I know others really love this book but I found it way too dark and horrifying. I know it’s popular with others! I just hate it

This is a very good end of the world and dystopian story with a unique mystery event. My Rating 4.75.

Coco was a 12 year old when her world changed. Suddenly her family members appeared only in a loop of time…some seconds and some as much as hours. But if the loop is interrupted, there are immediate reactions. Coco breaks a few loops before she realizes the harm that she has caused. She learns to map out the loops in her Manhattan community so she can scavenge real food and resources. She also keeps a journal of her activities and some of the more remarkable loops she observes. For years she is able to take pictures of time and leave them carefully behind…just in case time ever gets fixed.

Surprisingly, after many years alone, Coco meets another person who is alive like her. Sadly, the woman is ill, and Coco only gets a short time with her. But this gives her hope and sends her out to explore the world beyond Manhattan and New York. When she finally meets others, she learns there are two divisions. Her newest friends are Seekers who will go out to explore, find other living beings, and look for a way to fix the frozen time problem. They are soon joined by some members of the Chosen who is a group who believe they were chosen to live and start a new world society. The Chosen are willing to break loops if it is necessary to their plans for development.

The story continues to a new generation where it is learned that some children develop new skills relating to the loops. Hidden information regarding the cause of the event is discovered. This leads to hopes of discovering the possibility of fixing it. But there is a huge cost, and not everyone wants to fix the past as it threatens their current and future lives.

I enjoyed the creativity of this EOTW dystopian story. I was pulled in to caring for Coco and other characters. I was invested in discovering how the event occurred and if and how it could be fixed. I recommend the story to fans of EOTW with rival groups of survivals and elements of mystery.

Audio Notes: Thérèse Plummer and Ari Fliakos are skilled narrators. They provide distinct voices and their delivery helps the characters to be real to the listener. The narration enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

Source: May 2023 NetGalley,

Long review short, I loved it. It’s a unique take on an apocalypse that is pretty deep and insightful for a book that is really easy to read (or listening to in my case) it’s sort of A Quiet Place mixed with Revolution.


So I guess this would be a post-apocalyptic story maybe mid-apocalyptic

Basically the majority of the world is frozen into loops where they just keep repeating the same actions. Loop lengths vary from person to person could be a second, or several hours.

The catch is if the loop is disturbed by something it breaks and the looper goes feral and tries to attack everything before
presumably dying and disappearing.

This book takes place over several decades following the event that caused the loops, but the time progression doesn’t feel rushed or inorganic. You’ll still have plenty of time to connect with the characters.

The story is mostly told through the eyes of Coco Wells, a young woman who has been living in solitude for years, before realizing she’s now alone in the world.

As resources and infrastructure start to fail the unlooped face a difficult choices not only about how to live in this world but how plan for the future.

I am left with a few questions at the end but I don’t mind that and the story kept me engaged throughout.

The book explores themes of survival, hope, love, and legacy.

While this is largely considered sci-fi I think it could appeal to a larger audience because it’s more about the human element than the science.

The audiobook has two narrators:
Therese Plummer and Ari Fliakos these are both new narrators for me but they did a great job of bringing life and emotion into this story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Campfire publishing for the chance to listen to this book early. Receiving the ALC does not affect my review and thoughts on the story are my own

Overall I enjoyed this. I really like the premise - post apocalyptic fiction where most people exist unaware of the rest of the world on repeating loops (there's a metaphor there) but a few move through time normally unable to interact with the looped people. It's an intersting idea if you apply it to things like being 'awake' to factory farming or climate change while others continue unaware cycles (of destructive behaviour and then explode if you shock them out of their perspective). However if you start applying that metaphor to anyone who disagrees with you it quickly becomes noxious. Anyway, taken just as a story, this is fine. Fairly engaging and I was initially very intrigued. Didn't ever connect with the characters though.

I feel really conflicted about this book to be honest. For the most part I really liked the book. I was actually considering having it as one of my staff picks. Until I got to the ending. I think that this might be an appropriate book for bookclubs or discussion groups as I think the ending lends itself quite well to discussions about what others would have done in that situation. I personally strongly disliked the ending. I felt that the actions of the main character (who I had quite come to like) were incongruous with her established character. But that's just me, and others definitely may not feel the same. Despite really feeling let down by the ending I still rated the book as 4 stars just because I did enjoy the rest of the book so much.

