This book!! I am always so grateful for my book reviewing friends who introduce me to new authors, and I have my friend Shannon to thank for this one. I started Ways the World Could End and ended up listening to it every chance I could, and now that it's over, I am missing these multifaceted characters so much.

I was immediately drawn into the storyline, which introduces the reader to Cleo and her dad David, about a year after they experienced a family tragedy and lost their mom/wife Jana. Little by little we get to know teenager Cleo, and dad David who is also on the autism spectrum.

There's grief and loss and there's also a coming of age storyline as Cleo experiences young love and explores her sexuality. David works hard to understand himself and also how to parent Cleo as she starts her process into young adulthood.

There's a lot going on in this story, but it all flows so well. The main characters journey to understand one another and themselves as they navigate life after losing Jana. The first half of the book builds upon itself and I loved how it all came together in the second half. The perfectly imperfect characters, pulling back the layers of their relationships made this a book I will never forget. It's an incredible read with so much to take away from it as well.

The audiobook was incredibly well done and the narration made me love this book even more. I am having a hard time summing this once up except to say that this is a must read and I can't wait to read author Kim Hooper's backlist now.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for my gifted audiobook copy. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book has so many great messages - about acceptance, about understanding, about forgiveness, about self-discovery and about love. I only wish I knew it was going to have such a YA feel. I'm not the right audience for YA, but I still really enjoyed so much about this read.

Dave is on the autism spectrum - labeled-as he calls it. He was married to Jenna and they have a teenage daughter, Cleo. Earlier on, the reader learns that Jenna died a year ago, but it takes about 3/4 of the book before the reader is privy to the reason for her death. I didn't find that a problem - the story prior to that is about the ways Dave and Cleo are grieving, the ways they are trying to live a life as a family of 2, and the ways they are trying to find a way to communicate with each other without Jenna. Jenna was always the emotional side for Dave. He is literal, he is singularly focused and he does not have the capacity to "read the room." The best thing about Dave is that he knows these things about himself. Now that Jenna is gone, it is evident that he really wants to be better at the things that are so difficult for him and don't come naturally. The voice narrating Dave was excellent is portraying him.

Cleo is a teenage girl dealing with the death of her mother. She feels lost, she feels insecure, she feels confused and she feels alone. Her father can only offer so much. She feels his "differences" keenly. She is hesitant to have friends over - it overwhelms her Dad and she does whatever she can to keep him balanced. She feels the weight of this much more so now that her Mom is gone and can't share that load. She has become selective about her friendships, after she felt the stares and separation after her mother's death. When new girl _______ moves to town, Cleo feels an immediate connection and their friendship blooms. The story then covers subjects of sexuality, orientation, vulnerability, trust and acceptance.

This book will be such a hit with YA audiences, and readers who love coming of age stories. The author was deft at character development, tension and handling grief without making the story too depressing. I loved the inclusion of a main character on the spectrum. I loved his thoughts at the beginning of each chapter about ways in which the world could end. He even had a bunker so he could be prepared for any situation. In the end, I think he finally found that he could let those thoughts go. They would always be there, but he didn't have to dwell on them always. With overarching themes of forgiveness, acceptance, grieving and finding a new normal, this is a book many will enjoy reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC to listen to and review. Pub date: 5.10.22

I am a big Kim Hooper fan and have been since I randomly found her first novel at the library when I was perusing one weekend. After loving that one, I have read all of her other pieces of literate. The Ways the World Could End is a heartbreaking, yet hopeful story that will have you cheering for many of the characters. The story is told in alternating viewpoints of Dave and Cleo. Dave has Asperger’s syndrome and has a plan for every way the world can end. Cleo his daughter is trying to figure out how to live without her mom who has recently died. The story is about finding yourself and your voice, holding on to your loved ones, and taking chances. I really enjoyed the audio version!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Dreamscape Media for an advance audio copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I knew nothing about it going into it, and I was pleasantly surprised. The narrators on the audio version were fantastic. The story is told in alternating narratives from Dave, a dad who is on the autism spectrum (my limited knowledge of the topic makes it hard for me to know if the author handled this well. I know the Asperger's name is no longer used, but I liked the way he referred to his diagnosis as "the label"), and his teen daughter Cleo as they navigate life after tragedy. In some ways it felt like a YA novel, but I don't mean that as a negative critique. I will definitely be looking into this author's backlist!

