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The End of the Ocean

(Klimakvartetten #2)

Maja Lunde

3.78 · Rating details · 2,738 ratings · 350 reviews

From the author of the #1 international bestseller and Indie Next Pick The History of Bees, a captivating new standalone novel about the threat of a worldwide water shortage as seen through the eyes of a father and daughter.

In 2019, seventy-year-old Signe sets out on a hazardous voyage to cross an entire ocean in only a sailboat. She is haunted by the loss of the love of ...more

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Hardcover, 304 pages

Published January 14th 2020 by HarperVia (first published October 12th 2017)

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The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

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Jan 03, 2020 Paige rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Mostly, I was bored. There was good descriptive writing, but it lacked an engaging storyline. It covers the timely issue of climate change, but overall the story lacked a concrete direction and was tediously executed.

The story is told in two time periods. Signe's narrative is told in 2017. Signe, a seventy year old woman in Norway, mostly recalls flashbacks from her childhood throughout her young adult life; her memories reflect the growing climate change and the power of water. David's ...more

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Dec 10, 2019 marilyn rated it really liked it

Shelves: paperback, bookish-first

The End of the Ocean has two narrators, Signe, in 2017, and David (with his little daughter, Lou), in 2041. The location of the story is Norway, the ocean, and drought stricken Europe. In 2041, wars are waging, people are dying due to lack of water, refugee camps are overflowing and then falling apart, as they can't keep up with the influx of refugees.

Seventy year old Signe, is crusty, angry, fueled by that anger, and has one more point to make, one more point to drive home, about the damage The End of the Ocean has two narrators, Signe, in 2017, and David (with his little daughter, Lou), in 2041. The location of the story is Norway, the ocean, and drought stricken Europe. In 2041, wars are waging, people are dying due to lack of water, refugee camps are overflowing and then falling apart, as they can't keep up with the influx of refugees.

Seventy year old Signe, is crusty, angry, fueled by that anger, and has one more point to make, one more point to drive home, about the damage being done to her homeland. Thank goodness we get to meet Signe as a very young girl because otherwise I would never have been able to stand the older Signe or come close to understanding her. Little Signe became an environmentalist at a very young age, through the teachings of her father, and she never stopped fighting to save the world.

Twenty five year old David and his six year old daughter, Lou, are finding refuge in a refugee camp where his wife Anna had been wanting to take their family. David and Lou were separated from Anna and their one year old son, August, and now David and Lou are half a family, looking for Anna and August, but really not expecting to find them. David is another unlikable narrator for me because he seems so immature, often neglecting what is best for Lou, introspective to a fault, because he knows what he needs to do and doesn't do it.

Although these three people never meet, they are linked when David and Lou find Signe's boat and other things. The stories are told alternately, as we see events in Signe's time that help to bring on the devastation of David and Lou's time. Little Lou is David's conscience when he so desperately needs one and as with young Signe, Lou is a big part of what makes this story mean all the more to me. It hurts to read how much the children need from their parents and don't get, not material things, but instead feelings of attentiveness and safety that often go unmet. And then there is the lack of freshwater, for water is the heart of this book.

Thank you to HarperVia and BookishFirst for this ARC. ...more

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Aug 29, 2019 Andrew Smith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, apocalyptic, science-fiction

We first meet Signe, it’s 2017 and this seventy-year-old Norwegian lady has come back to the village of her youth. She is tortured by her past, by her fractured relationship with her mother but more so by what has happened to this beautiful place where she once lived. For as long as anyone could remember there was the mountain which on one side became a vertical wall creating the opportunity for the Sister Falls to descend hundreds of metres toward Lake Eide. On the other side of the mountain We first meet Signe, it’s 2017 and this seventy-year-old Norwegian lady has come back to the village of her youth. She is tortured by her past, by her fractured relationship with her mother but more so by what has happened to this beautiful place where she once lived. For as long as anyone could remember there was the mountain which on one side became a vertical wall creating the opportunity for the Sister Falls to descend hundreds of metres toward Lake Eide. On the other side of the mountain was the River Breio, habitat of the Water Ouzel and of freshwater mussels. This idyllic spot provided a wonderful haven for animals and for the people who lived here. But then industry arrived and mechanisation – a once magnificent glacier began being mined for ice to decorate expensive drinks and the river dried up, the water having been piped away underground to provide hydroelectricity. Signe is horrified and she’s on a mission; she plans to send a message to one of the people she holds responsible.

