Cover Image: A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

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Member Reviews

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest view.

This is an outstanding book!!! I received the first 5 chapters to read and was intrigued so I requested the completed book and am soooo glad that I did!!
This book is about a boy living on an island, just off the shores of Scotland, in a time after the world's population has been decimated by some kind of disease or bioweapon that has stopped the reproduction cycle. There is a very, very small percentage of people not affected and so Griz lives in a world where the only humans who he knows are his immediate family and a neighbouring family on another island.
One day a stranger shows up and is interested in trading with Griz's family and even more interested in Griz's dogs Jess and Jip. After an evening of hospitality and conversation, Griz awakens in the morning to find his family seems to have been drugged and the stranger has disappeared. Not only has the stranger sailed away but he has stolen Griz's dog Jess.
The stranger's boat can be seen on the horizon so without a second thought, Griz grabs a few supplies and along with Jip , he takes after the boat in hopes of rescuing Jess.
From here we follow along with Griz on an adventure to the mainland where he must overcome many challenges of a world that has been left in decay in hopes that he can save Jess.

This is a very well written book with a narrative that flows so easily and flawlessly. It comes across as very straight forward and you feel like you know exactly where the story is going...……. until you don't. That surprise twist totally threw me for a loop. It had me second guessing if I had missed some important reveal. When I got to the end I turned to the first page to start reading again to see if I could see just where the author had deceived me and if there were any clues that could have indicated the truth. This is one book you definitely need to add to your TBR list no matter what genre you like!

Bravo C.A Fletcher that was very well done!

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Thank you to Orbit for an early EARC of this book!

I found this book to be so original, and very enjoyable! The point of view of the main character, Griz, was entertaining. This book takes place after the apocalpse of the world. Only a few people have survived and were able to sustain life. The main character narrates what life is like after the world ends and what they have to do to survive. Having a dog is the most important thing to him and the people of the world. They don’t have material things and the only things they love and adore are their dogs. I found this very original story wise. One day an outsider comes to Griz’s world and takes his beloved dog! Griz takes this so hard and won’t give up until he finds her. He then goes on an adventure to get her back, no matter what it takes. I will gush about this book forever! I am a dog mom and my dog is my everything, so I can relate to Griz and I too would do anything for my pup! Highly recommend!!

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i have always liked dystopian novels, and this is a very good one! The boy, Griz, has to search for his stolen dog. Told from the perspective of Griz, it is a wonderful and touching story.

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[Review to be published April 11th on The Nerd Daily]

If you read one book this year, I beg you that this be the one. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World will break your heart in all the right ways.

In a confessional writing style, Griz recounts the impulsive pursuit of the stranger who came into the lives of Griz’s family – which has already been touched by tragedy – betrays their trust, and absconds with their beloved dog. Set in a world which has been ravaged by an event which saw the modern world, barring a few who had natural immunity, unable to reproduce, A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World charts Griz’s journey across a depopulated world; the world which we left behind.

The isolation of travelling through a depopulated world is the overriding characteristic of the novel. The imagination which Fletcher exposes in considering how exactly the world would look if suddenly we were all unable to reproduce, is masterful. So much has been thought through, such as the different ways in which people responded to the ‘baby bust’ apocalypse, and the amount of intellectual legwork done to really consider this what the world through which Griz travels looks like, is truly impressive.

The descriptions of the old world being slowly eaten and retaken by nature, are so beautifully evocative and vivid, that they drew an immediate parallel in my mind to the detail and haunting beauty portrayed in something like The Last of Us (see here for why you should play if it you haven’t).

Fletcher tenderly observes facets of life which we take for granted: the miracle of recorded music, or how it feels to be surrounded by people, making for visually lush reading. It’s safe to say that the writing is very reflective; we are in Griz’s head, after all. I do realise that isn’t for everyone; I’ll admit, it didn’t make for light reading, given the concentration it requires to be able to envisage what is being described, and as I read, a sense of melancholy would inevitably descend upon me and linger. But that isn’t a comment against the book, but merely a comment about the type of book this is.

