Heather Critchlow’s *The Tomorrow Project* is a haunting speculative novel set in a near-future London devastated by a deadly pandemic. As the government struggles to maintain order, press secretary Marianne faces an impossible choice—stay with her family or help the doomed survive. Meanwhile, seven-year-old Maia is evacuated to a remote camp, where safety soon feels like a prison. With its gripping narrative, deeply human characters, and chillingly plausible dystopian vision, *The Tomorrow Project* is a powerful exploration of resilience, survival, and the lengths we go to for love

Realistic and unsettling, this dystopian story set against the backdrop of a new outbreak (Gradient X) hits surprisingly close to home. It echoes recent pandemic experiences in a way that feels believable without being overdone. The world-building is rich and immersive, pulling you into the setting quickly and convincingly. While the plot is paced with twists and emotional turns, it’s the characters that really land—well-written, grounded, and easy to connect with. There are some genuinely heart-wrenching moments that stick with you. The narration is strong too, striking just the right tone and keeping the emotional thread intact throughout. If you’re into thought-provoking, character-led dystopias, this one’s worth the listen.

Great premise and the story developed well. It dug into characters growing up post apocalypse. Midway through it went deeper into life in a closed community which led away from world building into deeper emotional territory.

A slow start but I soon got hooked and thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook.
Brilliantly narrated kept my attention all the way through and couldn’t wait to find out how it ended.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for letting me listen to this ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review

I read this author before and loved her crime fiction, so I was excited and curious to read her dystopian book, which is also one of my favourite sub-genres. Well, I got more than I expected and this confirmed my love for this author.
I listened to the audiobook excellently narrated by Amy Noble!

There is a lot in this book, and to me it felt like an odyssey, but for the whole of humanity. The world as we know it is crumbling away due to a pandemic and as always, greed and the thirst for power are what ensures our complete downfall. But, Marianne in a last attempt at redeeming her soul, manages unknowingly to provide a lifeline for all of us.

I found the whole story very engaging and credible, with so many emotions, so much so that some of the scenes were very difficult. As the story evolves with the characters, the themes also keep evolving, with some being the survival of the fittest, not just in the Darwinian sense, how humanity shouldn’t repeat the mistakes of the past, and therefore pass the torch to the new generation that has grown up in the new world and can live by the new rules.

As in the author’s style, the writing is very intimate and authentic, with beautiful dialogues. I hope this story becomes a film, because it would be great!

Thanks NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the audiobook and this is my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved The Tomorrow Project. The characters are well-wrought people with complex emotions and motivations, the settings and descriptions are rich and engaging, and the plot itself was so interesting and exciting from start to finish. I absolutely loved the descriptions of the world taken over by nature, and the vision of what could have happened if COVID had never calmed down. I don't normally read dystopian fiction, but for some reason pandemic stories are my exception, and The Tomorrow Project fits into that category alongside Station Eleven and a classic from my childhood: Empty World by John Christopher. Highly recommended!

A gripping and compelling story.
With the COVID pandemic so recent the beginning of this story is utterly believable and immediately drags you in.
I really enjoyed how this book focuses on the aftermath. What happens after the end of the world?
I also appreciated how the story didn’t rely on horror and dramatics but was instead a realistic portrayal of humanity.
The narration was absolutely phenomenal. At times I forgot it was only one person narrating, the portrayal of each individual character was so good. The emotion of the story really came through in the audio.

The audiobook is brilliantly narrated by Amy Noble. It’s well paced and easy to follow, the characters are distinguishable from each other - I enjoyed listening.

I like a dystopian novel, for me the more successful ones are those which play on our current fears and present a world not far from the one we recognise. This is where this story really triumphs. With the Covid pandemic still a recent memory, the opening section of this story was all too real and it was terrifying.

I was gripped by the story and once Maia made it to the evacuation camp I was willing her to survive to justify the sacrifices others had made to get her there. The relationships which developed inside the camp felt authentic for a group of people thrust together whose only goal is to survive.

It’s a gripping and well paced story which exposes how futile our actions can be against a global pandemic. It looks at how we as humans react when our survival is threatened and how hope is often the strongest motivator of all.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Bolinda Audio and H Critchlow for the advanced copy of the Audiobook.

Wow, what a stunning story! I’ve been captivated by dystopian novel lately, and this one was truly fascinating. The journey from beginning to end was unexpected—I initially thought it would be more politically driven and wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy it. However, it evolved into a powerful tale of survival, grief, growth, and love. I absolutely loved it and would rate it 4.5/5.

It reminded me of The Walking Dead (without the zombies) and The 5th Wave (without the aliens), creating a gripping, immersive atmosphere.

As for the narration, while I found the pacing a bit slow at the beginning and noticed some inconsistencies in volume, it significantly improved around the 25% mark and remained consistent afterward. I would rate the narration 4/5.

Congratulations on such a beautiful book—I can see it being incredibly successful!

So close to home, some terrifying post-pandemic speculation on society.

