There’s no shortage of dystopias on the shelves-and no shortage of books where our current society has collapsed, leaving something sad and twisted to struggle in the remains. But in all these books, humanity survives.

At the beginning of The Boy at the End of the World, humanity is dead. There is no society to struggle against, and no rivalries to explore. Our protagonist is Fisher, a vat-grown clone implanted with limited survival skills. Accompanied by a broken robot and a pet mammoth, he must not only survive in this broken world (Greg van Eekhout’s creativity shines as Fisher struggles against giant flesh-eating parrots, baseball-sized robotic bees, and swarming mini-crocs) but find a reason to ‘continue existing’. After finding evidence of a second “Arc”, Fisher sets out on a dangerous journey to find the last remnants of human society-but there’s no guarantee they’ve survived.

The writing style is clear and works for both drama and humour, and though the book certainly has a lot to say, smoothly works it into an intriguing adventure. A genuinely unnerving villain and creative setting make this book shine. At times, the fast pace becomes a little rushed. I wish that Van Ekhout had spent more time on the ending, instead of simply setting up the sequel-but readers will be eagerly anticipating more post-apocalyptic adventures with Fisher.

Reading Level: Intermediate

Highly Recommended
b>Rating: ✰✰✰✰