Kim Hooper knocked the socks off many readers with her last book, 2021’s No Hiding in Boise. That portrait of the ramifications of a mass shooting has stayed with me and put Hooper on my “must read” list.

Her latest, Ways the World Could End, has a slightly lighter tone despite still dealing with serious topics. Chapters alternate between the perspectives of Dave, a dad on the autism spectrum, and Cleo, his teenage daughter grappling with the loss of her mom from a tragic accident and her blossoming sexual identity.

The title derives from Dave’s obsession with doomsday prepping. Each of his chapters begin with him detailing a way the world could end - famine, asteroids, global pandemic (cough, cough). It’s not as depressing as it sounds though.

Where I struggled a bit was with Cleo’s chapters. At 15-going-on-16, her perspective was just too Young Adult for my reading preferences. If I was the publisher, I definitely would be marketing this as YA.

I listened to the audiobook, and it’s possible Stephanie Willing’s narration made the story come across as more juvenile than it would have had I read it in print. Dave’s chapters were performed by Pete Cross, who gave voice to Dave in an honest, respectable way.

While ultimately I was glad when Ways the World Could End came to an end, I’m already eagerly awaiting Kim Hooper’s next novel. 3.5 stars.

Ways The World Could End by Kim Hooper was a sensitive book that explored the challenges Asperger’s might present upon an individual and their family. Dave and Jana met, having lived on the same floor of the apartment building they both resided at. They fell in love and got married. Jana was instrumental in helping Dave discover that he had Asperger’s. Through therapy, they discovered how to navigate their way through Dave’s diagnosis. The two of them had a baby daughter, Cleo, together. Dave left most of the day to day parenting decisions up to Jana. Cleo and Jana grew close. At work, Jana had started to grow close with a woman she worked with. They enjoyed participating in a yoga class together and sometimes shared a meal together. When the woman admitted that she was having marital issues, Jana invited her friend and her daughter to stay with her, Dave and Cleo until she and her daughter could find a place of their own. Then the unthinkable happened. There was a terrible incident at Jana’s workplace. Jana was stabbed while she tried to protect her friend from her irate husband. She died from the injury she endured. Upon Jana’s death, Dave and Cleo had to learn how to navigate their world without Jana’s presence, wisdom and compassion. This proved to be difficult for both Dave and Cleo.

After Jana’s murder, Dave and Cleo moved into a new home in the hills of San Juan Capistrano. Its location was isolated and felt quite quiet which served Dave well. He became obsessed with preparing and planning for any doomsday scenario that might occur. Dave saw the world in black and white with no gray areas. He found himself absolutely clueless about how to raise his fifteen year old daughter. Cleo was lost without her mother. She loved Dave but knew he was not like other fathers. When Cleo had to describe her father she often used the word “weird” or different. Jana and Dave had told Cleo about Asperger’s when she was twelve and she had come to accept and love her father unconditionally but it was still difficult to introduce him to her friends. Jana’s death greatly impacted Cleo’s life. She had become lonely after Jana’s murder. Her old friends were not as Cleo had thought they were. She often preferred to be by herself and was often consumed with her own thoughts. Everything changed, though, when a new girl named Edie enrolled at her school. Cleo was immediately drawn to Edie. There was a mutual attraction and over time the two girls explored their sexual preferences and came to terms with them. Edie and her mom were going to move into the abandoned property behind Cleo’s home. It had belonged to Edie’s mother’s family. When Edie’s mother left her father, this property proved to be the best place for them to put down roots and start over again. Edie’s presence and involvement in Cleo’s life proved to be the best medicine for Cleo. With Edie’s help, support and love Cleo could begin to let herself heal from her loss.

