I had my eye on Adrian J. Walker’s “The End Of The World Survivors Club” for some time. So, with the help of Secret Santa, I received the book in the summer (we celebrated late on Fiction) and duly read it.
The novel is the sequel to to “The End Of The World Running Club”. Like the first book, events take place after the apocalypse. It follows Beth Hill, wife of Ed, the original protagonist.
I feel it’s a bold approach to write a sequel with a new protagonist and, in this case, one that is so closely linked to the original protagonist. However, any fears I had were soon dispelled.
The writer does a good job of throwing the reader into the thick of the action, so you are soon rooting for Beth and her perilous journey ahead. Her children are stolen from her and, like any protective parent, she will stop at nothing to save her family.
Post-apocalyptic adventures often blend into road stories, characters developing through the course of the journey. In the case of “The End Of The World Survivors Club”, the “road” has to be traversed by a different means . . .
Challenges Aplenty
Beth is continually faced with adversity and life-changing decisions. The end-of-the-world circumstances bring, as you can imagine, climatic threats. However, in the novel threats take different forms and come from all directions.
There is humour present throughout the writing, which balances out the hard-hitting elements of the story. Lighter character moments have to be found somewhere – even in a post-apocalyptic universe.
Though Beth and her journey are believable, at times the challenges she faces have a predictability about them.
The first book made more of a lasting impression on me. But if you are looking for an action-packed adventure, “Survivors Club” is a worthy read.
Alan Spink I am a member of the “Friend” Fiction Team. I enjoy working closely with writers and being part of the creative process, which sees storytelling ideas come to fruition. A keen reader, I also write fiction and enjoy watching football and movies in my spare time. My one tip to new writers is “write from your imagination”.
