The most hilarious and uplifting book that I have read! I laughed so much I nearly wet myself. You are never too old to explore the world.

Written in the true Jonas Jonasson style, this book takes you on a journey with a mix of quirky characters. It's a fun-filled, laid-back, easy read, even though towards the middle, my care factor towards the characters skewed downward. Get ready for this road trip that will take you to multiple European countries in your mind's eye, and as always, the stakes become higher and higher as the mileage ticks onward. A simple yet effective message is etched towards the end of embracing the little moments and living life to the fullest.

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins Publishers Australia, Fourth Estate, for giving me an e-ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

So, let’s talk about the elephant in the room … the last word in the title. It’s offensive. It’s awful. I hate it.

If I hadn’t told someone that yes, I was absolutely going to read a Jonas Jonasson book, my journey with this book would have ended as soon as I read that word. Because more than a year has passed since I made my bookish commitment, I moved on to reading the blurb and it intrigued me. It’s a shame, really, because I expect a lot of people won’t make it past the title.

If you do manage to put blinders on every time you come across that word, this is actually a fun read. The characters are quirky, there’s a road trip in an RV with a super fancy kitchen and there are wrongs to put right because the world is ending.

“Everything felt right.
At which point nothing went as planned. It rarely does.”

Johan, who the offensive word refers to, believes that’s what he is because his brother has called him that his entire life. Johan is not book smart but he’s a genius when it comes to combining ingredients in unique and apparently delectable way. I would very much like to sample his mango bread. Johan has also memorised a bunch of American movies.

Petra is convinced the sky is falling. Literally. And very soon. She has the calculations to prove it.

“‘Who’s going to what now?’
‘The atmosphere. It will fall flat to the ground and the temperature will drop to 273.15 degrees below freezing. In a split second.’
‘Where?’
‘Everywhere.’
‘Indoors as well?’”

Besides being a doomsday prophet, Petra is also a very big fan of flowcharts.

At 75, retired manufacturess Agnes’ hair is more violet than it used to be. Her alter ego, ‘Travelling Eklund’, has seen much more of the world than she has, although that’s about to change.

This is a book with grappa decisions, an endangered bird and unfinished cheese business. A bunch of famous people have parts to play, including Obrama, which, even though it very much looks like it, is not a typo.

Our road trip takes us to multiple countries and the impact of this found family is felt worldwide, even as they paint themselves into so many corners you begin to wonder how they can ever get out of them.

Ultimately, this book encourages you to live your life while you have the chance because you never know when a prophet’s calculations are going to be correct.

‘Isn’t now the time to embrace the world? With what little time you have left.’

Although I still hate the title, I enjoyed spending time with this unlikely trio.

Content warnings include bullying and suicidal ideation.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and 4th Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, for the opportunity to read this book.

Petra knows the end of the world is coming - she even knows the precise date and time, and it's coming soon. Johan is an exemplary, albeit self-taught, chef - he lives in a motorhome having been swindled out of his inheritance by his younger brother. A slight miscalculation between the accelerator and the brake means that Petra and Johan are travelling together. Joining them on their journey is Agnes - a 75 year old widow living a double life on social media, passing herself off as a young influencer. Agnes is being bankrolled by companies literally throwing money at her to mention their goods.
This odd trio set off across Europe on a madcap adventure to set a couple of wrongs back to right, and what follows is a roll-call of the world's political leaders as they cross paths with Petra, Johan and Agnes. It's a story of sham leaders, questionable architecture, good food and cheese.
I loved every minute of this book; it's a light-hearted romp by an author whose razor-sharp wit is matched only by his unerringly lovable characters.