The End of Men
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- Create Date：2021-05-14 09:51:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Christina Sweeney-Baird
- ISBN：0593328132
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Summary
Set in a world where a virus stalks our male population， The End of Men is an electrifying and unforgettable debut from a remarkable new talent that asks: what would our world truly look like without men？
Only men carry the virus。 Only women can save us all。
The year is 2025， and a mysterious virus has broken out in Scotland--a lethal illness that seems to affect only men。 When Dr。 Amanda MacLean reports this phenomenon， she is dismissed as hysterical。 By the time her warning is heeded， it is too late。 The virus becomes a global pandemic--and a political one。 The victims are all men。 The world becomes alien--a women's world。
What follows is the immersive account of the women who have been left to deal with the virus's consequences， told through first-person narratives。 Dr。 MacLean; Catherine， a social historian determined to document the human stories behind the "male plague"; intelligence analyst Dawn， tasked with helping the government forge a new society; and Elizabeth， one of many scientists desperately working to develop a vaccine。 Through these women and others， we see the uncountable ways the absence of men has changed society， from the personal--the loss of husbands and sons--to the political--the changes in the workforce， fertility， and the meaning of family。
In The End of Men， Christina Sweeney-Baird turns the unimaginable into the unforgettable。
Only men carry the virus。 Only women can save us all。
The year is 2025， and a mysterious virus has broken out in Scotland--a lethal illness that seems to affect only men。 When Dr。 Amanda MacLean reports this phenomenon， she is dismissed as hysterical。 By the time her warning is heeded， it is too late。 The virus becomes a global pandemic--and a political one。 The victims are all men。 The world becomes alien--a women's world。
What follows is the immersive account of the women who have been left to deal with the virus's consequences， told through first-person narratives。 Dr。 MacLean; Catherine， a social historian determined to document the human stories behind the "male plague"; intelligence analyst Dawn， tasked with helping the government forge a new society; and Elizabeth， one of many scientists desperately working to develop a vaccine。 Through these women and others， we see the uncountable ways the absence of men has changed society， from the personal--the loss of husbands and sons--to the political--the changes in the workforce， fertility， and the meaning of family。
In The End of Men， Christina Sweeney-Baird turns the unimaginable into the unforgettable。
Reviews
Elaine
，
Overall a fairly enjoyable read。 However the novel was narrated through multiple characters and， to be honest， eventually I lost track- they all seemed very similar。 I found my interest waning towards the end， but it was still an interesting read during an actual pandemic。
Mackey
，
This is one of those books where I think the hype is influencing the reviews。 I’ve read two other books about a pandemic that wipes out males and they were far better than this one。 Way too many characters to keep them straight and， in the end， there still was just greed and nations fighting over crap。 Read Athena’s Choice for a far superior book about the end of men。
Julie Griffin
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I'm not sure what draws me to speculative fiction， especially with a feminist perspective。 This is the third one I've read in the past year， also， about a plague that kills men。 This leads to all sorts of possibilities about how a world would be shaped by women， what emotional tolls are taken， and in one， Afterland， what lengths a mother will go to to save her surviving son。As far as these go， The End of Men is one of the better written and detailed。 A doctor in a Glasgow hospital notices a link I'm not sure what draws me to speculative fiction， especially with a feminist perspective。 This is the third one I've read in the past year， also， about a plague that kills men。 This leads to all sorts of possibilities about how a world would be shaped by women， what emotional tolls are taken， and in one， Afterland， what lengths a mother will go to to save her surviving son。As far as these go， The End of Men is one of the better written and detailed。 A doctor in a Glasgow hospital notices a link with a few patients， all male， who are treated for minor things in the ER but then two days later develop high fevers and die suddenly。 She struggles to alert the authorities， who ignore her。 Amanda continues to be ignored as she tries to figure out what's causing this， what the connection is， and in the meantime trues to safeguard her husband and two teenage boys。 Oblivious to the burgeoning pandemic， Catherine in London revolves around her academic work as a sociologist and her young son， and whether she and her husband will embark on another round of unsuccessful fertility treatments。 Things escalate， Amanda tracks down the source and Patient Zero， Charlotte's life changes， and other characters join the narrative: Elizabeth who travels to London from the CDC to help develop a vaccine; Dawn， a British government official working to contain the security and government threats; Toby， a man captured on a cruise boat off the Iceland coast as his wife works furiously to get help to the ship。 