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After the End

Clare Mackintosh (Goodreads Author)

4.06 · Rating details · 21,351 ratings · 2,719 reviews

Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. They're best friends, lovers—unshakable. But then their son gets sick and the doctors put the question of his survival into their hands. For the first time, Max and Pip can't agree. They each want a different future for their son.

What if they could have both?

A gripping and propulsive exploration of love, marriage, parenthoo ...more

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Hardcover, US Edition, 400 pages

Published June 25th 2019 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

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Jul 19, 2019 Deanna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-releases, arcs, my-favorites

My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...

4.5 Stars!!

"After the End" was a novel Clare Mackintosh had been wanting to write for more than a decade. Twelve years ago, Clare and her husband had to make an extremely difficult decision. Ever since they have questioned whether or not they made the right choice.

I knew this was going to be quite different from the author's previous novels, but I was excited to read it.

I thought this was an excellent read!

Parents often have ...more

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Aug 25, 2019 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: i-m-intrigued

Three point five rounded up four but I still have my deep concerns about this book because this is not what I expected stars…

I know this writer is genius, I know what she has dome to me when I was reading “I let you go”! I talked gibberish for one week at least and lost my face expressions, looked like a botox addict after her big twist punched me several times, so this is not the surprising, smartly written book I desired and wished to read!

I confessed, as soon as I read this first half of th Three point five rounded up four but I still have my deep concerns about this book because this is not what I expected stars…

I know this writer is genius, I know what she has dome to me when I was reading “I let you go”! I talked gibberish for one week at least and lost my face expressions, looked like a botox addict after her big twist punched me several times, so this is not the surprising, smartly written book I desired and wished to read!

I confessed, as soon as I read this first half of the book, I got so emotional and used all napkins, toilet papers to clear the traces of my ugly cries. I adored Max and Pip’s 3P’ed story (POWERFUL, POIGNANT, PROFOUND) how they try to decide their sick son’s future, should they let him go or should they resume fighting for his life?
After I read that the author faced through the same process in her real life with her husband, I was flabbergasted for a long time. My heart hurt for them. My soul cried both for her and the characters she created based on her real life.

The opening at the court room and their painful visits to the intensive care for their two year old child were heart ripping, hard to digest parts of the book. This was different kind of thriller writing. Because it is real, it is about our worst nightmares. WHAT IF something happens to our children? WHAT IF it is too lately diagnosed and there is nothing to do to save your loved one! What IF your partner in crime could turn into your worst enemy because you got big conflicts to decide your child’s life!

I was about to give five stars to this incredibly emotional story. But then I started the second half of the book and story-telling technique definitely changed into Paltrow’s “Sliding door”movie crossover “Two Lila Bennetts”book kind of two alternative universes.
At one of them the judge sides with the father, at the other one decides to side with the mother. I was intrigued about the different consequences and their new paths they’d to follow. But at those parts, the author lost me! Because different realities slowed the pace down and too much dramatic, soap opera kind of revelations a little disturbed me.

The ending didn’t satisfy me. I was waiting more because the elements of the story are strong, well-rounded, characters were also well-developed, strong and writing was solid.

In my opinion the author’s big trauma affected her decision about ending the story. I respected her decision because this book might be a way to say goodbye to her child and make peace her bottled up depressing feelings, her emotional turmoil, her suffering, her cries, broken heart.

I was planning to give three stars to this book. But I hit my hand( actually I bite my fingers, too) to stop myself and asked me what the hell I'm doing? I know this is not the book I waited for but if it’s best way for the author to share her feeling by ripping a wounded piece from her heart and pouring her insecurities without giving a second thought are the bravest things that not much people can manage.

So for her tough move to write about something more hurting than Achilles Tendon Pain and the amazing first half of the book, I gave my four stars, shut my mouth. My emotional side overshadowed my intellectual brain and I know this was the right and best thing to do. Agree or disagree? We turn back to the same dilemma of this book. ...more

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May 31, 2019 Dorie - Cats&Books :) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: traveling-sister-read, literature, edelweiss

***NOW AVAILABLE***

This was an incredibly hard book to read and an even harder book to review. I have waited a few days to let my thoughts settle and have decided to try and write this review to help others decide if it’s something they would like to read.

