This is one future I never want to see happen, just the thought of it alone is a very bleak, unbearably sad way of life. The complete and utter ban on everything fictional. A life with no books, not even children’s books.

All are banned, with all books from before burnt to ashes, destroyed, never to be seen or read ever again.

Most of us are lucky enough to have been read to as a child, building inside us a love of stories and books that have stayed with us through to adulthood.

My Nan encouraged my love of books, reading to me on every weekend visit and even though I was young, I still remember the complete joy I would get from just sitting on her lap, or next to her at her kitchen table, listening to her tell me stories and it is a memory I will always treasure. That, and as I got older I would sneak into the living room and read the books on her shelf that I wasn’t deemed old enough for, such as James Herbert, which started my love of horror stories!
So to take that away from a child is criminal, let alone adults! Thank god this book is just fictional!

Just from reading part one of this book it had already fired me up! And I am pretty sure this book is going to hit plenty more than just me in the ‘feels’ department!

Ok, so now I have now finished all of the book after stopping at the end of part one to have my rant about a future with no fiction, and I’m pretty sure I won’t be the only one left feeling like that! And be warned, this book hits you with several powerful emotions on top of that one!

Is it to early in the year to put a book forward for ‘Book of the Year’? I have a really strong feeling this book will at the very least be a top contender! Described on Amazon as “The most original thriller you'll read this year with a twist you won't see coming”, they’ve certainly summed it up extremely well, because boy-oh-boy is the twist one you will never see coming but it will also blow you away.

It’s one of the best twists in a book I’ve truly and utterly been surprised by for a very long time!

End of Story is due to be published on the 23 Mar 2023 and it is available to preorder now from your local bookstore or from the link below

A huge thank you to the author Louise Swanson, publishers Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for my digital and audio advance copy of this book.

Fern Dolstoy is a deeply troubled woman. She was once famous writer but it seems that what she wrote is becoming real. Fiction has been banned by the government and all existing books destroyed. Fern is now a criminal, having been moved from her home and visited regularly by government enforcers. Then in her imagination a boy called Hunter appears who, it turns out, actually had a different role in her life. This is a book with no real point to the story. I found it a slow read. I will not recommend it.

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Are you intrigued by the idea of books being banned? What`s a society without them, and how can anyone possibly survive in such a world? These are the questions that come to our minds when we think of imagined scenarios where books get confiscated and burned. But while this concept may sound far-fetched, there is a novel out there that follows exactly this storyline – one full of resistance, rebellion, fear, and suspense as well as moments of joyous victory. So, if you’re curious to read a story set in an authoritarian future depicted through the struggles of its characters fighting for freedom, I urge you to join me in today’s book review of Louise Swanson’s “End of Story”.

In a dystopian future, stories are forbidden, and former authors have been thrown into hidden prisons. However, the passionate power of storytelling pulses through 2035 - with its infamous Big Four books being among the last ever written before fiction was banned. Fern Dostoy wrote one such book to honour her late husband in grief...but it came at a cost; she now labours away under an alternate identity for meagre wages while two persistent police inspectors keep watch over her every move. Yet even as reality is heavily guarded by oppressive forces, people will still find ways to share their sacred tales –– making life quite difficult for any formerly famous author trying to stay isolated!

I have read Louise Swanson when she has written as Louise Beech and I believe this to be the first Swanson novel of hers. It's quite different in style to her usual books and is more dystopian in feel, which isn’t usually my style but I loved this one. The writing is simple and flows so well. The concept has been done before (the banning of books) but I liked that this one felt like a normal day and time yet things are quite different. People are overtly watched and monitored and each week they hold a book amnesty for any found fiction to be handed in, only non-fiction is allowed.

I can’t even imagine living in a world without fiction!

I liked the characters and especially Fern, she does meander off a little in the middle but overall, was entertaining and paranoid. We see how drastically her life has changed from a best-selling author to nothing, a nobody living quietly in a new home where everything is different. The ideas mooted in her fictional book are interesting and give plenty of food for thought, though also a little terrifying!

I think the ending was what I enjoyed most though, and perhaps that is because I don’t really read dystopian novels, but Louise Swanson managed to make it all sound so believable in the huge twist and consequential fallout.

A great dystopian novel with plenty of emotion packed in.

It’s 2035 and the government have decreed that all fiction books are banned. No bedtime stories, no reading to children, authors kept under supervision, books burned. Life is very different. Fern is a best selling author and she has been evicted from her beautiful home, placed into government accommodation and is employed at the local hospital as a cleaner, her every move monitored.

