The End of the World

If you're looking for a light, fluffy romance, something you can read without getting engaged with the characters, The End of the World is not the book for you. This book is a portrait of how so many things can go wrong in a life - unfortunate circumstances, poor choices, hateful people - and a portrait of how, from that ugliness, something beautiful can grow.

Cameron and Shaye are children in need of foster care - young adults, really, not yet old enough to live independently, but far past the age where they're seen as adorable and adoptable. Life has been unkind to them, and while Cameron is determined to survive his circumstances and move beyond them, Shaye is convinced that she's broken beyond repair, that she doesn't deserve anything good. So when Cameron comes into Shaye's life, she tries to keep him at a distance, thinking he deserves better and she doesn't even deserve to have a friend. This book is their story, their dance in and out of each other's lives at the end of the world.

I won't tell the story - that's Amy Matayo's job, and she does it beautifully. I will tell you, be prepared to not be able to tear yourself away from this book once you've started it. Be prepared to feel all the emotions, and grab a box of Kleenex. You might need it. Well done, Ms. Matayo. Well done.