The world as they know it is broken. Something unfathomable has happened and now most people are stuck in endless loops of time. Some of these loops last for seconds, minutes, or even hours. But for the people not stuck in loops, the world has become a much more hazardous place.

Coco, living in New York City, plans her day as best as possible. It’s all about survival now, finding food and supplies. The world started looping when she was just twelve years old. Learning how to navigate this new world, both literally and figuratively, requires much planning and attention to detail. Because to move around the city, she must avoid loops just to survive. If she breaks a loop, then the person stuck in that loop shrieks. Then, something violent and unpredictable happens before that person disappears forever (!)

Years after being alone in a world on endless repeat, she decides to leave the city to improve her odds of survival. She eventually meets people who are part of two groups with differing philosophies about looping and how to survive it. This chance encounter changes her life forever.

Embarking on a decades-long journey, the world changes around Coco and the society she lives in. However, all signs point to the world slowly accelerating towards entropy and the end of life for everyone as they know it. Can Coco and her ragtag group of friends and family find a way to stop this from happening and save the world once and for all? Or will others who disagree with their theories succeed in stopping them from doing so?

Most of the world is stuck in some kind of time loop of one kind or another. How can someone survive in such a world where people endlessly repeat one moment of their life over and over? And now twelve-year-old Coco is burdened with living in this world. How does she eat, keep warm, keep herself sane in a world where all infrastructure has collapsed, and you are on your own? What if you have medical problems and there are no doctors or hospitals to treat them?

Coco’s journey through the first years of the Loop alone makes for scintillating reading, as she develops skills to help her cope and survive. How can you even cross a street when there are loops of cars that could run her over at any moment? Scrutiny of their environment helps them manage quandaries like this.

When she encounters other survivors, they already split into two sects: those who are trying to discover the cause of the looping, live in harmony with their surroundings and avoid loops so they don’t break. They call themselves the Seekers. The other group, the Chosen, feels they need to break loops to survive in the best way possible. The Seekers consider this behavior reckless.

There is a negotiated treaty between their groups to protect society overall, such as avoiding nuclear power plants and people living within fifty miles of it. If they don’t, it could disrupt the loop, causing a meltdown that could destroy the area (!).

It’s a well-thought-out and complicated conundrum the author has created here. How do they acquire food? If they eat food caught in a loop, it disappears from their stomach. So, they must get food and supplies in some other way that sustains them more permanently. What about gasoline for their vehicles? If they break a loop, they can get what they need. But these differences in thought force each group to think differently about how to accomplish these goals.

It also makes them think: what happens to the people caught in the loops? Where do they go when their loop is broken, and they disappear? How do the survivors get electricity or running water? The author deftly explores all sides of each argument and the questions you might have about this world. Each group’s operating philosophy and how it impacts their actions has all been well thought out.

Having read most of her bibliography to date, it is one of the many strengths the author features in her writing. Then she presents it to the reader in an engaging way and seamlessly infuses it into the plot. She does this in such a mesmerizing fashion that makes the book highly difficult to put down. And then there are the dilemmas each character faces over the course of the story.

Each problem Coco and her friends encounter is complicated and forces them to improvise and regroup. As time passes and people become used to the cautiousness that this world necessitates, people form societies, have children, and grow older. But being born into this world has an unforeseen impact on these children and creates unusual opportunities for them and has the potential to improve the odds of everyone’s survival.

The ruling governments of these societies come into conflict with one another, as differences between them make for some difficult decisions that put Coco’s life and the lives of those she loves at risk. Setting out on the most difficult journey of their life, Coco and her allies try to discover the cause of the looping to stop it once and for all. Armed with new knowledge acquired over decades of study, Jorge thinks he knows where to find it.

But some are complacent with the status quo and think that permanently stopping the loops will destroy them and their world. They will stop at nothing to kill them if it means the world stays as it is.

All these story threads come together in a harrowing journey over the final course of the novel. People will die, secrets will be revealed, long-standing questions will be answered, and time might change irrevocably. Who knows what will happen if the end of the world is stopped? Will it reset the world back to normal or will it change the world forever?

The finale culminates in the most powerful and tear-jerking moments of the entire story. It beautifully captures the emotional resonance built up between the characters and emphasizes their strong relationships with one another. By doing so, the impact of the finale and its momentous events captured my heart and squeezed it into a vice with what happened.

