Things to Do Before the End of the World
Emily Barr
Penguin UK
About the Book:
A timely and powerful coming-of-age thriller from the bestselling author of The One Memory of Flora Banks.
What would you do when you hear the news that humans have done such damage to the earth that there might only be a limited amount of safe air left – a year’s worth at most?
You’d work through your bucket list, heal rifts, do everything you’ve never been brave enough to do before?
Olivia is struggling to do any of this. What it is she truly wants to do? Who do she wants to be?
Then out of the blue comes contact from a long-lost cousin Olivia didn’t even know existed. Natasha is everything Olivia wants to be and more. And as the girls meet up for a long, hot last summer, Olivia finds Natasha’s ease and self-confidence having an effect on her.
But Natasha definitely isn’t everything she first appears to be . . .
Purchase:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Add to Goodreads
My Thoughts:
Ultimately, this is a story about Libby finding herself and her wings. We spend so much time focused on Libby’s anxiety and her inability to speak up about her feelings that you almost forget the world is going to end in what they call “The Creep.”
Libby is painfully naïve. Watching her make one mistake after the next is like watching a train wreck. My daughter is the same age, and I cannot imagine a situation in which she would leave the house without a wallet or phone. But Libby battles crippling anxiety, and not only do I relate to that, but I can imagine her lack of street smarts comes from not going out and living life.
Poor Libby, you want to reach into the book, take her by the hand, and promise her everything good in the world. Finding out she has a cousin is a saving grace for her. Natasha is everything Libby needs, and she helps push her out of her comfort zone. There’s a good balance between The Creep and watching Libby navigate the days she has left. While this is more a story about Libby finding herself, it doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of reading this. This is a cute and engaging read that hooks you from the start.
About the Author:
I started out working as a journalist in London, but always hankered after a quiet room and a book to write. I managed, somehow, to get commissioned to go travelling for a year, and came home with the beginnings of a novel set in the world of backpackers in Asia. This became Backpack, a thriller which won the WH Smith New Talent Award, and I have since written eleven more novels for adults, one novella, and three book for Young Adults, published in the UK and around the world. I live in Cornwall with my husband Craig and our children.
Rae's Reading Lounge 
Great post!
LikeLiked by 1 person