Then we meet David and his young daughter, Lou. The year is 2041 and Europe is in the midst of a horrific drought. David worked at a water salinization plant in the South of France but he’s been forced to flee the area after a fire. It’s not yet clear exactly what happened but he’s been separated from his wife and their infant son. The pair have made their way to a camp where they plan to stay for a while and hope to reunite with the other half of their family. It appears that Europe is at war and it’s difficult to move around, but many are trying to get to the Northern European countries, where the drought doesn’t yet seem to have impacted.

These two stories are to dovetail at some point, but it’s going to take a while. In the meantime, we follow both in alternating sections, learning more about the plight of these people and of their background stories too. There are many elements to this book - it could certainly be badged an environmental novel, with its focus on the impacts of industrialisation and global warming (and I’ve seen the term cli-fi used too), but it’s also an epic tale of survival against the odds and a love story. And in some way it works on all these levels. In truth, I found it slow going in places but I was definitely gripped by the narrative even if I failed to warm to either the dour Signe or shifty David. But ultimately, I did find myself wanting to know what happens to these people and though the tenor is decidedly downbeat throughout, the open-ended final section does neatly knit the two strands together and provide some hope for the future.

This is the second novel in what is planned by the author to be a quartet of climate themed books. The first book, The History of Bees, I’ve yet to catch up with but it was an award winning piece and received rave reviews from many respected sources. I might just have to seek that one out next.

My sincere thanks to Simon & Schuster UK & NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Aug 18, 2019 Emer (A Little Haze) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, scifi-dystopian, netgalley, read2019, 2stars, adult-fiction

This is an incredibly relevant story for society's actions regarding climate control, the use of non-degradable plastics and the abuse of water.

The book follows two timelines:
In 2017 we follow the story of sixty seven year old Signe who all her life has battled thoughtless industry practises that have a detrimental impact on the environment.

And in 2041 we follow the story of David and his little girl Lou who are living in an all too realistic post-apocalyptic version of our future where drought ...more

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Dec 21, 2019 Suzanne Leopold (Suzy Approved Book Reviews) rated it really liked it

In 2017, 70 year-old Signe returns to her home - the village of Ringfjorden, Norway. She has come with her life-long partner, her sailboat Blue, to avenge the glacier and the waterfalls of her home on the edge of the fjord. Signe became an environmentalist at an early age by the influence of her father, and she carried this with her throughout her life by fighting against the folly of human progress. Now she plans to make her final stand carrying the precious ice being harvested from the ...more

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Oct 31, 2019 Lou rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The End of the Ocean, Maja Lunde's sophomore novel, is a speculative fiction epic about conservation, ecology, climate change, family ties, the deep inner strength we all have as human beings and, most of all, water. Initially published in 2017 in Norwegian, this a book about survival and the desire human beings have to struggle through the often overwhelming obstacles and the adversity that stands in their way. It centres around three characters in particular: Signe, David and Lou. Signe's The End of the Ocean, Maja Lunde's sophomore novel, is a speculative fiction epic about conservation, ecology, climate change, family ties, the deep inner strength we all have as human beings and, most of all, water. Initially published in 2017 in Norwegian, this a book about survival and the desire human beings have to struggle through the often overwhelming obstacles and the adversity that stands in their way. It centres around three characters in particular: Signe, David and Lou. Signe's story is based in 2017 Norway whilst father-daughter duo David and Lou are living in France circa 2041. Signe involves herself in conservation and fights to stop prospective developments that would spoil the natural beauty of the local area and the destruction of waterfalls, lakes and glaciers. David and Lou who are living in post-apocalyptic times are making their way through a Europe in decay and utter chaos; food, water and medicine are all in short supply and the drought is creating tension between the people.

