Fletcher.

To conclude, I think people who enjoy dystopian novels set in post-apocalyptic Earth would really love this book. It has a strong plot, very few but genuine-looking characters each with their own qualities and flaws, a dog-lover main character and many many other things that I don't want to give away. This book was an emotional rollercoaster of both joy, shock and terror. Griz was a great main character to follow and I was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was captivated from the first page to the last page and cursed myself for having so little time to truly dedicate to this book.

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[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/04/23/...

I have two dogs, and they are family. And I would do anything for family. If someone were to make off with them, you can damn well be sure I’d go to the ends of the earth to get them back. Hence it is little wonder why I was immediately drawn to the premise of this book, which spoke to me as I’m sure it speaks to dog lovers everywhere.

At its heart, A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher is a post-apocalyptic story of courage, determination and survival, with themes of friendship and unconditional love. Long after the Gelding, an event which caused sterility in most of the human population, the world has become a crumbling and empty wasteland. It’s an isolated life for our protagonist Griz, who lives with his parents, brother, sister, and dogs Jip and Jess on the coast where they are entirely self-sufficient because they have to be, for in just a few generations the number of people living on earth has decreased so drastically that you rarely meet anyone anymore.

Which is why when a boat with red sails appears on the horizon one day, everyone is excited albeit a little wary. Visitors mean news from the outside world and potential for trade, but Griz still understands the need to be careful. He does not trust the stranger, Brand, when he arrives, despite—or perhaps because of—the big man’s powerful charisma. With his exotic goods and fascinating stories, Brand charms them all, but sadly Griz’s suspicions ultimately proved to be correct when he wakes up the next morning to find the boat with the red sails gone, along with Jess. Brand had stolen away in the early hours with the family’s food stores, some of their provisions, as well as Griz’s beloved terrier, and now our protagonist will do anything to get his best friend back.

What follows is an adventure, one unlike any you’ve seen before. It is lonely and a little sad, yes, but there is also beauty in that quiet solitude. When Griz first realizes that he has lost Jess, there is a burst of confusion and panic, a wild and feverish moment where all the boy can think of is catching the thief and rescuing his dog. But after a while, that energy starts to fade, and in truth, this is where I think the novel truly starts to shine. Like Griz, you might not wish to slow down, but it is in these quieter, more subdued moments that readers are finally able to appreciate all the little things this story has to offer, and as the saying goes, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, a point which this book illustrates frighteningly well.

For example, let’s start with the way this story is told. In a world where electricity is but a memory, the people in this new post-apocalyptic reality have learned ways to make their own entertainment. For Griz, his joy lay in books, from which he learned about the world before. The people who wrote them might be long gone, but their stories remain, inspiring Griz to write his own. He’s recounting his life to you personally, except “you” are actually boy from an old photograph he’s found. He imagines you in your past filled with airplanes and mobile phones, wondering what it must be like to fly or to have any information you might want to know at your fingertips. The result is a touching narrative with tragic and heart-wrenching undertones, especially since Griz’s voice comes across so personal and genuine.

I was also surprised to find that while this entire novel is based around the protagonist’s journey to get his dog back, in fact the actual search for Jess encompasses only a small part of this saga. Most of this story is Griz’s, but later on we do get to meet at least one other important character who winds up changing our protagonist’s life, teaching him lessons in friendship and loyalty. Like I said, this is a lonely book, but the few people (and dogs) we get to meet in it have such huge and flavorful personalities that at no time did the story feel empty or small.

That said, there were some pacing issues, with most of these hitches being in the middle sections given how much time Griz spends alone. But considering the limitations Fletcher had to work with, I think he did a great job pulling all the pieces of this story together. I also wish the ending had been better developed, given some of the bombshells revealed there, but because of the way this book is presented, as a kind of journal, we have a lot of restrictions on how information can be shared and explored. Again, I think the author did the best he could within the constraints.