It was heartwarming and tragic at the same time. And it gave me goosebumps while also making me supremely sad about how it played out. Yet, this ending was inevitable and all fit together in a well-earned and highly satisfying way. I was stunned into submission at its majesty and devastated by the emotional power that it held over me. Then, as if I wasn’t wrecked enough, there is a series of epilogues that broke me all over again. It followed up on a small subplot where the seeds were cleverly planted throughout the entire story and it was overwhelmingly potent.

While the plot alone grabbed my attention from the first page, it is the characters that I came to care about. The author writes characters with such depth and beauty that we see them right down to their very souls. Their motivations are apparent in every action they take and every conversation they have.

This is heavily apparent in Coco, our protagonist. From the age of twelve, we see how she learns to adapt to her new and difficult environment as best as possible. Over the years and eventually the decades, we see how these experiences have shaped her.

The horror of this apocalypse becomes readily apparent from her first encounter with the loops onwards. She must live with the knowledge of what happened to her family, who got stuck in their loops. The awfulness of these memories alone is enough to haunt her for the rest of her life, however long it might be in this new and perplexing environment.

But she is true to her principles and what she firmly believes in. That character strength is admirable, even when she must choose between leaving a loop alone and breaking a loop for the sake of survival because of how it might affect the person or people caught in it. She has plenty of insight and wants to chronicle her difficult journey through journaling in the hopes that someday, someone will read it and understand what happened with the world. Her hopefulness for a better future for the world makes her optimistic but realistic.

There are other important people in her life, especially Jorge. He is the first to introduce her to a larger world outside of her isolation after many years. The loneliness derived from her lack of socialization with others has a deleterious effect on her ability to trust when meeting Jorge and his partner Tamara. His scientific curiosity is crucial in trying to figure out what caused the looping and how he might be able to stop it.

Finally, there is Forrest, who is a member of the Chosen. They believe in breaking loops for the betterment of their own society as well as in freeing the people caught in the loops from their captivity. The story switches between Coco’s point of view and his. As a result of the dual format, we come to understand his point of view as well.

All these characters and more are given humanity and each one is interesting, memorable, and someone I grew to care about. There are some newer characters who we are introduced to that add new dimensions to the story and we come to care about them too. Between the plot and the characters, it makes for an amazing and gripping novel.

At first, the title of this novel can be interpreted to be talking about living through the pandemic of the past couple of years. However, the title is much cleverer than that and captures the essence of the plot. Although the author’s notes at the end of the novel indicate that it was written during that period, its inspirations have a different origin.

The originality of this unique concept alone made me want to read this book. But add in the author’s careful attention to detail, some unpredictable plot twists, and complex characters, it makes for a novel where I wasn’t just a reader. I was living and breathing this world, dwelling in its dangers and experiencing the gravity and seriousness of each situation.

I’ve read many stories about the end of the world, and this is one of the most innovative and novel apocalypses I’ve ever read. It is a compelling tour de force springing from the darkest recesses of the author’s imagination. It also features a plot with the most complexity that I’ve ever seen from her yet. That is saying something, given the last couple of novels she’s written!

It’s a stunning narrative, with an inventive, never-before-seen apocalypse of staggering proportions. But it’s also infused with hope for a brighter future amidst the most impossible of situations where any kind of hope is hard to find. If you’ve never read a novel by Ann Christy, read this one. You’ll become a fan of hers once you do and you will want to devour all of her other stories as a result.

I love post-apocalyptic fiction. I enjoy watching characters solve problems and rebuild functionality without their usual trappings. I blame my fascination on The Disney Sunday Movie “The Swiss Family Robinson.” How cool was that tree house?

So, the unique and fascinating premise of #NEEW drew me in! Due to an unknown cause, most life on earth (people, animals, bugs, and fish) is stuck in repeating loops. Some loops are just a split second long; others could be hours. But all the living beings are stuck on repeat: walking their dogs, flipping pancakes, cracking their back, again and again.

Except for 12-year-old Coco, who was trapped in Manhattan when the looping started and has been trying to survive amidst the loopers. Because here is the problem. Loopers can’t see anything not in their loop, but any noise or touch startles them. They attack whatever broke their loop and then die. Coco learns how to map the loops, find food and shelter, and scrape out a living for seven years - when she discovers she’s not the only unlooped one.

We follow Coco and a group of survivors as they age, build a community, and try to figure out what caused the looping. The author does a great job explaining how they do so - where they find gas, hook up solar panels, and use CB radios for communication - Every time I had a “now, how did they accomplish that?” moment, she’d tell me. I enjoyed that.