I had read Ms. Macintosh’s thrillers and really loved them. I knew what this book was about but it was more thought provoking and heartbreaking than I had imagined. As you know from the blurb, two young parents disagree on the decision of whet ***NOW AVAILABLE***

This was an incredibly hard book to read and an even harder book to review. I have waited a few days to let my thoughts settle and have decided to try and write this review to help others decide if it’s something they would like to read.

I had read Ms. Macintosh’s thrillers and really loved them. I knew what this book was about but it was more thought provoking and heartbreaking than I had imagined. As you know from the blurb, two young parents disagree on the decision of whether to continue life support to their young 3 year old son. Dylan has a brain tumor which was partially resected, now growing back. It has damaged his brain beyond repair and he will never be able to walk, talk, communicate his needs and there is no hope for further improvement.

As a reader I felt that the first half of the book was stronger. We follow Pip and Max as they struggle to come to terms with the fact that their beloved son will never grow to be a normal child, never be able to lead any semblance of a normal life. Then they must make a decision that no parent should ever have to make. Their relationship and marriage are well outlined and I felt as though these character were very well described. I felt my heart ache for both of them.

The author has been through this trial, she lost one of her twin babies more than a decade ago. Perhaps this is why the hospital scenes feel so real, raw and heartbreaking. From a statement by the author: “A key location for AFTER THE END is an Intensive Care Unit. Twelve years ago I spent four months in ICU with my newborn twins. Writing the scenes set in hospital was easy because everything feels still so vivid and clear, all these years later. The beeps and whirrs of the machines, the fluorescent lighting, the smell of the anti-bac gel...a sensory overload I translated into words.”

The second half of the book gives us two possible court decisions and what Pip and Max’s life might be like after either decision, to take Dylan off of life support or to allow his father to take him to the US for a type of radiation treatment.

The second half of the book was a much slower read for me. Much of the dialogue seemed repetitive from one thread to the other and at times it was difficult to follow the back and forth between the two separate scenarios. I think I would have preferred one outcome to be established with the reader left with the thought of “what if the ruling had gone the other way?”

I can definitely recommend this book but warn that there are some very descriptive elements of severely ill children which may be hard for some people to read. It is well written and covers a subject which is very pertinent in our world of ever increasing technological developments in the medical field.

This book is set to publish on June 25, 2019.
This was a Traveling Sisters read.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. This was a Traveling Sisters read. ...more

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Jul 31, 2019 Emily (Books with Emily Fox) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, 2019-releases

This is not a mystery/thriller!

Holy boredom. Look I went into this thinking it was the same genre as the other books from the author but it's a contemporary. I don't know why others have categorized it otherwise but it definitely didn't help me enjoy this.

Two parents can't agree about what to do with their terminally ill child. One wants to try more treatment no matter what, the other to let them go. They go to court and the second half of the book shows you the different outcome.

An interesting ...more

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Oct 24, 2019 Kaceey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, buddy-read, top-reads-for-2019, edelweiss

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ All five heartbreaking stars
This was such an emotional read. So much so, I actually thought of walking away after only the very first chapter. I just didn’t think I could endure the journey. I left it for the night and in the morning, took a deep breathe, told myself “buck-up, you’re stronger than this!” I tapped my kindle to start chapter 2 and I’m so very glad I did.

“You cannot feel grief without first feeling love, and now my heart is filled with both.”

Pip and Max need to face the ...more

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Nov 06, 2019 Lindsay - Traveling Sisters Book Reviews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019-favourites, edelweiss, favorites

5+ stars!

Heart-wrenching. Thought-provoking. Emotion-stirring. This has earned a spot on my Favourites List.

One of the most emotional, hard hitting and gut wrenching books I’ve ever read. Pip and Max face a decision that is every parents worst nightmare. Whether to continue treatment for their brain damaged, critically ill two-year-old son or take him off life support to end his suffering. How can one choose? What happens when the parents don’t agree on the decision?

I am emotionally exhausted af ...more

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Jun 23, 2019 *TUDOR^QUEEN* (on hiatus) rated it it was amazing

Thank you to Putnam's Sons / Penguin Publishing Group for providing an advance reader copy via Edelweiss.

The premise of this book lured me in immediately. The story takes place in England where they have the National Health Service (NHS). The parents of almost three year old Dylan Adams, who has a cancerous brain tumor, are just told that the hospital recommends no further treatment; just comfort (palliative) care. The mother has accepted that devastating assessment, but the father insists on fu Thank you to Putnam's Sons / Penguin Publishing Group for providing an advance reader copy via Edelweiss.