What an amazing book! From the first few pages I was captivated. Totally brilliant, a completely unexpected ending. This will be the book of the year! Every now and then you get a book you can’t forget. This is one.

Excellent read, thank you NetGalley.

The opening line in the description of the book grabbed my attention immediately : “It has been five years since writing fiction was banned by the government”. This was a book I just had to read. It is beautifully written, with a chilling dystopian premise, good pacing and a well crafted sense of menace from the opening pages. But ultimately I was left slightly disappointed because I thought the “surprise twists” towards the end of the book were clearly signposted in advance. Still, a fine read which will be massively enjoyed by many.

With an OMFG start I was pulled straight in and knew right then that I was going to love this book! This is one of those books that I want to scream from the rooftops about and for everyone to read it, because it is that bloody good!

Set in the future and beautifully written.I loved the plot and the whole concept of the story. Being an avid reader I literally have no words to describe how I would feel if that was to actually happen. I mean a world with no books?! It doesn't even bare thinking about it! End of Story is simply mind blowing.

It is atmospheric, unique, addictive and full of suspense. With a jaw dropping twist that I didn't see coming. OH MY GOD I just love this book!!

It is written by Louise Beech under her pen name Louise Swanson and it has left me wondering why I have never read one of her books before. It was extraordinary!

It's hard to review this book without giving away essential parts of the plot. There's no doubt it's well written as the author has more than proved her ability with previous books under her own name.
I worked out what the major turning point would be quite early. This is no reflection on the author. I wish I hadn't figured it so soon so I could've had that 'wow' moment.
I can see this book doing very well. There's a buzz about it already.

I'm not sure how to write this review. This book brought out so many emotions. It made me sad and angry, broke my heart and inspired hope.
It begins in a near future dystopian world where the Government has banned all fiction and storytelling. Fern, an award-winning author (in the past), finds herself working as a cleaner in a hospital and having her income subsidised by the government; now she can no longer write for a living. Contact with other authors is forbidden, only non-fiction reading is permitted, and parents can no longer read bedtime stories to their children. It is a bleak world I would not wish to inhabit.

Fern lives a lonely and sad existence. Her husband is dead, and pursuing any writing has become illegal, with dire consequences for those who break the rules. As we progress through the novel, this becomes evident as we discover what is happening to other authors. Fern joins an underground movement to read stories to children, where she meets Hunter a boy she seems to connect with.

The novel builds more pace, and I found myself rushing back to the page to find out what happens next. What is finally revealed is a heartbreaking conclusion.

However, alongside the topics that made me sad and angry were also elements of hope and kindness that were evident in the weekly meetings Fern has with the Fine Fayre man who delivers tea and biscuits. These parts of the story may seem mundane and ordinary, yet in my opinion, were among the most beautiful - showing Fern's character and what she's going through. They also reminded me that sometimes when we're at rock bottom, a stranger's kindness or wisdom can pick us up and help us through and that often it's in the most ordinary and everyday interactions that this occurs.

This book is an incredible piece of writing that shows what the mind can do to try and protect us, and like Fern states, if you tell a story well enough it's true.

It's a tough read at times, filled with raw emotional writing about love, loss and grief. It's a book I'd be proud to have written. Louise Swanson (aka Louise Beech) has accomplished something profound and beautiful.

A very original read that I enjoyed,well written and a unique dystopian thriller surrounding the banning of reading…….a good and surprising ending,glad chose this book to read

I haven’t read this writers books before, but I was drawn to how different storyline was and I’m so glad that I picked it up. Set in the future where all fiction has been banned and reading bedtime stories to children is punishable . A world without fiction is every readers nightmare..

I admit, I was an initially puzzled by the storyline, but as I have never read a dystopian mystery before I had to open my mind to the unfamiliar genre.

The twist in the storyline, was brilliant, and left me speechless and full of empathy for the main character. I’m not going to write anymore about the storyline as I feel the reader will benefit going onto this book blind, if you want to book that unique ,dark , though provoking and breathtaking then this is the one for you .

I am not entirely sure how to review this book! Having read all Louise's previous books and loved them I had high hopes for this one. I started reading it and was incredibly confused as it seemed to be a dystopian novel, which is way out of my normal genre. However I kept reading but it wasn't until 80% in that I finally started enjoying it. The book really came into its own then and it ended brilliantly. I am glad I persevered as the last 20% was so good it (almost) made up for the first 80%. My advice to anyone is stick with it!

Fern is an artist - a writer, a reader. And now, a criminal.

