If you read one book this year, I beg you that this be the one. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World will break your heart in all the right ways.
In a confessional writing style, Griz recounts the impulsive pursuit of the stranger who came into the lives of Griz’s family – which has already been touched by tragedy – betrays their trust, and absconds with their beloved dog. Set in a world which has been ravaged by an event which saw the modern world, barring a few who had natural immunity, unable to reproduce, A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World charts Griz’s journey across a depopulated world; the world which we left behind.
The isolation of travelling through a depopulated world is the overriding characteristic of the novel. The imagination which Fletcher exposes in considering how exactly the world would look if suddenly we were all unable to reproduce, is masterful. So much has been thought through, such as the different ways in which people responded to the ‘baby bust’ apocalypse, and the amount of intellectual legwork done to really consider this what the world through which Griz travels looks like, is truly impressive.
The descriptions of the old world being slowly eaten and retaken by nature, are so beautifully evocative and vivid, that they drew an immediate parallel in my mind to the detail and haunting beauty portrayed in something like The Last of Us (see here for why you should play if it you haven’t).
Fletcher tenderly observes facets of life which we take for granted: the miracle of recorded music, or how it feels to be surrounded by people, making for visually lush reading. It’s safe to say that the writing is very reflective; we are in Griz’s head, after all. I do realise that isn’t for everyone; I’ll admit, it didn’t make for light reading, given the concentration it requires to be able to envisage what is being described, and as I read, a sense of melancholy would inevitably descend upon me and linger. But that isn’t a comment against the book, but merely a comment about the type of book this is.
I read a review which criticised the book for the fact that Griz’s writing was far too sophisticated and reflective for a fourteen-year-old (I think – I’m reasonably certain that age is mentioned, but I can’t find particular reference to it, regardless, Griz is only an adolescent). However, Griz is thoughtful, deeply introspective and reflective, and a voracious reader. That, taken in combination with the fact that a post-apocalyptic world requires people to grow up fast in order to survive, left me feeling that it was plausible enough for a younger narrator to have a sophisticated and thoughtful voice.
This melancholy reflectiveness, taken with the grammatical decision to eschew quotation marks in keeping with the form of a stream of consciousness journal confession, brought to mind two books: the Life of Pi, and All the Pretty Horses. Normally I’m not the world’s biggest fan of post-grammar writing (no quotation marks), but the manner in which it is used gels perfectly with the style of the book, which makes us the reader, the imagined audience to whom Griz is pouring out the heartbreak of a saga across the remains of our society, perfectly immersed in the mood of the book.
In terms of actual action of the book itself – the manner in which the plot plays out, I felt this was a truly unusual storyline. I genuinely had no idea where the story would end, or even what would happen next. Even as we are given foreshadowed warnings about the manner in which the story unfolds (for example the comment that it is the unexpected book which saves Griz’s life), I still could not have anticipated what eventuated. I did guess one of the twists, and was so busy being impressed with myself about it that I completely missed many of the others. The one thing I will say regarding the twists is hold in your mind when reading something Griz says towards the book’s conclusion: when a liar says they will tell you the whole truth, listen carefully for the shape of what they don’t say.
A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World is a hard novel to review without giving too much away, or overexplaining it. The delight in it lies in the experience of the reading, of the beautifully constructed sentences, of the lingering sense of sadness at the world which was lost, at the heart which nestles in the centre of the story: the relationship between a person and their dog. It is a beautiful book, and I loved it so much that even though I was given an e-arc, I think I will have to purchase a physical copy for myself when it comes out this month, because I would really love to re-read it (and force my friends and family to read it, too).
A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World is available from April 23rd 2019 at Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Have you read A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World? Or will you be checking it out? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
When a beloved family dog is stolen, her owner sets out on a life-changing journey through the ruins of our world to bring her back in this fiercely compelling tale of survival, courage, and hope. Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and The Girl With All the Gifts.
My name’s Griz. My childhood wasn’t like yours. I’ve never had friends, and in my whole life I’ve not met enough people to play a game of football.
My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs.
Then the thief came.
There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you.
Because if we aren’t loyal to the things we love, what’s the point?
Does this book end tragically or happily? Or at least hopefully? I’m a big marshmallow for animals (okay, and brave kids and their animals), so I kind of don’t want to read it if it’s only going to squish my heart, y’know? I know it’s spoilers, but I am very interested in the book and really hope you can help me out. Really enjoyed your review, regardless of whether you can answer, or not.
Thanks very much.
🙂