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andrew61's review against another edition
4.0
The author's police procedural series is one I have thoroughly enjoyed over the last few years as she tackled politically charged themes with skill. This stand alone similarly touches on current issues around gentrification of the London skyline to the detriment of the original residents. Eva Dolan then introduces us to our two characters who tell the subsequent story and a dead body. The rest of the book explains how we got to that point and I was completely hooked. I won't say any more as I enjoyed the novel way of telling the story and the ending . I can't wait for more soon and hopefully another of her series.
mandylovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
Well that was a twist that I certainly did not see coming! The story of 2 women... a young activist and an older women who is like a mother figure. It jumps between the 2 women... before and after the body is thrown down the elevator shaft.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing for a copy of this book to read and review
Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing for a copy of this book to read and review
lynnedf's review against another edition
3.0
The thing about this book is ... I love how it was written. I did not love the characters.
Ella and Molly find themselves in a dangerous position. Something horrible happens to Ella, and she calls upon Molly to help her deal with it. The result is that the trust between Ella and Molly is tested - leading both women to question loyalties and motivations.
Both women aren't very likeable characters - Ella, a community activist, new to the scene. A minor celebrity after having been attacked by a police officer during a protest.
Molly is a veteran activist - involved since the 1960s, she has history and street cred that Ella needs in order to become more respected as an activist.
The beauty of this book - and the reason I gave it 3 stars - is in the development of the plot and the writing.
Eva Dolan decided to use the alternating perspectives to move the story along in a very clever way - after setting the scene with the "horrible event" - every time we read an Ella chapter, we are moving back in time - each chapter bringing us to the very beginning of her activism days. Whereas, every time we read a Molly chapter, the plot is progressing in the future - we are dealt the blow of the event, and then follow Molly as she starts to suspect Ella of lying to her. It's a really smart way of giving backstory, while also moving the story along. And it's done in a really smart way. Every time Ella discloses more of her story, nothing is really given away, keeping a high level of suspense.
I'd read another Eva Dolan novel because I thought she wrote a pretty smart book, even if I didn't love the story I was reading. Good ending and really well developed.
Thank you Netgalley for the copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Ella and Molly find themselves in a dangerous position. Something horrible happens to Ella, and she calls upon Molly to help her deal with it. The result is that the trust between Ella and Molly is tested - leading both women to question loyalties and motivations.
Both women aren't very likeable characters - Ella, a community activist, new to the scene. A minor celebrity after having been attacked by a police officer during a protest.
Molly is a veteran activist - involved since the 1960s, she has history and street cred that Ella needs in order to become more respected as an activist.
The beauty of this book - and the reason I gave it 3 stars - is in the development of the plot and the writing.
Eva Dolan decided to use the alternating perspectives to move the story along in a very clever way - after setting the scene with the "horrible event" - every time we read an Ella chapter, we are moving back in time - each chapter bringing us to the very beginning of her activism days. Whereas, every time we read a Molly chapter, the plot is progressing in the future - we are dealt the blow of the event, and then follow Molly as she starts to suspect Ella of lying to her. It's a really smart way of giving backstory, while also moving the story along. And it's done in a really smart way. Every time Ella discloses more of her story, nothing is really given away, keeping a high level of suspense.
I'd read another Eva Dolan novel because I thought she wrote a pretty smart book, even if I didn't love the story I was reading. Good ending and really well developed.
Thank you Netgalley for the copy of this book in return for an honest review.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
4.0
Visit the locations in the novel
Eva Dolan has written some of the most gripping and social aware novels that I’ve read and this is no exception. This is How it Ends is a novel of our time in many ways. Ella is a blogger who wants to do something with her life, give a voice to those in need. Molly on the other hand is a campaigner used to protesting against the latest cause and since she’s very closely linked to the latest cause, her efforts increase and suddenly become personal. Both characters were very strongly drawn and their relationship, as it develops over the decision of what to do with a dead body is very gripping to say the least!
I liked the dual narrative – Moly’s present day and Ella’s past leading up to the present day. The ingredients of the novel are sprinkled in separate doses in these chapters and the result is very appetizing indeed!
Lots of weaving in and out of themes and threads this novel contains. Not to mention a situation not to dissimilar to the recent shame of Grenfell – the difference between rich and poor, those who rent and those who own, the council and authorities reaction to the fate of former residents.
It’s a crime novel with a difference – the thinking person’s crime novel set in inner city London with threads of modern day scourges coming to the fore. Oh and the ending is top notch!
pjaye_2000's review against another edition
1.0
This sounded promising as I thought it was going to be a murder/mystery.
There was a dead body...he got off easy as he didn't have to listen to the rest of this boring story of endless angst ridden talking talking talking.
There was a dead body...he got off easy as he didn't have to listen to the rest of this boring story of endless angst ridden talking talking talking.
steph1rothwell's review against another edition
5.0
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.
This Is How It Ends is the first standalone novel by Eva Dolan and it is pretty amazing. It is based around a group of friends who protest against government, property developers and anybody who they feel is doing harm. With the state of the country there is plenty to protest about but their current project is the demolition of a block of flats that will have a huge impact on the lives of it’s inhabitants. Many people protest from the comfort of their sofas, shouting at the TV but there are also those who are prepared to go one step further. A few of these are Molly, Ella and Carol.
Molly and Carol have been protesting for years, Ella is the new kid on the block. The daughter of a high-ranking police officer she has had a privileged life compared to the people she protests with and for. After a party at the condemned flats their lives change dramatically. And that is all I can say about the plot. The less you know the more you will enjoy the novel.
