Book Review: The End of the Day

Title: The End of the Day
Author: Claire North
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: N/A

All I can say about this book is...wow. I will admit that I didn't have super high expectations for this book. I had read about the whole lack-of-linear-plot and the fragmented-ish style of writing which is normally a huge warning sign for me because if there's one thing I need in my life it's structure (I don't do well with spontaneous. I hate spontaneous. And change.). So I picked up this book with the expectations that I a) would probably not like it and b) would probably not retain any of the story because for these past two days I haven't even been able to tell you what time it is or what day of the week it is but this book blew my metaphorical socks off! I loved the plot (or lack there of), Charlie was amazing, and I do love myself an apocalypse story. Hence why I liked X-MEN: Apocalypse so much.

There really is no organized plot. It kinda follows a linear progression, but there are also some random loops that you aren't exactly sure when it happened. However, you can generally tell when these are coming because either a) considerate Charlie gives you a heads up or b) it takes place in a totally different location so it's fairly obvious that it's a tangent-type escapade. I think this was part of the reason that I could handle the non-plot, because unlike some books that are just like "whoooo TANGENT!" (that darn beltway...) this one was like "btw tangent coming up" so you could prepare yourself.

Also, there were a ton of random fragments and snippets of conversations which would normally drive me NUTSO but I didn't care and I cannot figure out why. I need to find this insanely calm human being and ask them their secrets because I stress about everything and yet this didn't stress me out. At all. How. Why. Teach me your secrets calm reader. They actually gave you this little insight into current events/happenings and some of them also addressed social issues? Like that random conversation in the drugstore would be talking about people feeling pressured by others to change their bodies but you wouldn't realize it if you skimmed the dialogue?

And now I'm really disappointed because I wish that North had written a book like this for each Harbinger but she didn't and now I get to sob in a little puddle of disappointment as I casually add 6+ of her books to my monstrous TBR.

LIKES:
+ THE BELTWAY. Because 99.99% of highways that I have ever been on are like this. Please, put the exit signs farther back. It would be extremely helpful, especially when that monstrous SUV is blocking the sign. And I also loved how EVERY SINGLE PERSON had to deal with it it was wonderful and I was smiling and (almost) laughed but didn't because I didn't want to have to explain it to other people who were around and yeah...
+ Charlie. Charlie was just the best. He was sufficiently awkward enough that I could connect with him yet also kind and hardworking enough that it just made me really happy inside. He was just so patient (what is patience?) and could give the same speech 20 million times and was completely cool with that.
+ Getting to know snippets/stories for all of these minor characters that you got to see a million of and it just made me the happiest puddle of stress ever because everyone knows I love secondary character development
+ The non-plot was a non-issue. I didn't care, and that was awesome because this book was a HUGE step outside my tiny comfort zone and I loved it!
+ The beltway. I still love the beltway.
+ Also, you got to see all the objects given to the people Charlie visited and sometimes it was explained and sometimes it wasn't and life was OKAY!

DISLIKES:
- Obligatory romance complaints here. (But being honest there wasn't that much romance so I REALLY DIDN'T CARE)

This book makes me want to do happy cartwheels up and down the from lawn but with the current weather I would probably either get soaked or hit with a flying tree branch or something so I'll settle for doing internal cartwheels. My heart is very happy right now. I would recommend this to literally anyone (except maybe small children) it was so far out of my comfort zone but it was SO AWESOME. One of my new favorite books.

See this review on Goodreads.