Micro review: 'After the End' by Clare Mackintosh

Bestselling author Clare Mackintosh is known for writing mystery-thrillers. But she diverges from this genre in her 2019 novel 'After the End', which is a deeply moving psychological fiction about a young couple who have to make a difficult choice concerning their son's life.

Max and Pip Adams are a loving couple living in London with their almost-three-year-old son, Dylan Adams. But their life changes forever when Dylan is diagnosed with a brain tumour. Though Adam undergoes several rounds of chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumour, the chances of leading a normal life are bleak. Eventually, the Adams are asked to make a painful choice about their son's life by Leila Khalili, Dylan’s doctor. Max and Pip are divided in their choice: either they can try prolonging Dylan's life or let him die naturally. In the next few chapters, Mackintosh imagines how life would be for the Adams in both the cases.

This is a heart-wrenching and emotionally moving novel about hope, loss, and dealing with one's loss. The two storylines make it an engaging read. Mackintosh shares that this story is based on her own experience, when one of her children became critically ill and she and her husband had to take a similar decision. In this book, Mackintosh helps us to see that sometimes the end is just another beginning.

How critics view the book:

Publishers Weekly writes, "This is tailor-made for book clubs and for fans of Jodi Picoult."

Kirkus Review writes, "While occasionally overwrought, this is a perceptive, skillfully told story about a profoundly painful subject."

Sara Lawrence writes for The Daily Mail (UK), "This stunning book is something of a departure for bestselling thriller writer Mackintosh, who questions what it costs to stand up for what you believe in."

Deirdre O'Brien writes for Sunday Mirror (UK), "A complex structure exploring future alternative outcomes invests you hugely in their struggle - leaving you wondering "what would I do?" Moving without being mawkish, this will linger long in the memory."