The End of the World Running Club, by Adrian J. Walker
Book Review by SJ Higbee
This apocalyptic adventure is more Brit than fish and chips and warm beer. Does it work?
Edgar Hill is 35 and caught in his own headlock. Overweight slob, under-performing husband and reluctant father -- for Ed, the world may as well have already ended. So when it does end in a catastrophic asteroid strike and Edgar and his family find refuge in an Edinburgh army barracks, it comes as something of a relief. His world becomes simpler, life becomes easier -- things might just be looking up.
Of course, it doesn't take a genius to realize that whatever else is going to happen -- Life isn't going to get any easier for Ed. In a twist I've no intention of blurting about, he finds himself needing to be at the other end of the country in a hurry. Not only are the majority of cars burned out, but with most of the roads damaged and cratered, hopping in a car and driving anywhere is an impossibility. So he and his travelling companions are faced with legging it through the chaos, encountering a variety of interesting characters.
Walker briefly explores some of the fault lines in British society by having Ed and his spend a night in a stately home, hosted by the surviving member of the landed gentry and then end up in a inner-city council estate. I did feel the characterization was very predictable in both scenes, which was disappointing. There was none of the sharp-edged unexpectedness of Gloria, for instance -- which was an incident that has stayed with me for the poignancy and horror of it.
However, I did enjoy Ed's character. His sense of being adrift, before the meteors strike, is palpable -- something I have discussed with men about their loss of identity within our modern society. Ed is believable and although there are times I want to shake him -- I also find myself sympathising with him, which is important. As the whole unfolding adventure is filtered through his viewpoint, unless we care about him and his goals, we won't fully bond with the story.
I did care. In fact, I was gripped by the book, staying up far too late to discover what happens next. By about two-thirds of the way through, I figured out I'd know how it was going to end -- and I was wrong. The ending was a genuine surprise and worked well in the overall context. If you taste runs to end-of-the-world adventures, then track this one down, as it's well written, pacey storyline makes for a gripping read.
The ebook arc copy of The End of the World Running Club was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion of the bookBrainfluff
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