This is an important and timely book about a topic we are hearing so much more about now. Our ecological systems are dying and we must look for ways to try and save our planet before it is too late. It's an exciting read but chilling too as it is all too real; there is the distinct possibility we could end up in this situation in the future if we don't take action to remedy the issues. Both Signe and David are passionate, hopeful and hearty and you take them to your heart very quickly. The book immerses you so well into both of these times with one in the recent past and one in the not too distant future. These two interlinked accounts are emotive and affecting from the beginning and Lunde projects our fears for us all to see. This is a tale rich in intricate detail and a wake-up call to change glaciers before it is no longer possible. Beautifully written, we are treated to a superb, engaging work of fiction that, terrifyingly, could actually become reality. Many thanks to Scribner for an ARC. ...more

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Dec 15, 2017 Tanja Berg rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scandinavian

Water. Fresh water. Our most precious resource, so readily squandered where there is an abundance of it. In this particular book, the theme is water.

I enjoy Maja Lunde's writing. Her characters are wonderful and complex, usually set against a bleak future. We have Signe set in 2017 and her life, growing near a glacier. Her protests against extracting glacial ice for expensive drinks in the Middle East. Then there is David in 2041, who is a climate refugee with his daughter Lou. They got ...more

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Nov 02, 2019 Marjorie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: edelweiss

This book is set in two different timelines. In 2019, 70-year-old Signe has spent her life as an activist on environmental issues. A majestic glacier is now being mined for its ice to be sent to the rich to put in their drinks. Signe performs an act of courage and takes off to the sea, on her way to confront the love of her life whom she hasn’t seen since she was a young girl. She has precious cargo on board.

In 2041, David and his little girl, Lou, have fled a terrible fire. They’ve been ...more

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Dec 08, 2017 Myra rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-releases

1.5*
I had so high expectations for this book, and sadly, that probably ruins it.
It's been a while since I raed this, so this review will be short, but I swear, I could probably talk about it for ages.
Signe, one of our main characters, was one of the most annoying characters I have every read about, that was not supposed to be annoying. I skimmed through her first chapters and I liked the first chapters about David and Lou. But then, they started annoying me as well.
By no means is this a bad ...more

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Apr 13, 2018 Sophia B rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: just-fab, angst, crime-horror-mystery-thriller, nature-as-a-character, death-grief-sorrow, europe, kick-ass-heroine, like-the-idea, depressive, war-conflict-slave-dictatorship

Good idea, hasty execution. She should have used more time on the prose and the editing. But the characters are charming. And the theme important. So 3 worthy stars.

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Dec 09, 2019 Renee (The B-Roll) rated it it was amazing

The End of the Ocean takes place in two different time periods, 2017 and 2041. It is told through two stories that are woven together. The 2017 storyline follows 67-year old Signe first in Norway as she travels south to France in her small sailboat, Blue. We learn that she is an activist, just as her father was and is distraught when she learns that the ancient glaciers of her home are being mined to be shipped to the Middle East as "pure ice" for the wealthy. As an attempt to show her defiance The End of the Ocean takes place in two different time periods, 2017 and 2041. It is told through two stories that are woven together. The 2017 storyline follows 67-year old Signe first in Norway as she travels south to France in her small sailboat, Blue. We learn that she is an activist, just as her father was and is distraught when she learns that the ancient glaciers of her home are being mined to be shipped to the Middle East as "pure ice" for the wealthy. As an attempt to show her defiance and anger towards the destruction, she empties most of the mined ice back into the ocean and plans to deliver the rest to France. As she travels, we learn through her memories who signed off on the ice mining deal, why he is important to Signe's life, and her childhood impressions of the world.

The second storyline follows David and Lou during a massive drought in 2041. They live in South France and are fleeing the fires and desert looking for more water and a better climate. We learn that they were part of a family of four; Anna and August were supposed to meet them at the refugee camp set up near Timbaut, France. Eventually out of boredom and as a way to relieve the stress of camp life, David and Lou explore nearby houses and come upon a boat stored behind a house. It isn't in the best of shape, but Lou and David commandeer it as their play place and later it becomes the center of their plans for getting out of the drought-stricken area.

