Lynnie 
contemporary fiction
I adored Colleen Oakley's previous book, The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise so I was thrilled to read an advance copy of her newest book Jane and Dan at the End of the World. On their 19th (not 20th) anniversary, Jane and Dan are going to an exclusive, isolated restaurant to celebrate the milestone. Mingling with some of the richest and most out-of-touch members of society, the meal starts smoothly enough, just as their life begins to go off the rails.
When a group of climate activists take over the restaurant and hold its staff and diners hostage, Jane can't help but notice the similarities between the situation she is in and an unsuccessful book she wrote years before, right down to the terrorists’ conversations. This gives Jane the advantage of knowing what might happen next, though whether that knowledge will help her or be the end of her, she isn't sure.
This book was fascinating on many levels and I generally enjoyed the characters, their interactions, and even the far-fetched (you have to suspend some disbelief in this one, for sure) situations they found or put themselves into. At the same time, Oakley has a lot to say about family, marriage, climate and what children and parents think of one another as they grow up and move on.
I didn't enjoy this as much as Oakley's Tanner and Louise, but I did enjoy it. I definitely found myself wanting to know what would happen next and whether or not anyone was going to get out of this restaurant. The ending was a bit silly but, if you can disregard your common sense for a bit, you can enjoy it for what it is. I think if you like Oakley's writing, you're going to enjoy this adventure as well.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advance copy. Jane and Dan at the End of the World publishes on March 11, 2025
When a group of climate activists take over the restaurant and hold its staff and diners hostage, Jane can't help but notice the similarities between the situation she is in and an unsuccessful book she wrote years before, right down to the terrorists’ conversations. This gives Jane the advantage of knowing what might happen next, though whether that knowledge will help her or be the end of her, she isn't sure.
This book was fascinating on many levels and I generally enjoyed the characters, their interactions, and even the far-fetched (you have to suspend some disbelief in this one, for sure) situations they found or put themselves into. At the same time, Oakley has a lot to say about family, marriage, climate and what children and parents think of one another as they grow up and move on.
I didn't enjoy this as much as Oakley's Tanner and Louise, but I did enjoy it. I definitely found myself wanting to know what would happen next and whether or not anyone was going to get out of this restaurant. The ending was a bit silly but, if you can disregard your common sense for a bit, you can enjoy it for what it is. I think if you like Oakley's writing, you're going to enjoy this adventure as well.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advance copy. Jane and Dan at the End of the World publishes on March 11, 2025
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