There are a lot of lovers out there for this book but for me it fell a bit flat. I found the novel dragged in places and I just wanted it to be over.
I liked how it switched between the two main characters and found that added to the pace. The whole dystopian aspect was different from what I have read before, but the ending just fell short of expectations.

The pacing is a little off but when it's good it's very good. For much of the book I preferred David and Lou's points of view to Signe's which tended to slow the story down but I enjoyed the way they finally intersected.

This was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it. thanks for letting me have an advance copy. I'm new to this author.

The End of the Ocean is an incredibly poignant book exploring the impact of climate change. I loved the way the storylines blend together and the alternation helped the book to keep pace. I adored reading this.

I enjoyed this book for the most part, but I find it super difficult to get totally invested in a book where I don't like one of the main characters. While this didn't put me off completely, it was still a little difficult to become totally involved and enjoy the story throughout.

I appreciated the timelines that were explored here because it was a neat way of actually showing the small but ultimately significant ways past generations have affected the climate of the future and it's done without having to beat the reader over the head with the message.

Signe's attempts to protest and stop local events which she realises would cause harm to the environment (which we learn is something her father was also doing) and her failure to do so is exactly how we end up with David's story. That's not to say Signe's failure means the consequences were her fault, more that it is a direct commentary on climate activists who consistently have to fight the same fights as Signe and almost always (sadly) fail in their efforts because while they fight for the future of the planet, they are up against those fighting for profit above all else.

So, I definitely appreciated that this huge issue was boiled down to one person's story of their struggles in their local area and how that affected someone decades in the future because it's obviously an easier narrative to follow and allows you to empathise with the characters who are essentially acting as surrogates for climate activists globally.

Once I got that, I could appreciate the two storylines more because we were seeing how the current lack of action (or unwillingness to even listen) was having an effect on the future. A really subtle way of reminding the reader that their choices and actions now, including their inaction, will one day have an affect on a future generation.

I will say that even though I really did like the commentary on the climate crisis, I personally would have liked to have seen that message go even harder. I did say that the way it's written doesn't beat the reader over the head because I know certain readers would be turned off by a book they deemed as preaching to them but as someone who is happy to be preached to about a topic like this, it often felt quite light and lacking in showing the urgency that is required of people in Signe's time, which is us, the readers. I don't think it hit home enough that what we're collectively failing to do now is going to affect us in the future and I just wish that had been a little more punch in Signe's chapters to emphasise that.

But that really is a nitpick. This is a very good book and I haven't even discussed the whole refugee storyline with David which I think was excellent.

Just a little bit more punch and I would have given this an extra star but well worth the read!

Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for providing me with a copy for review.

I didn't realise when starting this that it was a 'climate themed' read, nor did I realise how much of an impact it would have on me. Spanning centuries and continents we learn about the plights of out characters and the hardships they have to live through. It's a love story, but also a story about survival and I absolutely loved it.

Two characters in two different timeliness. An intriguing and necessary book to understand and remind us of how bad we have done and continue to do things with the planet and the serious consequences that lie ahead for it.

I couldn’t read past 20% because I genuinely had no idea what was going on. I was unable to follow any ‘story line’ that might be in there. Wasn’t for me, sorry!

We follow the story of Signe in 2017 Norway and David and Lou in 2041 France. Signe is on a journey of discovery amidst a world that’s becoming destroyed, the latter two characters thrust into a world of no belonging as they become part of the endless number of those affected by the refugee crisis. Another brilliant exploration of the effects of climate change on society, and the inexcusable effects it can and perhaps will have. A bit slow at times, however the overarching message is great

Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

A timely book considering the current climate crisis. The book is set in two different timelines, 2019 and 2041. In 2019 we find Signe, a climate activist in her 70s living in Norway and in 2041 we follow David and Lou, a father and daughter living in a refugee camp due to extreme drought and lack of water.