I read a review which criticised the book for the fact that Griz’s writing was far too sophisticated and reflective for a fourteen-year-old (I think – I’m reasonably certain that age is mentioned, but I can’t find particular reference to it, regardless, Griz is only an adolescent). However, Griz is thoughtful, deeply introspective and reflective, and a voracious reader. That, taken in combination with the fact that a post-apocalyptic world requires people to grow up fast in order to survive, left me feeling that it was plausible enough for a younger narrator to have a sophisticated and thoughtful voice.

This melancholy reflectiveness, taken with the grammatical decision to eschew quotation marks in keeping with the form of a stream of consciousness journal confession, brought to mind two books: the Life of Pi, and All the Pretty Horses. Normally I’m not the world’s biggest fan of post-grammar writing (no quotation marks), but the manner in which it is used gels perfectly with the style of the book, which makes us the reader, the imagined audience to whom Griz is pouring out the heartbreak of a saga across the remains of our society, perfectly immersed in the mood of the book.

In terms of actual action of the book itself – the manner in which the plot plays out, I felt this was a truly unusual storyline. I genuinely had no idea where the story would end, or even what would happen next. Even as we are given foreshadowed warnings about the manner in which the story unfolds (for example the comment that it is the unexpected book which saves Griz’s life), I still could not have anticipated what eventuated. I did guess one of the twists, and was so busy being impressed with myself about it that I completely missed many of the others. The one thing I will say regarding the twists is hold in your mind when reading something Griz says towards the book’s conclusion: when a liar says they will tell you the whole truth, listen carefully for the shape of what they don’t say.

A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World is a hard novel to review without giving too much away, or overexplaining it. The delight in it lies in the experience of the reading, of the beautifully constructed sentences, of the lingering sense of sadness at the world which was lost, at the heart which nestles in the centre of the story: the relationship between a person and their dog. It is a beautiful book, and I loved it so much that even though I was given an e-arc, I think I will have to purchase a physical copy for myself when it comes out this month, because I would really love to re-read it (and force my friends and family to read it, too).

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Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World takes place far beyond the end of the world as we know it. The main character Griz lives on an island with his family and dogs, hunting and farming in the only world he knows. When a stranger with enthralling stories pulls up on their shores, Griz's life will change irrevocably.

I really enjoyed this book. I would call it more an adventure story than post-apocalyptic, because the end times don't play a huge role in the plot. I would have actually liked a little more background on how the modern world ended, and how the remaining population is surviving (although to be fair, Griz as the narrator probably wouldn't know those things). I liked the action and Griz's determination and strength. It was fascinating to see the ruins and relics of what would be our world through the character's eyes for the first time. Also it has a journal format, which I found pretty endearing. A unique and interesting adventure for YA fans! 3.5 stars

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I read the preview and i wanted to read the whole book. This was an unique type of dsytopian story. I really enjoyed the world that author created it. I could perfectly picture the places. I loved Griz. His love of books and his dogs was adorable. I would recommend this book who wants to read different end of the world story. Thanks for this early copy.

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This was a wonderfully written dystopian book. The book takes place hundreds of years in the future where there are no computers, few books, and even fewer people. A plague has all but wiped out humanity. Dogs are also rare and Griz treasures and loves his two dogs, Jip and Jess. One day, a stranger visits to trade with Griz’s father and ends up stealing one of Griz’s dogs. Griz decides to sail after him to get Jess back. An epic adventure ensues involving peril, unlikely friendships, and hope.

There were so many beautiful descriptions of the places where the main character, Griz, lives and travels to rescue his dog. Griz quotes from The Hobbit about going on an adventure which I thought was interesting because with both books, you feel like you are actually walking beside the main character. I could actually see the post apocalyptic world being described. Because of the decrease in the human population and the post-apocalyptic setting, there are many thought provoking ideas and sentences that relate to today’s society and what our future might hold.

