Milo and Marcos at the End of the World follows Milo Connolly, who so far has managed to stay under the radar as the quiet, well-behaved churchgoing boy, is just waiting for the big blow-up that he’s sure is heading for him. When Marcos, Milo’s old secret crush from a summer camp, suddenly enrols at his school, Milo is forced to acknowledge the long-buried feelings he’s tried to keep hidden from his very religious parents— and himself. To make matters worse, whenever Milo and Marcos seem to connect emotionally—or physically —strange things happen around them—sinkholes, blackouts and even biblical hailstorms. As more and more bizarre occurrences pile up, Milo and Marcos will have to ask themselves whether there are larger forces at play, trying to keep them apart. And if so, whether their love is worth risking the end of the world for all.
I don’t know what it is with 2022 and books about queer kids fighting near-apocalyptic circumstances (I’m kidding, I totally know), but I’m here for it. Milo and Marcos at the End of the World is the success that it is because of its lovable, flawed and headstrong cast of characters. Snipes manages to juxtapose the at times anxious, at times sarcastic voice of Milo with the tougher topics like religious trauma and internalised homophobia. Marcos, meanwhile, is a sweetheart that you can’t help but feel sad for because he just wants to love and be loved while the world is trying its hardest to stand in the way. And Milo’s best friend Van is sure to become many readers’ favourite sidekick with her explosive personality and supportive attitude. Honestly, I would read an entire series of books that simply have these three key characters sitting in Van’s car and talking about everything and nothing.
Disclaimer, though: I wouldn’t necessarily say this book is for everyone, so if you’re triggered by emotional abuse by parents, bullying or discussions of religion, especially in how church sometimes deals with LGBTQ+ people and how queerness is demonised, be careful going into this one.
Nevertheless, if you’re up for these topics, I think this is an outstanding read. As someone who’s always been the atheist friend to some very religious children back in school, it was fascinating to now find myself reading about Milo’s attitude toward his family and religion in the grander scheme of things and see Marcos completely eschew all of the intolerant behaviour of the church and forge his own path. While Milo experiences an inordinate amount of self-hate and internalised homophobia, Marcos has “escaped” these clutches early on and that juxtaposition made every interaction between the two that more riveting to follow. I obviously can’t speak for the representation but I have to say that I really loved how Milo tried to show Marcos and even his friend Van that to him, Christianity isn’t about these strict rules and regulations but about being a kind and generous person who helps others and likewise, that Marcos tried to show Milo that hiding behind religion to oust an entire community of people isn’t right, either. Sometimes we get so boggled down with the ways Christianity is portrayed that we forget the true meaning of being a Christian and I think Snipes portrayed this really well in the character of Milo without ever sounding preachy or all-knowing.
There’s also something to be said for obstacles: there isn’t an easy solution for Milo as he finds himself struggling with his faith and his queerness but Marcos is incredibly patient and though hurt feelings arise, you could tell these two genuinely cared for each other. There were also so many sweet moments (and bonding over one of my all-time favourite old-school sitcoms) that had my whole heart and made Milo and Marcos’ relationship shine brightly.
The ways in which the apocalyptic happenings were brought to a climax were super unexpected. I’m not often surprised by plot twists but looking back, Snipes perfectly laid out the culmination of all the weird things that keep happening in Milo’s hometown and I bet a lot of people won’t see the explanation coming. I also thought that the apocalypse mirroring how it sometimes feels like the whole world is against you was so fitting because, especially as a queer teen, it sometimes feels like there’s no right way to be and the story’s setting—and resolution—was almost cleansing in a way.
Despite its heavy topics—and thanks to its great cast of characters that are sarcastic, witty and sweet—Milo and Marcos at the End of the World is a fun, engaging read that a lot of teens are sure to devour in no time at all.
Navigating the struggle of reconciling your faith with your sexual orientation and the uphill battle of learning to love yourself in a world that seems bend on being against you, Milo and Marcos at the End of the World is a heartfelt, quite literally earth-shattering debut that’s perfect for fans of Autoboyography and All That’s Left in the World.
Milo and Marcos at the End of the World is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 24th 2022.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
When Marcos moves to town, Milo is forced to acknowledge the feelings he’s kept hidden, especially from his religious parents. But as natural disasters begin to befall them the closer they become, Milo and Marcos soon begin to wonder if the universe itself is plotting against them in this young adult debut by playwright and creator of The Two Princes podcast, Kevin Christopher Snipes.
Milo Connolly has managed to survive the first three years of high school without any major disasters, so by his calculations, he’s well past due for some sort of Epic Teenage Catastrophe. Even so, all he wants his senior year is to keep his head down and fly under the radar like the quiet, well-behaved, churchgoing boy that everyone thinks he is.
Everything is going exactly as planned until the dreamy and charismatic Marcos Price saunters back into his life after a three-year absence and turns his world upside-down. Suddenly Milo is forced to confront the long-buried feelings that he’s kept hidden not only from himself but also from his deeply religious parents and community.
To make matters worse, strange things have been happening around his sleepy Florida town ever since Marcos’s return—sinkholes, blackouts, hailstorms. Mother Nature seems out of control, and the closer Milo and Marcos get, the more disasters seem to befall them.
In fact, as more and more bizarre occurrences pile up, Milo and Marcos find themselves faced with the unthinkable: Is there a larger, unseen force at play, trying to keep them apart? And if so, is their love worth risking the end of the world?
From debut author Kevin Christopher Snipes, Milo and Marcos at the End of the World is a new coming-of-age novel about finding the courage not only to love others but also to love ourselves.