Ways the World Could End by Kim Hooper was the third book I have had the privilege of reading by this talented author. Kim Hooper is a masterful storyteller and her books are so well written. Ways the world Could End was a little personal for Kim Hooper and her family. She admitted that her own husband was recently diagnosed with Asperger’s so she was able to use first hand experience when she developed Dave’s character. All the characters were strong, complex and most believable. Ways the World Could End explored love, loss, forgiveness, isolation, connections, grief, friendship, acceptance and flexibility. I listened to the audiobook that was performed so well by Stephanie Willing and Pete Cross. It was quite insightful and touching.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media LLC for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Publication is set for May 10, 2022.

I discovered Kim Hooper’s writing a few years ago when she graciously sent me a copy of her collection of short stories, All the Acorns on the Forest Floor. Her writing blew me away, and now I’ll read anything she writes. Hooper has a gift for storytelling, and her upcoming novel, Ways the World Could End solidifies that statement. We all know that family dramas are my jam; especially stories focused on parenting. I have a major soft spot for father/daughter relationships because I’ve always been super close with my own father. Yeah, yeah, yeah…I’m a daddy’s girl, and I’m not embarrassed to admit it. Hooper’s latest is about Dave, a father with Asperger’s syndrome, and his 15-year-old daughter, Cleo. Early on, we learn that Dave is a single parent, and that this is a recent occurrence. However, the story behind Jana, his wife and Cleo’s mother, remains a mystery to the reader for quite some time. My gosh, these characters! The way Hooper describes the dynamics between this father/daughter duo is absolute perfection. Each chapter switches back and forth between their individual perspectives. Dave is trying to find his solo parenting groove, and come to terms with new revelations about his marriage. Cleo is your typical teenager; full of hormones, a little bit of angst, and learning to live without her mother. I loved both of these characters equally. I could not pick a favorite. Dave and Cleo stole my heart. Ways the World Could End is equal parts family drama, coming-of-age, and love story. It also has elements of friendship, marriage, self-discovery, sexual exploration, loss, grief, and forgiveness. It’s unique, engrossing, and extremely heartwarming. I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend this book.

I was so happy to stumble on Kim Hooper when I listened to the gripping No Hiding in Boise last year, a book I think about all the time. And I loved this book, too, but I have to be honest: I found it very jarring when the character repeatedly says "I have autism spectrum disorder" or "I am on the autism spectrum" and his daughter describes him by saying "he has something called autism spectrum disorder". "Autism Spectrum Disorder" is the newest "official" name for autism, but rarely outside of a medical facility have I heard it used in full like that. Most autistic people I know (including my teen) would simply say, "I'm autistic." And when the teen in the novel describes her dad, it would sound natural if she said, "He's autistic". There would likely be multiple autistic kids at her high school, her friend wouldn't be likely to say, "oooh, I think maybe I've heard of that" because... isn't literally everyone in North America pretty familiar with autism at this point, just at a minimum via books and movies, but also because the percentage of kids being diagnosed is quite high? Words like "Aspergers" and "high functioning" are incredibly controversial and considered broadly negative in the community and while I don't pretend to speak for autistic people, but every time this came up, I felt like I was whipped out of the story and cycling discomfort about the choice of words again and again. For me, this would have been a five-star listen -- loved the characters, loved the YA feel and tone, but I was so thrown by these descriptors that I wasn't able to fully immerse. That said, love Kim Hooper's books and will happily devour whatever she writes next!

"Ways the World Could End" by Kim Hooper is both a tragic and beautiful story!

Dad Dave is a doomsday prepper, sees the world differently and believes a natural disaster is around every corner. His Asperger's Syndrome drives that. His fifteen-year-old daughter, Cleo, loves and understands him...mostly.

