2.5 Stars

I wish I could say I had loved it but unfortunately I found this a little dull and predictable. It had some real awesome potential but just didn't live up to it. The prospect of living your life to the full as the world comes to an end seemed amazing.

The plot primarily focuses on Libby's self confidence issues and how she uses this new connection with her cousin to come out of her shell. The initial depictions or social anxiety were quite good but these started to decline and skirted problematic on a few occasions. Eventually it was somewhat ignored and felt more like a plot device than representation. Some of the plot points were fun and interesting and there were some good little mysteries and some great moments of family love. But overall it just felt a bit predictable particularly within the main plot line.

The actual end of the world doesn't really play a role in the book at all really and that is what is disappointing. It is more a McGuffin to get all the characters in certain places but it easily could have been exchanged for any other life event that would allow you to let go a little and forget priorities for a while. It seemed like such an interesting concept that again just becomes ignored for other plot points.

I could see those looking for a fluffy and fun read enjoying this, just for me it needed a bit more substance.

First off, I have to say that I am not the recommended reading age for this book. But I wanted to read it because I love stories about the end of the world, I still enjoy young adult fiction now and then, and the cover is absolutely gorgeous!

For younger audiences who are possibly experiencing an apocalyptic story for the first time, the concept is used efficiently and given enough detail to be convincing. The recommended reading age is 12-16 years and I feel like it would suit that age group perfectly. Olivia is a likeable character, she has some relatable bucket list goals, and there’s an added thriller element to the story that gives it an exciting edge.

However, older readers who crave more of an apocalyptic thriller may have the same struggles as I did, as the focus isn’t actually on the end of the world. Instead, it’s a backdrop for a coming-of-age story; a set up for Olivia to be brought out of her shell and to do the things she’s been too shy to do while she still has the chance to.

Had I not been expecting more end of the world antics, I would have enjoyed this story a lot more. But it just wasn’t what I expected it to be, and that’s my own fault rather than the authors. The characters were too young for me to relate to and so their priorities were very different to what mine would be in their circumstances.

But don’t let me put you off if you’re looking for a coming-of-age drama with a thriller twist, as this is definitely an appealing book for the right audience. I just wouldn’t recommend it as a book for older readers who are looking for something a little light-hearted.

(I'm on the blog tour for this on the 9th so my reviews will be live then)

Ive been very limited to the books ive been saying yes to reading and reviewing currently but i couldnt refuse this one! such a gorgeous cover and a really great premise. Things to do before the end of the world is a coming of age story with some contemporary romance, LGBT and some suspense elements thrown in. Our main character Olivia is shy and perhaps a little niave, her world comes crashing down when the end of the world is predicted in a few short months. When a distant cousin Natasha gets in touch it unlocks some secrets from the past. Is Natasha everything she claims to be?

I was expecting a sci-fi heavy story with some science elements surrounding the end of world events but this book focused more on Olivia and he feelings, coming out of her shell and finally focusing on herself. I loved how much Olivia went out of her comfort zone in order to live her best life whilst she could, it really gave me that yolo feeling and cemented that you never know what tomorrow will bring so say yes to everything that you can while you can!

Ive heard of Emily Barr but had never read any of her books before but will definitely check them out now! This was a really surprisingly uplifting story, the writing was gorgeous and it really hit me in the feels more than i expected it too! It was scarily realistic when it discussed the idea that humans had caused the demise of the earth, not too much of a stretch from the current state of our world. I would have liked more about the end of the world itself and would have liked to have seen that be a bit more developed as a setting for the overall story but i did really enjoy this story and cant really fault it for what it was. I acually have already thought about rereading this! haha. Please pick this book up and give it a go, i promise you its really addicting.

What would you do if you got the news that you only have about a year left to live – and so does everyone else? That the world is about to go down? Quite a spooky thought if you ask me. It makes my stomach turn, it makes me scared. Humanity has lived through so many scary and possibly life-threatening scenarios – there were world wars, atomic catastrophies, and now we’re living through a pandemic. Every day we have is a gift, and we should treat it as such – but I’m drifting off topic lol.

