Childhood best friends Bertie and Kate have reached a strenuous point in their relationship—the world is balancing on an uneven scale that might just lean towards apocalyptic by the next morning, and Kate is moving. In effort to ignore the doom and gloom of the world, and Kate’s soon-to-be distance, the two embark on a Paris vacation, which leads them to the jewel of the city—the Louvre. Their chance visit to the museum seems too good to be true (read: they’re the only visitors that day), but things quickly take a turn, and so does time.

The concept of time in this novel was an intriguing catch—I found myself really wanting to understand how time functioned, and yet I don’t think I ever really figured that out. I don’t think that lack of understanding mattered too much, because, like Bertie and others, they didn’t understand it in the end either. However, the last half of the novel didn’t live up to its own intrigue. The plot slowed down and took an unpleasant turn, the characters fell flat and seemed to dig themselves into a hole of unfortunate characterization. The story seemed to hint in one direction, but then that direction was completely disregarded and forgotten. I think I would have liked to have been able to connect with the characters more, but I don’t feel like we’re given much of a chance. As for the novel overall, the world-building was laid out and unique, and I think that really gave the story its substance that kept me reading.

While I thought the world building was impeccable, I really didn’t like the direction that the character development took.

I enjoyed this novel, thank you so much Simon & Schuster for letting me read the ARC! I thought the prose was really well done and Celt has a gift of making you feel/see what she is writing. I definitely felt unsettled and uncertain while I read End of the World House and from the subject matter and the plot, I can tell that was the intent. The plot was interesting and it was definitely a unique premise. I love novels with female MC’s in their mid to late 20’s figuring it all out and this novel definitely had that. But sometimes Bertie felt a bit younger than her projected age. Bertie was likable, but i feel like we know a lot about her and kate’s friendship but have no idea why they’re friends. we don’t know that much about them individually. even the parts of the novel where we get bertie all to herself, we don’t learn that much about her. It’s very weird because i feel like i know a lot of bertie’s stories, but couldn’t necessarily pick out certain aspects or traits about her. bertie and kate both feel quite disconnected from the reader. The side characters, Dylan, Danzy, etc were similarity not flushed out enough for me to have a connection with them. I do appreciate the world building here, it was masterfully done, but I wish a little bit more time has been spent fleshing out the characters. Other than that, I enjoyed this read, and have never read a book quite like it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to be completely honest, I wasn't really sure what was going on for most of the book. I enjoyed the apocalypse humor and the way it portrayed a more complicated version of female friendship. I also like books that seem to transcend genres and books where I can't tell what's going to happen next, both of which were definitely the case here. That being said, like many other reviewers, I thought the first half of this book was much stronger than the second half. The confusion was enjoyable at first and I was initially intrigued, but at some point the story became too repetitive and the pacing became too slow. Towards the end, I felt like I was dragging myself through the remainder of the book. I do appreciate that the ending felt realistic and consistent with the rest of the novel, though. I think this will be a hit-or-miss book in terms of overall reviews, but if you like apocalyptic stories that twist your idea of genre and center flawed female characters, maybe pick this one up!

Memories, experiences, and time are perceived relatively, colored by each individual, which can make recalling specifics a slightly hazy experience, as seen in Adrienne Celt’s End of the World House.

Best friends since high school, Bertie and Kate take a trip to Paris together before Kate’s impending departure from San Francisco to Los Angeles is destined to separate them. Bertie hopes that the trip they’d dreamed about since their teen years can distract Kate from her choice to leave, despite the attempts she’s already made to persuade her to stay. With the world suffering from dangerous conflicts, resource shortages, and an ever changing climate, when the pair are offered an opportunity to have a private tour of the Louvre from a stranger in a bar shortly before the end of their vacation, they happily seize it. Alone in the museum, Bertie and Kate have a sense of unease, finding themselves caught up in a repeating day, experiencing minor alterations that eventually separate them. Trying to make her way back to the disappeared Kate, Bertie slowly comes to realize how much control she has over her life, past, present, and future.