Signe was an interesting character and I liked her tenacious spirit and dedication. Who isn’t going to love a woman that tries to sail across the ocean single handedly? Her character felt credible considering her life experiences and motivations.

However, I couldn’t engage with David’s character at all. I found the choices he made were bizarre and he was just an all-round horrible father to Lou.

Water is the key theme running through this book, from Signe’s childhood recollections of swimming and the erosion of the glacier to David and Lou’s desperation to have access to it. This is a book to make us stop and think about the current trajectory humanity finds itself on and what steps we should take to change it.

It’s well-written and the message is important but I'm always going to struggle with a book in which I dislike one of the two main characters.

The plot is a second part in what is planned to be a quartet of books relating to the human condition and climate change. We first meet Signe in 2019, and then David and his daughter Lou in 2041, and what may seem unlikely is that these two stories will eventually come together as the story progresses. Signe is on a journey to find the love of her life, David and Lou are trying to find the rest of their family who have been separated by war. What they find along their journey are Signe's things from her journey.
Evocative prose and a heartwarming story, the reader will experience the emotions of all of the protagonists; hope, despair, longing and heartbreak.
As with The History of Bees, this is a climate story but it is also a human story.
I highly recommend.

This story follows two characters in two different timelines. The older timeline is following a woman who is an environmentalist and is fighting to keep the ice in the northern countries. It follows her relationship from childhood with Magnus. He disappoints her by becoming involved with the business society of the modern world and forgetting what was in important to the Earth. To prove a point she steals some ice that he is deporting for the use of drinks in this high society and sails across the sea to show it to him. The newer timeline follows a young father and his daughter during the world's biggest drought. He worked in "desalinity" (if that's even a word) and as the oceans started to dry up and spontaneous fires ignited across the country he had to flea to find a place that was cooler and with water. Along the way he looses track of his wife and son and plan to wait at a refugee camp for them. The atmosphere becomes tense among the refugees as water and food become even more scarce. He and his daughter takes walks away from the camp and find a boat.
The story telling of this book is amazing! I really enjoyed reading it. A lot of the way through I was curious as to how these timelines interlinked. I'm glad I stuck with the curiosiity because the way that they do is truly beautiful.

A speculative work of fiction told in two time lines that talk of the importance of Evology and conservation and examines the deep inner strength and family ties we hold as humans. How we have the strength to constantly battle the adversities that get in our way. This book tells us the story of three people Signe in 2017 Norway and David and Lou in France 2041.
Signe spends time involved in Cinservation and in protests to stop construction of developments that destroy nature.
2041, David and Lou are living in a post apocalyptic France, a drought covers Europe and food ,water and medicine are in short supply where chaos and destruction reign.
This book comes as a timely warning and is definitely a book for now as we face a sure destruction of our planet if countries leaders do not reduce the emissions their countries produce. This characters in this book are both passionate and driven , but I can't help thinking this was written as a timely warning and a call to action.

A story that brings up modern problems such as lack of water, an increase in the accumulation of waste and climate change. Narrated by two different people- one living in today's word and other from the future (2041), 'The End of the Ocean' is an eye-opener.
Signe, angry and frustrated, narrates a story that is her life, a battle with people who are degrading the environment. David and Lou, in 2041, are in a refugee camp in drought-stricken Europe.
The story eventually connects Signe and David created a circle that completes the story. But it's the plot I had an issue with. While it was important, it wasn't convincing enough. The characters felt misplaced and at some point, it was really hard to understand them.
The premise is such a great one, but I wish the execution wasn't so disappointing.A

Following two points of view as the effects of the melting ice have impacts on two different people.
This was a quiet look at the devastating, yet very likely effects of global warming.


It was a brilliant peaceful yet horrifying look at what could very plausibly happen in a non-peaching manner.

Since finishing it, I've spent a little while thinking about this book and my review. I'd previously read and thoroughly enjoyed Lunde's The History of Bees so was excited for what this book would hold.

