I had the opportunity to read We Have Reached the End of Our Show by Ali Gordon before it releases on September 30th. The story follows three people as they navigate through a harrowing announcement: the end of the world in only twenty-five days.

End of the world stories are nothing new, so I was interested in seeing how Ali took the challenge to tackle the story in a new way. The way she addressed this was by having a character already facing death, by the way of cancer. This view provides an intriguing look into how someone who faces death daily, would face the impending destruction of the world. And it works. It’s poignant and moving, and forces the reader to step into a very different mindset.

The reader doesn’t just step into this mindset, but into the mindset of two people who love him: his boyfriend and close cousin. All three characters experience the end of the world differently but work together to try and make the most of it. A cross-country adventure to reunite with family paves the way for difficult discussions, heartbreaking moments, and a realization that time won’t stop for anything.

Ali Gordon does a terrific job of exploring the characters and painting a story that will touch the heart and bring tears to a reader’s eyes. It also does a great job of surprising the reader. Interactions that I thought were going to go one way, went in the opposite direction. And the ending didn’t tie up loose ends, because things can’t always be worked out. It’s a frustrating ending at first, but after sitting with it for a moment, it made sense. Things aren’t perfect. And the end of the world won’t fix that.

You can preorder the book here: We Have Reached the End of Our Show a book by Ali Gordon – Bookshop.org US

And check out Wildling Press, who gave me the opportunity to review this great book: Wildling Press – Home