An experience that works your brain to make sense of the nebulous presentation of various lives and timelines, this story was interesting and raised some thought-provoking concepts to consider. Primarily an exploration of friendship, particularly in the first half, the narrative had moments of humor, small joys, frustration, and sadness that made it relatable and real – the apocalyptic backdrop for this story was one that hit a little too close to home at times. Though both Bertie and Kate were present, in some manner, throughout the novel, Bertie was the main focus and was fleshed out as a character a bit better but still not overly easy to connect with. When explicitly mentioned in the second half of the novel, the time loop conceit was a fascinating one but not quite explained in a satisfactory way and it left me with far too many questions about how exactly it works; there is something to be said that we all do this to some extent through the daily routines we make for our lives, but there was a missing component regarding the resetting of the time loop that never had an aha! moment to help clarify, leaving it as an assumed and accepted bit of weird.

Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

*I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Reading a story that keeps resetting over & over only feels worth it if it makes you think. In this case the only thinking I was doing was trying to understand the point. There wasn't a message about how small changes can have larger effects, or about how being able to re-do a day might help you make better choices, or anything that other time loop/alternate timeline stories usually ask. At the end I *maybe* saw a connection between the destruction of the world and the time loop, i.e. if there's no future and the only way to extend your life is by repeating the same time period again, is that desirable? But I wasn't even sure that was a question Bertie was asking. I just didn't get it. Also, Dylan seemed like a jerk and I don't know why Bertie kept going back to him. [A book that starts off with female friendship and ends with the two women parting and one of them choosing her boyfriend is disappointing. But again, was there supposed to be any significance to her choice or Kate's?

This book wasn't my cup of tea, but I think it will land with the right audience. The cover and description as a tale of female friendship made me think it would be more of a Sliding Doors or Maybe in Another Life type of book-- Women's Speculative Fiction. But this is much more literary-SF, more Mitchell-esque, if we're using that term. The friendship at the core of End of the World House is perhaps more realistic than those about which many of us are used to reading, or than many of us would care to admit having ourselves... But it doesn't make for fun reading, and if you're like me, it is actually a bit painful, to see shreds of our own failing friendships reflected with such brutal honesty. None of the characters are all that interesting or likable, nor is there anything or anyone to cheer for, really. I suppose Bertie is meant to be that character, but I never fully connected or empathized with her. Similarly, the book is slightly confusing, which is partly because I think you're expecting something to happen, but it never really does, so you're like "I *must* have missed something". But no, you probably didn't. Because there's really not a whole lot going on; there's more showing than telling.
Okay, but all of that being said, I do think it's well written. I love the idea of a time loop centered around the Louvre, where the museum is a sort of intervitae/purgatory space. Lots of good ideas. I just would've liked to see more character development and relationships.

Although I am still confused and am left with quite a few questions… I found this book to be pretty entertaining. I greatly enjoyed the ride; this novel grabbed my attention and refused to let go. The book gave me some major Dark Matter vibes, but with a wonderfully unique take. The conclusion is fairly open-ended which can be a bit frustrating in most settings, but it works so well with this piece.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this work!

End of the World House
by Adrienne Celt
Publication date: April 19, 2022
Review date: September 18, 2021

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster & NetGalley for allowing me early access to this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion..

End of the World House was so deeply confusing that I couldn’t give it more than 3 stars. This wasn’t for me, though I’m sure others will thoroughly enjoy it. Best friends Bertie & Kate decide that a spur-of-the-moment trip to Paris is what they need to make the separation they’ll soon be having in locale, a little easier. The author was very descriptive, which was Great. The book just became a bit of a struggle when things got wonky, basically when the friends decided to take a stranger up on his offer of a private tour of The Louvre. I lost interest at this point but pushed on because I wanted to finish the whole book.

#EndOfTheWorldHouse #NetGalley

Interesting premise and pretty good execution. I enjoyed the mystery aspects and some of the characters. Probably best for sci-fi fans.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

End of the World House
A Novel
by Adrienne Celt
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
the book started out slow, I felt like I fell into an odd rabbit hole. It was ok for me.I just didn't get how much was going on in one book. But, that said, I do believe it will be a good read for others.

