A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is a story about adventure, survival, and the bond between boy and dog that endures the end of life as we know it.

I was only able to read an excerpt of the first few chapters from NetGalley, but what I read was a description of a dystopian future that is gritty and realistic. The excerpt served to make me want to read the entire story, as the excerpt ends as the real adventure begins.

I’ve always had a fascination with dystopian futures, and this one is truly intriguing to me because there was no zombie apocalypse, and no Hunger Games-esque murder party. Instead, we are introduced to a world in which people simply are dying off, with no new generations to follow them. It’s a simple story, but a powerful one that, in my short time of reading the excerpt, resonated with me because of the realism.

I would definitely suggest reading this book in its entirety, as I plan to do as soon as I can.

Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for making this possible!

Seems like the sort of book that will rip my heart out. I hope to get to read the rest soon, and was so glad I could read the first 45 pages or so to get a feel for it. It's wonderfully written and I love the style that it's written in, like a diary. I would definitely say this is a book to watch out for in 2019.

The perfect book for those who love dystopia/post-apocalyptic literature, but would rather not deal with the nastiness of McCarthy's The Road and those like it.

Very intriguing preview of this post-apocalyptic story about a boy and his dog. What else needs to be said really? I love post-apocalyptic stories anyway. They capture the imagination if they are done well. This one is done well. It combines several tropes that are interesting and heart-warming at the same time and I am ready to read the whole book.
Thank you for the preview!

#ABoyandHisDogattheEndoftheWorld #NetGalley

I was given an excerpt of this book by Netgalley, the publisher and C.A. Fletcher., and only enough to know that I probably wouldn’t enjoy this story.. For me, it was a pretty boring beginning, and I can only imagine the rest of it, being ships at sea, would be just as boring for me. But thanks for the preview., and the rating for that alone is just a 2.

If I am honest I did not finish this book, I could not find anything wrong with the book it just did not do it for me, it might of been the frame of mind I was in at the time, I will give it another go though and write a review on-line

Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis

When a beloved family dog is stolen, her owner 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. 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?

Review

Big thanks to the publisher and author for an advanced reading copy of A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.

First eye catching this about this novel is the title and cover. There is very much a Girl With All the Gifts vibe going on with the cover design, WHICH I LOVE, and the storyline has a similar POV of a young child in a post-apocalyptic world.

Unlike TGWAtG, ABaHDatEotW doesn’t deal with zombified humans and survival amongst their numbers, but it does deal with surviving what humanity is reduced to after a world-changing event. It is the relationships that are built when all hope is lost, and the trust you have with another to survive.

Seeing the world from Griz’s viewpoint is sort of mind-blowing as the everyday items we tend to take for granted are full of excitement and wonder when he stumbles upon them. It is this naivety, along with the companionship he shares with his dog, Jip, that completely enraptured me and kept my heart in this story and with Griz. Connecting with characters in the worlds I explore through reading will always be a deal-sealer when it comes to finishing books.

But let’s be honest: I really read this book for the dogs. Having 3 of them myself, I am the Dean Koontz of suckers for books with dogs somehow incorporated in them. And before you get any hesitancy about terrible, horrible, no good, very bad things happening to doggos in the novel, I can put your mind at ease (somewhat) as there are plenty of highs to go with the lows.

Overall, A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is a captivating read full of fantastic world-building, enthralling characters, and plenty of heart. It is the post-apocalyptic book of 2019 that you need to have on your TBR and is an adventure that you do not want to miss.

<quote>And there may be no law left except what you make 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 kind of death, even if you keep breathing.</quote>

This is the story about a young boy, Griz, who is looking for his stolen dog throughout a new "unexplored" world (at least from his point of view).
On his journey, he tries to patch together the world as it was Before from the ruins that are left behind, wondering how it would be to live in a world where everything was taken for granted.

<quote>With so many marvels around you, did you stop seeing some of them?</quote>

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is an intriguing book with really good twists, especially towards the end.
The chapters often end in a catchy way that makes you want to keep reading, and, even though sometimes the author dwells in long and detailed descriptions of surroundings that kind of throttle you back, don't let it stop you, because the end will be worth the effort.

