Adrian J. Walker

Irresistible idea, well told, and some very nice writing. The first parts of the book when he's a baby are terrifically funny. I felt the ending was a letdown, both too neatly wrapping things up and yet all over the place in its implications. And yes, it leaves room for a sequel. Still a good read, and enough to make me buy another of his apocalypse books, The Last Dog on Earth. I can also recommend The End of the World Running Club,

Usually I don't look at other reviews before I write mine but this time I did and I am struck by the complaints about the book's pacing in several of the ≤ 3 reviews. Yes, the book is slow in places but somehow it seemed a bit like running.

Don't runners zone out? Don't runners slip in and out of extreme consciousness? Don't runners ache as they run? The book is a little like this.

These days I don't much like post-apocalyptic writing because it is all so similar and was done so much better show more a century ago before everyone was so self-conscious about it. So this book won't rank high on my all-time list. But it really isn't bad at all unless you are as jaded as I am.

I received a review copy of "The End of the World Running Club" by Adrian Walker (Sourcebooks Landmark) through NetGalley.com. It was originally self-published in 2014 in the UK by Adrian Walker and then picked up by Del Rey UK who issued it in paperback in 2016. show less

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this copy in return for an honest review.

Actually 4.5 stars.
I loved this book. I am not a runner and never will be, but this isn't a book about running so much as it is about the will to survive the end of the world. I really liked the main character Ed. He is not someone who is transformed into a hero by the end of the world, he still has all the same character flaws and it isn't until he loses his family that he finds the will to make changes. He show more actually reminds me of Ed, the sidekick from Shaun of the Dead - lovable, but a bit useless. There are some great passages in this book. One of my favourites is "the living would run through the dust of the dead, just as they always had done". It really sums up the feelings of hopelessness and hopefulness that pervade the whole novel. This will be one of those books whose characters are going to be with me for a while.
Highly recommended. show less

The premise of The End of the World Running Club is pretty simple. When the world seemingly ends and everything you have known is forever changed and/or lost, the only way to get from point A to point B is by foot. However, when you have to travel that distance within a specific time frame and walking is too slow, you run. However, Edgar is like millions of Western men and women – overweight, out of shape, and completely unprepared for post-apocalyptic life. The story is of Edgar coming to show more gripes with his past and present to decide what he wants for the future.

Edgar is not alone on his journey. Neither is this a total or sudden apocalypse. There is ample warning for those who paid attention and even 12-hour warnings for those who were not. The destruction is also geographic in nature. As such, there are people and, as we later find out, entire parts of the world, who are able to escape the devastation. The local survivors initially band together as a means of governance and assessment of the situation. They spend their days seeking supplies and monitoring the landscape for other survivors who are more isolationist. There is the required tension as dissimilar personalities are forced together via necessity, and they all must learn to compromise and adjust to this new world. There is also plenty of suspense as the group runs into all types of survivors on their trek.

In several instances, the novel has the feel of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road without being quite as grim. There are some gruesome scenes and some very unfriendly survivors, and there is a sense that it is every man for himself out there. However, the story is more hopeful and positive than other post-apocalyptic novels. In a sense, the story is not about the damage or even post-apocalyptic life. Rather, it is Edgar’s reassessment of his life, his previous ennui with his job, his dissatisfaction as a parent, his general malaise at the futility of gadgets and things and the rat race that can be life. As Edgar runs with his fellow survivors, he must look inside himself to determine what, if anything, is worth the effort. He must recognize his past failures and confront harsh truths about himself. The physical journey is the scenery by which this internal journey occurs.

The End of the World Running Club is not so much a scary novel intended to convince you to prepare for the apocalypse as it is an opportunity for self-assessment alongside Edgar. As Edgar reevaluates his life choices, you automatically review yours as well. In fact, it is a more thoughtful novel than I expected. The title makes me think it is going to be campier than it really is. I actually wanted campy, so the earnest novel I read, while interesting and engaging, leaves me feeling disappointed. However, that problem is mine and not the fault of the author’s. The End of the World Running Club is a quiet novel of hope in a world filled with chaos. How fitting for today’s world. show less