A Beginning at the End
Ratings5
Average rating4
15
Ratings5
Average rating4
Four survivors unite in the aftermath of a global pandemic as the nation rebuilds in this character-driven postapocalyptic tale of family, love, and hope. From the New York Times–bestselling author of Star Wars: Brotherhood Six years after a virus wiped out most of the planet’s population, former pop star Moira is living under a new identity to 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 for those still too traumatized to go outside, but she never reaches out on her own behalf. Rob has tried to protect his daughter, Sunny, by keeping a heartbreaking secret, but 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 meet by circumstance and their lives begin to twine together. 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. “This postapocalyptic slice-of-life novel from Chen delivers big emotions by keeping the focus small. . . . By foregrounding family, Chen manages to imbue his apocalypse with heart, hope, and humanity. Sci-fi fans will delight in this lovingly rendered tale.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review, PW Picks) “Sometimes it is not the violent battles of post-apocalyptic stories that pull readers in; it is the emotional connection of humanity finding their way. Chen’s prose lights a brilliant, fragile path through the darkness.” —Library Journal (starred review) “The best kind of dystopian novel: one rooted deeply in the hearts of his characters and emphasizing hope and connection over fear. Chen has a true gift for making the biggest of worlds center around the most complex workings of hearts, and his newest is compelling, realistic, and impossible to put down.” —Booklist (starred review)
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A Beginning at the End is a post-apocalyptic novel primarily set in San Francisco in 2025, approximately six years after about five billion people died in a worldwide pandemic. It's a story of found family that follows three characters: Rob, a widowed single father who fears the Family Stability Board may take away his daughter; Moira, a former teenage pop star who ran from that life and the father who forced her to live it the first chance she got; and Krista, a wedding/event planner who firmly believes in getting over things and moving forward. There are also occasional brief chapters focusing on Sunny, Rob's seven-year-old daughter.
Though I was mildly curious about where it was going at first, I probably would have ended up leaving it unfinished if it wasn't a fairly short, quick read. I found it to be too plainly written with too little world and character depth for my personal taste, but it may appeal more to those looking for an effortlessly readable, hopeful book revolving around found family.
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★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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“Mommy's not coming home.”
“No! Mama now! Want Mama!” Desperation had taken over the child's face, eyes pooling With the Whiplash turn of raw emotions. She tossed the plastic spoon across the prison-cell-turned-living-space, her voice ramping up in volume and intensity. His arms wrapped around his daughter, even though she punched at his thigh in frustration; he held her as if she was the last thing in the world.
Rob blinked as the realization came to him. She was.
His home, his old life was gone. His parents and brother, killed by MGS. Their friends, their community, scattered and ravaged. And now Elena gone too.
Sunny was all he had left.
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Here and Now and Then
A Beggining at The End
