when the levee breaks

Author : Megan Hunter
Title : The End We Start From
Published : 03/05/2018
Pages : 144
Genre : Science Fiction
Publisher : Picador

     In the midst of a mysterious environmental crisis, as London is submerged below flood waters, a woman gives birth to her first child, Z. Days later, the family is forced to leave their home in search of safety. As they move from place to place, shelter to shelter, their journey traces both fear and wonder as Z's small fists grasp at the things he sees, as he grows and stretches, thriving and content against all the odds.

     In most bookshops, they usually have a book of the week or month on the counter. Normally I don't pay a lot of attention to them but the girl behind the counter did her best to sell me on it. As it was a short book I figured I could slip it in between something else, plus the premise sounded like an interesting one. 

     This is a very stripped back book, almost to the style of poetry. This makes sense when you look at the author's other works. She is, after all, a finalist in several poetry commotions. While we meet a small collection of characters as she navigates a flooded England we don't ever really get to know any of them that well. Even their names are pulled back to the bare minimum, we are simply given initially to identify them by.  This is more a tale of actions, and how people react when thrown into extreme situations. 

     As I said this book doesn't work like most others in the genre, If you are expecting a grand dystopian novel, this book will not be for you. It is a far more intimate tale of the world falling apart. In many ways, the vision of the world the author has given us is one that is all too likely. Reports already suggest that the London flood barrier will become ineffective in the not too distant future. It also a book about motherhood and all the fears our heroine goes through both leading up to and after the birth, And how she bonds with her newborn son. 

     This book will not be to everyone liking, be it either the short chopped up style of writing or the lack of depth we get from the characters.  But it is also for these very reasons I did enjoy it, It comes across as a small snapshot of someone's life all be it under extreme circumstances. It's about actions and emotions rather than words spoken. I managed to get through this book in one sitting so whichever side you fall on it won't take long to make it through this book.