Review: After the End

After the End by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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, parenthood, and the road not taken, After the End brings one unforgettable family from unimaginable loss to a surprising, satisfying, and redemptive ending and the life they are fated to find. With the emotional power of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, Mackintosh helps us to see that sometimes the end is just another beginning.
 
I did enjoy this book but I've come to the conclusion I'm not a fan of "sliding door" novels. It's quite a poignant story which Mackintosh treats sensitively but that's not surprising having faced a similar trauma in real life.

Max & Pip are faced with a terrible dilemma over the future of their son. But they can't agree. The book explores what both outcomes might look like by switching between two points of view and different time frames. It's not particularly hard to keep track of both stories but I felt the best part of the book was the tension building lead up to the decision rather than what followed after.

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