All in all, this book was a joy to read, full of wistfulness and melancholy but also plenty of hope, love, and simple pleasures. I thought I had read it all when it comes to post-apocalyptic and dystopian novels, but books like A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World prove there are still amazing stories to be told in this genre!

[Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Dogs were with us from the very beginning. And of all the animals that walked the long centuries beside us, they always walked the closest.”

Captivating, adventurous, and surprising!

A stranger visits the island where Griz lives with family and their dogs. The stranger arrives sharing tales and food but leaves with their loving dog. Now Griz will look for the stranger to get back what was stolen from them.

The novel takes place a post-apocalyptic future where most of the human population has been eradicated. I loved this story, Griz' character, and the journey. The novel is about kindness, loyalty, trust, and the little things we often take for granted.

Overall, it was compelling and entertaining. I highly recommend it.  

[Indieflower · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was absolutely captivated by this book! The story is both lyrical and immersive and has a strange kind of purity about it. From the first page I became completely engrossed in this tale of a boy searching for his stolen dog in a world now empty of people. For me, there's something very appealing about nature reclaiming the earth, being able to see the stars clearly and hearing the sound of birdsong instead of machinery and I loved the imagery of man made eyesores like football stadiums, overgrown with hawthorn trees and wild flowers. I bloody loved this book and I'm so sorry to leave behind Griz and that big empty world.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible, moving and melancholy novel, beautifully done. I'll be reviewing for the official tour later this year. I hope everyone will honour the no spoilers request and not give away this novels secrets.

Highly Recommended. Pretty much guaranteed even at this early stage to be one of my books of the year.

[The Captain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

The title, cover, and dystopian nature is what made me want to read this book.  I love end-of-the-world stories.  While I enjoyed many parts of this book, it didn't completely float me boat.  It ended up being only an okay read due to me personal preferences.

I really did find the premise to be interesting.  The end of the world has come and gone and humans are headed for extinction.  There are only about 7000 of them left scattered across the globe.  Griz lives on an island in Scotland with his mother, father, two siblings, ponies, and dogs.  Their closest and only neighbors are on another island quite a bit away.

The family is seemingly content in life but one day another ship with red sails is spotted on the horizon.  The trader comes to swap tales but uses trickery to steal from the family.  Only one of the stolen items is Griz's dog, Jess.  Griz is determined to follow and get his dog back.

The introduction to the world was lovely and unusual.  The book is written in the style of a journal where the intended reader is a long-dead person Griz only knows via a photograph.  It sounds odd but it does work.  I was interested in how the world worked and the explanations of how the apocalypse happened.  Getting into the novel took a minute because of the unique structure but I was engaged up until the moment Griz decides to go after the trader and his dog.

That is when the book began to lose its me.  The boy decides to sail after the trader with very little preparation or thinking.  Stupid choices are made over and over again and seemed unrealistic.  The mainland is a dangerous place and yet those dangers seemed muted so that Griz could survive.  It seems like 150 years would not have been enough time for the environmental damages to have been mitigated.  Plus structures have been breaking down and are strewn across the landscape and yet Griz climbs on and around them with very little problem.  I just didn't really feel that Griz was in actual danger.

Because this journal has been written after the events they portray, there are some foreshadowing moments that perk interest.  But there is also a lot of attempted philosophizing about what the world used to be like and how long-dead-reader would have felt about things in both the past and present.  A lot of it was repetitive.  So the action stalled and very little distance was actually travelled.  I got a bit bored.

It got better when Griz meets his first person on the mainland.  Even though they don't speak a common language, the bond they form is wonderful.  I loved almost the whole section  The only downside is when wolves attack Griz and his companion.  This was completely unrealistic and silly.  Griz talks continuously about how plentiful game is.  Rabbits, deer, wild boar, etc. are everywhere.  The wolves would have had absolutely no reason to attack people and a horse.  Especially when fire was present.  Wolves don't do that and I get tired of these animals being used as a convenient plot point.