There are two narrators, Molly whose account moves forward into real-time, and Ella whose account starts in the present time but then goes backward. Molly is older than Ella, she feels protective towards her but is increasingly wary . There are other characters who feature quite heavily. Most of them have an outward image that doesn’t reflect their true personality.
It’s a very topical book to read. Nearly every time you watch the news you see what type of things protesters are prepared to fight. All the mistrust of the police, the government and the media is all evident in real life and in this novel. The big events that are mentioned in the novel, one of which meant more to me than the others made it real and showed that are always going to be battles that affect some personally.
The last few pages I couldn’t read quickly enough,with an increasing anxiety and heart rate. On finishing, I just sat gazing into space devastated over what I had read.
Eva Dolan, you have excelled yourself. This novel is one that makes you analyse what is happening around you. I will be very surprised if this book isn’t one of the best sellers of the year.
This Is How It Ends is the first standalone novel by Eva Dolan and it is pretty amazing. It is based around a group of friends who protest against government, property developers and anybody who they feel is doing harm. With the state of the country there is plenty to protest about but their current project is the demolition of a block of flats that will have a huge impact on the lives of it’s inhabitants. Many people protest from the comfort of their sofas, shouting at the TV but there are also those who are prepared to go one step further. A few of these are Molly, Ella and Carol.
Molly and Carol have been protesting for years, Ella is the new kid on the block. The daughter of a high-ranking police officer she has had a privileged life compared to the people she protests with and for. After a party at the condemned flats their lives change dramatically. And that is all I can say about the plot. The less you know the more you will enjoy the novel.
There are two narrators, Molly whose account moves forward into real-time, and Ella whose account starts in the present time but then goes backward. Molly is older than Ella, she feels protective towards her but is increasingly wary . There are other characters who feature quite heavily. Most of them have an outward image that doesn’t reflect their true personality.
It’s a very topical book to read. Nearly every time you watch the news you see what type of things protesters are prepared to fight. All the mistrust of the police, the government and the media is all evident in real life and in this novel. The big events that are mentioned in the novel, one of which meant more to me than the others made it real and showed that are always going to be battles that affect some personally.
The last few pages I couldn’t read quickly enough,with an increasing anxiety and heart rate. On finishing, I just sat gazing into space devastated over what I had read.
Eva Dolan, you have excelled yourself. This novel is one that makes you analyse what is happening around you. I will be very surprised if this book isn’t one of the best sellers of the year.
nocto's review against another edition
5.0
The story is told by starting at the scene of the crime and tracing one narrative thread backwards in time as another goes forwards. Which is the kind of device I really enjoy, but the book took a long time to grow on me. The first half was completely put-downable, but the second half is superb. It ought to be easy to get lost in the backwardly told story but it works really well, like you are uncovering this from the archives, racing back through time to find out how it began in order to work out how it ends.
zzzrevel's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know, this book is pretty boring. A good
portion is one character's constant "woe is me"
self-sobbing to the point that it drags on you.
This coupled with a very disconcerting double
storytelling -- one forward and the other
backward -- just made me hate this book.
Still, I gave it three stars because the twist(s)
at the end are pretty good -- if you can last
that long. Otherwise,I think there could be
a lot of DNF reader.
portion is one character's constant "woe is me"
self-sobbing to the point that it drags on you.
This coupled with a very disconcerting double
storytelling -- one forward and the other
backward -- just made me hate this book.
Still, I gave it three stars because the twist(s)
at the end are pretty good -- if you can last
that long. Otherwise,I think there could be
a lot of DNF reader.
oliviaclaire's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This Is How It Ends is an interesting crime thriller featuring two strong female leads. It is told through the narratives of both Ella, in the past leading up to the crime and Molly, in the present as the investigation unfolds. My only concern with this method of telling the story was that Ella's chapters in the past were not chronological so they would leap back and forth and sometimes lead me to confuse myself.
For me, the book's strengths lie in Eva Dolan's ability to convince you that you are ahead of the characters in solving elements of the story before pivoting giving some great twists. I was convinced that I had worked out that Quinn was the character at the bottom of the lift shaft well before Molly, almost to the point that I felt the characters were being a bit slow, only to be proven completely wrong...
Having said this I feel like the final couple of twists are huge and without enough hints or groundwork laid out for their reveal. It's a clever angle and I enjoyed it but it felt a bit sudden, as if no matter how many times I reread the book I wouldn't find the breadcrumbs to lead me to this conclusion. A solid story and something very different in the crime thriller space, I just feel that it could have been made slightly easier on the reader.
For me, the book's strengths lie in Eva Dolan's ability to convince you that you are ahead of the characters in solving elements of the story before pivoting giving some great twists.
Having said this I feel like the final couple of twists are huge and without enough hints or groundwork laid out for their reveal. It's a clever angle and I enjoyed it but it felt a bit sudden, as if no matter how many times I reread the book I wouldn't find the breadcrumbs to lead me to this conclusion. A solid story and something very different in the crime thriller space, I just feel that it could have been made slightly easier on the reader.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
madisonkb's review against another edition
1.0
I usually love alternating views, and thriller that makes you think, but this was the most underwhelming book I’ve ever read. It was so slow paced and dragged out so much, and usually the thrillers that start this way still have an ending that I can’t put down in the last 20 pages, this was excruciating to get through, and my favorite part was finishing! Proud to say I stuck it out the whole way through to give it a chance. Bummed I bought the hard copy, brand new.