Reviews with content warning for Grief - The End We Start From

The audio narration was seamless and lyrical, almost meditative. The plot in prose interwove cohesively with sections of poetry, short bursts of stream of consciousness, and quotations from various flood narratives. I admired the way the author juxtaposed the shock of a sudden, apocalyptic flood and struggle to survive in its immediate aftermath, with descriptions of new motherhood and the wonder of a baby growing from infancy amidst an impossible landscape. Humans can hold so many truths at the same time, birth and death, fear and hope, grief and joy, light and dark.

I think one of my favorite elements of this story is that the narrator is a geriatric mother, a woman who is no longer in her youth and has known something of life. She is able to make her own decisions, to weather the events of the story with an heir of maturity. She does not come across as helpless or desperate, but rather reasoned and resourceful. I'm glad the story was told from her perspective.

In the end, it was interesting to compare her survival story with the baby to the horror her male partner and father of the child experienced alone in the flood's aftermath. The baby seems to have given her something to focus on besides ugliness and loss, a reason to survive and hold on to hope. I liked the idea that mother's have a way of holding the world together in disasters, war zones, and the long haul of rebuilding because of the hope they hold for their children.

Content Warnings

withlivjones's review

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This is a quick but chilling read that tackles themes of motherhood, belonging, and grief in a natural-disaster-stricken Britain. I liked that you don’t get much information about what is going on, and everything you do learn you have to infer from suggestions in the text, which really immerses you in the story and the fear that the characters have of the unknown. The narration feels very stream-of-consciousness-like and I thought it was very realistic and engaging.

Content Warnings

selimhannah's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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