The story wasn’t a fast-paced thriller. It was more of a literary speculative sci-fi post-apocalyptic character study with some fun science and creative survival skills.

The audiobook was well-executed, with solid, heartfelt narration from Coco and Forrest (who we meet later in Coco’s story).

Thanks, NetGalley and Campfire Publishing, for the digital review copy and advanced listening copy. Pub Date: 8 Aug 23

I remember loving character driven post-apocalyptic movies like "The Road" and "Finch". These are not my norm since I usually favor action but I found there's an immense enjoyment to this genre when it leans on a few leading characters.

The Never-Ending End of the World is also very character driven told through the journals of Coco and Forest's POV. The concept of this scifi piques my interest with an event that occurred 40 some years ago when Coco was twelve. People including her family are caught in a time loop.

These are "loopers" and they are reliving and doing the same thing over and over. Some are caught in seconds long loops while some are hours long. We learn along the way that bad things happen and are not to disturb those in the loop!

Why are some people in the loop while others aren't? How did it happen? There are so many questions! I enjoyed this survival adventure and learn about the "new world" with the characters through the years.

Then there are settlements. The Chosen and the Seekers and how different they view the new world and their ways to fix it. I'm not a fantasy reader normally and this part feels like many overdone YA dystopia factions and what I like least about the novel. It felt dragged somewhat for me.

On a positive note, the audio was excellent with my favorite narrators Therese Plummer and Ari Fliakos. If you're into this genre and are looking for different post-apocalyptic scenarios, this one is pretty unique and might be the one you're looking for.

I absolutely loved the concept of this post-apocalyptic world. One day, time essentially stops. Well, sort of - the majority of the world gets caught in little time loops of varying lengths, people repeating the same 10 or 15 minute segments of their life over and over and over again. Except for a few. The few people not stuck in loops have to navigate around those that are or risk disturbing them, breaking the loops and potentially killing the people inside.

I really loved the depth and complexity of the characters, but the story felt like it moved a little quickly, and I wanted a little more time with them to watch their relationships grow. That said, I can also see how having some more of that developmental time in there could have led to the book dragging a bit.

And then there’s the ending! I have a lot of mixed feelings there xD But I would definitely recommend this book if you’re interested in a unique post-apocalyptic world with excellent characters!

I’ve read so many end of the world/post apocalyptic novels over the year that it’s cool when something original comes along. And this is without a doubt a wildly original post apocalyptic story. The story is told from dual POVs, chronicles years of struggles surviving in this new/altered world. This is not your typical apocalyptic story, the disaster that has befallen the world is a temporal disaster where random undefined areas of the world are stuck in time loops. The people and creatures trapped within these time loops go on repeating the actions in their loops in peace, unless something distracts them or interrupts their patterns at which point they go feral. I’ll admit it took a little bit to get my head wrapped around some of the concepts, but the story was fascinating and kept me fully engaged for the entire wild ride. The two narrators, Therese Plummer and Ari Fliakos, both deliver solid performances. I’d like to thank Campfire Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced audio copy of The Never-Ending End of the World.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RY5ELP12QY61O/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

4.5 stars - I really liked this book.

Many Thanks to NetGalley and Campfire Publishing for an eARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

World & Concept:
It has an interesting dystopian concept, which we (the readers) keep learning about alongside the characters.
Something unknown has happened before the beginning of the book and now we find ourselves in a world where everyone (except a few) is somehow stuck in a loop of whatever they were doing on the day everything "stopped". Loops can be from seconds to hours. If you disturb one of the looped people or animals they react aggressive and attack you.
For me, this idea was new and very interesting to explore.

Characters:
The characters felt realistic and relatable, which had me very invested in their stories.
The found family was nice and there being an incredibly cute cat was a big plus!

Emotions:
This book had me sobbing at so many occasions! It was an immediate 4+ stars read.
I was also hooked from the very first page, since we get directly thrown into action.

Audiobook:
The audiobook was very nice as well. Since the book switches between the characters Coco and Forest, the audiobook also switches between a male (Ari Fliakos) and female (Thérèse Plummer) narrator.

Critic:
The only thing I didn't like was the way time jumps were handled from time to time. They did make it easier to cover more ground without getting into the "1000 pages region" but they also tend to take the reader out of the story, since most chapters ended on a little cliffhanger and then we just jumped to a point in time that's half a year later (and maybe get told what happened in between).

