ALMOST THE END OF THE WORLD Book Review

Almost the End of the World (book 1 in Perses series) by Mike Schlossberg, eBook, 292 pages

Synopsis from Goodreads: THE APOCALYPSE CALLED. IT WANTS A DO-OVER!

Seventeen-year-old Corey Walker was fully prepared to die. An asteroid the size of Texas—Perses—was supposed to wipe out everything. No college apps, no student loans, no awkward graduation speeches. Just…boom. Then the last-minute save actually works. Earth survives. So does Corey. Yay? Turns out, staring down extinction leaves scars.

The government’s toast, the economy’s in a coma, and nobody knows what to do next. Corey returns to Augustus Boarding School at the insistence of his mother, he finds a weird new student cult—The Refuge targeting the most scared and vulnerable on campus, including those closest to Corey.

When Corey meets the fiery Paige, he finds himself with an ally against The Refuge. She’s the first person who makes him feel awake again. Together, they start pushing back. That’s when things get messy. Fast. Suddenly, Corey’s a reluctant leader, with enemies, followers, and a target on his back. And whether he likes it or not, he’s being forced to answer the question everyone else is avoiding—if the world didn’t end...what now?

BOOK REVIEW: I cannot tell you how many times I kept telling myself that this story felt like it was too real. I don't know if it was how the author included our ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶s̶u̶c̶k̶ social media apps or the fact that the state of world presently in 2026 makes this seem like something that is already happening. This is one that might stick with me for awhile. The first thing I highlighted was a question and I would love to know what y'all think in the comments. Here is the quote:

Do you wish that we didn't know the end of the world was coming? Do you wish this was just a normal night?

What do you think? Would you want to know that your normal night was the last night before the end of the world? I won't tell you who asked and who answered because you need to read this book but just know that I don't know my own answer here.

There are several things that I highlighted that I want to note and why. I literally laughed out loud when it was stated "...I miss Facebook. No one misses Facebook." This one get's it's own quote because it feels too relevant

We're living in a broken world. And I think we'd be stupid to pretend otherwise.

I mean if that doesn't describe our current time in history, I don't know what else could. The last one that really tugged at my heart was "...trauma isn't our fault, but healing is our responsibility." I mean COME ON!

This is a 5 star read. It was so good and sucked me in from the first page. It's a quick read too if you don't get interrupted by kids, pets, spouses, and other responsibilities. I'm kidding...or am I? But like I said, there is so much that feels so relevant in our current world that this felt so real. I swear we hear about cults more in podcasts, books, tv, and movies now. I also want to add that some of the things the author wrote also sealed in my rating. I mean the Facebook comment was already made but also I'll just say I laughed way too hard at "It would be kind of a dick move if I said no" and to give the visual of a suit being bright black is not something I typically see but was so appreciative because I could picture it clear as day. I also liked "a statement as believable as tissue paper is thick." How did he come up with those? I don't know when the author will have book 2 out in this series but I cannot wait to read it!

5/5 Stars

2026 Reading Challenge: 27/55 complete