The End and Other Beginnings: Stories from the Future

By Veronica Roth

Blurb: 
No world is like the other. Within this masterful collection, each setting is more strange and wonderful than the last, brimming with new technologies and beings. And yet, for all the advances in these futuristic lands, the people still must confront deeply human problems.

In these six stories, Veronica Roth reaches into the unknown and draws forth something startlingly familiar and profoundly beautiful.

With tales of friendship and revenge, plus two new stories from the Carve the Mark universe, this collection has something for new and old fans alike. Each story begins with a hope for a better end, but always end with a better understanding of the beginning.

With beautifully intricate black-and-white interior illustrations and a uniquely designed package, this is the perfect gift for book lovers.

Review: 
So this is a book full of 6 short stories from an author I love. I have done this review different to my other short stories reviews, so you can get a better understanding of each of them. Plus my feelings feel like they have been on a right rollercoaster from the start to finish. I have also learnt from the first story not to read this at work because my god it is embarrassing crying in front of colleagues like a little girl.

Inertia
This is the first story and it is about this boy who has been in a car crash and has to undergo major surgery. There is a 1 in 10 chance of surviving. But because this book is set in the future it is not so simple. So he gets to choose 2 people as his visitors so they can share some memories with him before the surgery as a sort of goodbye.

The events mentioned are only between him and the girl he loves which is really cute but I'd have also loved to know about the memories he had with his mother too. 

Even though it was such a short story the characters did develop and I felt a connection to them and that's possibly why I balled my eyes out.

Within this story there are trigger warnings for self harm, depression, grief and death.


The Spinners
This is a story about two sisters who have just lost their mother. One of the sisters is a leech hunter. Basically there are a different species and they take over the human body. These species then put on a digital skin which has its flaws but it hides them from the real world.

The sisters love each other quite a lot, you can tell this throughout the book. But you can tell they have different personalities and priorities when it comes to their lives.

The story was pretty good but I didn't actually enjoy it as much as the first which is a shame really because that one got my hopes up instantly.

There is a trigger warning of grief, death and violence.

Hearken
I much preferred this story than the last one. So basically it's about this one family, there are two sisters, a alcoholic mother and a father. They are in a world where bio bombs are set off frequently so they have to go around with masks on to protect themselves. One of the sisters has perfect pitch so her father signs her up to take the hearken tests. A hearken is a person who gets this implant so they can hear the music a person creates. There are life songs and there are death songs.

This is such a sweet story to be honest and it is really meaningful. It really made me look at the world differently, so I will try and make the most of my life from now on. Basically, in the story it says everyone is dying and they each have two songs but when they are dying that song is the loudest and when a person has just been born that's when the life song is the loudest.

Within this story there is a lot about a sisterly bond, but it is also a lot about doing stuff that makes you happy and not just to please others, it is your life to love and live and you should enjoy and make the most of it.

There is also a slight hint of a romance too, between two of the characters at the hearkin school. I really wish there was more on this book, I feel I'd fall in love with it evenmore.

There is trigger warnings of death, grief and alcoholism.

Vim and Vigor
I didn't really enjoy this story as much as others but I suppose that's expected, as you don't like every short story you read especially when they are different backgrounds and stuff.

So in this story it is about a group of friends they call themselves nicknames after superheroes. They lose one of the members from a car crash. The story is explained so don't worry. Since the car crash they lost contact with each other and have got on with their lives until prom occurs. This is when things change for them and they start to contact each other.

The main reason I don't like this book is because it's quite High School like and it gives me Two Can Keep a Secret vibes. I do like that the friendships between them all has come back together though. Also it gives you life lessons again about not putting your life with one person and to keep several friends. As well as having friends that like you for who you are not having to pretend to be something you are not.

This story has trigger warnings of death and grief.

Armored Ones
This is a story which consists of two chapters. These are exclusive content following on from The Fates Divide. It follows two of the characters Teka and Akos and the lives they are now living. I don't want to go into too much about these chapters just in case anyone has not read the Carve the Mark duology.

I feel that the characters in these stories have developed a lot since the book, and one things that really upsets me is the betrayal Teka experiences, he puts all his trust in this one person and it's thrown back into his face. I also loved that Akos is now standing up for himself and making his own threats to get what he wants in his life now.

Each of the extra insights are pretty cool and I'm so pleased that they were included.

This story has trigger warnings of death and violence.

The Transformationist
I'm not 100% sure if this is another story from after The Fates Divide. It feels like it is but I can't be certain because I can't remember all the characters names.

This story is based on another planet and there are different religions. These religions have different beliefs and traditions that they follow. Some of these traditions are quite extreme in my opinion, especially when they are transferring from a child to an adult.

The friendship between the two main characters is quite strong and at the end it does develop into a relationship. That is a spoiler to an extent but I've not said how it happens.

The story overall seemed quite good but not something I would have personally chosen to read if it was an actual book. So I'm pleased it is part of extended chapters if it is following on from The Fates Divide. 

There is a trigger warning for grief and death.

Read: 09/10/19 - 12/10/19

4 stars out of 5

written by Sammie