The premise of this book lured me in immediately. The story takes place in England where they have the National Health Service (NHS). The parents of almost three year old Dylan Adams, who has a cancerous brain tumor, are just told that the hospital recommends no further treatment; just comfort (palliative) care. The mother has accepted that devastating assessment, but the father insists on further medical intervention in the United States. It must go to court for a judge to determine the outcome. As the story begins, the parents are sitting separately with their legal teams in court awaiting the judge's decision. A chasm between Pip and Max Adams has existed ever since they parted ways on Dylan's medical treatment plan. However, seconds before the judge renders his verdict, they inch their way closer...ultimately holding hands.

The author Clare Mackintosh prefaces the book with the revelation that she and her husband had to make this same decision in 2006 when they withdrew life support from their critically ill son. To this day, they still question their decision, and this informs the themes explored in this book.

The book was written in quite a fascinating way. It's narrated in dueling chapters from the perspectives of Pip Adams (mother), Max Adams (father), and Dr. Leila Khalili (Dylan's physician). But when the judge reaches his decision, the book takes off in two different tangents that leave you momentarily disconcerted. Quite unexpectedly, both decisions, their medical outcomes, and effects on their marriage- are explored, in the same dueling narratives from Pip and Max (and occasionally Dr. Leila Khalili). At times I would get a bit thrown off as to which outcome I was reading, but it just took seconds to adjust and get grounded again. Both outcomes were brilliantly explored and left me in amazement at how life can play out. The moral of the story is, that no matter what decision you would make, you would always be second guessing yourself if you made the right one.

Final thoughts: Thought-provoking, poignant, exquisitely/masterfully written, marathon page turner. I will be looking out for other books by this author based on this excellent read. Highly recommended. ...more

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Jun 01, 2019 Debra rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss, traveling-sister-reads

Parenting is hard. I think every parent might have experienced time in the upbringing of his/her child where they do not agree upon something with the child's other parent be it, curfew, discipline, when to have a cell phone, etc. But what happens when you are faced with the ultimate decision? What happens when your child gets sick? When your child has a terminal disease. Do you prolong his life to only face the inevitable? Do you allow him to pass away with comfort and care? How do you decide? Parenting is hard. I think every parent might have experienced time in the upbringing of his/her child where they do not agree upon something with the child's other parent be it, curfew, discipline, when to have a cell phone, etc. But what happens when you are faced with the ultimate decision? What happens when your child gets sick? When your child has a terminal disease. Do you prolong his life to only face the inevitable? Do you allow him to pass away with comfort and care? How do you decide? How would you?

This book explores what happens when a married couple, Pip and Max, who love each other and love their child, Dylan, but cannot agree on what to do. As they cannot decide, the courts must step in and make a decision that is in their son's best interest.

The second half of the book explores what would happen if the judge decides what will happen regarding Dylan's terminal illness.. If he decides in the Mother's favor, what lies in store for their son and for each parent. If the Judge runs in the Father's favor, what lies in store for their son and each parent. This was an interesting concept but also a repetitive one.

An interesting twist is that this book also focuses on the child's doctor who is emotionally affected by Dylan's case as well.

I enjoyed the first half of the book much more than the second half. As I mentioned the second half was repetitive at times but did show the sad ways that a child's death can affect a couple. Not only the child's death but what happens when two people cannot agree on something. How it can wear on them, their relationship and those in their lives. Many couples and marriages do not last after the loss of a child. What will happen to this one?

This is a thought-provoking book which may be difficult for some to read. Even sadder is that the Author herself, lost a child. While reading this book, I often wondered if this was an emotionally challenging book to write or if it was a cathartic experience.

This was a traveling sister read.

Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss who provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own. ...more

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Nov 06, 2019 Liz rated it really liked it

Shelves: paper-arc

I received this as a paper arc from Goodreads back in spring, but it’s taken me until now to read it. It’s not an easy book. Whether you’re a parent or not, you can’t help but be drawn in by this incredibly sad story of two parents dealing with their three year old son’s brain cancer. It will have you thinking what would you do in the same situation.