I had a very hard time following this book. I wish the plot had been a little more clear. I also didn't feel very attached to any of the characters. I think the confusing, ambiguous plot made it difficult to connect with or empathize with the characters.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my review!

Bertie and Kate, long-time best friends take a trip to Paris as the last hurrah due to them going separate ways in their life and external world conflicts. They come across a man who offers them a private tour of the Louvre, where everything seems off and the pair ends up in a Groundhog Day type situation.

I went into this novel totally blind and it was great in the first half, kind of fell apart for me towards the end. Overall the plot and writing were unique.

This was a mind f*ck of a book. Just when I thought I knew where it was going, I was proved completely wrong.

I love books I can’t predict. I feel like I’m very good at knowing what’s going to happen, but this is one of the first books in a long time where I truly didn’t know where it was going.

It was a bit difficult to read, because there were so many similarities to what’s currently happening in our world. The aside mentions of war, bombings, strife, etc. are exactly what we’re seeing now, so it was an eery glimpse into the not-so-distant future.

I can totally see this as one of the most anticipated reads in 2022 and I can’t wait for everyone to read this genre-bending, twisty book!
•••
Thank you Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Okay I don't understand this one... I liked the concept - Groundhog Day is a fabulous movie and a fantastic construct, and I'm a fan of books about female friendships. But can you really call this a friendship? Kate is fairly terrible to Bertie on a regular basis and Bertie just takes it. While I recognize that that is the uncomfortable reality of a number of female friendships, it doesn't make for a very enjoyable read. And the characters themselves - even beyond the two main women - all felt shallow and not very interesting and I just couldn't find myself ginning up any sympathy for any of them...

The near-apocalyptic world-building is very well done - almost scarily so - but given the state of the world at the moment, it's all-too-real feel made it a very uncomfortable read. I get that that's the point - and I applaud the author for doing a great job with it - but it certainly didn't make the read any easier for me.

All-in-all I just struggled with this one. I expected something lighter, but that's on me not the author - best to go into this one blind I think, and just let it take you where it will...

Thankyou Netgalley for the advanced copy of End of the World House.
Bertie and Kate have been best friends since high school. Bertie is a semi-failed cartoonist, working for a prominent Silicon Valley tech firm. Her job depresses her, but not as much as the fact that Kate has recently decided to move from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

When Bertie’s attempts to make Kate stay fail, she suggests the next-best thing: a trip to Paris that will hopefully distract the duo from their upcoming separation. The vacation is also a sort of last hurrah, coming during a ceasefire in a series of escalating world conflicts.

One night in Paris, they meet a strange man in a bar who offers them a private tour of the Louvre. The women find themselves alone in the museum, where nothing is quite as it seems. Caught up in a day that keeps repeating itself, Bertie and Kate are eventually separated, and Bertie is faced with a mystery that threatens to derail everything. In order to make her way back to Kate, Bertie has to figure out how much control she has over her future—and her past—and how to survive an apocalypse when the world keeps refusing to end.

Bertie and Kate have been best friends for years, so when they agree that it's probably the last moment for traveling abroad in their crumbling society, they decide to have their last hurrah together in Paris. One night in a Parisian pub, just a few days before they're supposed to leave, they are approached by a stranger who promises to get them into the Louvre on a day its doors are closed to the public. It's no surprise that Bertie and Kate agree to a private tour of the most famous museum in the world, and the next day they find themselves walking the corridors of the Louvre completely alone. But Bertie and Kate's relationship isn't without its troubles and when they separate, finding their way to each other again becomes more difficult than anyone could expect. In more ways than one, especially when Kate vanishes without a trace and Bertie realizes they're stuck in a loop, reliving the same day over and over again.