It still feels so recent, COVID. It hit hard, all over again, reading this - but worse. Set in a near future 25 years from now, there's another global pandemic. This time other countries have gone quiet, the virus hits children harder than adults, it can act instantly or take its time. The British PM is implementing a programme to evacuate children to 'summer camps', away from the cities and to be cared for temporarily until normality is restored. Though her loyal press secretary can't quite believe the speeches she's giving about this and takes action herself to help the children who aren't getting to the trains.

One child, Maia, makes it to the trains and away from her family and home in London, to be raised by educators and amongst other children in a camp far away, with little to tell them of what's going on in the wider world and if it's safe. As time passes, and these children grow up, it's going to come to a head in these groups, they'll want information, news on their families, to know if the virus is gone... and what world is left.

Fascinating look at a post-viral world, what would happen within individuals, couples, friendship groups, families, and society at large. There are some very likeable characters and some you really quite like to loathe.

There were plenty of moments I cried, felt empathy, saw myself and my loved ones trying to cope under these circumstances, and often so so glad I could close the pages and know it wasn't true, it's not happening. At least not today.

The early scenes of city dwellers locked in, venturing out for supplies, a country in panic and people dropping like flies was too, too tragic and realistic. I was almost glad when the story moved on from these scenes for some respite.

This reminded me of Day of the Triffids in some regards, the information about humanity coping with so much change and what would be needed to rebuild, how human relationships are affected over a longer period of time. It doesn't flinch away from pain, from science, from the awful things that happen, that people think and say, but also gives some hope and joy in what humans will still always strive to maintain and build.

Excellent dystopia, hard to read at times but too close to reality to be anything but.

A well-read audiobook and loses nothing in the telling from the medium.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

I have to start by saying I don’t read much dystopian fiction. I enjoy films from that genre, but rarely read end of the world type stories. I was in two minds about this title but I’m so pleased I decided to give it a go. It’s amazing. The narration throughout is excellent with great character voices. The story is so frighteningly plausible. I keep thinking what if…the world could so easily have been on the brink after the recent pandemic and it makes a tale like this really hit home. It’s very well crafted around a fight to save children and there’s a lot of heartbreak as well as hope. It leaves the reader or listener with thoughts of the stark choices that could be faced and is rather haunting. After finishing the book, I’ve found myself reflecting on issues a number of times. It’s really well written, great pace and plausible plot and setting. A great listen that had me hooked…and possibly converted to looking for more titles like this.

The Tomorrow Project was sitting patiently waiting on my NetGalley shelf for me to feel like listening to a dystopian fantasy. I did not feel like it at all but I figured I better just get on with it. So I can’t tell you how much of a fantastic surprise it was that I suddenly realised I was absolutely starving and I’d almost finished one of my favourite books of the year so far.

The writing was absolutely excellent, the plot was so good, and the story provided an immersive and believable vision of the end of the world. Characters that were easy to connect with and get to know. I don’t want to spoiler, but expect to enter your own world with this book.

The audio narration was excellent

Huge thanks to Bolinda Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this AOC 🎧

I'm not usually a fan of dystopian speculative fiction but wow this book might just have changed my mind. Once I started listening I didn't want to stop and finished it in two sessions. The book is very well written and the storyline is compelling Thinking back to 2020 I couldn't help wondering 'What if ....'. This book broke my heart so many times às I became totally drawn into Maia's life. The detail and descriptions of the world 10 years on from the pandemic are so realistic and I could really imagine the desolation and horror. This is a book that will stay with me because along with the heartbreak there is also hope.

The narrator, Amy Noble, brought the book to life.

In a world ravaged by a deadly disease, and a race against time to save as many children as possible, Devastated at the loss of her father and being torn away from her mother seven-year-old Maia is one of those evacuated in the hope of survival.

The Tomorrow Projects weaves a beautiful and touching tale of Tragedy, loss, survival, finding family and finding hope.

A masterfully written, gripping and totally compelling speculative dystopian story, I loved it!

As a deadly virus rips across the world, the Prime Minister's press secretary is desperately trying to help as many children as possible escape London for safety in countryside camps, at the expense of fleeing with her own young family. There were WWII evacuation combined with covid vibes, while the government, as usual, put themselves first and foremost.

Maia is a young girl who is hiding away with her parents, in their small flat, hoping to stay safe. She is the last child that Marianne is able to help and her story across the years was utterly captivating.

The character development was excellent, I felt so drawn to them all and could really feel their emotional angst, their loss, their hopes and their dreams. I listened to the audiobook and Amy Noble did a brilliant job of bringing the characters to life so realistically.

Superb.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, H Critchlow and Bolinda for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The Tomorrow Project is a gripping and emotionally resonant listen. The narration is excellent – shifting seamlessly between characters of all ages and backgrounds, bringing the story vividly to life. I was immediately drawn into the panic and uncertainty of the pandemic’s early days, and deeply moved by Maia’s journey through isolation, loss, and ultimately hope. Her bond with Finn and the tentative rebuilding of family in a changed world were particularly powerful.

I won’t give any spoilers, but the preview of the next book left me eager for more. A must-listen for fans of Station Eleven and The Last of Us.