I don't want to get too much away about this story and how these two plotlines connect because "the reveal" so good when reading it. I had some inkling as I was reading, but it wasn't until I actually read the connecting chapter and linked all the dots did I really understand what was going on. I have to say, I love this book so much and really did enjoy the pacing and how it was told through alternating chapters. This seems to help keep the story going and makes you want to keep reading to see what happens. At first, I was not too fond of Signe's chapters just because they felt a bit flat for me and I am not one for boats or sailing. David's chapters about survival and the hardships of being a refugee were more interesting for me. There did come a point however when Signe's chapters gained my attention and I found David's character to be one that I was not too fond of. I enjoyed how this story kept me on the my toes and made me re-evaluate characters, what a character flaw is, and the idea that not everyone is perfect. In the end, this story speaks to what it is to be human and keep surviving even past what you think possible.

This story is also rich with a discussion on climate change and environmental activism. I have never read a book that was able to use these two themes are major devices to both keep the story going and to help make a much larger point. Even though we are going through huge climate issues and the idea of climate change as fact is being actively challenged, reading about such things as a viewer rather than someone currently in it, really opens up the viewing platform and creates a space to think about what it would be like if it didn't rain or how would humanity survive. I am so glad to have read this book and had those deep thoughts of survival and how much humans have hurt and are destroying our planet.

I didn't know this when I started this book, but it is part of a series! I don't think it is a connected series that continues book-to-book but rather is loosely connected via broader themes and ideas. I definitely want to read the first book in this series, The History of Bees and read more in Lunde's creative world.

As for this book specifically, the writing was superb. Next to the heart-wrenching and hopeful story and the larger comments on climate change and environmentalism, the writing in this book is so beautiful and poetic. Lunde knows how to capture the rocking movement of the ocean in Signe's storyline and the dry, dusty heat in David's storyline. I was so impressed with how flawlessly she can convert between the two. I also loved how the book chapters are set up. They do alternate storylines, but more specifically I enjoyed how they would bookend each other and some actions or things would be mirrored. For example, at the end of one chapter Signe is showering and enjoying all the senses that go with cleansing after not being clean for days. The next chapter begins with David and Lou also getting to experience showering, but it is dramatically different from Signe's experience. Those two are juxtaposed which enhances the storyline and setting of each individual plot. This sort of mirroring device is used multiple times, perfectly throughout this book and really deepens the feelings and sensations while reading.

Overall, I absolutely love this book. When I started reading it was a bit difficult because it begins with Signe's chapter and the writing is very abstract and poetic there. Once I was accustomed to the writing style and was a few chapters in, I warmed up so quickly and ended up not wanting to put this book down. There is so much buried and woven in this story; I wish it were required reading just because it has so much to say about now and the future, as well as what it means to be a human and be happy. I am so glad to have read this book and can't wait to see what else Lunde writes! ...more

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Dec 12, 2019 Nancy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: bookish

They were childhood friends who become lovers.

He wanted a comfortable life.

She wanted to save the world.

Would their love survive?

of the Ocean by Maja Lunde is a compelling dystopian novel and a warning. It is also a heartbreaking story of lovers torn asunder by social forces.

The exotic pristine beauty of Norway is the symbol of the beauty and perfection of the world--which humankind is willing to sacrifice to continue an unsustainable lifestyle.

Signe's mother was willing to destroy their ...more

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Jan 14, 2020 Never Without a Book rated it liked it

This book was okay. Final thoughts to come.

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Jan 12, 2020 Melissa | Recreational Hobbyist rated it really liked it

Review to come!!

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Dec 22, 2019 MRIDULA rated it liked it

A story that brings up modern problems such as lack of water, an increase in the accumulation of waste and climate change. Narrated by two different people- one living in today's word and other from the future (2041), 'The End of the Ocean' is an eye-opener.
Signe, angry and frustrated, narrates a story that is her life, a battle with people who are degrading the environment. David and Lou, in 2041, are in a refugee camp in drought-stricken Europe.
The story eventually connects Signe and David ...more

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Oct 05, 2019 Bonnye Reed rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: womens-fiction-and-nonfiction, historical-europe, science-and-ecology, kindle-or-pdf, aread-2020, environmental-works, mystery-europe

I received a free electronic ARC copy of this novel on October 5, 2019, from Netgalley, Maja Lunde, and Scribner UK. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend The End of the Ocean to friends and family. This is a novel that speaks well for the hearts call of family and the importance of cleaning up our act on our earth. It is a story for our time, and that to I received a free electronic ARC copy of this novel on October 5, 2019, from Netgalley, Maja Lunde, and Scribner UK. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend The End of the Ocean to friends and family. This is a novel that speaks well for the hearts call of family and the importance of cleaning up our act on our earth. It is a story for our time, and that to come. Let it not be a prophecy.