All in all, I really liked the book and especially the fact that the book made me ask some philosophical questions about my own life and my daily routines (yes, I can pretty much bring philosophy into anything).

I am a fan of dystopian and apocalyptic takes in science fiction, including YA, and I think this book and its premise was incredibly ambitious - I was pulled into the story, and interested in what would happen to coco and her world and how they would survive... or not. At some point the story lost me, and didn't make even science fiction sense to me unfortunately. I still think this is an exciting premise, and I'm still going to rate it fairly well,

The audiobook was enjoyable, with good voice variation and pacing.

This is a slow-paced yet thought-provoking story of post-apocalyptic science fiction. It has an unusual premise in which most of the world is caught in repeating loops of varying durations, but a few people are progressing through time normally. The story unfolds slowly through journal entries and live scenes from the perspectives of Coco and Forrest, two young people trying to survive in and understand their new circumstances.

The characters are likable and the story incorporates mystery, suspense, humor, and emotional drama. I recommend it for fans of post-apocalyptic speculative fiction and time loop stories.

The audiobook production was excellent. I enjoyed the duel narration by Therese Plummer for Coco’s point of view and Ari Fliakos for Forrest’s point of view. Both narrators have pleasant voices that suit the characters and are able to convey mood and emotion effectively.

I received a free copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

Most of the people in the U.S. (maybe the world) are stuck in a time loop - repeating the same the same movements over and over. There are just a few, like Coco, who do not live in a loop and time moves on as usual. Just a teenager, she must learn to survive in New York City. The food, just like the people, is stuck in these loops but like Coco, there are small gaps in the loops and that is where she finds edible food. But can she survive the loneliness of being the only one outside of a loop?

I requested an advance copy of Never-Ending End of the World because I was looking for books to suggest to my post-apocalyptic book club. Had this book come out before August, I would have recommended that we read it but we set the calendar in July. I will be recommending it next year.

While Coco is a teenager when the book starts, the story spans decades so she is actually an adult for most of the book. I wouldn't classify this as young adult, though I'm sure teens would enjoy the story. And at times the novel did feel like I was reading a young adult dystopian novel due to some of the tropes used.

The world was pretty normal before whatever caused the time loops happened, but after this apocalypse what society remains is somewhat dystopian but they are attempting to create a utopia (at least one faction of people). I like seeing societies rebuild after an apocalypse so I really enjoyed the descriptions of the various societies.

I liked the characters and the plot. I felt that it was different from what I usually read in the post-apocalyptic genre (I'll admit that I don't read much outside of what my book club selects). I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. I don't want to give too much away but I was happy and sad at the same time.

There is some science fiction woven in as the characters try to explain the time loops and what caused them. It had to do with physics and I was kind of able to just let it float over my head without diminishing my enjoyment of the story. It helps that the characters that do understand it admit that there isn't really a way to explain it so that a person who has had little formal education (Coco was 12 when the looping started) could understand it - that even some of the highly educated people can't understand it either.

I think the book would make for a good discussion. The characters themselves ask big questions about themselves as individuals and societies that we can pose to ourselves.

The audiobook was really well done. The narrators did a good job and the story was easy to follow.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/07/the-never-ending-end-of-world-by-ann.html

Sci-fi Friday! THE NEVER-ENDING END OF THE WORLD by Ann Christy and narrated by Thérèse Plummer and Ari Fliakos was a stellar speculative sci-fi mystery!

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Coco is 12 years old when the world changes. Spending years learning how to survive on her own in a world with people who aren't really there, but are and stuck in an unseeing loop, Coco finally finds more people outside this looped existence. She must decide who she can trust and in the following 4 decades, Coco must make harrowing decisions not just for her new family, but for humanity.

I won't lie, there was likely so much in this story that I doubt I can remotely comprehend. I was captivated by the story and the narration helped me to lose myself in it. The details about the how simply didn't matter to me! I was so invested in Coco and her growth with her partner, and then her son. Wow.

I did really like the changes in the narration. Having a male and female to take the various POV's helped immensely in what became a complex novel.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @campfirepublishing for sharing the fantastic audiobook and letting me share my thoughts. I may need to listen again and see if I can learn a bit! This audio will be available on August 8th, and I highly recommend it, even if sci-fi may not be your go-to.

It’s been a few days since I finished The Never-Ending End of the World and I still can’t get it out of my head or stop this book hangover I’ve had ever since.