Olivia – Libby – our heroine here, just got away from a Christmas party at her college when the breaking news hit her – and everyone else’s – phone. I found it very interesting to see her reaction compared to that of the other people around her. While adult men are breaking down crying, Libby is taking the news almost as if… they don’t really concern her. And I think that’s exactly how Libby’s life has been so far. It is as if she’s been detached from it all, and I could feel with her so well, seeing my teenage self in her a bit.

Libby is a great character in what I would say is her coming of age story – when her actual coming of age is stopped by the impending end of the world. I loved Libby’s way of dealing with her problems, her social anxiety the way she did. The impending doom helped her insofar as it turned her decisions that were ‘I’ll do it one day’ before the news of ‘The Creep’ (as people call the disaster that’s about to strike out humanity) suddenly into ‘If I don’t do it now I will never do it’. She was given an ultimatum, and Libby made the most of it. After all, you can only panic for so long when you are given the news that the world ends in a year, before you have to start really living it.

I loved the writing. Author Emily Barr made it into such a personal account, I loved reading Libby’s uncensored thoughts in brackets, it felt like talking to a friend! I loved seeing the character coming out of her shell, even under these circumstances and despite her shyness. Reading about her liberation felt liberating to me too, and every time she managed to talk to strangers or did something else that not long ago would have been very hard, if not impossible, for her, I wanted to high five Libby.

She isn’t the only great character in this book, though. Her best friend Max, the one she barely exchanges more than six words with on a daily basis (they both feel more comfortable typing), her step-mother with the great taste in fancy clothes, her crush Zoe, her new found cousin Natasha, all these are amazing support characters that made this novel into something even more special. I loved that Libby has such a great connection with her family and that they are all so close.

I loved her mum especially. While at first she seemed to turn toward religion as her way to cope with the impending end of the world, she was more of a free spirit and you could tell by the way she soon abandoned her church visits again. I loved how well she knew Libby, and the way she didn’t judge her for being who she is. Libby appreciated her honesty too, and liked that her mother knew and understood her way of thinking, I feel like. Furthermore, Libby’s step father, step-mother, dad, and her two half-siblings were all great, individual characters that added a nice touch to the story, every single one of them.

Libby’s two half-siblings were sweet, funny, loveable little toddlers who, over the course of the story, grow into smart little two-year-olds. It was lovely seeing how much Libby loved being around them, and how she blossomed in these scenes. It made me chuckle how she disregarded her father’s and step-mother’s rules the second they left the house, and how she made her own when it came to her siblings’ wellbeing.

Libby thought she was invisible back then, but she was actually loved by many people. If only she could have seen how special she was! I loved how she turned what she had in her head thinking she would one day possibly, maybe do, into reality. Even if it needed the knowledge that the world would soon come to an end to achieve that. Sometimes you need a little nudge to come out of your shell, and that was certainly a proper nudge that Libby got.

One other character who has a really big impact on the story is Natasha, Libby’s cousin she didn’t know she had. Natasha lives far away, and they will never meet anyway, so why not talk to her, right? Well, not only that seems to turn out much different than Libby expected, there’s also so much more to Natasha… but you will have to read this book yourself in order to find out what that is!!

Things to Do Before the End of the World will be published on 13th May by Penguin. Mark the day in your calendars, you will not want to miss this amazing new YA story!!!

5 stars from me!

Ultimately, this is a story about Libby finding herself and her wings. We spend so much time focused on Libby’s anxiety and her inability to speak up about her feelings that you almost forget the world is going to end in what they call "The Creep."

Libby is painfully naïve. Watching her make one mistake after the next is like watching a train wreck. My daughter is the same age, and I cannot imagine a situation in which she would leave the house without a wallet or phone. But Libby battles crippling anxiety, and not only do I relate to that, but I can imagine her lack of street smarts comes from not going out and living life.

Poor Libby, you want to reach into the book, take her by the hand, and promise her everything good in the world. Finding out she has a cousin is a saving grace for her. Natasha is everything Libby needs, and she helps push her out of her comfort zone. There’s a good balance between The Creep and watching Libby navigate the days she has left. While this is more a story about Libby finding herself, it doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment of reading this. This is a cute and engaging read that hooks you from the start.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you knew the world would end of a specific date? Well Olivia Lewis - better known as Libby - had never really considered it, but on the 12th December, the truth is revealed - humans have destroyed the planet so much, than the permafrost will have completed melted by September 17th, and will release toxic fumes in the air that will kill everyone and everything. Now that she knows about 'the Creep', Libby is determined to live her best life - including performing as Juliet on stage, and telling the girl she likes the truth. But, when a long lost cousin comes out of the woodwork, and wants to meet up in Europe before it's too late, will Libby trust her gut that not everything about Natasha seems right, or has she gone too far?