Once the two humans split up, the book took another turn that was not to me taste.  I thought Griz was going to track down the trader and have a reckoning.  But other spoilery things happen that seemed too ridiculous and I didn't buy it.  There were just too many arbitrary coincidences and the resolution just seemed too perfect.  The happy ending seems to have warmed the hearts of the crew though.  I am in the minority about not liking the twist.

I have no regrets about reading this book and it has lovely characters, thoughts, and ideas.  I would have just preferred a different take on the whole situation.  But I do think that most readers will love it just as it is.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .Thank ye Orbit Books!

Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I ended up really enjoying this book. As soon as I saw the title and read the description for this book, I knew that I absolutely had to read it. I looked forward to reading this book for months. Unfortunately, I had a really hard time getting into this book. I really think that this had more to do with my life than the book but I did have some doubts. I did hang in there with the book and am so glad that I did but this was a book that I couldn't put down before it was all over.

I love a good end of the world story and I also love stories that involve dogs. This book had both of those elements so it had a whole lot going for it before I even got too involved in the story. I loved this take on the end of the world. It was a little different than other books that I have read and I thought that it was one of the most realistic explanations that I have seen. I really felt like this could happen which really added to the impact of the story.

Griz was a great character and I found him really easy to relate to from the start. I didn't always understand everything he was doing but I was behind him on his main quest. Without a doubt, I know that if someone took my dog, I would do whatever was in my power to get her back and Griz felt exactly the same way. It was really interesting to see Griz navigate parts of the world that he has never seen as he tracked down his beloved Jess. I loved his descriptions of what was left of the world and found that I was easily able to visualize what he was seeing.

This book is told by Griz as he writes in his journal. I think that I had a bit of difficulty with Griz's voice at the start of the book but eventually warmed up to it. There were a few times were words were spelled as Griz heard them instead of the proper spelling which I would have preferred but I think that this was really the best way to tell this story.

I do recommend that readers go into this book as blindly as possible. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming which made this book really enjoyable. I do highly recommend this book but strongly suggest that readers avoid any possibility of coming across a spoiler.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Orbit Books via NetGalley.

Initial Thoughts
I had a really slow start with this one. It took me forever to read the first 30% or so of the book and I found myself constantly being distracted by other stories. But once this story started clicking for me, I flew through it. This story is told as if the main character, Griz, has written it in his journal and I just had trouble connecting with the character's voice but as things became more interesting the storytelling style started working better for me. I liked the world building and thought it was a really unique take on the end of the world. There were even a few jaw-dropping moments before the book came to a close. I really ended up enjoying this one in the end.

[Café de Tinta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que es de esos libros que te tiene que pillar con ganas de leer una historia sin demasiada profundidad pero con una narración ágil que te mantiene con ganas de seguir avanzando. La mayor lacra que tiene es que es una historia de supervivencia sobre la que ya hemos visto y leído muchas veces y ya te ves venir de dónde vendrán las cosas (aún así, al final hay un par de plot-twist que no esperaba). Ligero y entretenido. Pronto haré reseña.

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Orbit books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is a post apocalyptic, dystopian novel where a great gelding seems to have reduced the population to a handful of hardy stragglers.

Griz, his family, and their dogs live on an island. They are a resourceful bunch, who hunt and fish and go "a-viking" to scavenge from the mainland. When a traveller shows up to trade some goods, everything goes to hell for Griz when he wakes up, drugged, to find his dog gone.

The story is told as Griz pursues the traveller and his dog across the continent by sea and land. I love the regard that C.A. Fletcher obviously has for dogs, I found myself nodding and smiling as the loyalty and bonds were described. Also the love of books - one unique concept to me was Griz candidly remarking that all the old books had the end of the world wrong.

The writing was a little hard to follow, Griz wrote it like a diary but I guess he didn't pick up punctuation from his books. I am not sure how many others will love the book due to that style, it could be hard to follow at times. The plot felt a little slow sometimes but never boring, and had a few surprising twists.

I did enjoy the premise, the plot twists, the friends he made along the way, all the dangers....and the other plot twist :)

Would recommend for fans of dystppian type novels. 3.5 actual rating