The book would make a fascinating book club discussion, because the parents do not agree on what to do once traditional treatments fail. “I thought ...more

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Jul 24, 2019 JanB rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reads, edelweiss, buddy-read-with-marialyce

What a nightmare to be told your child is terminal with no hope of recovery. How can you make decisions when every cell in your body doesn’t want to let your precious child die, but regardless of the decisions made, your child will die. It’s just a matter of when. What makes a life worth living? Who decides?

The dilemma of such a heartbreaking decision is one the author and her husband faced after their infant son had a massive brain hemorrhage. It’s obvious she’s intimately familiar with the sub What a nightmare to be told your child is terminal with no hope of recovery. How can you make decisions when every cell in your body doesn’t want to let your precious child die, but regardless of the decisions made, your child will die. It’s just a matter of when. What makes a life worth living? Who decides?

The dilemma of such a heartbreaking decision is one the author and her husband faced after their infant son had a massive brain hemorrhage. It’s obvious she’s intimately familiar with the subject matter and the first half of the book is powerful and deeply resonates.

Unlike what happened to the author, the fictional couple in this novel don’t agree on how to manage and treat their son’s illness so the courts must intervene and make a decision to continue treatment or let him go. The author did a magnificent job detailing the emotional and physical toll on everyone when a child is critically ill. It made me think about my own beliefs and wonder what I would do when there is not one “right” choice. I liked how the author brought in the power of the press and social media along with the public’s rush to judgment without knowing all the facts.

However, I could have done without the Dr’s POV. I didn’t think it added anything relevant to the story as it was more about her personal life, not her medical judgement, and it felt like filler.

The second half of the book is, as the title suggests, after. After the judge makes a decision, the author explores two different outcomes: one in which the judge sides with the mother, and one in which the judge sides with the father. It was thought-provoking to examine the ramifications and consequences of either decision. I’m certain anyone who has made such a heart-wrenching decision has moments of doubt and wondering “what-if”. I had them with my elderly parents and know they would be even stronger when it's your child.

From here, the narrative alternates between two alternate realities. I found it difficult to follow at first because the characters were the same, but I soon fell into the rhythm of the story-telling. Unfortunately, as intriguing as the premise is to examine two different outcomes, the story became predictable chick-lit and eye-rolling unbelievable. I would have preferred the story been as nuanced with emotional depth in the last half, as it was in the first half. Another buddy read with Marialyce, this was a solid 5 star book in the first half, downgraded to a 3.

Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
For our duo review please visit: https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres... ...more

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Oct 26, 2019 Brenda ~Traveling Sisters Book Reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It took me a while to find the courage to read After The End. When I did, I read it when the house was quiet and it was mostly just me at home so I could be left alone with my thoughts for this one. Once I started, I read it in less than 24 hours and it was all I thought about for a while. Then, it took me a while to find the courage to write this review and then longer to find the words to write.

After The End is a heartbreaking, painful issue-driven story that explores an unthinkable, impossib It took me a while to find the courage to read After The End. When I did, I read it when the house was quiet and it was mostly just me at home so I could be left alone with my thoughts for this one. Once I started, I read it in less than 24 hours and it was all I thought about for a while. Then, it took me a while to find the courage to write this review and then longer to find the words to write.

After The End is a heartbreaking, painful issue-driven story that explores an unthinkable, impossible and unimaginable decision with no right answers, our main characters here parents Pip and Max are left to make after their son Dylan is diagnosed with a brain tumour.

There is nothing more painful than seeing your child not well, nothing more terrifying then the fear of losing them and knowing you have to comes to terms with you might lose them or the unimaginable losing them. You can lose who you are in all that pain. Clare Mackintosh compassionately explores all of this in this unforgettable, emotionally powered story that deeply moved me.

In the first half of the story, Clare Mackintosh explores the raw, honest, heart-wrenching emotions through parents Pip and Max. The second half then explores two different outcomes after the end from their POV. I struggled a bit with the credibility of Max's after the end POV, but it did not take away from the power of this story at all. The story comes together well and I loved the way it wrapped up. Clare Mackintosh gave me hope and some closure to my own regrets, decisions, judgements made towards me and my mistakes as a parent leaving me with some peace with it all.

“Everyone has an opinion, yet the truth is that no one can really know what is right. No one can predict the future, and so all we can do is make a decision based on the facts we have, and—sometimes on what our heart tells us.”

The most beautiful thing here is this story is the hope and strength I could feel throughout the book right to the very end. Not only hope after a loss but the hope that the choices we make are the right ones and that we can find peace through our bravery, compassion, hope, dignity, and the power of our hearts and we can find who we are again.