This book is being described as Station Eleven meets The Last of Us, but that’s not quite right. There are no monsters, but the incredible love between found family is definitely there in a post-apocalyptic world.

I would say this felt more like my two favorite books in this type of apocalyptic dystopian genre (magical, scientific, speculative fiction?) which are The Book of M and Wanderers.

All I can say is, I. Loved. This. Book!! I think it will definitely be my top read of 2023!!

Coco has been living in Manhattan completely alone for the last eight years of her life. When she was 12, there was an “event” where all of the people (and animals) became “looped”, where they kept reliving the last few seconds, or minutes, or even hours of their lives… Over and over and over.

Coco found out the hard way that if you touched or even made noise to pull someone from their loop, they would become vicious and attack, and then would poof… Disappear. Forever.

After eight years of being completely alone (the loopers don’t count as she can’t interact with them or risk being killed by them) she finally leaves the city.

The story continues for another 3 decades as Coco learns to navigate the loopers and survive through this apocalyptic dystopian.

I started this story by ebook but quickly switched to the audiobook after listening to a sample. The narrators were absolutely brilliant and between the story and the performances of Therese Plummer and Ari Fliakes, I stayed up until 3:45 am on a work night because I couldn’t stop. I listened to the entire book in 2 days! It typically takes me about a week to listen to an audiobook, but not this one. It was amazing!!

The concept and the characters are everything I look for in a story. I’ll be preordering the hardback for my shelves as a trophy book.

*Thank you so much to Campfire Publishing and to NetGalley for the early copies!*

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I REALLY enjoyed this! Interesting and new premise, well thought out world building and good characters that make you root for them throughout. I would 100% read more by this author!

I’ve read or listened to a lot of post apocalyptic, dystopian society type books, but this book really brings a whole new dimension to the genre. To say the author’s ideas are creative would be a huge understatement. This novel approach to the genre combined with the varying points of view and personal philosophies of the characters make this book exciting and irresistible. Additionally, the two narrators appealing voices keep the listener at the edge of their seat waiting for the next commentary or revelation.
I highly recommend this book!

First of all, wow. That was like finding a new favorite beer in a style (BBA stout😉🍻) that you already loved but with unique/unexpected twist. This was such a refreshing take on the immensely overrun zombie apocalypse genre. It had such a fun and interesting sci-fi twist that just kept me hooked the whole time. The characters really made you care about them and sympathize when they struggled physically and emotionally. Coco and Forest are both strong leading characters and we get amazing glimpses into this world through their eyes.

You could see the inspiration for the division that the COVID pandemic created in the two main parties (seekers and chosen). The world building was top notch, I’m sitting here thinking about all the other untold stories. The epilogue left me wanting more and more, this was such a solid book. I’d love to see this series expanded upon and see more perspectives from the looping.

I did the audio version and the narrators both did an amazing job. Excellent pacing and inflection heightened the drama and helped to raise the stakes.

Overall, this was such a home run and I didn’t want it to end. Thanks for the ARC, this one was a real treat.

This book is fantastic! I would even say it’s one of the most interesting and most unique science fiction novels I’ve read.

I won a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway, and I’m glad I did because I don’t think I would have ever picked it up otherwise, but I ended up loving it.

The Never-Ending End of the World is a science fiction dystopian novel with a slight mystery/thriller aspect to it. The world has essentially “ended” as most people and things get stuck in time loops, and those select few not stuck in the loops have to navigate the new world around them.

I loved getting to know our protagonist, Coco, and that we get to see her learn and grow across decades of her life. It’s not often I read a book that covers such a vast timeframe and I enjoyed the experience. Not only do we get to see so many characters develop in so many ways across the span of the novel, but we also get to see how the world post-apocalypse might function.

Those people stuck in loops relive the same moments over and over again, anywhere from just a few seconds up to a twenty-or-so-hour loop. And they absolutely must not be disturbed or they will react with extreme violence toward the person who broke their loop.

Coco sets off to explore the world and find other non-loopers like her, and she ends up finding a whole community. The book follows their lives as they forage for food, build homes and families, and ultimately try to figure out a way to stop the looping and learn why it happened in the first place.

The Never-Ending End of the World features a unique concept that I really loved, fun characters, and immersive worldbuilding. And it’s a standalone! I would recommend this book to any fans of dystopian science fiction who love character-focused stories.