End of the World House is a very trippy, very original story about fighting for and letting go of different relationships in our lives. The bond between Kate and Bertie was beautiful and felt deeply realistic, especially with all the small insecurities, gestures, and inside jokes they shared. It definitely tugged on my heart because I don't come across many books about dealing with grief over losing a friendship, even though it's such an important part of life, so it was great to see the characters struggle with that. I also felt very connected to the setting; the end of the world that doesn't happen in a single monstrous event but is a sum of smaller ones, ones that we more or less get used to. It was very strange to read about that while basically living during similar circumstances - there's a scene where Bertie uses a handkerchief both as a fashion statement and as a breathing filter. The time loop element was pretty confusing to me, especially in the beginning, but it created such a dreamlike and odd atmosphere, that I ended up just letting myself enjoy the story without desperately trying to figure out all the mechanics.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

End of the World House was a solid read. The book centers on the friendship between Bertie and Kate as they are on a trip to Paris and end up being able to enter the Louvre after-hours. The book devolves to a time loop plot and that is the simplest way to put it because it spirals into so much more and, it is not entirely clear.

“Time passes. Slow, then fast. Bit by bit, and then it’s gone”

Let's start with its strengths. Throughout the novel, details of an apocalyptic setting is sprinkled. It is clear a lot of this book was written during the pandemic as the world-building finds a way to incorporate the repetition and blur of time many people faced into the tone of the novel. The whole circumstance of "the end" was not just dropped in a single exposition, it was well paced out with fun little sections of further details. These details though, the book had a way of pulling me back into that stagnant pandemic life vibe...which I am still trying to figure out if I liked but it was definitely something done well!

“That was how art or anything became immortal. Becoming a still point in the universe, around which endless bodies revolved”

There are a lot of fun details as well, like illustrations preceding the two parts in what I like to imagine, Bertie's comic style. This book holds a lot of tie-ins with art found in the Louvre as it plays a role in tone, setting and plot. Some times, it really helped escalate the tone of a scene ( yes, I am looking at the meat photo scene ). Generally, Celt is also a very solid writer, I think she has a wonderful style and there are a lot of thinking points brought up in the text that were interesting!

I did have a few criticisms which brought down my rating. I had a hard time really connecting with the characters. They fell sort of flat and a lot of them did not feel their age. I also just wish we got more closure and details of the plot. There was just a lot of time-loop stuff going on, motivations from some key characters were a bit blurry or just, put me off a bit, and aspects of the plot got confusing without too much clarity. And maybe that was also part of the intention. Just, even the payoff of revelations don't feel earned. I also, wish I felt more of the emotional basis with Kate and Bertie as the book is pitched with their narrative as its heart yet it just felt like there was a lot of unexplored potential there.

Overall, I think it was an interesting read, very original as a concept, but I think to dive in one needs to feel ready to get back into that time-blur pandemic mind-space.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from End of the World House by Adrienne Celt. However, it manages to pack in everything from a war torn world, best friends, a crazy repetitive day, and even a bit of a love story making it unlike anything I’ve read. We follow the story of Bertie and Kate and how their friendship developed, their trip to Paris, and what enfolds as their day repeats over and over while we try to figure out the mystery of why and how. I really enjoyed how detailed the story was in describing the characters thoughts and feelings. I especially liked how through the author was in describing the locations. It was so easy for me to picture what was being described! The story itself regarding the “groundhog day” vibe was definitely different and unlike anything I’ve read. My only complaint was that it seemed like the story dragged on a bit longer than it needed to.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Celt introduces you to Kate and Bertie on their last day on vacation in Paris as they head to the Louvre. The two are living in this post-apocalyptic world but just are trying to explore and see some art. But the same day ends up repeating itself, and things get weird (for lack of a better phrase). The concept alone should be enough to read this book since it's so unique and well written! I really enjoyed the focus on the changing nature of friendships and dynamics. Making that one of the book's central themes but in a really unique way was cool to see. I personally really enjoy art, so I enjoyed how Celt used the art from the Louvre in the story.

These characters are complex, and you're definitely not going to like them all the time as you go through plenty of time loops. I felt confused and lost through the book at times, but the end helped wrap things up. There was a slight disconnect for me between the first and second parts. The mystery of it all really helped me stick with the book, and in the end, I was glad I did!