I received a copy from the publisher on EW. ...more

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May 16, 2019 Jayme rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: women-s-fiction, edelweiss, general-fiction

Oh, I hope I can do this beautiful book justice!

This is the story of Max and Pip- two parents who love each other but who love their son Dylan more.

Dylan has a tumor which could not be completely removed, and it is growing again. His brain damage is irreparable, and if he lives, he will not walk or talk, or be able to communicate his needs.

Max and Pip must decide if they should explore a treatment which will NOT cure him, but MAY extend his life..or allow the Doctors to provide only comfort c ...more

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Jul 21, 2019 Scarlett Readz and Runz....Through Novel Time & Distance rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Tragic. I am mush. My heart is aching 💔. This book is gut-wrenching and incredibly compelling. Experience all the feels stretched beyond the limits you ever thought possible....it will bring you to your knees just reading the story.
Mackintosh wrote this novel undoubtedly insightful with uttermost care yet as real as it ever could be.
THIS will go on my 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ book list of 2019.

My time of reading any kind of self-help books has gained interest and flourished in my twenties, peaked for a few yea ...more

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May 25, 2019 Amanda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Whenever I read a book by Claire Mackintosh I know to clear my day and get comfortable,as I will not be able to put her book down and won’t be disappointed!!

Max and Pippa have a son Dylan who they adore. Sadly Dylan is diagnosed as having a brain tumour ,which couldn’t be removed during surgery and caused brain damage which will leave him unable to walk or talk.

Max and Pippa have the dreadful decision whether to opt for further treatment which may lengthen his life but not cure him or to allow d ...more

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Jun 14, 2019 Louise Wilson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Max and Pip have a toddler called Dylan. Sadly he has been diagnosed with a brain tumour, of which surgeons could not remove all off. Then they are given the devastating news that the Timor is growing again. There is nothing more the surgeons can do but give him palliative care and make sure that he is pain free. Max, not wanting to give up on his son, researches the disease hoping to find a cure for his son. He finds that it can be treated in America. But first he has to take the hospital to co ...more

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Oct 26, 2019 Susanne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss, audiobooks, buddy-read

4 Stars

A family torn apart during an impossible time. Palliative care or alternative treatment? That is the question.

Max and Pip’s three year old son Dylan is sick. He has cancer and has developed an inoperable brain tumor. His doctor in London recommends palliative care, to which his mother, Pip agrees and his father, Max does not - as he would like Dylan to get alternative treatment at a facility in Houston, Texas.

Seeing as neither parent can come to an agreement it is up to the court to dec ...more

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Nov 21, 2018 Liz Barnsley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I don't even know where to start with a review at the moment - reading this so early gives me the opportunity to not have to say too much as yet so nearer publication I will attempt to write a full review and make it count.

I can't even begin to imagine what it took to write this but After The End is incredible. Just that. The sheer weight of emotion in it is astounding, beautiful even in heartache and it offers a perspective and ultimately a choice for the reader that makes you think, really thi ...more

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Mar 12, 2019 Ova - Excuse My Reading rated it liked it · review of another edition

Have you ever heard about Charlie Gard? I thought so much about that poor baby during reading this book. Couldn't help thinking Mackintosh was inspired by that real life event but I have learned sadly Claire Mackintosh herself lost a child so really felt for her during reading this book and how brave of her to write about this difficult subjects.. Turning her own experience into an eye opening read is definitely worth congratulating.

This book is about a terminally ill child and her parents: Pip ...more

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Jun 06, 2019 NZLisaM rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, netgalley, contemporary, drama, womens-fiction

Jodi Picoult fans, eat your heart out!

When it comes to writing a compelling, engaging, insightful story, Claire Mackintosh can do no wrong in my book, and even though I knew going in that this was going to be completely different from her usual domestic suspense thrillers (which I love) I was still desperate for the chance to read it.

After the End is the story of a terminally-ill toddler with multiple deliberating disabilities. Dylan is not yet three years-old but as the result of a brain injury Jodi Picoult fans, eat your heart out!

When it comes to writing a compelling, engaging, insightful story, Claire Mackintosh can do no wrong in my book, and even though I knew going in that this was going to be completely different from her usual domestic suspense thrillers (which I love) I was still desperate for the chance to read it.

