Reviews

Psalms for the End of the World by Cole Haddon

holyshark's review against another edition

giving me anxiety lol and there's a lot of

Spoiler

rape

and i'll come back to it later

azlanm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow, wow, wow. I'm breathless at the end of this book. A mind-bending, timey-wimey masterpiece. 
Spanning thousands of years, multiple points of view, and entangling story lines, Psalms For The End Of The World considers the profound weight of what it means to be human. 

artemisia_vulgaris's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious

4.5

This is a superbly crafted book - the construction is flawless, the characters well-drawn, the puzzle of it complex and elucidated so subtly and carefully you barely know when you realised what. I won’t give the game away, but I will say this: Do not read if suffering from existential despair or seeking escape from the grim calculus of the 21st Century. This book shies from neither, nor from suffering. It takes you, again and again, through murder and suicide, war, city-sackings, genocidal violence, and family grief - and because it’s so well-written it gets to you. Or got to me, anyway. 

magpie2331's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

3.0

Composed of a series of interweaving narratives that span time and place, the novel is an time adventure story. 
Overall, fast-paced and fun to read, however, it does not entirely hang together. There are many loose threads at the end that are not satisfactorily resolved, almost seeming as if the author just forgot about that plot point 300 pages ago. The main driving force behind the major action (ostensibly a love story) is not fleshed out enough, so the resulting actions do not seem believable. 
Many interesting ideas, but sadly, not sure they truly come together as a successful novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Police brutality, and Sexual violence

mortensenkj's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

5.0

mandi_m's review

adventurous challenging reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Very clever look at the world and history.

kateofmind's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

katherinelouise's review against another edition

4.0

In 1962 Grace gets to know Robert in the diner where she works until one day everything is disrupted by the FBI who claim that Robert has been planting bombs and murdering people. Grace impulsively follows Robert as he goes on the run. This is just the start of an incredible story as you soon discover how many lives are connected to Grace and Robert’s experiences – not only across the world but spanning multiple times in history.

This is a truly epic story – there are so many ideas and emotions coming together in such a beautiful and fascinating book. I guarantee you will carry on thinking about it long after you have finished reading. The writing is excellent and every character has been thought out in such great detail.

Cole Haddon transports you to another time and place in a way that is so seamless, it was brilliant how he could switch the entire feel of the book from one chapter to the next. It is a complete rollercoaster of a story - just when you think there can’t be any more twists you’re hit with one that completely throws you. I loved that I never knew where the plot was heading.

I really did not want this book to end.

Thank you NetGalley and Headline Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

murdercrow's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I received an ARC of this truly gorgeous novel. It is one of the most immersive and inventive books I've read in a very long time. Spinning through time, multiple POVs and eras it touches deeply on what it means to be human. Love. Loss. Connection. It examines it all with a magical sensibility. This was a complex and rewarding read. One I highly recommend to anyone who loves spending time getting lost in a glorious book.