Imagine being approved for a novel via NetGalley. You are excitedly reading the first few chapters. You are not quite hooked, but it is beginning to ramp up. Therefore, you don’t notice that despite only reading five measly chapter you are 80% done with the book. Upon turning the page of the sixth chapter you receive a rude awakening about being approved for a SAMPLE. What in the actual F**K NetGalley?!?! I’ve never been teased quite so thoroughly. Teasing can be enjoyable, BUT THIS, this was not….

Now onto the novel….

So basically, I live for the D’s: Dogs and Dystopian. These are a few necessities that keep my existence bearable. Therefore, when I saw this on someone else’s TBR list, I immediately went to my supposedly faithful friend, NetGalley. Moving on from the deceitful little trick they played, I found myself conflicted on my feelings about this novel. On the one hand, I ended up enjoying it. But there were some major issues that I could not look past….

So we have the end of times. The world has imploded reproductive style making it nearly impossible to create new life. However, there are a select few whose swimmers can fertilize an egg still. Griz’s family is one of the lucky few whose parents have been able to bring new life into the world. But their luck kind of ends there. But at least they have one another and man’s best friend. All of that changes when a stranger visits their secluded island and steals one of the dogs. From there, readers are taken on adventure of an unfamiliar, yet familiar world.

I have to shoot you straight and tell you that I almost did not finish at 40%. The story itself was decently entertaining. Certainly was not the best I’ve read, but it was not the worst. You want to know what was the worst though? All the damn descriptions. I mean description after description after description. And I’ve read American Psycho and this was a bit effing much. I would turn a page and begin to roll my eyes because all I had ahead was endless descriptions. Yes, I realize that it was all new to Griz. But for the readers, it became monotonous and quite frankly irritating. There is quite a bit of this novel that went in one eye and out the other. I’ve literally had more fun reading the breakdown of chemical compounds in a chemistry course. Honestly, it was a bit overkill and did bring the overall rating down.

Also, the big reveal was a little left field for my taste. I’m not really sure I understood the purpose of this deceit. It is a pretty big twist, but not in a good way. I found it more confusing and can’t tell if there was enough hinting. Yet, I wasn’t quite looking for hints on this either. There were some things that I did enjoy: John Dark. I loved that this character did not speak the same language as Griz. Their relationship really helped repair some of the damages I suffered from over describing just about everything. I enjoyed the way simple things that we take advantage of daily were super interesting to Griz. Additionally, I did enjoy the diary like approach. I know this didn’t jive well with some other readers, but it was a touch I liked.

Overall, I would rate this novel a solid 3. The intense detail became redundant. But the story itself when being told was entertaining and enjoyable.

Thank you (kind of) NetGalley and Orbit Books for the 6 chapter sample. Next time, can you spring for the whole novel?

I have been given access to the first six chapters and I'm hooked. This broken world that people are living in is intriguing. I am hoping to be given access to the remainder of the book so I can complete this review. 4 stars so far as not finished. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC.

I received an advanced digital excerpt of this book from the author, Netgalley.com and Orbit books. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review.

Based on the 6 chapters that I was given, this book is amazing. Told from a child's point of view, it isn't your run of the mill post-apocalyptic tale. He is determined to save his dog, who is the most important being in his life.

5 out of 5 stars, can't wait to read the rest!

It was a good, quick read. It was a story of loyalty, hard choices, and trying to do the right thing. My biggest problem is that the ending was just a bit too neat and left me with too many questions.

I wish I could have read the whole book - but I was given the first 6 chapters! This is not your usual post - apocalyptic book - it is told from a child’s point of view and it takes place after the world has changed and not during the actual events that caused the change.
Imagine that your family was isolated on an island, your nearest neighbor was only available by boat, your family scavenged for a living, and then a stranger stole your dog!
This is bad in itself, but the dog that was stolen was a female dog (very rare as most dogs were males) and she was one of your best friends! You will go anywhere to get your friend back - even sail to dangerous, unknown places - where the very air could kill you!

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for this preview/sample arc.

After a mere 6 chapters / 40 pages, I'm hooked. A simply told post-apocalyptic tale that has me chasing the rest of the book.

This is a short preview, 6 chapters of the entire book.

By chapter four, I had the whole book on pre-order. Very much looking forward to reading it.

“A man stole my dog. I went after him. Bad things happened. I can never go home.”