After the End is the story of a terminally-ill toddler with multiple deliberating disabilities. Dylan is not yet three years-old but as the result of a brain injury is paralysed from the neck down, unable to communicate or swallow, unlikely to have any awareness of his surroundings, and without medication would be in constant pain. His parents are forced to make a decision no parents should ever have to make – stop all treatment, except pain relief, and allow him to die, or opt for an experimental treatment that may extend his life. With mother and father on opposing sides it's up to the courts to decide.

Before incorporated the days leading up to, and directly following, Dylan's parents receiving the devastating news that his tumor had grown to such an extent that they needed to make a decision regarding his future treatment. We were offered three differing, equally valuable perspectives – mother (Pip), father (Max) and one of the consultants looking after Dylan (Dr. Leila Khalili).

Clare Mackintosh did an incredible job of showing what life is like in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) section of the hospital – the day-to-day, and overall struggles of dealing and coping with a severely ill child, the support system including medical staff, and other parents in the ward, and the environment, treatment, and equipment. Glimpses into what Dylan was like when he was healthy, and when he first started developing symptoms gave us an overall picture of life before, and Dylan's personality. Max and Pip's resilience and love for each other, and the effects on their relationship and marriage was evident throughout. But at its core of course was their all encompassing love for their son.

The After section of the novel used dual POV's (Pip and Max) and parallel-timelines to show the different directions their lives might've gone in, depending on the Judge's ruling. This format didn't work as well for me as the first half, as things became somewhat repetitive, but I understand what the author was trying to achieve, and appreciated being given both outcomes of such an agonising decision. Even though I knew logically that neither option was going to end favourably for little Dylan, in my heart of hearts I would've been left wondering “what if?" so to be offered up both timelines gave me a sense of closure I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. The only other small issue I had with the last half was that I dearly missed Leila's viewpoint – she was a wonderful character that I would've liked to have heard more from.

Even though I personally prefer her thrillers, Clare Mackintosh has penned something truly special in this moving story of love, loss, guilt, grieving and hope.

I'd like to thank Netgalley UK. Little Brown Book Group UK – Sphere, and Clare Mackintosh for the e-ARC.

US/UK Release Date: 25th June, 2019. ...more

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Aug 05, 2019 Maureen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction

A departure from her usual crime/thriller books, Clare MacKintosh has written an emotional, heart wrenching, brilliant novel about a family, Pip, Max, and their son, Dylan. Dylan, 2 1/2, becomes gravely ill, and Pip and Max end up on opposite sides regarding his treatment. It ends up being decided for them in a court of law.
This is a sad story, but also a beautiful one, touching on very difficult issues.
5 stars

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Jul 24, 2019 Marialyce (absltmom, yaya) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: jan-mar, books-of-2019, edelweiss

So many people, including this author have lost a child. It is a heart wrenching experience that one never truly recovers from. Your heart is broken, your life is empty, and for some the trauma of this breaks apart everything they held dear and loved and such was the case with the protagonists of the book After the End.

Pip and Max are a successful couple. They have a firm marriage and a son they adore. Life seems wonderful until fate deals them a card that is devastating and cruel. For their so So many people, including this author have lost a child. It is a heart wrenching experience that one never truly recovers from. Your heart is broken, your life is empty, and for some the trauma of this breaks apart everything they held dear and loved and such was the case with the protagonists of the book After the End.

Pip and Max are a successful couple. They have a firm marriage and a son they adore. Life seems wonderful until fate deals them a card that is devastating and cruel. For their son, Dylan has cancer of the brain. He is a young child, just on the cusp of experiencing the joys of being loved, of living a wonderful life, and knowing that he had a family who adored him. The diagnosis is a nightmare and although Dylan is operated on, the prognosis is not good and then the worst happens the tumor grows.

This was, for the first half of the book, one that caused the tears to freely flow as you accompany Pip and Max on this journey through hell. How can they reconcile the love and need for their son when in reality things seem to point to his demise. This part of their story was so well done. You could feel the sorrow, experience the pain, and pray along with them that things would get better. It was truly a journey that many have traveled and it's one you hope and pray you will never know.

