A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

Narrated by an honest yet naïve adolescent and set in a distant future in which mankind is facing extinction, this is a beautifully written piece of world building which balances depressing reality with a kind of stubborn hope. And dogs! It's a gentle rebuke of the way we live today (plastic everywhere) and a somewhat sardonic assurance that human foibles, as well as human strengths, will persist right until the very end. I especially liked the way Fletcher juxtaposed the tail-wagging consistency of his canine protagonist with the often fickle nature of the humans around him. If I have one criticism though it would be his overuse of foreshadowing of the "Little did I know what was to come next..." variety. Yes there are twists, show more especially that one-two punch at the end, but we really don't need a string of road signs advertising them. But given the novel's overall impact it's a very small bone to pick. Bibliophiles will appreciate the sly tributes to Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Harlan Ellison, among others. show less

“A man stole my dog. I went after him. Bad things happened. I can never go home.”

Thus opens A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher, one of the best post-apocalyptic books of the last decade at least. This book tells the story of Griz, who lives in a world with barely any people left. When a rare visitor comes to the island Griz lives on and leaves with his dog, Griz doesn’t think twice about taking off in pursuit.

“Dogs were with us from the very beginning and of all the animals that walked the long centuries beside us, they always walked the closest.

Griz is fiercely loyal to family, and dogs are family. Griz’s world is mostly empty of people and all the conveniences that modern society takes for granted. show more People get by on what they can do for themselves and what they can scavenge from the wreckage of the old world. Griz narrates his pursuit into a world that is only familiar from books. Survival in this world will take every bit of determination, luck and courage that Griz can muster.

Fletcher sets the mood with the very title and reinforces it from the opening line. The tension, excitement and worry crackles on every page. Seeing the world through Griz’s eyes shines a light on all the things that are important in our world as well as which things endure and which fade away.

Griz is a compelling narrator with a distinctive voice. The story is deeply moving and you’ll frequently find yourself reading it with your heart in your throat. Fletcher explores not only his depopulated world but what it means to be human.

Ultimately this is a story about the importance of connection, whether in a world crowded with people or a world nearly empty of them. This book has the potential to be a classic and a book that you will want to read, reread, and then read again. One of the finest examples the genre has to offer.

I was fortunate to be provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

“There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you. Because if we’re not loyal to the things we love, what’s the point?” show less

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is a proper end-of-the-world story, as it has everything you want in such stories. Plus, the entire story revolves around a boy’s attempt to get back his dog. That type of loyalty goes a long way towards overcoming any of the story’s pitfalls. Thankfully, there are few to none. C. A. Fletcher provides a history so that we can understand Griz’ world and why the sight of other people fills one with fear and not excitement. The world into which Griz ventures is harsh and dangerous but not without its beauty as well. Griz’ journey is exciting and refuses to follow any pattern, meaning it never becomes predictable or mundane. It is the type of story that engages your imagination while Griz’ show more struggles engage your sympathies. It is the type of book I had hoped more people would read because it is engrossing and provides a plethora of discussion topics. Have you read it? What did you think? show less

Griz's family lives on a little island in the Outer Hebrides, on a mostly depopulated Earth. Over a century before, something unknown, but referred to as the Gelding, caused the human reproduction rate to plummet to almost nothing. Griz's ancestors were among those who, as the population crashed, moved to remote areas where they wouldn't meet other people accidentally. The family consists of Griz, Griz's parents, and brother and sister Ferg and Bar. There was another sister, Joy, not much older than Griz, who is the youngest..Griz tells us the heartbreaking story of his sister Joy chasing a kite that got loose, and accidentally tumbling over the cliff.

Between the rocks and the powerful surf, she couldn't survive, and they could never show more recover her body.

One day, a ship with red sails arrives in their little harbor, carrying a man called Brand, who says he wants to trade. Brand, we soon learn, is a charmer, a storyteller, a liar, and a thief.

This is where our story really starts, and it's a story told entirely, with one small exception near the end, from Griz's viewpoint, in a notebook that he carries with him.

Brand adds color, fun, and a little news to the day, because strangers showing up is the only way to learn of what's happening away from their own island and their near neighbors, the Lewismen, on a nearby island. They all like Brand, and there is much talk about trading--but one of the things Brand wants to trade for is one of Griz's own two dogs, two small terriers called Jip and Jess. Brand wants Jess, because Jess is female, and dogs Gmuch as humans have dramatically collapsed in numbers. Griz says no. Everyone else says Jess is Griz's, and Griz won't give her up, ever.

Brand laughs it off.