The End of the Ocean is set out in two timelines, two distinct stories that eventually intertwine. This is handled most effectively - seamlessly - by Maja Lunde.

We have the story of Singe Hauger, born and raised in Ringfjorden, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway but a citizen of the world, a journalist, author, and professional activist. One of the few of her generation to leave their small village in Norway, Singe has lived in the wider world these last 50 years. In 2019 at 70 years old, she crosses the wide ocean to return home in her boat. Blue was an 18th-year birthday gift from her mother, though they shared little else physically or emotionally. Blue was, for Singe, a perfect match. Together they have traveled the world, touching nature all around. Blue is both sail and diesel, small enough for her to handle on her own, big enough for her to live comfortably aboard, making a very small footprint on the earth. Blue has allowed Singe the mobility necessary to fight her battles with the polluters of this world.

Singe had returned home occasionally. For the funerals of first her mother, then her father, to clean up after their deaths and grieve them properly. Now she is seeking closure with the love of her life. Magnus is at the heart of this desecration of her Norway. Advocating for the earth and its critters are her vocation, her life, her heart song. There is no way to work past this defilement of the earth. This is the ultimate betrayal.

For the news from home is crushing - Those in power have sold Blafonna, the iceberg on the mountain, ice being harvested and shipped to the wealthy southern European nations firmly in the grip of the drought - so they might have ice in their cocktails. And the community has plans to harness the River Breio - trap the flow on the mountain and send it by pipeline, bypassing the River, and the Sisters, famous local waterfalls. They need to control the flow to power a massive generator and create electricity enough for the mining of aluminum ore on the mountain. Aluminum necessary only for the seemingly eternal war in the Middle East. It will be the death of the villages on that river, Eidesdalen, and Ringfjorden. Fed by the mountain rains and the slowly melting glacier composed of ice a thousand years old, the River Breio, Lake Eide and Sister Falls are the heart of Norway and home. There may be one more battle of environmental advocacy left in the old girl.

And we view life in 2041 through the eyes of David, who with his 6-year-old daughter Lou is a refugee in search of a home - and the other half of his family, wife Anna and young son August who due to circumstance did not leave Argeles, France with David and Lou. The world drought has Europe firmly in its clutches, and as David and Lou move from one refugee camp to another seeking the rest of their family and a country willing to take them in, they see the system of refuge breaking down in camp after camp, leaving these footsore travelers without water or medicine or food, and the camps themselves becoming armed headquarters for the lawless. Even the Red Cross has given up control of the refugee camps.

And then David and Lou find Singe's boat Blue, carefully wrapped against the weather, and waiting. But where will they go from here? How do you run from an endless worldwide drought? Where do you run when the world implodes around you? Where can you go, in a world without potable water?

original pub date Oct 31, 2019
current pub date January 14, 2020
rec Oct 5, 2019
Scribner UK
Reviewed on January 12, 2020, at Goodreads, Netgalley, and GooglePlay. Reviewed on Jan 14, 2020, at AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo on January 14, 2020. ...more

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Jun 05, 2018 Lippes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The long awaited (at least by me) following book to The History of Bees and the most important message here is: YES! Maja Lunde could hold the level and the new book is again a highly recommended book and a great and important read!

Again Maja connects various points in time and describes a possible future scenario - this time a European future where the southern parts of the continet are about to turn into deserts. To imagine this future it surely helped that I read it during a very hot and dry ...more

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Sep 02, 2019 Jennopenny rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: in-translation, books-i-own, audio

This was so close to a five star. Especially the Signe parts. She is my idol.
I'm one of those who think this is better than the previous one. So good and made me think a lot.
If you have a vague interest in this, read it.