Alright, so I hadn't heard anything about this book until the blog tour invite came in, and I was intrigued. I'm not a lover of thrillers, but I guess I enjoyed it this time around. Libby was seventeen, and discovering that life for everyone would be over in just nine months times was a shocker to say the least. She starts to shake off some of her more introverted aspects, and branch out - especially when it came to her acting - and I loved seeing her growth in that way. That being said, I never really grew to love Libby, so wasn't overly invested in the story if I'm telling the truth. The idea of the world ending on a specific date was compelling, as was the explanation; we all know climate change is killing the planet, and the permafrost is hiding some pretty nasty things, so I appreciated the way Barr incorporated this into the story, but because of Libby's characterisation, she wasn't really looking into the scientific aspects of the 'Creep', and I would've liked more of that. Her family, especially her mother and step-father, who took her to Spain for the summer, were lovely, and though her dad wasn't as hands on - partially because he had two little ones at home to keep an eye on - he really came through for her at the end when she needed him.

Now, turning to Natasha, it was clear from the started that something was up with her, and I never trusted the story she came out with. I also didn't like the way she pushed Libby, nor the way she was adamant they needed to pretend to be sisters - or rather twins. It was clear this was going to come to bite them later on, and Libby was a little too naive to be caught up in it all. I can understand why she was, but she needed to trust her gut a lot more than she did in reality. Also, the speaking with spirits, and fleecing strangers for money bit, always felt like an act for me, and was another way I really disliked Natasha. All in all, this was an okay read, though I wanted some more meat to the story if I'm truthful. It had all the building blocks, but was lacking something for me to give it more than three stars.

Ever since Flora Banks, anything by Emily Barr is a must-read for me and this one didn't disappoint. I was so immersed in the book that I almost started to believe it was really happening! At first I thought this might not be the best type of story to read about with the current situation (not mentioning the C word...) but it is written so well and in some ways it is actually quite comforting.

Despite knowing this is a thriller and it's about the end of the world, it lulls you into a false sense of security. I got caught up in Olivia's excitement of all the new places she was visiting and experiences she was having. Then around halfway through the slightly sinister feeling really starts ramping up. I must admit I was surprised at how little the end of the world affected everyone and how smoothly the world kept running. This was kind of explained but not completely satisfactorily, though I kind of liked that it didn't focus on it too much.

This is exactly the kind of book that is perfect for a buddy read or book club because you'll want to discuss all your theories with someone. It also really makes you think about a lot of things, just like Olivia does. The importance of enjoying life while you can and taking a few risks sometimes. A little friendly warning here, you should prepare yourself for the ending!

3.5*
Things to Do Before the End of the World is a truly unexpected read that manages to exceed expectations by breaking out of genre norms. Barr manages to fit a coming-of-age story and thriller all into a book about the end of the world. All of which the author manages to do very well.

It’s evident from the beginning that this book's primary themes revolve around the main character growing into herself under the most unique of circumstances. One concept repeated throughout this book is that going outside your comfort can sometimes help you live your best life. And, while doing so, you can manage to become more of the person you’re meant to be.

Taking that into consideration, and with the context of the world ending, this book was definitely in danger of falling into the realm of cliche. About one-third of the way through the book though, you discover the secondary plot that sort of seems to come out of nowhere. This storyline is truly what adds the flavour to this book, pulling it out of genre-specific expectations set up by the prevailing circumstances of the story.

While this does prove to work in this book's favour, it can be off-putting to some. At times it feels as though the book isn’t quite sure what it wants to be, which can detract from the intentions and layers of the story. It was a risky decision on behalf of the author, one with the potential to have a great pay off for unexpecting readers.

This is a read of two halves, so I'll review them separately.
The apocalyptic story: Although it's a very plausible apocalypse, I didn't quite follow the way it presented. The CO2 was seeping out all the time, which is why the weather got hotter and birds and small animals died. But at some point, it was going to erupt in a huge wave and kill everyone everywhere all at once, and they could track that right to a specific day? I just didn't follow it, and I know that Libby didn't care much so wasn't reading any research about it but I still think we could have been given a better explanation.

