Hi everyone!!

I’ve been gone for while – but i’m back!

The end of the day by Claire North is a new adult sci-fi thriller novel that follows Charlie, the harbinger of death. Although he is one of the riders of the apocalypse and comes before death itself, Charlie is a normal guy and his job is like any other – he reports to an office in Milton keynes, takes sick leave and occasionally has his life threatened in Belarus. This story spans multiple countries and multiple lives. Each encounter asks a different question and alters the way we see our world.

This novel satirises the abstract death. Charlie is the average hero but his ‘anti-power’, as North seems to be so fond of within her main characters, is letting people know when they are about to die. The reason I loved this book so much was because Charlie approaches death not as something sorrowful but rather as a moment to reflect on what you’ve been given in life and the things the world has taken away. Significantly North pushes the boundaries of how society commonly perceives dying. Aside from all of the globe trotting and hilarity, we understand that we don’t have to be scared of passing on – it doesn’t have to be an end.

Charlie respects women, supports racial equality and when asked about his sexuality simply answers that he’s not too sure. Essentially North creates the friend we all wish we had and on top of that makes him into philosophical beacon that spurts out inspirational life quotes every few chapters. What I like most about Charlie is his willingness to learn and understand. North’s unique writing style coupled with the empathy she exemplifies through her main character turns this book from a narrative that you can enjoy into a story that you can learn from. Charlie visits countless people from countless backgrounds and shows tolerance for every single one. The End Of the Day showed me the importance of advocating for equality on all fronts.

I would try and explain the plot but it is far too big and spectacular and intricate for me to describe here. You’ll just have to read the book to find out.

I highly recommend this novel – it was perhaps one of the most interesting books I have read this year as North’s work usually is.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

Keep on reading

And thanks again Beth