However, when I got to the second half of the story things seemed to fall apart as the story seemed disjointed and some things that occurred just didn't make sense. It was in this section of the story, that I became disappointed. I wasn't sure of what the author was trying to say and where she was taking me. Was she trying to say that marriages, even ones overflowing with love, never survive a crisis such as a loss of a child? Was she trying to say that life goes on, but perhaps not in the way you had first envisioned it to be? I am not sure. As the telling jumped from the various scenarios, I found myself sometimes at a loss as to who or what this chapter was about. There were also characters who appeared and while should have been a relevant part of the story really weren't developed into the tale.

However, the fact that this author could sit down and pen a book like this after the loss of her own son shows great courage and hopefully the writing of this tale was a catharsis for her. I only wish that the second part of this book was as strong and emotionally gripping as the first part of this story.
This was another story Jan and I shared. We came to the same conclusion about this story, and while we so empathized with what the author experienced, we so wished that the second part of this story could have been like the first.
Thanks are extended to edelweiss who forwarded a copy of this book to me.
Our duo reviews can be seen here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress... ...more

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Jun 01, 2019 Debra rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

Parenting is hard. I think every parent might have experienced time in the upbringing of their child where they do not agree upon something with the child's other parent be it, curfew, discipline, when to have a cell phone, etc. But what happens when you are faced with the ultimate decision? What happens when your child gets sick? When your child has a terminal disease. Do you prolong his life to only face the inevitable? Do you allow him to pass away with comfort and care? How do you decide? Ho Parenting is hard. I think every parent might have experienced time in the upbringing of their child where they do not agree upon something with the child's other parent be it, curfew, discipline, when to have a cell phone, etc. But what happens when you are faced with the ultimate decision? What happens when your child gets sick? When your child has a terminal disease. Do you prolong his life to only face the inevitable? Do you allow him to pass away with comfort and care? How do you decide? How would you?

This book explores what happens when a married couple, Pip and Max, who love each other and love their child, Dylan, but cannot agree on what to do. As they cannot decide, the courts must step in and make a decision that is in their son's best interest.

The second half of the book explores what would happen if the judge decides for both parents. If he decides in the Mother's favor, what lies in store for their son and for each parent. If the Judge runs in the Father's favor, what lies in store for their son and each parent. This was an interesting concept but also a repetitive one.

An interesting twist is that this book also focuses on the child's doctor who is emotionally affected by Dylan's case as well.

I enjoyed the first half of the book much more than the second half. As I mentioned the second half was repetitive at times but did show the sad ways that a child's death can affect a couple. Not only the child's death but what happens when two people cannot agree on something. How it can wear on them, their relationship and those in their lives. Many couples and marriages do not last after the loss of a child. What will happen to this one?

This is a thought-provoking book which may be difficult for some to read. Even sadder is that the Author herself, lost a child. While reading this book, I often wondered if this was an emotionally challenging book to write or if it was a cathartic experience.

This was a traveling sister read.

Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss who provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own. ...more

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Feb 04, 2019 Pauline rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

I have read and enjoyed all of Clare Mackintosh's previous books and was delighted to receive a copy of her latest book After the End.
This story is unlike any of her other books. This is a story of a family in crises, a sad emotional tale of a terminally ill child and the choice that his parents have to make for his future. A thought provoking story that made me think of what I would do in their shoes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest ...more

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Jun 05, 2019 Carrie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

A lot of folks are calling After the End by Clare Mackintosh a mystery or a thriller but I didn’t get either vibe from this one but maybe more perhaps just general fiction or a tad drama. The story is one in which parents are caring for a sick child, not searching for a missing one.

Max and Pip are a young married couple that thought they had everything going for. Very much in love and with a wonderful son things were good until one day they were’t. These parents get the most devastating news whe ...more

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Jul 03, 2021 Sharon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 5000-2021, own-read, contemporary

When their son, Dylan, is diagnosed with a terminal illness, Max and Pip are confronted with making a life changing decision something that no parent should ever have to do. But what happens when Max and Pip are unable to reach an agreement on a decision. It appears that what used to be a loving and happy family is now being ripped apart.

After The End by Clare Macintosh is a moving and heart-wrenching story. Highly recommended.