Libby's adventures: It's easy for an introverted character to be swept along by an extrovert, she says from pained experience. And from outside the story we can see things much more clearly than the characters can. I'm torn about whether Libby should have suspected Natasha or not; to me personally she just didn't seem like a nice person, but Libby so badly wanted a connection that I can understand why she ignored all those little things. I can say now that I wouldn't have let anyone push me into the things Natasha pushes Libby into, but if I were in that situation? Hard to say.

Overall it's an intriguing read. I'd have liked to know more about how the world was reacting to the Creep, but as Libby was actively avoiding finding that out it would have been hard for the author to work it in. The romance seemed a little creepy to me if I'm honest, but at least Zoe seemed really nice and friendly. I felt bad for Libby's mother, and loved her stepfather for all the assurances that of course they wouldn't make Libby chose between them and her father's family. Her little half siblings were cute but not in it very much.

I'm glad I read it, and I think other readers will enjoy it, but I won't be racing to reread it.

When I was offered me a sneak peek of Things to do Before the End of The World, I knew I had to take a big step out of my Middle Grade comfort zone – and wow…I am so glad I did – what a book!

This dramatic coming-of-age, psychological thriller is set against the dystopian backdrop of an impending ‘end of days’ environmental catastrophe nicknamed ‘The Creep.’ As the Permafrost melts away and the earth rapidly heats up to searing temperatures, so does the plot as we watch our protagonist Olivia become totally intoxicated with cousin Natasha’s heady charisma, confidence and charm.

Natasha has the ability to push Olivia way out of her comfort zone and make her do things she never imagined she could – from hustling tourists with street magic, reading palms and setting her dare-like ‘tasks’ to complete, in a bid to bring her out of herself.

But a sinister side of Natasha starts to emerge – controlling… manipulative and there is no way she could know some of the details she does about Olivia’s family…

Travel is central to the book and from a slow burning start in Winchester, the story rapidly shifts up through the gears as Natsha’s character gets deeper and deeper under Olivia’s skin. After a smouldering stay in Spain the plotline reaches a break-neck, pace when the girls travel to Paris for an adrenaline-fuelled final part of the book. As the ‘End Times’ creep closer, so does the feeling of unease in the pit of your stomach around Natasha. Only days remain until the cataclysmic event and there’s an explosion of twists, turns and revelations of dramatic proportions – the feeling of sheer panic is palpable in more ways than one!

Unfortunately I can no longer categorise myself as a Young Adult, but Emily Barr transported me back to 17 year old me, enjoying my first taste of independence on a holiday abroad with a friend. The sun, the crushes, the parties teamed with the imminent end of the world and dark psychological undertones make this the perfect teen summer binge-read.

Things to Do has whetted my appetite to read more of Barr’s novels and Young Adult in general.

This story is a unique coming-of-age story. Our main character decides to step out of her shy, reticent self when the end of the world is predicted to happen in just a few short months.  I expected "the end of the world" to be the main focus of this story. It actually takes second billing to the feelings, thoughts, and actions of humans who are adjusting their mindset to this doomsday prediction.

While I expected chaos, people seem to continue on with their life for the most part while expecting a miracle to step in and save the Earth from the global destruction humans have caused. Upon reflection, I can see this attitude being the norm. After all, who is better at burying our heads in the sand.

The main character, Olivia, refuses to take a chance on ending her days without taking chances and trying to gain the love of her life. Disaster ensues when she is duped by Natasha, a previously unknown cousin. On the surface, Natasha is everything Olivia wishes she could be. But, is she really? There are hints throughout the story that all is not as it seems.

When days are running short, Olivia realizes she is in over her head. She has no choice but to turn to her family. In the course of solving the mystery of Natasha, long-buried family secrets are disclosed.

I enjoyed the drama of family secrets, mysteries, and reconciliations. The doomsday aspect is ever-present in the background influencing actions and feelings, but if you are looking for it as the main character of this story, you won't find it.  Let me finish by saying ...What an ending!

Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish this book, as it triggered some of my past OCD triggers that I was surprised to find were still there. However, what I was able to read I did enjoy; I like the character, and I liked the fact that the author had chosen someone that wasn't the life of the party as sometimes there are too many books who focus on people who are. I can see this being very popular.