It gets hard though, for both of them, since Mom Jana died. Dave's trying his best to learn how to be a single parent to Cleo. In Cleo's eyes nothing could be worse than losing her mom. Her best friend. Her world!

When Cleo meets Edie, a new girl at school, Dave feels uncomfortable with the changes in her. As they navigate their new life together and Cleo's new relationship, they begin to drift to the past and what happened to Jana. But is Dave better prepared for a 'doomsday event' than he is in living his day-to-day life with Cleo?

I didn't want this book to end. Period. I loved the story, the two main characters, how they related to each other, the emotions they experience, they way Dan describes his new hobby, how Cleo heals after the death of her mother, and what happens when forgiveness enters into the mix. This book is what I would call 'A Keeper'!

The audiobook is narrated by Stephanie Willing and Pete Cross, who do a fabulous job of becoming the characters of Cleo and Dave. Their voicing skills believable, appropriate to the characters, and a fab listen!

This is the first time I have read this author and so glad I requested this ALC. I plan to look at her backlist and begin by listening to her most recent novel No Hiding in Boise. I highly recommend Ways the World Could End! 5 tragic and beautiful stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Kim Hooper for a free ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review. The expected publication date is 5/10/22.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Ways the World Could End by Kim Hooper.

The narration was great! It has two different voices, one for the dad, one for the daughter. I always feel like this helps to demarcate the perspectives even better, being able to hear the different voices.

Dave is a single dad, but with an added layer, he's also on the autism spectrum. And now that his wife has passed, he has the huge task of being the only parent of Cleo, a teen girl who is experiencing all of the teen feelings. Dave is also completely fixated on all of the potential threats the world faces, and is prepping seriously to face them.

Cleo is just coming to terms with her sexuality, she likes girls, but isn't quite sure yet what to do with that information. But then Cleo makes a new friend, which could change all of that, for the better and the worse.

This is such a sweet and heartwarming story about a dad and a daughter, faced with impossible tragedy and heartbreak, in the midst of everyday life. The added layer of neurodivergence makes this story so much more complex and interesting. It would be a great bookclub book. The plot is developed very well, and the author does a good job outlining a clear backstory, while unlayering all of the present events as well.

I listened the first four chapters of this book before deciding to dnf it. I don't know if I would like it more if I wasn't listening to it, but I'm finding it difficult to care.

This is the third Kim Hooper novel I’ve read and I’ve loved them all. I’ve come to think of her as a master of grief writing. Seems to be the common theme in her books. She writes about grief realistically and beautifully. Ways the World Could End is about Dave, a dad with Asberger’s, and his 15 year old daughter, Cleo. They are making their way in life after the loss of Jana, wife/mother. Cleo is experiencing coming of age happenings and Dave tries to get a grip on the world by doomsday prepping. From Dave and Cleo, to many others, the character development in this book was spectacular. I absolutely loved this beautifully written novel.
*** Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book about a family in turmoil. Jenna, Dave, and their teenage daughter Cleo Are the main characters in the story. The story begins after a family tragedy has happened and it doesn’t reveal exactly the tragedies nature on till about 3/4 of the way into the book. But this really worked out well to get to know the characters and to slowly reveal what had happened.

I found it interesting having Dave, the husband, having autism spectrum disorder. As the mother of a child with ASD it is interesting to read about it from an adult perspective of someone that has it.

The main character Cleo, is 15 or 16 in the book she has discovered her sexuality and becoming an adult. Her mother was the main caregiver and now she has only her father the job of parenting is a hard one for him as he is unable to read emotions and doesn’t like social settings but by the end of the book he seems to grow the most.

Thank you NetGalley and dreamscape media LLC for the chance to read this arc. I have a recommend this book

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Wonderful audio book. Stephanie Willing and Pete Cross did an excellent job narrating.

