Fascinating in some ways, with flashes of brilliance, but needs more work and some professional line editing.

‘The End of the World (as We Know It)’ is a lyrical piece of semi-autobiographical fiction. It depicts the tumultuous life of a young woman, Kayla, who has serious mental health issues eventually declining into a state of disrepair. The reader begins her journey as she enters a relationship with a man, who she slowly becomes obsessed with throughout the narrative, despite his inability to really do anything or be a good person.

I enjoyed the inner-monologue style of the book. The author did a great job of making the reader feel the intense decline of the young girls mental state. I felt sick at certain points in the narrative. It truly reflected the title, the world did feel like it was ending for this young girl.
I really enjoyed the characterisation of Kayla, with the mental health issues aside (but not completely) she was an understandable and relatable young girl. She spoke like me or my friends might to one another and her inner-monologue seemed reminiscent of my own.

The main point of criticism is I would have loved some more influence of plot and genre narratives. I felt that there was some great moments for sci-fi themes to sneak into the narrative and really could have pushed some more plot and life into the story.

My favourite quote was ‘ “We’re almost there Charlie, were passing through Royal Oak. Kayla owns this city,” my grandma said. Okay, weird.’
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy manic girl books such as ‘girl in pieces’ and ‘girlhood’, but would relay that the book despite being short makes you feel heavy as a TW.

3.5

From the blurb and title, I was expecting a rough around the edges short story about an apocalyptic event and the unlikely survivors.

Instead, it's a teenage girl obsessed with a boy on Instagram writing about her experiences. Then suddenly she believes she is psychic and she is worried the boy has died?

Then she's shopping and somehow yelling 'big penis' at the sky which is supposed to have "a really deep meaning".

The entire story feels like a teenage girl's internal monologue.

I just don't like it.

“The End of the World (As We Know It)” is a thought-provoking exploration of contemporary issues that blend personal narrative with critical societal themes. The author, Kayla Kruse, invites readers to embark on an introspective journey that examines the fragility of human systems and the inevitability of change in our modern world.

The book delves into various pressing topics such as societal collapse, environmental disasters, and the psychological impacts stemming from global uncertainty. Kruse emphasizes the importance of confronting our fears and understanding the patterns that signify potential tipping points in society.