Libby was an interesting character to follow throughout the book and I really liked her as the protagonist, even if she was a bit naive at certain times about everything that happened with Natasha throughout the book. Natasha was very complex but she was quite fishy throughout the whole book so I knew that she would inevitably do something questionable. However, I did love seeing Libby change into someone more confident and come out of her shell in the style of a coming-of-age book which I did really enjoy reading because it added a sort of sad note to the book given that it was all happening just as the world was about to end.

The plot was, as I said a coming-of-age and that was lovely to read even with the growing threat of the Creep throughout the book. However, I thought that the idea of the end of the world could have been played up a little bit more to create a bit more of a dramatic atmosphere and more of a sense of sadness at the end of the book. Speaking of the end of the book I did think it was all handled very well, with the dramatic conflict between Natasha and Libby and then the Creep coming around.

The writing was very enjoyable and easy to read, keeping me engaged throughout the book. I think that there could have been more of a sense of tension around the Creep and then Natasha being fishy around Libby. I did like how the little clues about Natasha came back later to explain her actions and that is something that I appreciate.

Part eco-thriller, part mystery and part coming-of-age tale, Emily Barr’s Things to Do Before the End of the World is an odd book to categorise but, in spite of that, a compelling one to read.

As the title suggests, Things to Do Before the End of the World takes place in a near future setting where humanity’s negligence has resulted in potentially irreversible environmental catastrophe. Melting polar ice caps and the subsequent rise in carbon dioxide levels is going to wipe out the majority of life on earth and, as the novel opens, its main character Olivia is having to come to terms with the fact that not only will the world most likely end but, more specifically, it is going to do so in precisely nine month’s time. Which rather puts her inability to socialise with her classmates at the school dance and her worries about her exams into perspective.

Olivia – or Libby as she tends to be called – is shy, awkward and suffers from almost crippling social anxiety. Adept at planning out conversations and dreams in her head, she struggles to enact these in real life. Hence why despite her eloquently composed emails to the girl of her dreams, they’re going to sit unread in her drafts for what will quite possibly be the rest of Libby’s life.

Until, that is, Natasha turns up. Confident, easy-going, and extroverted, Libby’s long-lost cousin is everything that Libby isn’t – and everything she wants to be. So when Natasha proposes an all-out ‘end of the world’ road trip, Libby decides to throw caution to the wind and go out to explore the world she feels like she’s been hiding from her whole life. But is Natasha everything she claims to be? Or are there secrets to be discovered before the end of the world?

There is quite a lot going on in Things to Do Before the End of the World – possibly a little too much at times if I’m honest. Starting out with the imminent threat of ‘The Creep’ (as the rising levels of carbon dioxide come to be called), the book takes a turn into more comfortably YA ‘coming-of-age’ territory with an increasing focus on Libby’s insecurities and her budding romance, then switches modes into a Pretty Little Liars-style thriller/mystery as Libby’s doubts about Natasha develop, before ending back as a ‘coming-of-age’ story as Libby discovers the truth behind all the mysteries.

Whilst all of these strands are interesting in and of themselves, the sudden lurches in tone were occasionally jarring and I did feel that some of the most interesting elements of the premise – most notably the threat of the ‘The Creep’ – were side-lined as the story continued in favour of more well-worn tropes such as the thriller and romance elements.

That isn’t to say that Things to Do Before the End of the World isn’t an enjoyable read however. I rattled through it over the course of a couple of evenings and very much enjoyed my time with it. Libby makes for a likeable and interesting protagonist and the development of her unease about Natasha and her motives adds a creeping sense of unease to the proceedings that ensured the pages kept turning. But the ending did feel a tad rushed – with such a lot going on, there was a lot to wrap up – and whilst the ‘end of the world’ premise added a unique and interesting backdrop, I felt that element – emphasised quite heavily in the blurb and at the beginning of the novel – was underutilised in the rest of the story.

That said, the ending does manage to be both heart-warming and poignant – no mean feat given the many layers and complexities of the plot – and I did really enjoy seeing the way in which Libby develops as a character over the course of the book.

