Quite possibly the most affecting and powerful novel I’ve ever read. The kind of novel that requires huge gulps to stem your own heartache. With lines like ‘The heart stretches’ and ‘In grief, I’ve found you have to make your own journey’ which you just know you will quote to others who experience loss. I can’t imagine how painful it was for the author to write, but as a reader I can only express how grateful I am that she was able to. A novel of loss, love and grief, yes, but also of hope, just when I need it most.

An emotional, raw read. This is a difficult subject but Mackintosh handles it with eloquence and grace.

Wow, what a book. Heartbreaking tale of Pip, Max and their ill child Dylan. A nightmare scenario, whichever way you look at it.

The story leaps out at you from the page and at the end you discover that the author lost a child in 2006. That loss and love resonates across the pages, and is illustrated in every word.

I have to admit to getting a bit confused in the middle and clearer signposting to the different outcomes would have helped but ultimately this didn’t detract from this powerful, emotional and raw book.

An absorbing tale that left me sobbing. Another standout book from this talented author

Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. Only now they're facing the most important decision of their lives - and they don't agree. As the consequences of an impossible choice threaten to devastate them both, nothing will ever be the same again. But anything can happen after the end.

I will admit to being apprehensive about reading this. It is completely different to Mackintosh's other books but it is every bit as perfect. The plot is undeniably beautiful and heart-stoppingly sad too. I was brimming with tears for a lot of the book and could not get the story of Max, Pip and Dylan out of my head.

Despite this being a different genre, this still has twists that ensure you know you are reading a Mackintosh book and they completely spin the book on its head. I have to say, this is very reminiscent of books by Jodi Picoult, so you get the idea of how emotional it is. What I loved about this is Mackintosh does not dwell on any part of the story, instead it is written and we move on, and it works spectacularly.

The characters are of course stunning, they are lovely people who have a gorgeous story to tell. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them and following their story was indescribable.

If I could give this a million stars then I would. 'After the End' is the most perfect book I have read in a long time, words cannot do this stunning read justice. I adored everything about this and the ending is just perfect, as well as being a massive shock. You will cry but it is so worth it! Mackintosh, please never stop writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sphere for an advance copy.

Such a hard book to read as it deals with a very difficult subject. I found this very upsetting but enjoyable.

A very beautifully written book about an extremely touching and controversial subject that I absolutely loved.

This is a very moving story that is something entirely different from the author. Clare's writing was as usual beautiful and she managed to keep in all the emotions of her normal books but with a very different subject matter. Absolutely would recommend.

I was a little bit scared from this book because even though I love Clare Mackintosh's books they are totally different than this one.

It was a very sweet and positive disappointment!

When I started to read I felt sad for Dylan and the whole story is sad, on the other hand when the story's timeline slip, and start to tell two different stories as an outcome of two different decision it is just genius.

The story doesnt tell us which decision happened but it is a really eye-opening, how decisions in our life have an effect on it. Doesnt matter what we decide, we will have to live with it even if we have doubts about it.

I just simply loved it
I would give 10 out of 5 star for this book.

Max and Pip are the perfect couple.

At the very start of the book though we are with them in court as their hands touch to hear the verdict about the fate of their child.

The first part of the book leads up to the trial and shows how they have reached this point, This was touching, heart rending and well written.
For me it was the second half of the book after the verdict which gave this book five stars. Told in different voices and in different times, it cleverly shows the consequences of two different verdicts and I loved this. Although it did make me weep.
Great

I started this book on a flight so could not read the blurb so went in blind. I had no idea what was coming. I truly thought I was going to be reading a psychological thriller as Clare's previous amazing books. As I progressed through the story I realised that it was far from that but a family saga and a heartbreaking one at that. A story to make you think and very relevant with recent high profile cases hitting the media. A family torn apart by a heart wrenching decision and who thinks the best for their son should be. Highly emotive and cleverly written with a touch of sliding doors. Will stay with you long after you finish.

This is a review of two halves, much like the book being a book of two halves. Clare Mackintosh writes so compellingly the achingly painful story of parents who have to make the choice no parent should have to make - whether or not to continue treatment for their terminally ill son. The first half of this book was emotional and heartwrenching.

While I understood the concept of the second half of the book, it still jarred at me in going between the two narrators - while the concept gave the book something different from anything else out there, it didn't leave me with the raw feelings and compassion for the characters that the first half did.

An important story to tell nonetheless, but prepare to cuddle your kids extra close after reading - this one stays with you for days after reading.

You'd be forgiven for thinking you'd mistakenly mixed up Clare Mackintosh's latest book, with Jodi Picoult’s, but that's not a bad thing at all.
Sliding doors, the road less travelled, all of these would adequately describe this beautifully written, heart wrenching story of unimaginable loss and what may seem as betrayal at times.
After the end, made me think about my own father's tragic and untimely death and our family's loss a little differently.
This is my book of 2019. It made me cry, laugh and think and I hope to be a little kinder and a little more thoughtful before I comment in future, on things in the media I know nothing about. That said it was very difficult not to pick a side TeamPip or TeamMax. I eventually opted for TeamDylan.

