A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World: A Novel

by C. A. Fletcher

Overview

A "suspenseful, atmospheric tale. . .punctured by a gut-punch twist" (Entertainment Weekly), A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is a story of survival, courage and hope amid the ruins of our world.

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, before all the people went away. But we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs.

Then the thief came.

"This unputdownable story has everything — a well-imagined post-apocalyptic world, great characters, incredible suspense, and, of course, the fierce love of some very good dogs." — Kirkus (starred review)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316449434
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	01/21/2020
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	107,781
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

C. A. Fletcher has children and dogs. He lives in Scotland and writes for a living.

Editorial Reviews

"Fletcher's suspenseful, atmospheric tale imagines a near future in which our world is in ruins... An adventure saga punctured by a gut-punch twist."—Entertainment Weekly

"[A] heart-and gut-wrenching tale of a post-apocalyptic world....A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World takes a memorable journey of loyalty and love and transforms it into an unraveling mystery of self-discovery and exploration....This is the story of trust and loyalty within a family, and finding your own pack-even if they're different from the pack you were born into."—Bookpage

"The hunt for Jess propels this story forward like a rocket, and Fletcher does a masterful job keeping the stakes high and the suspense crackling while still creating plenty of space for readers to get to know Griz and explore this fascinating not-quite-empty world. This unputdownable story has everything-a well-imagined post-apocalyptic world, great characters, incredible suspense, and, of course, the fierce love of some very good dogs."—Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"Fletcher writes with an elegantly descriptive style, one that brings this melancholic world to bittersweet life....Whether it's the rusting remains of an amusement park, or the dusty floors of a tucked away sanctuary, Fletcher makes the reader feel like they're standing there, right beside Griz, desperate to find out where to go next."—Lightspeed

"A sharp, meditative exploration of family, loyalty, and humanity amid the lonely but beautiful wilderness of the end of the world-but with a gut punch you'll never see coming. You'll remember A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World long after you finish reading."—Peng Shepherd, author of The Book of M

"If you read one book this year, I beg you that this be the one. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World will break your heart in all the right ways."—Nerd Daily

"Epic in scope, enthralling, and full of human warmth."—M.R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts

"This novel has everything I love about a story: fully realized characters, beautiful writing, and utterly believable, even frightening, world-building. I promise you're going to love it."—Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

"Fletcher's narrative...has a propulsive and engaging rhythm and should please fans of postapocalyptic dystopias, young adult and adult alike."—Booklist

From the Publisher

This audiobook takes the form of a postapocalyptic journal written by a teenager named Griz, who lives on an island off Scotland. The cause of the apocalypse is not clear, but the human population has been decimated. The prose is spare—as is the narration. C.A. Fletcher doesn’t try to embellish the adventures that are unemotionally set forth in Griz’s journal. A thief has stolen his dog, and there is no other course but to sail to mainland Scotland to recover her—whatever the consequences. Fletcher uses measured tones in presenting Griz’s encounters with other survivors. Overall, she portrays Griz’s perseverance, tenacity, and loyalty in a quiet and believable way. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

AUGUST 2019 - AudioFile

This audiobook takes the form of a postapocalyptic journal written by a teenager named Griz, who lives on an island off Scotland. The cause of the apocalypse is not clear, but the human population has been decimated. The prose is spare—as is the narration. C.A. Fletcher doesn’t try to embellish the adventures that are unemotionally set forth in Griz’s journal. A thief has stolen his dog, and there is no other course but to sail to mainland Scotland to recover her—whatever the consequences. Fletcher uses measured tones in presenting Griz’s encounters with other survivors. Overall, she portrays Griz’s perseverance, tenacity, and loyalty in a quiet and believable way. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

AUGUST 2019 - AudioFile

★ 2019-02-04

At the end of the world, what matters more than loyalty?

Teenage Griz is one of only a few thousand people left in the world after the "soft apocalypse" of the Gelding, a mysterious event that left the vast majority of the world's population unable to have children. Scattered families and other small enclaves live on, but most days, out on their tiny island off the coast of Scotland, Griz's family sees nobody but themselves—and their dogs. Griz's dogs are Jip and Jess, and when a strange traveler with long red hair shows up and snatches Jess in the middle of the night, Griz doesn't even stop to think before going after them with Jip. The hunt that begins that night will take Griz and Jip through the ruins of the old world and bring them face to face with the best and worst of humanity—what it was and what it still is even after civilization has ground to a halt. Fletcher's debut novel paints an engrossing picture of our familiar world after it's been left to crumble and populates this haunted landscape with thoroughly compelling characters. The hunt for Jess propels this story forward like a rocket, and Fletcher does a masterful job keeping the stakes high and the suspense crackling while still creating plenty of space for readers to get to know Griz and explore this fascinating not-quite-empty world.

This un-put-down-able story has everything—a well-imagined post-apocalyptic world, great characters, incredible suspense, and, of course, the fierce love of some very good dogs.

Kirkus Reviews