The End of the Ocean is told from two perspectives across time: in 2017, Signe is in her seventies and returns to her native Norweigen village, stirring up memories of her fractious life there decades before where she fought alongside her father to save the environment, more specifically, to prevent nearby water formations (glaciers, waterfalls) being overtaken by technology and development. We then jump 24 years into the future (2041) where we meet David and his daughter Lou who are trying to traverse Europe to escape a civilisation-ending drought but in the course of doing so have been separated from the rest of the family -- David's wife and son, mother and brother to Lou, Anna and August -- following a house fire.

The story covers the trials and tribulations of Signe's past and David's present: looking at the individual fight each character, and their loved ones, have to face. In terms of positives, the standard of writing was again extremely high and I cannot fault Lunde's efforts in weaving a story. Ultimately, I think for me, it came down to not 100% gelling with either character. David was a little irritating, and I didn't fully understand his choices at times, but I appreciate the challenge this creates for the reader in terms of appreciating an alternative view. I very recently read another book with a related but inverted premise: about the world becoming overwhelmingly flooded (After The Flood by Kassandra Montag) and I can draw parallels with my feelings on that book. I didn't completely gel with or understand the choices of some of those characters either but both books illustrate how, when times are desperate, people can act in a way that doesn't seem sensible right now.

Toward the end, the two stories converge but it took a while to get there and the book felt slow-going at times. However, I did want to see how things turned out. I was saddened by what we discover about Anna and August, and I was warmed by hope by the discovery that David and Lou make at the hands of Signe. Overall, I sadly cannot say it was a very 'exciting' read, certainly not as much as The History of Bees was for me but it is an important topic and I do enjoy Lunde's writing. I will certainly be interested to see where she may go next.

Just wow. I much preferred the story of David and Lou but both strands kept me wanting more. Such a great read and hard to write about without destroying the plot. The stories of the refugee camps, the war behind them and the closed borders in front, the food and water rationing, the lack of anything stable really made me think more deeply about current refugee situations around the world. Heartbreaking.

I was pleased to have the chance to read this, having enjoyed the thought-provoking The History of Bees.
This time Maja Lunde is addressing global warming and what will happen as water becomes a scarce resource, mainly available only in the far north and far south of the planet.
The book is set in present day where 70-year-old Signe is sailing her boat to see an old friend with a precious cargo, and remembering her past. She has been a journalist and activist all her life, and has been very aware of how big business/greedy people have been squandering and spoiling finite resources. The descriptions of her life at sea were very compelling, especially when encountering a storm, and it’s just her against the force of nature.
In 2041 David and his daughter Lou are in southern Europe, where drought conditions have prevailed for years. They are fleeing to a camp where they hope to find safety and water, and be reunited with his wife and baby son. The story of how life has broken down, and anarchy has started to prevail rings very true, as does the essential kindness of some humans.
The two stories start to come together when David and Lou find a boat in the garden of a deserted farmhouse.

The whole book is essential reading, but depressing, and the ending did not give me much hope for the future.

(The “American” translation was annoying in places, I hate the use of “Mom” and “Mommy”, but that’s just me)

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for the opportunity to read this book.

This book has two different timelines running throughout; the first follows Signe in 2017 who is a type of environmental activist who returns to her childhood home and is distraught to find the glacier being mined for the ice and she does whatever she can to stop it. The second time line follows David and his daughter Lou in 2041 during a horrific drought as they are separated from his wife and other son and have to survive in a refugee camp that is running low on all food and water and medicine.
This is an extraordinary story of survival, loss and determination and although I found it to be a bit slow in some places I enjoyed the plot and really felt for all the characters in a time where this book could be extremely relevant towards current climate issues.
I connected more with David and Lou's story as it was more interesting to get through but Signe's parts slightly bored me and the ending for her was quite anti climatic. Also I wish there was more of a connection between the two stories than just the boat David finds that belonged to Signe. However, the ending neatly ties up both stories and overall it is a good read.