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A review by steph1rothwell
This Is How It Ends by Eva Dolan
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.