What first drew me to this book was its unique premise: exploring hope and humanity in the face of the world’s end. It’s not a genre I usually pick up, but I found this to be a deeply moving and beautifully written collection that lingers with you long after the last page.

The book follows 10 separate stories of people from around the globe, each grappling with life in a future shaped by climate catastrophe. The opening story sets a powerful tone, illustrating the stark reality of a crumbling world. While each story stands alone, together they create a rich tapestry of emotion, urgency, and reflection.

Juhea Kim’s prose is lyrical and vivid, making each setting and character feel fully alive. Many of the stories left me wanting more—but in the best way. They made me pause, think, and reevaluate the world around me.

The characters felt raw and real, and their varied experiences served as a poignant reminder of both our fragility and our impact.

The author’s note at the end was especially powerful. Kim doesn’t just paint a dystopian picture—she encourages us to take action now to prevent that future.

This was an eye-opening, thought-provoking read that blends literary beauty with environmental urgency.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! 🌎✨

Thanks to Ecco for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A bittersweet collection of stories about human connection with each other and with nature. Sometimes the love depicted is romantic, sometimes not. Set in the near future, in a variety of locations, the stories are mostly open-ended, often stopping at a turning point in the character's life and leaving it open-ended. This seems to support an overall theme of reflection on our own lives and choices, particularly with regards to the world we live in.

A truly heartbreaking collection of short stories focused on climate change and love. I honestly wasn't prepared for how gut-punchingly sad these would be - so be ready! Overall, an extremely good collection.

“Oooh love stories from the end of the world, that sounds fun” I said. Reader, it was not fun, it was heartbreaking. While not a romance, but this book is very much about Love. All different stories, but all something about the way we connect to the world, people, and creatures around us. But they all made me just so sad. Which was probably the point. The last and title story was the perfect one to end on. It was one of the only ones that left me with a feeling of hope and the last line is really touching.

One thing I wish was that translations were provided where other languages were used. It kind of took me out of the story to have to look them up.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for the ebook. These ten stories span the world, most in a slightly altered future. One couple is thinking about dating, but it can’t work because she never dates anyone who doesn’t live on the hundredth floor or above. A woman adopted as a baby in Korea goes to the ends of the earth trying to find any sign from her birth mother. In one of the poorest place on earth, a small island that is disappearing under mountains of trash, a young boy tries to impress a K-pop band for a chance at a new life. Again and again these are big idea stories that are so grounded in the day to day life of real people.