I decided to read this book because I am a huge dog lover. I can’t imagine my anguish if one of my dogs was stolen. The author definitely caused me to have lots of anxiety over the dognapped dog. I could totally relate to Griz’s sadness and determination to get his dog back at all cost. I highly recommended this book

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This is a fresh take on how the world may be when modern civilization comes to a halt.
The book is an exciting adventure that really explores the psychological aspects of a survivor and their POV of the world around them.
I believe that the title is too long and that a more creative one could make this a modern classic.

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Received via Netgalley for review.

When I requested this book, I definitely thought it was going to be more juvenile than it was. The premise seems basic: someone kidnaps somebody's dog, they give chase, things happen. But Fletcher injected some true humanity and a sense of optimism, if not hope, in his writing that changes the feeling of the book. And all of the survival actions that Griz undertakes seem realistic and like things someone in that position truly would do (marking landmarks on the map, smoking rabbit, etc.) which helped with the realism.

Basically, human beings and dogs are going extinct because somehow 99% of the population went sterile/barren and died off. What few remain live off the land in small, isolated groups. Griz doesn't know how well off they were until a thief comes, drugs them all, and takes off with not just material things, but their only female dog.

There were some beautiful lines/ideas throughout (like the idea that dogs have stayed through our side for centuries, never turning their backs on us and always staying loyal and loving, and we dragged them down with us for it; that without loyalty and love in our lives, there's really no point to living), and the journal style was fine. Griz's relationship with John Dark was wonderful and touching.

The only reason this isn't a five-star review is because some of the foreshadowing was too heavy-handed and just too much in general. The reader always knows when something is going to go wrong or reappear because Grirz will flat out say "but things were going to get worse" or "how could I know I would need this thing again soon enough," which got a little tiresome. Trust the reader a little! And, while I was pleased about it, the ending was a little too pat.

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I’d like to thank NetGalley for the eARC for my honest review. A spellbinding dystopian marvel! Full of hope, full of sorrow, and so many wonderful exciting twists. I don’t ever like to add any kind of synopsis to my reviews, so all I will say is its worth every moment you spend enjoying it.

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Mesmerizing, captivating, page-turner, must read are just a few words that apply to A boy and his dog at the end of the world. This book was so well written, with characters that came alive in my mind. I’ve never read anything like this story and can only hope to again in the future. It is rare that I read a book and not anticipate where the story is going and how exactly it will get there, but this book blew me away. I wish I had a camera on my face when I hit the 90% finished mark, because I know my mouth must have dropped opened and my eyes must have bugged out! I so did not see that coming and I can hardly wait to recommend this to friends, family, co-workers, everyone! Fantastic! What a gift of a book.

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Written by C. A. Fletcher, a boy and his dog is a great choice for anyone looking for a post- apocalyptic novel. In this world, they had the Gelding, when 99% (or something like that) of the world became infertile. So we have out main character who lives on a series of islands off of the UK and only have the one family.

Personally, I didn't get into this novel because of how long the background information goes on and on. The writing is by no means bad, but I just didn't enjoy this.

However, for those looking for a good, new twist on the world after, this is a great book to turn to. It doesn't hide what it is, but embraces that this is years after the culling. And that was greatly appreciated.

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A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I must say I was delightfully surprised with what a good book it was. It is a post apocalypse novel. The world is burnt out and there are a very few survivors. The story is about Griz. Griz and a stolen dog fuel the plot.
The author does a great job keeping a secret until not far from the end of the book. The character development is well done. The story moves well and has a wide variety of scenery to make it more interesting.
The state of the world is loosely explained.
The book was captivating and well done.
I highly recommend.
I received this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

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As a dog-mom, I was immediately drawn in by the title and cover!

The story follows young Griz on their quest to retrieve their stolen dog, a precious commodity in a world with few people and even less dogs. As infertility increased in this future dystopia, people struggled to survive as one by one their family died, aging into oblivion. Doing what they had to do to survive, Griz' family marooned themselves on an island and became vikings- only leaving when it was time to find new equipment or food. A stranger comes to the island and leaves with one of Griz' dogs propelling them upon a journey to take back what is theirs.

