REVIEW: The End of the World Running Club

The End of the World Running Club
Author: Adrian J. Walker

Edgar Hill is overweight, self-absorbed, lazy, selfish, indifferent. In a sort of grand comeuppance, the universe rains down the apocalypse from the sky on Edgar's cozy little life (after he completely ignores warnings of the possibility for weeks) and destroys everything. Now Edgar has to learn to survive in a world where nothing comes easily...where death lurks around corners....where some survivors go insane or turn almost feral...where he has to truly work to save his wife and children. Edgar finds himself running a race across the UK to find his family after they are separated by an international task force rescuing survivors. Edgar has to find strength and endurance that seems impossible while battling evil, physical pain and the elements.

I found myself shaking my head multiple times at the self-absorbed whining Edgar uses to explain his behavior in the first 2/3 of this book. But....aren't we all a bit self-absorbed at times? Don't we all fall a bit short as a spouse, a parent, sibling, daughter/son, friend, boss/employee.... Don't we all make excuses for our shortcomings? Blaming others. Bending our perceptions of our own thoughts, actions, failures. I know I do. Just imagine if an apocalyptic event hit....no more safe, warm house to live in...no more police....no more grocery store or gas station down the street...no more cars....no more anything. And panicked, out of control survivors out there looking to steal what little  you do have or do harm to your family. If parenting became more than buying food, paying bills and driving kids to soccer practice.....what would happen?? Edgar finds out. BOOM. Everything gone. He has to be a man.....a Real Man.... responsible for actually protecting, feeding, and caring about his family. He has to come to grips with himself...and become More. Edgar goes on a journey...not just a physical one, but a mental one as well.

This is an amazing story! All of the characters Edgar meets along his journey face choices....and all choose their path. Some choose to sacrifice to help others....and some choose to benefit themselves. Very realistic. Some people are just as dangerous as the natural disaster that destroyed everything. And others, met totally by chance, are a blessing beyond measure. I loved how even minor characters had something to add to Edgar's story from the people who made the journey with him to minor encounters along the way. Edgar has to morph from a fat, lazy person into a long-distance runner. He openly admits that he has never run a single step by choice in his life.....and has to find the strength in himself to run hundreds of miles to find his family. He makes a choice....and it's quite the journey.

I like reading apocalyptic action stories. I enjoyed this one more than most because it had a different purpose. The story isn't just about surviving a catastrophe....it's about coming out on the other side a better person. This is the first book by Adrian J. Walker that I've read. I'm definitely going to read his other books. I like his writing style and the way endurance running figured into the plot.

I listened to the audio book version of this story. Narrated by Jot Davies, the audio from Blackstone Publishing is just over 15 hours long. Davies reads at a nice pace and his acting performance is wonderful! Be warned -- the characters YELL a lot. There are fights, arguments, dangerous situations, injuries, mental breakdowns, etc....and the characters are often loud. Not a book to listen to at work....or turned all the way up with earbuds in. ha ha. :) Lots of yelling in various Scottish and English accents studded with various colorful metaphors. :) But, it really makes the listening experience a great one! This is one of the best audio books I've listened to so far....Davies made the story come to life. Awesome listening experience...after I learned to turn down the volume when a certain character gets angry. :)