Damn, this book was depressing as all hell. Really not for me, especially in this moment in time. And I usually love dark humor. Maybe if it was a little more fun it could have been entertaining, but reading about the world ending in a hyper specific and realistic way just made me feel terrible and depressed. The writing is also pretty all over the place, and I think too much jam packed into one novel.

It's Not the End of the World is a dark, satirical horror in the same vein as Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. Both are intimately concerned with the horrors of capitalism and fascism, their effect on the environment, and how people become complicit in these systems. And, if I'm being totally honest, both are a little too dark for my personal reading tastes!

The plot of this is propulsive and keeps you reading. Parks-Ramage successfully creates a loathsome husk of a main character. I don't think I've felt this much active dislike for a fictional character in a long time! Mason's point of view never failed to put a pit in my stomach and every time I thought he couldn't possibly get worse, he did. I think it's an impressive accomplishment to create such a heightened version of an already dislikable Type of Guy.

I appreciate what this book is doing and I'm glad it exists. But the bleakness of its world felt too close to our own and rather than giving me solace or hope (not that any book has to do that!) it just reinforced the despair I already feel. If I'd read it a few years ago, I'd probably feel differently.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the e-ARC!

Jonathan Parks-Ramage presents a poignant exploration of human resilience in It's Not the End of the World. The narrative delves into the complexities of relationships amidst apocalyptic undertones, blending realism with speculative elements. Parks-Ramage's lyrical writing captures the fragility and strength of the human spirit. The characters are deeply relatable, their struggles and triumphs resonating on a profound level. This novel is a testament to hope and survival in the face of uncertainty.

I really loved this book, I thought it was a unique and funny queer take on the apocalypse. The story felt timely and relevant, the writing is very sharp and funny. . This is an exciting , queer addition to the science fiction and dystopian genre. It really stood out to me and truly exceeded my expectations.

I was really disappointed by this book... I checked and checked NetGalley to see when it would be put on as an arc read, because I had heard the plot of the book from a BookTok account. I found the book was really subpar -- I felt like it was trying to be relevant and it failed miserably. There was the sense that the book was trying to be more progressive surrounding characters, but I found that everything felt flat. Frankly, it just wasn't a good science fiction / dystopian. It felt tired and badly done. We are in an age of some really fantastic science fiction dystopian books, and this just did not meet the mark at all. I'm sad, because it did really seem like it could have been something.