This book was both frustrating and engaging! I couldn't help but carry a small bit of dread with me into each chapter as Fletcher is constantly forewarning the reader of the bad things yet to come. I really enjoyed all of the descriptions of Griz (two generations down from the last society) encountering remnants of the old world and supposing what they might be. With a few twists at the end, I particularly loved reading this story while sitting next to my doggo on the couch.

I would definitely recommend this for readers that enjoyed Station Eleven!

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I know I’m late to the game, but I recently discovered Netgalley and signed up to review. I wasn’t too sure how many books I’d get approved for, and when I spotted the cover for A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, I was immediately drawn in. Reading the synopsis pulled me in further. I have a soft spot for dog fiction. Even though I typically try to limit how many post-apocalypse themed books I read, I knew I needed to give this one a shot. This was the very first book that I was approved to read through the website, which I think made it a bit sentimental.

The narrative in this book is great. It’s been some time since I’ve read a book told in diary form and specifically talking to the reader, but as it turns out, I’ve now read two back-to-back. (The other was Will Haunt You by Brian Kirk, which was a phenomenal read for you horror fans out there.)

The story follows a young boy a number of years after the world began its demise. The “apocalypse” in this tale was a fantastic twist on the genre and it made me stop and think about how it’s something that could very well happen.

The boy and his family live on a small island somewhere near the United Kingdom.

Then one day a boat is spotted and a stranger arrives. The man is worldly, enthralling, but also different. Leaving the boy with a sense of unease towards the stranger, his beard and his smile.

When the boy wakes up and the stranger has left with his beloved dog, the story begins, as the boy gives chase.

Overall this was a fantastic telling of the lengths a human will go towards their pet. But as most of us dog owners know, our pets are more than just pets, they are family.

The boy has to overcome a number of obstacles, setbacks and roadblocks along the way, as he tracks his dog and the stranger that stole it.

I found there was a few bogged down moments in the middle of the book, which slowed the story and added details that didn’t move the plot along.

However, C.A. Fletcher rights this quickly, which leads us to an ending that I didn’t see coming, but it wrapped everything up and brought the entire story to a phenomenal close.

This tale I think will situate itself nicely with many YA, post-apocalyptic novels, while also separating itself purely with how it is written and the themes shared within.

4/5 stars for an enjoyable romp across an unfriendly landscape.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2668885509

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Early on, it was obvious that this book was something different. Instead of a violent, action-packed story about the fall of civilization, A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is a quieter, more introspective novel told from the perspective of someone born long after the end of society.

The book is marketed as similar to Station Eleven, and I think that’s an apt comparison. Rather than exploring how human culture survives the apocalypse, this is a story about the importance of family and the powerful bond between humans and dogs.

Griz is born over a hundred years after the Gelding ended the world. There was no nuclear disaster, no sudden societal collapse. One day, humanity simply found that it had become almost entirely infertile. The apocalypse happened slowly over the course of the decades that followed as the world’s population grew old.

A few thousand people remain. Griz and his family live peacefully on an island all to themselves, along with their two dogs. Every now and then they take their boat to go foraging, which is how Griz finds the various books (like McCarthy’s The Road and Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) he makes references to throughout the novel.

And then the thief came. The rest of the story is Griz’s journal chronicling his quest to be reunited with his stolen dog. As a brief side note, I do wish more time had been spent building up Griz’s relationship with his dog at the beginning of the story, but this was more than made up for as the story progressed.

Fletcher’s prose is hauntingly beautiful and offers poignant insight into our world through Griz’s exploration of its ruins. There is very little dialogue in the book, and it’s presented without quotes or any form of easily recognizable punctuation. The dialogue, like the story, is just written down as Griz remembers it. Sometimes it’s necessary to read past what Griz actually writes, since he records words he doesn’t recognize phonetically.

I hope you have tissues with you, because you’ll need them. A Boy and His Dog doesn’t pull punches. That said, it’s never bleak. There’s an underlying current of hope that courses through the story. Most of the remaining humans still have some basic decency and Griz is a capable protagonist with more agency than he often realizes.

Early on it was obvious that this book was something different. But it soon became obvious that the story is something truly special.

