There are times when I think I could write a book. Why not? I have a first in English and I’ve been reading voraciously since I was 5. I have even started a memoir. Surely I could do it. They say everyone has a book in them don’t they? Then I read this. This astounding, raw, unflinching and inspirationally creative novel is proof that some of us were born to write. This book, is quite simply astonishing.

A propulsive and incredibly creepy dystopian premise - I was hooked from the outset, and every twist was perfectly executed. A fantastic thriller." - Heather Darwent Powerful and thought-provoking and quite unlike anything I've read before. Louise Beech is a fearless writer." - Laura PearsonI adore when this writer writes as Louise Beech so knew that I needed to read her Louise Swanson alter ego but wasn’t expecting to love this book quite as much as I did! It is drawing comparisons with other books like The Handmaids Tale and I can see why! Set in a not so distant future world where fiction is banned and reading bedtime stories to your child is a punishable offence, I become engaged straight away by this storyline that didn’t feel as unbelievable as perhaps it should have done unfortunately! End of Story is an infusion of dystopia and very real magic. It reaches straight for your heart, cast in a velvet glove and tears it out in an iron fist. Thunderous devastating. I loved every minute of it." - Matt Wesolowski

As a fiction lover, I found this book a nightmare. Oh, to picture a world without fiction – what a tragedy! I loved how it stressed on the importance of fiction (and I did get some heebie-jeebies at the way fiction was treated.) What a fantastic book , I really didn't see the twist coming but oh my gosh !' NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5* Five years ago the government banned the writing & disseminating of fiction: physical books are burned, whilst digital copies have been erased, fictional TV shows & films are prohibited, even reading aloud a nonfiction book is considered storytelling. Now in 2035, successful ex-author, Fern Dostoy - her book 'Technological Amazingness' was considered subversive - is now Fern Dalrymple Widowed & childless, she had to move home & change her appearance & now works as a cleaner in a hospital. She has never heard from her fellow author friends & her only acquaintances are her next door neighbour, & the delivery man from FineFayre who sells her tea & biscuits. Fern lives offline as much as possible as she knows that even something an innocuous as a fridge is used to surveil the population, & she receives regular visits from two men, government officials, who search her home & question her about her activities. Only, Fern doesn't plan on going down without a fight. She'll keep writing, no matter the consequences. She will make her voice heard.The first half of this book did not have me convinced, but as I kept reading and as the story unfolded I found myself enjoying it more and more. This is an unusual read, but a brilliantly creative look at dealing with loss. When you reach for this book, expect the unexpected. The book is written in five parts, each named after the five stages of grief. You will find Fern’s thoughts aligning with the specific grief stage perfectly without going too far. (And when it does become farfetched, you’ll know the reason for it later.) I liked the characters and especially Fern, she does meander off a little in the middle but overall, was entertaining and paranoid. We see how drastically her life has changed from a best-selling author to nothing, a nobody living quietly in a new home where everything is different. The ideas mooted in her fictional book are interesting and give plenty of food for thought, though also a little terrifying! Gorgeously crazy and crazily gorgeous. Stories that do what this one does pitch perfectly don't come along that often so I wouldn't miss it if I were you. The writing is gorgeous and the author presents a pretty horrific scenario, which sets a scene that slowly slowly absorbs you in. The main protagonist is enthralling, the deep emotional layers of the narrative are hard to put into words but you'll run the gamut of all of them at various points then the end will slap you around a bit before releasing you into the aftermath.

Then later on, Swanson got me again. I can't express how powerful this novel was, and how clever, how many questions you ask then answers you find, the layers and unravellings and stories she's created. As a parent of readers, as a lifelong reader and a mother of boys, this was painful in the extreme in more than one way. I hope I've managed to convey that without giving anything away. I remember sitting in my musician father's cross-legged lap while he tried to show me the guitar chords. I was three. His music sheets fascinated me - strange language that translated into music. My mother taught French and English, so her fluency with words fired my interest.

That is the premise of this novel where we meet the former award winning author Fern Dostoy, who is now banned from writing and monitored for compliance by the “tall one and the short one”, who can show up unannounced at any time to search her home. Inventive, original, moving. END OF STORY has a unique premise and a heart-wrenching drop-the-book twist." - Tammy Cohen A masterpiece of storytelling, with a plot that relentlessly draws you in, and then twists and evolves into something utterly unexpected. Wrapped in one of the most original and deeply-realised storylines I have read in a long time, this genre-blending book hits breathtaking new heights in contemporary fiction." - Philippa East A few of the dystopian scenes were too graphic for me. This might not be a problem for all readers. As much a ride as a read, this tense, paranoid thriller expands into something absolutely show-stopping. End of Story is a rare find indeed! Louise Swanson takes every expectation and defies it - to tell a breath-taking tale of humanity and redemption." - Janice Hallett