The End of the Ocean is the second of four novels the author, Maja Lunde, is calling a “Climate Quartet,” the first of which being A History of Bees. All four of these volumes seem to be stand alone, so no need to read A History of Bees before starting The End of the Ocean.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, though it is definitely not a happy or light read. It really got me thinking about the implications our current environmental choices can have on our not-so-distant future, and the almost post-apocalyptic world Lunde builds is just realistic enough to be believable. What I liked most about this story is how character driven it was—though the characters were facing severe external conflict, the plot was really moved forward by the characters’ inner struggles and their relationships with one another. I also loved the interconnectedness between the two story lines, set 20+ years apart. It subtly supported the idea that our actions today can have a direct affect on the future.
Overall, I recommend reading this book. It is, at its simplest, a commentary on climate change we need to hear, hidden in a story about family, love, loss, and survival.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, though it is definitely not a happy or light read. It really got me thinking about the implications our current environmental choices can have on our not-so-distant future, and the almost post-apocalyptic world Lunde builds is just realistic enough to be believable. What I liked most about this story is how character driven it was—though the characters were facing severe external conflict, the plot was really moved forward by the characters’ inner struggles and their relationships with one another. I also loved the interconnectedness between the two story lines, set 20+ years apart. It subtly supported the idea that our actions today can have a direct affect on the future.
Overall, I recommend reading this book. It is, at its simplest, a commentary on climate change we need to hear, hidden in a story about family, love, loss, and survival.