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Aug 24, 2018 Mikie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bokklubb-med-sara

Nothing really happened and the ending didn’t give me any closure? I expected a bit of hope, as in The History of Bees, but this just felt like they gave up.

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Jul 27, 2019 Nicole rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Easy read. Make you think about the current situation regarding all the ongoing actions on climate and climate change.

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Jan 07, 2020 Nina rated it liked it

The thing I loved most about this book was that it spotlighted environmental issues that persist in today's world and ones we certainly take for granted. Our climate and water are natural resources we use (and abuse) in excess when there is an abundance of it and is all around us.

What if our current climate changed and there was a shortage of water? This story follows Signe, in current day, as well as David and his daughter Lou in post-apocalyptic times, through these environmental changes and ...more

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Aug 14, 2019 Ready To Reading rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Simply and beautiful story about world without water. Very deep and somehow scary story. For me Singe chapter are quite boring, the most I enjoyed David and Lou story.

This book is really amazing and I think everybody should read it. I think it's that kind of book who stay in my mind for long time. I really enjoy it!

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Apr 23, 2019 Natasha rated it liked it · review of another edition

To my surpsrise this book turned out to be quite a dissapointment to me. I loved The history of bees - trendy and interesting idea, well-thought-out characters and story lines that beautifully twist in the end of the book - none of this was found in the second book of her Klimakvartetten series. I found a male character hardly believable and could feel that the auther was a female.
I might have liked t more if I wlouldn't have read The history of bees first. I think Maja definatelly did not ...more

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Oct 12, 2018 Timo ✨ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite-non-fantasy

Two tragical little stories mirroring the problems of life and showing what kind of problems could result from the current relationship of the ruthless blind human and his caring Mother Earth. Kind of depressing and sad with a cute little twist at the end that makes it all perfect again, that made me smile brightly and deeply and made all the pain and suffering worth it all of a sudden. Reminded me of life sometimes. ...more

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Sep 02, 2018 Alice rated it liked it · review of another edition

This book could've been showstopping and really important and instead it's just..... flat. The characters were really annoying, only the background was interesting. 3 stars solely for the premise, the awerness and the topic.

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Dec 24, 2019 Susan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

For such a short book “The End of the Ocean” is truly epic in scope. The two main characters, Signe and David, are in two very different timelines that connect at the end in a profound and emotionally shattering way. This story will rip your heart out, cast you into the pit of despair and pull you out the other side determined to change the world. Pretty powerful for one book!

There is nothing scarier than seeing a dark future coming and being unable to change course and avoid it. This story is For such a short book “The End of the Ocean” is truly epic in scope. The two main characters, Signe and David, are in two very different timelines that connect at the end in a profound and emotionally shattering way. This story will rip your heart out, cast you into the pit of despair and pull you out the other side determined to change the world. Pretty powerful for one book!

There is nothing scarier than seeing a dark future coming and being unable to change course and avoid it. This story is all about how the actions we take now (in Signe’s timeline) affect lives in the future (David’s timeline.) If you are a climate change denier you will likely scoff at this book but most of us will take it as a dire warning about a possible future that we very much need to avoid.

Signe sees the devastation left on her local landscape by commercial interests which have led to a power plant and dam built to harness a river. This has completely drained it and the twin waterfalls it fed along with wiping out the local fauna species. She also is witness to an ancient glacier receding due to global warming and harvesting for clean ice for the wealthy. This right here is our timeline and our reality.

David and his daughter Lou are in the midst of the devastation in the much too near future. They are climate refugees fleeing unending drought and fires. It’s truly a sad and terrifying picture. I cannot stress enough how disturbing David’s chapters were. It’s the stuff of nightmares. Being able to see the beginnings of this today is heartbreaking. We already have camps of climate refugees and massive wildfires burning towns, people, and wildlife.

This book was originally written in Norwegian but it has none of the awkwardness that often plagues translations. The writing is absolutely beautiful. The imagery is vivid and devastating. I could feel the cold spray on Signe’s boat and the scorched earth under David’s feet. It puts you directly in the story which is often an uncomfortable place to be!

