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popthebutterfly 's review for:

A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen
5.0

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Beginning at the End

Author: Mike Chen

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Publication Date: January 14, 2020

Genre: Dystopian

Recommended Age: 18+ (violence, some mature scenes, death, plagues, CPS, the usual)

Publisher: MIRA

Pages: 400

Amazon Link

Synopsis: How do you start over after the end of the world?

Six years after a global pandemic wiped out most of the planet’s population, the survivors are rebuilding the country, split between self-governing cities, hippie communes and wasteland gangs.

In postapocalyptic San Francisco, former pop star Moira has created a new identity to finally escape her past—until her domineering father launches a sweeping public search to track her down. Desperate for a fresh start herself, jaded event planner Krista navigates the world on behalf of those too traumatized to go outside, determined to help everyone move on—even if they don’t want to. Rob survived the catastrophe with his daughter, Sunny, but lost his wife. When strict government rules threaten to separate parent and child, Rob needs to prove himself worthy in the city’s eyes by connecting with people again.

Krista, Moira, Rob and Sunny are brought together by circumstance, and their lives begin to twine together. But when reports of another outbreak throw the fragile society into panic, the friends are forced to finally face everything that came before—and everything they still stand to lose.

Because sometimes having one person is enough to keep the world going.

Review: I really liked this book! It was an amazing dystopian adventure with a highly imaginative post apocalyptic world! I loved the examination of characters and I really like seeing how people react to different pressures put upon them by society. I liked seeing how society reinvented itself and how it was trying to reclaim what it previously had. I also liked the writing and the world building.

However, I did feel like the pace was a little slow and that some dystopian fans would be turned off by the focus on the post apocalyptic and not the ensuring disaster. Overall, I really loved this book!

Verdict: Definitely recommend this one for dystopian fans!