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Oct 26, 2019 Gary rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I picked this book up purely because I had recently read a couple of really good psychological thrillers by the same author. However as I started reading it I was surprised that it was so different to the previous books I had read by her. This is a book must have been so difficult for her to write as it is a subject which is close to her and must have been a very difficult time of her life. Presumably her own story compelled her to write 'After the End'.
In the story Pip and Max have to contempl ...more

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Jun 24, 2019 Kristy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, read-in-2019, fiction, edelweiss, literary-fiction, arc, gp-putnam, best-of-2019

Max and Pip have a deep, untenable bond and a strong marriage that they feel is sealed by fate. But when their nearly three-year-old son, Dylan, gets sick, everything they know changes. Dylan has a brain tumor, and now Pip spends her days in the PICU, while Max tries to juggle work and being strong for his wife and child. Then, the couple receives the worst of all news: the chemo isn't helping Dylan's tumor, and the doctors feel Dylan's condition is terminal. Suddenly, Max and Pip find themselve ...more

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Jul 07, 2019 DeAnn rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019

4 prepare for heartbreak stars

This one is very unique and unlike anything Clare Mackintosh has written before. Fellow Goodreads reviewer NZLisaM compares it to a Jodi Picoult book – and I completely agree with that comparison. If it is difficult for you to read about ill children, I would recommend skipping this one. It is very realistic and likely to break your heart.

The first half of the book is mostly “Before” – the life of a loving couple Max and Pip and their adorable toddler son Dylan. Tra 4 prepare for heartbreak stars

This one is very unique and unlike anything Clare Mackintosh has written before. Fellow Goodreads reviewer NZLisaM compares it to a Jodi Picoult book – and I completely agree with that comparison. If it is difficult for you to read about ill children, I would recommend skipping this one. It is very realistic and likely to break your heart.

The first half of the book is mostly “Before” – the life of a loving couple Max and Pip and their adorable toddler son Dylan. Tragically, Dylan’s health takes a dreadful turn and the prognosis is terrible for his future and damaged brain. The doctors recommend taking Dylan off life support as there doesn’t seem to be a way for him to recover and have a pain-free life. The big twist is that both parents have to agree to this course of action. One parent wants to seek an alternative treatment in the US (that would just extend his life, not cure him) while the other parent agrees with the doctor. It is up to the courts to decide Dylan’s fate.

The second half of the book “After” has alternating chapters with different outcomes. I found this to be a unique storytelling method and besides “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, I can’t think of another book that takes this route. While unique, I did enjoy the first half of the book better.

Mackintosh brings the hospital setting to crisp reality and this is a tragic situation for any parent. I thought the relationship between Max and Pip was very realistic and well done. I rooted for them as a couple. I also really liked that the author used the voice of the doctor treating Dylan as one of the viewpoints. This provided added insight into this book.

This was a heartbreaking book, but I’m glad to have read it. I pondered what I would do in this situation and I’m completely undecided. I think it’s normal to doubt our big decisions and this book pursues that line of thought, what would happen if this was the outcome? What would happen if the opposite was true?

Thank you to Edelweiss, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Clare Mackintosh for a copy of the book to read. ...more

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Aug 26, 2019 *TANYA* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-of-2019, highly-recommend

Wow, just WOW!!! I’m an emotional wreck and I love it!!! I wish just this once I had the right words to convey how heart wrenching and different and fantastic and tragic and redeeming this book was to me. My heart aches and my tear ducts need a rest after this. Read the authors note, it too is very moving.

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Jan 16, 2020 Kat rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-2

Beautifully written and quite a tear-jerker. Told from three perspectives. What do you do when your child is catastrophically sick and there may not be reasonable hope of recovery? When the government (NHS) steps in to decide whether further treatment is warranted or Pip and Max’s child can be flown to America for an experimental procedure that may prolong his life, it drives a wedge into their marriage. Dylan is not yet three, but has gone through surgery and six rounds of chemo for a brain tum ...more

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About Clare Mackintosh

Clare Mackintosh

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Clare Mackintosh is the multi-award-winning author of New York Times bestseller I LET YOU GO, and Sunday Times bestsellers I SEE YOU, LET ME LIE and AFTER THE END. Translated into forty languages, her books have sold more than two million copies worldwide, and have spent a combined total of 50 weeks in the Sunday Times bestseller chart.

Her new thriller, HOSTAGE, comes out in June 2021.

Clare is th ...more

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Quotes from After the End

“...When you stand at the crossroad you cannot see each destination, only the beginnings of the paths that will lead you there. All you can do is hope that someone will walk with you.” — 6 likes

“Everyone has an opinion, yet the truth is that no one can really know what is right. No one can predict the future, and so all we can do is make a decision based on the facts we have, and—sometimes on what our heart tells us.” — 4 likes

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