If it does nothing else (your heart must be cold and dead if that is the case) this book will convince you that we have to make huge changes. We are living in Signe’s time where it may still be possible to alter trajectory so we don’t end up in David’s terrifying near future. We’ve travelled pretty far in the wrong direction but it’s never too late to take the first steps on a new path. Heroes like Signe and the real life hero Greta have shown us the way. All we need to do is follow and be the change the world needs.

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers and HarperVia for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review. ...more

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Dec 23, 2019 Helen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I was intrigued to read this book as the underlying message is just so relevant and important in today’s world. I was hoping that it would force me and other readers to spend serious thought on the ramifications of our present actions for the future of the planet. Water - something we take for granted, yet still from where I sit in Australia, droughts are all to frequent, in fact, neverending in some parts of the country. What does the future hold?

‘My whole world was water. The ground, the I was intrigued to read this book as the underlying message is just so relevant and important in today’s world. I was hoping that it would force me and other readers to spend serious thought on the ramifications of our present actions for the future of the planet. Water - something we take for granted, yet still from where I sit in Australia, droughts are all to frequent, in fact, neverending in some parts of the country. What does the future hold?

‘My whole world was water. The ground, the mountains, the pastures were just teeny tiny islands in that which actually was the world and I called my world Earth, but thought that is should actually be named Water.’

So whilst there is a good premise to base a story around, I sadly found the plot was not as strong as the theme. The link between the two timelines is fragile and only loosely drawn towards the end of the book - stronger threads were needed. Likewise actions of the characters from both timelines were questionable and at times, frustrating.

‘They don’t want to hear, don’t want to see, they are like him, all of them, his entire generation, my generation, they just want better wines, larger vacation cottages, faster Internet connections.’

This book held a great deal of potential but sadly fell a little flat for me. More needed to be made of this strong and important topic - the future of the planet. I wanted to learn more about the fires and displacement camps, for example. Similarly, no ultimate solution is offered and the reader is left wondering if indeed there is anything we can do to prevent the seemingly inevitable. Still, a worthwhile read if only to draw attention to our current global situation and the collective movement concerning climate change.

‘I have been fighting for my entire life, but I have been mostly alone; there are so few of us, it was futile, everything we talked about, everything we said would happen has happened, the heat has already arrived, nobody listened.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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Dec 28, 2019 Sydney rated it liked it

Shelves: free-arcs-or-giveaways

This book pulled me in with its absolutely gorgeous cover and interesting premise, but I was left feeling sadly underwhelmed! The End of the Ocean is told through two character’s storylines (one in 2017 and one in 2041), that interchange each chapter and connect in a couple ways. I have to say that I hated Signe’s parts though… I was just so bored and ended up glancing through her pages! I really liked hearing David and Lou’s story until David did a thing I can’t say due to spoilers and then I ...more

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Oct 24, 2019 Thebooktrail rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-set-in-norway, books-set-in-france, books-set-at-sea, worldwide

Visit the locations in the novel

After the rather remarkable History of Bees, this is another fascinating story about another vital resource of our world; water.

The theme of water is present throughout – Signe loves to swim, lives among the fjords of Norway. She is determined to protect her small town and the environment against changes which will affect the balance and beauty of the water. Water is everything here; it creates the landscape, the waterfalls, as well as being vital to life of ...more

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Sep 09, 2018 Anna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bookshelf

An important book, in various senses of the word. I really liked the style: simple, to the point, with long sentences and repetitions. The world presented is terrifying - even more so when you remember this is exactly what is going to happen. The story doesn't really offer a solution to the problem, and you finish the book wondering: is there even a solution to this? Can we do anything to stop - or delay - the inevitable?

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About Maja Lunde

Maja Lunde

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Maja Lunde is a Norwegian author and screenwriter. Lunde has written ten books for children and young adults. She has also written scripts for Norwegian television, including for the children’s series Barnas supershow (“The Children’s Super Show”), the drama series Hjem (“Home”) and the comedy series Side om Side (“Side by Side”). The History of Bees is her first novel for adults. She lives with ...more