Five years ago, any form of fiction was outlawed. No more books, no more stories, no more fairy tales to send your children to sleep and calm their nightmares. And even though since the ban, she's gone into a government-approved job, and removed any sense of her identity from the world, her words won't be silent for long as she finds a new place at an illegal phone line reading bedtime stories to tired and frightening children who need hope.

Here, she meets Hunter. A young boy who wants to hear her stories, to know imagination and happiness. A boy she feels as though she knows. A boy who isn't hers, but feels like it. As she starts to care about him, she can't help but wonder if she can really trust the little voice at the end of the phone.

As the oppressive regime closes in and reality starts to feel like the farcical, frightening worlds she once wrote about, she needs to be careful - or it could mean the end of her own story.

"What would I see? The boundary between fiction and truth disintegrate? Truth. Fiction. Did I know the difference?"

A spellbinding speculative story that explores the complexity of grief and loss in a world where a fascist government has taken away creativity and imagination to remove individuality and freedom. This world feels familiar in a way, and it's clear that this isn't just about the books but the ideas within those books - ideas about feminism, about the rights of BAME and disabled people, about fighting back and being accepted. When I imagined living in this world without the comfort of writing, of stories, it chilled me.

The setting is suffocating - you can feel a constant watchful eye as you flick through the pages, daring you to step out of line. The imagery throughout is visceral and evocative, from the first few pages the sight of pyres of books being lost into ashes sets the dark and disturbing tone for this tale.

Fern is disillusioned, her sense of self stolen from her - but there's still a sense of hopeful defiance in her that is clear from the moment we're introduced. We read her private words as she reflects on a world that has taken everything from her. She's quite literally an open book to us, just not to the rest of the world. She has beautifully written quirks and narrative styles that create such a distinct voice that is deeply compelling. She authentically explores loss and grief in all its forms - whether it's love, identity, passion or people with such tenderness and honestly in such an original way that makes it impossible not to connect.

The chapters are short, moving quickly and making for an easy read with a conversational, thoughtful tone in the narration. It's descriptive, but not over-written, allowing us moments to pause and reflect, to follow Ferns trains of thoughts before moving on into the next phase of the story and gradually leading us towards an absolutely mesmerising conclusion. It's dramatic and cinematic, quiet at first before morphing into something reminiscent of a fever dream, one where nothing is quite as it seems and fiction crashes into reality in the most explosive of ways. It's rare you can say with complete honesty that you never saw something coming, but Swanson left me completely in the dark and blew my mind.

This is a striking portrayal of real pain and loss, but it's also a love letter to the dreamers and artists who look for beauty and meaning everywhere, even when it's hopeless. A blinding testament to the fact that a world without stories is just a rock spinning through space.

What a book! This was just incredible, the author takes everything you think you know and just turns it round in an incredible twist! I just did not expect anything like this from this book but it was brilliant, I feel like this book was so moving and different from anything else I’ve read, absolutely fabulous novel to read - everyone needs to read it.
Can we point out that I would not want to live in a world where fiction was banned because I would never have been able to read this incredible story!

I was ecstatic to be approved for this on Netgalley. All I can say is I was not expecting that. I think a book deserves 5 stars when you start reading a story and then the author just completely flips everything you thought you knew on its head and does so in the most incredibly way. This is a story within a story. I loved it. It was powerful and unique. It is a novel that will stay with me for a long time. Well done Louise! I can’t do much more without giving it away. Just know, if you want a moving, powerful and gripping novel. Look no further.

This review has taken me a week to write as I needed to process after finishing the book. It’s thought provoking, surprising and such an interesting concept.

It’s set a few years in the future, and in a world where fiction is banned (I cannot imagine this, nor would I want to!) and follows the story of an author, Fern, who is no longer allowed to write, and can only read non-fiction. I don’t want to say too much (no spoilers here) but be assured there are some unexpected twists and turns along the way.

I was unsure when I started but the story gradually pulled me in until I was totally engrossed, and had to find out how it ended. I also found it to be quite an emotional read and I think its one that will stay with me for a while

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for my free advanced copy. This review is my own honest opinion

If I had the money, I’d buy everyone a copy of this book.

This book was a whole rollercoaster of emotions. It made me so angry to begin with. But in a good way. The idea that a world could ban all fiction books is a horrifying thought. To take away our words and our stories, it doesn’t bear thinking about. How realistic it is, I don’t know, but by combining it with real topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Louise has written a very worrying and very convincing future.