I was pulled straight into this simple yet riveting declaration by Griz, our stoical narrator. How could it not resonate with anyone who has opened his heart to a dog? I don’t even want to imagine what I might be capable of doing to a man who stole a piece of my soul. Rather than dwell upon that distressing hypothetical, I read on eagerly, straight into Fletcher’s tale and hellbent on vicarious retribution.

“Of all the animals that travelled the long road through the ages with us, dogs always walked closest.” Owing to most all pups in a litter being male, Griz contemplates the Gelding, Earth’s “soft apocalypse,” noting that very few bitches are born anymore. “Maybe that’s a downside for the dogs, punishment for their loyalty, some cosmically unfair collateral damage for walking alongside us all those centuries.”

As unfair as it is to the canines, the Gelding hit the human population even harder, rendering their reproduction to unbelievably low levels estimated at one in a million. Griz hasn’t even met enough people in his lifetime to make up a proper game of football. He and his family live alone on an island with their dogs, leaving as necessary for food and other resources.

Along with his father, mother, brother, and sister, Griz will sail to other lands for seasonal foods and wildlife, occasionally turning up books which they revere and treasure. Reading helps them to survive, to learn their origins, and to know how they came to be where they are. Their value is not lost on Griz who shares that opening the front cover of a new book is like a door allowing him to travel far away in place and time, where even the wide sea and the open sky can be claustrophobic if you never get away from them.

Having read only the first six chapters provided, I’d rate this at 4.5 stars. I enjoyed refreshing hike away from urban dystopia, rioting for for resources, and post-apocalyptic hierarchical power struggles. The writing style is casual and accessible, moving at that lovely steady pace where boredom is not an issue and there is a yearning for each next page. Character development is tough to gauge so early in the book, but with such significance placed in dogs and books by Griz, it’d be hard to go wrong. I’d love the opportunity to read through to the end!

Thanks to NetGalley, Orbit Books, and author Charlie Fletcher for providing the first six chapters of A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World in exchange for an honest review!

The world has ended. However, this post-apocalyptic story does not occur as the world is ending, or immediately after the world ends. Instead, the story follows the descendants of those survivors; these people are living in what remains of the world 100 years later. And yes, the novel is about a boy who goes on a journey to recover his stolen dog. Before you judge the plot of this book, recall the plot of the movie, "John Wick."
Griz is the protagonist and we follow the events of his adventure after they happen. Griz lives with his family—parents and brother and sisters—on an island. There are other people who live in this big world, including their neighbors with whom both families make supply runs together. As mentioned in the summary, a thief—named Brand—“stops by the island” and takes one of the family’s dogs. Griz, who believes in family and doing the right thing, takes off after Brand in order to get the dog back. Throughout Griz’s journey, he explores what remains of our world: buildings, wildlife, landscape, etc. Griz learns more about the world because he must survive alone with his knowledge and his instincts to guide him. The few people Griz meets throughout his journey presents both the struggle and the complications surrounding each individual, including Griz.
Anyone who is a fan of post-apocalyptic stories will enjoy Fletcher’s novel. As I mentioned before, there are no zombies or first wave attacks in this story; and, this does not happen immediately after the events at the end of the world. And, that’s the appeal of "A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World," the aftermath of the apocalypse! Given the approximate age of Griz (16?), adolescent readers will find this novel appealing as well. I can see this novel becoming an assigned book in schools.
"A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World" is an entertaining dystopian bildungsroman novel that puts a lot of emphasis on the atmosphere of the Earth over the characters. Readers learn from Griz’s experiences that both knowledge of survival and knowledge of people go hand-in-hand. My only issue with this novel is that while Griz learned and accomplished much on his journey, he doesn’t seem changed by it that much. It could be because Griz is telling the story in his journal. The “story doesn’t end with the journey” notion that left me wondering whether or not Griz and his family has more to tell us about their world. Other than that this novel was fun to read.

The first six chapters just made me more curious about what would come next!
It seems to be a very good book that I most probably enjoy until the end so I can feel it would be so worth reading all of it!

I have already given feedback on here and Goodreads of 'A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World'. As i previously wrote, it was an enjoyable book and well worth a read.

I was only provided six chapters ... which were amazing. Hopefully I'll be supplied the remaining chapters that will enable a full review.