Brand is invited to join them for dinner, and he brings his own contribution, something they've never had before, that he picked up in Spain--marmalade. They all eat and enjoy it, but Griz broke a tooth the day before, and the sweetness is too much for that broken tooth. Griz eats less than anyone else. Griz wakes up before everyone else, too--to find Brand is leaving, and all of Griz's family is sleeping very very deeply. He struggles to wake them, fearing they may not, and when his father is awake, they discover how much Brand has stolen, including all the fish they would have been both eating and trading in the coming weeks.

And Jess. Jip is still present, but Jess is gone. And Griz sees Brand's red sails just about to disappear over the horizon. Jip and Griz quickly set off in the sailboat Sweethope, Griz's own boat, following Brand.

What follows is a hard chase, with stops at places Griz never knew of, or had only read of in books gathered from "viking" abandoned towns and scattered abandoned buildings. There are several encounters with Brand, who proves to be in some ways cultured and educated, and who keeps insisting that Jess is his because he stole her, that he's not a monster, and that Griz, with no trace of beard at all, is obviously too young to be pursuing him, and needs to turn around and go home. He also tells Griz, repeatedly, that he's not a monster, a claim that Griz has good reason to doubt.

Griz continues the pursuit, and learns a great deal about the way the world has changed. Harrowing encounters included an encounter with wild pigs, that he wouldn't have survived except for the chance arrival of a French woman who says her name is "John Dark," or something that sounds like that. Griz does mention in passing, in the notebook he carries, that that's not what she really said, but what she really said was no more her real name than "John Dark," but it was a good name and what she chose to be called.

We see a depopulated England, and life (other than human) prevailing, and find both terrible and wonderful things, such as the Homely House. There are disturbing remnants of how people chose to face the end of their world, and some of the ways people are choosing to survive are disturbing too.

All along the way, there are secrets to be discovered, and secrets to be revealed. including Griz's own. Griz also finds a lot to think about, how dogs have been with humans from the beginning, and were betrayed by humans in the end. We learn about the Freemen, who apparently maintained underground, electronic brains--as long as possible, until the last people who knew how died. And now, at least some of the Freeman are spreading la peste, the plague, the actual plague.

I mentioned that Griz has a secret, but there's also another, major, secret, very important to Griz, that needs to be discovered.

This was a slow read for me, because it's a post-apocalyptic novel, of exactly the kind I don't enjoy nearly so much as when I was a teenager living through the Cold War. (Okay, yes, the Cold War may be back again, but I no longer want to focus on the aftermath of it going hot in some way when I'm reading for leisure.) But this one was recommended by a friend, whose judgment on this I trust, and the trust was not misplaced. Even though I took a few breaks, I kept returning to it, because, yes, it's worth it.

Also, all dogs encountered in the course of the book are alive and well at the end. Yes, that's something I require, to consider a book readable.

Recommended.

I bought this book. show less

A definite standout in the field of soft post-apocalyptical fiction! "A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World" follows a world where some unknown event caused most of the worlds population unable to have kids. Now an estimated few thousand survive, and they are all going quietly about their days in their own pockets of the world. Grizz, our main character, has barely ever seen anyone else than immediate family, but an encounter with a thieving stranger sets Grizz off on a quest- to get his dog back.

In many ways it's a very quiet and introspective story, unlittered with tons of dialogue or any big explanations of the past. Rather, Grizz spends a lot of time talking about books, the way he imagines the world used to be, how it might show more look in the future, and all the different aspects of humanity and what makes one human. But don't be fooled: it's not a dry or dull book! There were so many suspenseful moments I found myself tempted to just flip ahead pages to see how things were going to turn out. I'm fascinated with how C.A. Fletcher was able to craft such a riveting story without relying on the traditional means; he's got a real talent for foreshadowing and details that really create a wonderful reading atmosphere!

This honestly isn't a book I usually would have picked up, but am super happy I did. It's a truly unique story and I'd recommend it to fans of "Station Eleven" by Emily St. John Mandel or "Chaos Walking" by Patrick Ness.

PS- Usually I can call a decent amount of plot twists but there was one in particular (not the first one but the second one) that made my jaw DROP. show less

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 show more 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. show less

This is an impetuous, passionate first person coming of age tale set in a near future apocalyptic world. A heart-warming story, but not too unrealistically so - it is a definite page turner with more than enough suspense. Leaning toward the Young Adult market, it is still meaty enough for adults to appreciate. The quest takes us on a journey from windswept islands and through landscapes fraught with unexpected challenges and delightful surprises for our leading character. Like any good book, the final pages wind up several loose ends in a very satisfying way, but leave just a bit of untold story to keep us guessing. It is steadfast and slightly slobbery like a good dog.