Offering plenty of drama and suspense and with a premise that, whilst not wholly realised for me, added an additional layer of complication to the well-trodden YA ‘coming-of-age’ narrative, Things to Do Before the End of the World makes for an interesting and unique addition to the YA thriller genre – and a fantastic way to while away some summer evenings or a sunny weekend!

You have five minutes left to live. What will you do?

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinukbooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Life is way too short when it comes to misunderstandings and ego. It becomes even more shorter when global warming decides to act out. Things come into perspective when we become aware of our time left on this world, and everything not said and not done become the sole purpose of our existence.

'Things to do before the end of the world' is a book that talks of ethics, living life to the fullest, and how we're killing our planet on a daily basis. Libby is an introverted college teen who goes into an existential crisis when she finds out that the world as she knew it was coming to an end. She sets out to discover family secrets, explore Europe, learn about the street world, and invariably gets hurt in the process.

Libby had such an amazing character arc, and so did all the characters in the book! The most important takeaway would be that life is unpredictable and it's upto us to live it like no other.

Heartwarming, quick and light, this book is perfect for when you're in a slump or otherwise!

The blurb of this book was enough to get me excited, so when I had the chance to participate in the blog tour for this book I just couldn’t refuse!.

In this book we meet Olivia, a woman who finds herself facing the knowledge that life, and the world that she knows, is coming to an end. This prompts Olivia to compile a bucket list of things she wishes to do before her limited time runs out, but when she is faced with such a task, she finds it rather impossible to condense all she wishes to do with her life down to the contents of a list.

Then, out of nowhere, Olivia is contacted by Natasha – a long lost cousin that prior to this moment, Olivia had no idea existed!. Deciding to live in the moment, Olivia and Natasha meet up to spend their last summer together, and Olivia finds herself entranced by Natasha’s confidence and easy way with life, everything she wishes she could be herself. But the more time that she spends with her cousin, the more it comes to light that Natasha is not all that she seems.

Where do I start with this book! The storyline is so unique and full of drama and suspense, it really does reel you in and keep you captivated from the very first page. I love the way this story is told, really giving us an insight into the mindset of Olivia as she faces the harsh reality of the world coming to an end.

The characters are wonderfully developed and each of them have their own complex personalities. The varying characteristics of these characters really does enhance the story and adds new depths to this fantastic story.

This book is full of drama and suspense, keeping you on the edge of your seat as the story pushes forward and reaches its climax. This is without a doubt a must read for 2021 and a book I will be recommending to everyone!.

3.5 stars

I wasn’t really expecting much when I picked up this book, as I said, this isn’t my genre. It surprised me that I didn’t hate it at the end.

The concept of the “end of the world” in this book is a bit new to me. I haven’t read anything with a concept like “The Creep,” or maybe I just don’t read enough apocalyptic stories. But one reason it’s new to me is because, well, it’s not virus. This ‘end of times’ element of the story kind of pushed into the background. Along the way, it became just a backdrop to make way for Libby’s, the main character, part of the plot.

That make sense because the title itself points to things to do before the end of the world, thus the story is focused on things Libby will do. Libby is someone we already met before in other young adult contemporaries. She is shy and is trying to find her place and voice and confidence to maybe at least talk to her crush at school. And this end of the world thing pushed her to do the things she must or have always wanted to do but didn’t have the guts to do so before.

Enter, Natasha, Libby’s cousin that she never knew. With Natasha’s help, Libby’s life is turning into different directions. But Natasha also isn’t what she appears to be. Which brings me to the thriller aspect of the story. It came a little bit late, to be honest. The devices used aren’t that new to me but that’s not an issue to me. I do think that they’re not enough to label this book a thriller. This book lacks the right devices to make the readers thrilled and, you know, surprised by the supposed reveals.

As for the settings, Libby was in three countries, if I’m not mistaken – England, Spain and France. The reason I am not sure because I didn’t really feel immersed in those places. Maybe it’s the lack of description or maybe it’s because, for me, this book will still be the same even if it only happens in one country. I just had that feeling.

So far, it sounds like I don’t like this book. I do like this book. I didn’t get bored reading it. I finished it in one go – this doesn’t say anything because I usually finish reading books in one sitting. But anyway, this book has its own charms as well. I think the family aspect is heartwarming.

Most importantly, this book will make you think. In fact, just after reading the title, I felt like making some list of things I will do not before the end of the world but before I die.