I eeally wanted to read this just because it was written by Clare Mackintosh. It isn't what you would expected after reading her previous book but I enjoyed it non the less. It was a heartbreaking story but very well written and a read page turner. I would reccommend this to anyone wanting to read a touching story.

something completely different from Clare Mackintosh. We enter the lives of Pip and Max and their young son Dylan who is dying of Cancer. A difficult decision must be made and when the parents have differing opinions, the courts must step in to decide what is best for Dylan.
This is a powerful book told from two different perspectives, both during illness and after. What could have happened if different decisions were made.

A fantastic powerful and emotional page turning novel beautifully executed by Claire Mackintosh. It’s very rare that a book has me this emotionally invested and I found myself in tears at several points throughout this novel. Claire Mackintosh told the devastating story of Pip, Max and Dylan with such empathy and compassion that it was effortless to connect with the characters. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and if I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.

There are some authors whose books you just want to read without even finding out what it’s about, because they wrote it. For me, Clare Mackintosh is one of those authors. I found her three previous books to be really gripping page-turners which I found hard to put down. This book is very different, which was something of a surprise as I hadn’t read the book details. Rather than being a psychological thriller like the others, this is more of an emotional family drama.

When I first started reading and realised what the book was about, I must admit that I was a bit worried I would find it just too difficult. At the heart of the story is a very sick little boy, Dylan, whose parents Pip and Max disagree about the best course of treatment for him. With the hospital trust agreeing with one of them, the case goes before the court. The book follows the family as Dylan’s illness progresses and in the aftermath of the court’s decision.

I don’t really want to say much more about the story as it really is a book you have to read for yourself. It is very cleverly written and one of these books that makes you think what you would do in the same situation. And the thing is, as I think comes across in the book, it is a virtually impossible decision to make. I could completely understand why both Pip and Max felt they were doing the right thing for their son. Clare Mackintosh has written so convincingly about their convictions and feelings that as I read their chapters, I was totally on their side, whoever’s side I was reading about. It was also interesting to read about the thoughts of the doctor involved in the care of their little boy and to realise the effect that the case had on her both while she was caring for him and after the court case.

This is an utterly heart-breaking story yet so compelling and ultimately hopeful. It is a powerful portrayal of a couple pushed to breaking point in a devastating situation and how life goes works out for them afterwards. A gripping and convincing story of loss and of love, After The End shows that Clare Mackintosh is just as skilled at as writing about a sensitive and emotive subject as she is at writing a psychological thriller.

After having read Clare's previous books and enjoying them all I was really looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one as much and felt it was different to her previous work. I nearly gave up after a few chapters in but felt there was going to be a twist like the previous ones and there was a sort of twist and I liked the theme of the parallel futures but the story just didn't hold enough substance or suspension for me and it all got quite boring. Was a shame as I was really expecting to love this book

An absolutely fantastic book from Clare Mackintosh. I have been a fan of the author for years and have loved her previous thrillers. After the End is very different from anything Mackintosh has published before, It centres around the heartbreaking decision of two parents, Pip and Max and what is the best course of action for their son Dylan in the face of an incurable disease, This difficult story is so well told that I simply couldn't put it the down. The story has remained in my thoughts for days afterwards.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

It's not often I read a book at the speed in which I read this. After the End tells the heartbreaking story of parents Pip and Max and the consequences of the decisions they make in relation to their terminally ill son.

Spilt into three parts, this is not an easy read. The subject matter will break you especially if you have children, or there are children in your lives you love as your own. Clare Mackintosh gives this subject the sensitive touch relating from her own experiences which adds the depth to this story.

I love the fact that especially in the first half of the book, it shows that any decision not only affects the parents but also those caring, such as the doctors, nurses, grandparents etc. There have been well known cases in the news of a similar nature but After The End explores what happens when its all over and the news cameras stop rolling. This is something that I feel is needed. No one knows what happens to a family in this situation but this book gives you an insight into what could happen.

Like I said this is not an easy read. Its heartbreaking, tragic but ultimately brilliant.

Thank you to Little Brown and Clare Mackintosh for not only an advance copy in exchange for an honest review but for also allowing me to read this amazing work.

After the End Clare Mackintosh
I’ve been waiting a while to mull over my thoughts and get them in order before writing a review. It blew me away and I needed thinking time! What a brave book to write!
This book is really emotive and well-written, dealing with a sensitive subject compassionately. It is giving no secrets away to say that it is about Dylan, a very sick little boy and the enormity of the decisions the grief-stricken parents have to make, and how these decisions affect the rest of their lives.
I feel the main theme of the book is how we deal with the consequences of our decisions and how we decide to live our lives. The 2nd half of the book deals with parallel stories of what might have been, the ‘if only’s’ we all consider. I was certainly gripped and willing Pip and Max on, empathising with them. There is a ‘Mackintosh’ traditional twist which blindsided me. After (I reached) the end, I went back through the 2nd half, following the timelines separately to help the story ‘settle’ in my mind. And make sure you read the ’Acknowledgements and Authors notes’ - that really brought it all home to me! Brilliant! More than a 5*!

LOVE this book! Split into two section, Before and After, this book tells the story of Pip and Max who disagree over the treatment of their terminally ill son Dylan. Beautifully, sensitively written. This was well worth staying up till 3am to finish in one sitting. Simply unable to put it down. A haunting tale that will remain with you long after the final pages.

Thank you to Clare Mackintosh and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in return for an honest review.