A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World Blog Tour

For someone like me, who likes reading, I don't have a particular favourite genre of book to read. I'm a person who is willing to give most stories a try so when I was asked to join in the blog tour for C. A. Fletcher's latest novel, A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, I was immediately eager to join in. 

Coming under the genres of Science Fiction / Dystopian / Post-Apocalyptic, what actually made me want to initially review the book was the bright orange of the front cover. This caught my eye and quickly drew me in before I'd even had a chance to read the blurb.

My name's Griz. I've never been to school, I've never had friends, and in my whole life I've not met enough people to play a game of football.

My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs.

Then the thief came.

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 aren't loyal to the things we love, what's the point?

It's a scary thought, the end of the world I mean but if we're thinking honestly, then the prospect of the world coming to an end is actually a realistic one and one that could happen sometime in the near future if we aren't careful with looking after our planet/environment.

Griz our  - brave, independent - protagonist is experiencing just that. And we the reader are given a real insight into just what ruined the world they now live in.

As I'm sure you can gather, the story sort of revolves around the fact that Griz's dog has been stolen and now a mission begins to retrieve Jess and bring her back to her rightful owner. What starts off as a rescue journey turns into a desperate need to survive for both Griz and the dog. 

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

For pretty much the entire novel we are told this poignant tale from Griz's point of view, every emotional moment; every pivotal scene is laid out in detail through their words. I have to say the way that it is written is almost poetic, painting the perfect picture of the place that they now have to call home. 

The first person narrative (and a little bit of second person) was just right for portraying not only the story itself but the underlying messages of the tale too. The story is written as though it is Griz's own personal diary/book. Something for others to find and read, a sort of memoir I guess for people to digest and learn from.

The story itself is quite a simple one but it is beautiful and meaningful in it's simplicity.

Griz's tale mixes sadness and hope in once unforgttable character's quest amid the remnants of our fragile civilisation.

I was fascinated with how Fletcher depicted humanity, because although bleak at times, he showed that there is always hope and things to make you smile even in the most hopeless of circumstances. It was heart-warming to see just how loyal Griz was to Jess. They say a dog is a man's best friend and this was certainly case.

In what was depicted as a cold, lonely and scary world, we are reminded that we are never truly alone and as the reader we are given time to reflect and consider just what is truly important in our fast-paced, busy lives.

Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and The Girl With All the Gifts.

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is a story that will stay with you long after you've closed the book. It's a slow burner. The build up of suspense took it's time and ultimately, the wait was worth it. It's a tale that makes you think about what you have and what others may have to live without. 

Our futures remain unpredictable and this is showcased brilliantly here.

A classic book in the making.

You really should check out the rest of the blog tour for more reviews and excerpts.