3.5 stars
Thank you @penguinpress for sending me a copy of The End of Loneliness to review - I’m always looking for more translated authors to enjoy, and I think Charlotte Collins does a fantastic job with this translation from German! It was a joy to read, it flowed well and there was no clumsy, awkward feeling.
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This book is quite an emotional read, following three siblings through their lives after the tragic death of both their parents. Although narrated by the youngest brother Jules, I think Wells does a great job of fleshing out Marty and Liz too, and their character arcs felt genuine and believable!
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I really enjoyed both the sibling relationship and main romantic relationship that runs through the book, but I must admit things got quite melodramatic at times - but the melodrama is balanced by truly beautiful passages that ruminate on family, love and loss.
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One thing that I didn’t enjoy was the inclusion of a ‘relationship’ that sort of reinforces the whole ‘nice guys finish last’ rubbish, which I thought would run its course eventually but seems to persist... Thankfully it’s a pretty minor storyline and I could enjoy the rest of the book!