Despite my issues with this book, I still enjoyed it. As I said, I read it in one sitting. I am also sure that more readers will enjoy this even more than I did.

THINGS TO DO BEFORE THE END OF THE WORLD is described as a thriller, but it felt a little more contemporary to me, which isn't my cup of tea. Objectively, it's a really nice read, with an intriguing premise, but ultimately, not my thing, so I will endeavour to ensure my review reflects that!

The idea of the world ending in 6 months was the thing that drew me to the book. While the situation is more exaggerated than real life, it still feels a bit too real given we ARE heading straight for a climate emergency. I could well image we do hit the point where we do only have a limited time, but I think there'd be a lot more also going on (like sea level rise which would have affected some of the book's locations etc)

I liked how the book showed so many different reactions - which felt very realistic. There were those who were living life to the full/excessively with big parties and massive spending. Others were firmly denying anything was happening (clinging to the 30% chance it could be stopped). More were carrying on like normal to avoid being paralysed, and yet more were turning to faith, cycling through many as they tried to find something that could explain it all.

Natasha was an interesting character, and how it was very slowly peeled back until it all suddenly went wrong and then was quickly wrapped up and explained. It did feel like, as a whole, the book lacked a creeping sense of unease that grew. Perhaps it was because I was expecting it to be a thriller, and so to be more intense that I missed a lot of it. It did really feel like a contemporary at first, and walks the line between them - unlike the murder mystery (etc) thrillers I'm used to.

If it wasn't for the blurb, I probably wouldn't have thought anything was off until the midway point, and then probably written it off until the third act where she says something very suspicious that tips Libby off. It's always strange to see how a blurb affects your reading of a book (and I think the "thriller" categorisation also came into play here.)

2.5 STARS

I read this book for a blog tour, so thank you so much to the blog tour organiser, the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I went into this book expecting something, and I came out rather confused. I think this is definitely a case of "it's me not you" because I think that YA thrillers are just not at all the kind of books for me.

For quite a big chunk of the book (maybe 50%), something happened with a certain character that I hated, to be honest. I was very uncomfortable reading it because it felt like it was really laughing in the face of spiritualism and I couldn't figure out if any of it was truthful or not.

I didn't particularly like the characters, I found them flat and I hated a few of them. I feel like, for a book that has such a big plot, nothing happened and I just didn't like the plot devices used to make this a thriller or to make it give the reader the "omg" reaction.

I don't want to bash this book because I can see how people would love it, it's just not for me. I did however find the pacing and the writing style to be really good and although I wasn't enjoying myself, I did keep reading because I like the author's voice.

Things to do Before the End of the World is a powerful coming of age story that reminds the reader that our impact on the environment could mean our ultimate extinction.

What I Liked

The timing of this story is even more impactful because of our current world situation. Much like the environment in the story, I don’t think anyone believed our world would come to a standstill due to a disease. Beyond comprehension, with our explosive advancements in every area, anything cannot be quickly neutralized so that our lives remain the same. But, as we have seen, that isn’t true. That made me think twice about the story’s message as I imagine it will other YA readers – young and old.

I found Olivia’s coming of age story to also be impactful in an unexpected, inspiring manner. She starts the story as a girl who is scared to live her life – to enjoy everything life has to offer, even if it is right in front of her. Olivia writes emails that she doesn’t send or intends to send to a girl for which she has feelings. She keeps her circle very tight and doesn’t venture outside of that circle, considering invisibility to be her superpower until she meets her cousin through an email after learning about her existence. Natasha has a significant impact on Olivia’s life, and the story of their relationship is such a compelling storyline that it is hard to put the book down once Natasha appears.

The pace stays quick throughout the story as I waited to see if life really would end on September 17. It can’t end, right? Or can it? I found myself imagining what the world would be like if everyone knew the exact day, it would end. I pictured a society turning very hedonistic in my mind, but if you want to find Barr’s thoughts, you will have to pick up this book.

This story has a lingering effect - my thoughts returning to what I would do if I knew the exact date the world would end. I love that it has me asking tough questions of myself and society as a whole and making me contemplate if the changes I would make knowing the world was going to end are changes that I should be making now.

To Read or Not to Read

If you are ready to have your world change, this is the book that will take you there.