Dave is raising his 15 year old daughter Cleo after his wife Jana leaves them. The first half of the book is more focused on Dave reminiscing on his relationship with Jana and on his Asperger Syndrome diagnosis early in their relationship. Cleo is struggling with life without Jana and on finding herself in the world.

Kim Hooper does an amazing job building these characters--you get very drawn into the story. I really enjoyed listening to the book and I highly recommend it.

My favorite thing about Kim Hooper books is that they find their protagonists after the kind of event that cleaves your life into 'before' and 'after, and really examine the aftermath. In "Ways the World Could End' we meet Dave & his daughter Cleo one year after the loss of Cleo's mom, Jana. Dave is a man with Asperger's Syndrome and a fascination with disaster preparedness, and Cleo is your typical teenage girl exploring a new romance-- they have very different approaches to life, and we follow them as they struggle to navigate life with each other, without Jana.

As per usual with Kim Hooper books, the characters are extremely well crafted. A main character with Asperger's Syndrome is not very common, and in other books these characters might seem cold and standoffish, but Kim Hooper makes Dave so endearing. Similarly, the Cleo character, who in anyone else's story might be a cookie cutter stereotype, comes across and sweet and likeable. Secondary characters also provide a little outside perspective and push Dave & Cleo to try to enjoy life a bit.

I also loved the way the first half of the book builds and builds where you don't know what actually happened to Jana, and the second half of the book focuses so heavily on the specifics of the aftermath. It's just very well structured.

I couldn't possibly say a bad word about this book. It, like all of Kim Hooper's books, is phenomenal.

Ways the World Could End by Kim Hooper
Narrated by Stephanie Willing & Pete Cross

Dave lives with Asperger's, it's a part of what makes him Dave. He didn't even know it was a part of him until he was given the label as an adult. It defines him but he doesn't like that he is defined by it. As a dad, it wasn't a huge issue (he thought), until his wife was gone and he was left alone to raise their teenage daughter.

Dave and Jana had already done such a great job with Cleo. She's smart, creative, sensitive, intuitive, so much a girl that any parent would be proud to parent. Cleo understands her dad's condition even better than he does and knows he's out of his element being a single parent. After Jana left them, Dave moved himself and Cleo to an isolated house, close to school, but with no neighbors in sight. And then a mother and her teen daughter move to a house not too far away, much too close for Dave's comfort level with people. Actually, Dave has no comfort level when it comes to people.

As the past gets stirred up in a variety of ways, both Dave and Cleo must decide if they are going to face the past and some of the people involved in that past. Dave is living with memories that are cemented in his brain and he really does need to face up to them since his coping methods towards Jana and her leaving are digging him into a deeper hole of isolation and avoidance, not a good situation for a man with a teenage daughter. Cleo needs to be allowed to grow up, and instead, Dave would like to pull her into his doomsday bunker with him and never let her see the light of day again.

I do think readers and the story would be better served by this story being labeled Young Adult along with it's other labels. For me, it is a coming of age story with a lot of emphasize on teen angst, although Cleo has every reason to feel angst, since not only does her dad worship the thought of bad things happening, the worst has already happened in their lives. The story is touching, dealing with unending grief about so much more than the leaving of one person. Forgiveness needs to be a part of each person's life and that is a big part of this story as Dave and Cleo attempt to live life with the heavy loads they carry, whether put on them by others or loads they pick up themselves. Both narrators of this book do an excellent job..

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

This novel broke me.

I don't say that lightly. Ways the World Could End by Kim Hooper punched me in the gut and I'm very near tears even as I try to express WHY ..... words written by a stranger about imaginary people who don't actually feel pain, has rendered me, an adult woman who has survived a lot of trauma, an emotional wreck.

Without destroying the journey for you, a brief summary - Dad/Dave, a high functioning man with Asperger's, is raising a teenage daughter, Cleo, on the cusp of womanhood. They are alone. Mom is gone and the story of that loss unfolds slowly, emotionally and though the reader can guess as to how and why, even when the answer is revealed, it still feels shocking and sad.