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I absolutely love a good end of the world story and this one was absolutely wonderful! It's probably the most beautifully described post pandemic world I've ever read. The story is written from the viewpoint of Griz who lives with their family on an isolated island near what I imagine was once Ireland. Griz's family lives alone on this island and their closest neighbor is a family who lives several islands away from them. So needless to say when a stranger sails to their isle claiming to be a trader they are both cautious and excited. Unfortunately they were not cautious enough because Brand, the red bearded trader, drugs the family with exotic marmalade. To the horror of Griz's family the trader has stolen one of their precious dogs. A female terrier named Jess. Griz immediately jumps in a boat with their other family dog Jip to track down the thief and reclaim the family dog.
What then follows is a trip of discovery and test of determination when Griz faces obstacles and wonders that were only read about in the books the family had "a-vikinged" (salvaged) from trips to other islands where there were homes or towns.
This book was really wonderful. I'm the type of person who roots for the dog before I root for the human so I was a little scared to read this on account of the dog but I am so glad I did. This will definitely be a long time favorite. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review such an amazing story.

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“If we’re not loyal to the things we love, what’s the point? That’s like not having a memory. That’s when we stop being human. That’s a kind of death, even if you keep breathing.”

The Boy and His Dog at the End of the world is an alluring dystopian scifi. A page turner with a fascinating world and mystery. The story opens up immediately with the reason for the end of the world and something called the Gelding happened and it’s basically caused..well, people to stop having babies. No one getting it on in this book. No berry white in the bedrooms. The population went from 7.7 billion to 8 and a half thousand in just 70 years.

This story is being told by a young boy named Griz in a journal like format which I feel like is common in dystopian stories. He’s recounting what happened like he’s talking to you personally but one thing I struggled with was he’s also recounting conversations and there would be times when I’d be half way through a paragraph and realize at the end that it was actually dialogue and it threw me a little off kilter when it happened.

Griz lives on an island with his family; his parents, brother and sister and his two dogs. We are pretty quickly given information about how the family gets by and the many tragic events they have had to go through which are very heartbreaking. The first chapter definitely sets a vibe for the rest of the book like “oh man, this is tough.” Which I don’t ever expect less from apocalyptic stories and this one hits hard in the feels. Plus it being centered around dogs does not help.

Getting visitors is such a rarity that it’s become a big event for the family so when a stranger shows up to the island in a boat, they are immediately wary but to show hospitality they invite him in and the stranger has gifts and but also strange stories along with them. After some events that you’ll have to read to find out yourself, Griz realizes this stranger has stolen one of his dogs and man, you’d think that wasn’t such strong turning point in the story but the author makes it feel so dire. The stranger also stole some very important resources from the family as well. Griz, without thinking, grabs his other dog, hops in a boat and chases after the stranger which leads him to the empty mainland where he finds out he’s chasing something different entirely.

“Solitude is its own kind of madness. Like hope Itself.”

The characters are fully developed and totally interesting. The dystopian story is compelling and believable. Fletcher paints a chilling picture of a broken world and the events that conspire after the survivors are left. You’ll find sadness, and loss, and tragedy here but you’ll also find unity, courage, and hope. This is a book you will never forget!

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A fertility epidemic (slowly) wiped out 99.9999% of the world’s population. The remaining survivors are scattered around the globe. Griz lives on a small, Scottish island with several family members and two dogs. When one of the dogs is stolen by a mysterious visitor, Griz sets off across the sea and barren landscape to bring the dog back home.

C.A. Fletcher paints a vivid picture of an abandoned, post-apocalyptic world, but this is a tough book to rate. I did not find Griz’s story to be compelling...at all...until the final 10% of the book. It was a quick read and that excellent last section made the uninteresting journey somewhat worthwhile. I did appreciate that Fletcher’s choice of narration style is part of the story and even pays off in the final pages.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another book that vaguely reminded me of Station 11 which I enjoyed. Its the Story of a boy who will go through many journeys to find his dog who was stolen.
This book was different from the other dystopian/post-apocalyptic genre. It has a very calming feel to it but it was a different way to narrate it and at times I found it distracting and almost taking away from the story.

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