Even though I read an early digital copy, the cover keeps staring at me (quite literally) on social media, and so I may have to buy a physical copy just to have it on my shelf.

The whole book is written in a sort of diary format, and so the only viewpoint we get is from Fern. This could have felt very one sided, but it didn’t. It means we are fully absorbed in her story without other people’s agendas muddying the water. It is also a good way of adding flashbacks without skipping time periods.

If I’m honest, I couldn’t tell you much about the supporting characters. That’s not to say they’re badly written, in fact I don’t believe there’s a badly written word in this book, but Fern is such a magical main character that all your focus is on her and her emotions and her journey. She is a magnet, she drags you in so you can hold her hand. She’s hard to pin down at first, a bit over the place, but she’s so overwhelmingly human and she’s a joy to read.

At first, there’s quite a bit of repetition, how she spends her day, her work, her love for fiction, her distress, and at first I was concerned it could be a problem, but it very quickly actually became a positive of the book. It showed the mundaneness and inhumanity of a life without stories and without art, and it adds to this idea of terror when imagining such a world.

I was so outraged for a lot of the book that I almost forgot it was fiction. It became so real that I just wanted to talk to people about it, like we were all living it.

For me, it has a mix of genres. There elements of horror - not necessarily all out blood and guts and scares - but there’s bits sprinkled here and there that put you on edge. There’s thriller, psychological thriller, a bit of romance, espionage.

You’ll find yourself never comfortable with it. You’re never comfortable with what you’re reading. You don’t necessarily know who to trust or what you can believe, and by using a diary format, we are working things out at the same time as the characters.

I won’t tell you the ending obviously, that would be a BIG spoiler, but I will say it does throw you back on this rollercoaster. I admit I did have an inkling as to the ending, but that didn’t spoil it for me. If anything, I was even more excited that she had pulled of this fantastic feat so well.

I found myself in floods of tears in so many places. Out of sheer frustration and anger, but also at the grief and the sadness and just the unfairness of everything.

Louise says it was written in lockdown and I think that’s fairly obvious as that’s a major influence in the story. It would be interesting to see, if she’d written the book without the pandemic and without the lockdowns, how different a book it might be?

I only just found out that Louise Swanson is the alter ego of Louise Beech. I’ve not read any of her other books, but from what I can ascertain, this is a complete departure to the norm. But she will definitely be one I look out for, in either guise. Her words are like poetry.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a particularly happy book in the slightest. It’s hard and it’s harsh and it’s sad and heartbreaking. It’s raw and unflinching and honest. But it’s so honest and intelligent and heartwarming. It is glorious writing. Just the sheer respect and understanding of grief - in all guises - in these words is stunning.

It is a love letter to books, to words, to stories, to art, to friends, to family, to children, to our strengths, to our flaws, to the world and to ourselves.

I have no one word that fully encapsulates it fully. I could write about it forever and never scratch the surface to fully give this book the review it deserves. It is so powerful. It is a book one must read for themselves, but I can definitely say I won’t be forgetting about it for a long time.

A compelling dark dystopian book where fiction is banned and so is telling stories to children. Dostoy reads a story to a boy called Hunter on a illegal reading phone line. But are either of them trustworthy.

" If you tell a story well enough, it is true."

End of Story is a unique story about near future world where fiction was banned. Noone can write, publish, sell fiction books. Even tell bedtime storytelling to our children will granted big punishment. The worldbuilding look similar with world we knew but before read this book I never imagine losing fiction will affect our life drastically. At least it was in Fern's life. Our MC is one of big book winners, she wrote after lost her family member. Her books was bestseller and become inspiration so many people. But she only taste her success in short time.

This is my first read from the author and at first pages I thought this one will not work for me. The writing is simple and Fern's narration seem depressing. But suprisingly the plots are richer with each of daily ordinary activities Fern's shared. All of that slowly absorb me into the eerie of Fern Dostoy's world after banned. In the end I really like this creative and well plotted boom and appreciate every layers facts author gave me. The twist was heartbreaking but offer big hope for all our characters.
I must highlight my favorit supporting character, the tea man. His scenes always heartwarming and elevated Fern's personality.

This is a good book started my 2023 with strong kick. Highly recommended.
Thank you Hodder and Stoughton for provided me another great book. I truly enjoyed this one and my thoughts are my own

Wow! I loved the premise of this story, loved the writing, could not put the book down!

End of Story is a well written novel, set in a near dystopian future, where fiction is banned and writers are treated as criminals. The book has a bit of everything, the pages almost turned themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.