This is a story about life, death, loss, differences, growth, hope.....all of it.

It's labeled as contemporary fiction, but as an audio book narrated by two talents, Stephanie Willing and Pete Cross, it also sounded to me like a very mature YA novel. When Willing voices the teen aged female discovering herself and dealing with a Dad with quirks, you are convinced you are listening to the emotional journey as told by a child/girl/soon woman. Cross, voicing a man with Asperger's, is also convincing in his monotone, yet interesting portrayal.

So why did this novel impact me so powerfully - I'm a mom to a high functioning adult on the spectrum. Most people would have a hard time guessing his struggles because he's managed to forge his own path in the sciences, with a small group of long time friends and we created a space that let him be him. But, as he nears 30 and is only now experiencing what it's like to have a girlfriend, despite years of knowing he was lonely, the character of Dave felt like I was watching an older version of my son.

And now I am crying.

Thank you Kim Hooper for writing a novel that portrays someone non-typical in such a respectful manner. Thank you to Keylight Books for publishing and to Dreamscape Media for the audio book and allowing me to listen in advance of the May 10, 2022 publication.

In a perfect world, the inclusion of characters that represent all of us will become common, but in the meantime, as a mom to a really amazing son who wants him to be accepted, I encourage you to give this one a read. With tissues.

Dave and Cleo live in Southern California. Their house is on the outskirts of the city where Cleo attends high school, with no one around for Dave to have to socialize with. Dave has Asperger Syndrome, works from home, and spends his spare time as a doomsday prepper when not watching episodes of The Office. It’s been just the two of them for a year now, and Dave and Cleo are navigating life without Cleo’s mother, Jana. She’s constantly on their minds, and they have to grapple with what happened and the aftermath. The appearance of new neighbors and the return of previous acquaintances cause Dave and Cleo to open up again after a year of grief and isolation.

I loved both characters’ perspectives. I do not have firsthand experience of what living with ASD is like, but Dave’s inner thoughts were presented respectfully and made me appreciate his view of the world. I enjoyed seeing how Cleo and Dave interacted, how they viewed things so differently while still wanting the best for each other. I enjoyed some of the information overload from Dave and personally would have loved to hear more of it. Although Cleo is a young character, her story still feels mature and enjoyable by adults. Nothing felt too YA or mushy for me. This is a beautiful story, with moments that made me laugh and many more that made me smile.

The audiobook narration was spot on for both characters. I felt like they were right there, telling me their story.

Kim Hooper ( No Hiding in Boise, People Who Knew Me) has solidified herself as a MUST READ author for me.

She writes characters you want to meet, and don’t want to say goodbye to!

Ways The World Could End introduces us to Dave-a Dad with Asperger’s who thought he knew all about these things-the ways the World could end!

He is a doomsday prepper, who at the start of each of his chapters, will share with you the facts of how any number of things will end mankind, ranging from an asteroid striking the Earth to global warming. His bunker is prepared and the pantry is stocked.

But, there was one way that life could change that he never considered-losing his wife, Jana and having to raise their 15 year old daughter, Cleo, alone.

Cleo already feels like her World has ended.

She has a wonderful relationship with her Dad, thanks to her Mom who has schooled her well, on understanding why her Dad may seem WEIRD, to those who are not familiar with Autism. But, she is “coming of age” and really wishes she could talk to her Mom about the feelings she has been having…

You see, she isn’t quite sure which letter of Acronym LGBTQ defines her.

The chapters she narrates do have a YA feel, but although I usually feel that I have outgrown this genre, I adored Cleo, and enjoyed my time spent with her, as well.

This story will give you “ALL THE FEELS” as life continues for Dave and Cleo, and the new people who enter theirs will show them both, the WAYS THAT THE WORLD COULD BEGIN AGAIN….

Available May 10, 2022

I would like to thank Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to listen and to offer a candid review!