Name: A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World
ISBN: 9780316449472

C. A. Fletcher

A "suspenseful, atmospheric tale. . .punctured by a gut-punch twist" (Entertainment Weekly), A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is a story of survival, courage and hope amid the ruins of our world. My name's Griz. I've never been to school, 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, before all the people went away. But we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs. Then the thief came. "This unputdownable story has everything -- a well-imagined post-apocalyptic world, great characters, incredible suspense, and, of course, the fierce love of some very good dogs." -- Kirkus (starred review)

A Novel

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

Zachary Roberts

A dog is not a sister. But, it is still family. 

When a beloved family dog is stolen, one teen sets out on a life-changing journey through the ruins of our world to bring her back in this fiercely compelling tale of survival, courage, and hope perfect for readers of Station Eleven and The Girl With All the Gifts. My name's Griz. I've never been to school, 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?

A very sweet story with sufficiently dark themes to round out an otherwise kid-friendly plot. Could've been half the length. Similar to but not nearly as enjoyable to me as Lark Ascending.

elizabeth

THE MOST POWERFUL STORY YOU'LL READ THIS YEAR. 'Fletcher's suspenseful, atmospheric tale imagines a near future in which our world is in ruins . . . an adventure saga punctured by a gut-punch twist' Entertainment Weekly 'You'll remember A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World long after you finish reading' Peng Shepherd, author of The Book Of M 'Truly engrossing . . . brings hope and humanity to a cold and scary world' Keith Stuart, author of A Boy Made of Blocks 'I promise you're going to love it' Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches 'Epic in scope, enthralling, and full of human warmth' M. R. Carey, author of The Girl with all the Gifts THE WORLD HAS ENDED. AT LEAST WE STILL HAVE DOGS. My name's Griz. I've never been to school, I've never had friends, 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, before all the people went away, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs. Then the thief came. He told stories of the deserted towns and cities beyond our horizons. I liked him - until I woke to find he had stolen my dog. So I chased him out into the ruins of the world. I just want to get my dog back, but I found more than I ever imagined was possible. More about how the world ended. More about what my family's real story is. More about what really matters. 'This un-put-down-able story has everything - a well-imagined post-apocalyptic world, great characters, incredible suspense, and, of course, the fierce love of some very good dogs' Kirkus (starred review) 'A story that is as heart-warming as it is heart-breaking' Fantasy Hive 'A stunningly gorgeous read: masterful storytelling, searingly beautiful prose, and a world so meticulously rendered you'll forget there's a real one going on beyond the pages. A book of the year contender - in any year' Micah Yongo 'Extraordinary and quite magnificent . . . 10/10' Starburst A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World is the most moving apocalypse story you'll ever read. Perfect for readers of Life of Pi, The Girl with all the Gifts or Station Eleven - Griz's tale mixes sadness and hope in one unforgettable character's quest amid the remnants of our fragile civilisation.

A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World

Sade A

I honestly never imagined that an end of the world book that didn't involve a lot of chaos would be so good. But here we are, at the end of the world(lol), with a book that shows quiet intensity is something you would want in an apocalypse novel even though you didn't know it was something you were missing.

I don't think i can write a whole lot without giving away spoilers but if you do decide to pick up this book (and you should), be assured that although Fletcher creates a world that is unbearably empty, it is still filled with an abundance of imagination in every way.



4.5 Stars

Cindy Lieberman

Wow! An adventure novel of the highest order set in a post-apocalyptic future (ie sooner than we think). A stranger sails to the island where Griz and family are living. The stranger seems friendly, but he leaves in the night with one of Griz’ dogs and all of their salted cod. Griz sets off in pursuit. We see the littered landscape of the (presumably UK) world through Griz’ eyes, meeting other people along this epic journey. Narrated wonderfully by the author.

Celeste Richardson

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.

Southern Today Gone Tomorrow

Written by C. A. Fletcher, a boy and his dog is a great choice for anyone looking for a post- apocalyptic novel. In this world, they had the Gelding, when 99% (or something like that) of the world became infertile. So we have out main character who lives on a series of islands off of the UK and only have the one family.

Personally, I didn't get into this novel because of how long the background information goes on and on. The writing is by no means bad, but I just didn't enjoy this.

However, for those looking for a good, new twist on the world after, this is a great book to turn to. It doesn't hide what it is, but embraces that this is years after the culling. And that was greatly appreciated.

Ben Nathan

Very good story told well with quality/believable characters. The twists in it were fun and I think helped round out the story. One of the better dystopian books I've come across in a while because it felt present rather than focusing on how they got there

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World A Novel