The book is very detailed and thoughtful。 Many male-dominated jobs are disrupted， such as train conducting， piloting， electrical， and garbage removal， and women are drafted to be trained to fill these essential jobs。 Medicine also takes a big hit， as does science。 Many women see their entire families die， and a few men are found to be immune。 The women-led future has some bright spots， as childcare and education are more valued， but not all women are altruistic; a vaccine is developed quickly by a Canadian doctor， Lisa， who then demands a high price for it。 China disintegrates into several city-states and other countries fall。 The book is a thoughtful "what if" and it follows through with its characters after the vaccination。 Some find happiness again， some survive。 Women may nod their heads at men complaining they can't go out in public without being accosted by women looking for children。 An Eastern European country known as a hub for sex trafficking becomes a danger no-go zone for men。 Just a note， the cover isn't right-- women and men both carry the virus。 Only men are made sick by it。 I'm also hoping the editors fix the "Edna St。 Vincent Mallay" reference。 Recommend as a thought-provoking and well researched and detailed story especially in light of the current pandemic。 。。。more
Patricia
，
Published with canny timing this follows the events of a worldwide pandemic， a virus that everyone can catch。。。。some remain asymptomatic but others become ill and die terrifyingly fast。 All the others are men。 Quickly the world is reduced to women and the few men who are immune or manage to avoid catching it。If you think this book is about hating men you'd be wrong。 It paints a world where if a woman is pregnant she's terrified it's a boy as he will inevitably die。 It's not just the end of men， Published with canny timing this follows the events of a worldwide pandemic， a virus that everyone can catch。。。。some remain asymptomatic but others become ill and die terrifyingly fast。 All the others are men。 Quickly the world is reduced to women and the few men who are immune or manage to avoid catching it。If you think this book is about hating men you'd be wrong。 It paints a world where if a woman is pregnant she's terrified it's a boy as he will inevitably die。 It's not just the end of men， but of boys too。 This is a world of crippling sorrow。 But also of rebuilding and change。 Of women stepping up when they've been pushed back。 Of putting aside sorrow to secure the future。All through the book the style reminded me of World War Z。 It's told from multiple points of view， from all over the world。 Which is good as I loved that book。 Let's not speak of the film！ And I really liked this too。 It was very easy to get immersed in this world。 There's a little bit of lag in the middle but overall a very impressive debut。 。。。more
Neeuqdrazil
，
Yes， I read a book about a pandemic during a pandemic。 I devoured this， even though I didn't love it。 Yes， I read a book about a pandemic during a pandemic。 I devoured this， even though I didn't love it。 。。。more
Hargun Kaur Sachdev
，
So much to unpack here。 Review coming soon！
Julie Chapman
，
I’ll admit， I read it for the title。 But it was excellent and did not disappoint。 Timely and made me think。 The “what if” factor is high。 Reminiscent of Margaret Atwood’s work， and P。D。 James （The Children of Men）。 Warning: Tough to read if you have men/boys that you love in your life—left me emotional at times as a wife and mom。 But I recommend for dystopian story lovers。
Dawn
，
When a doctor in Glasgow discovers a deadly plague that is killing men very quickly the medical service reject her claims due to a personal connection which hilights her instability。 As this plague spreads across the country and eventually the world what will happen？ Some males are immune but the world is going mad with the decrease in population but in other ways made safer with females in charge。 I loved this book， told from various view points of women round the world in different yet similar When a doctor in Glasgow discovers a deadly plague that is killing men very quickly the medical service reject her claims due to a personal connection which hilights her instability。 As this plague spreads across the country and eventually the world what will happen？ Some males are immune but the world is going mad with the decrease in population but in other ways made safer with females in charge。 I loved this book， told from various view points of women round the world in different yet similar situations。 I think because of the current Covid pandemic this makes it more real！ Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Victoria Wilks
，
As soon as I read the description for this book I knew it was going to be a truly unforgettable read。 This fascinating story begins in the year 2025 in a hospital in Glasgow， Scotland。 When Dr Amanda Maclean is called to treat a patient who has presented with flu-like symptoms。 Dr Maclean initially believes this will be a run of the mill consultation， but when her patient begins to deteriorate at an alarming speed and he dies within hours of first showing symptoms， she quickly comes to realise t As soon as I read the description for this book I knew it was going to be a truly unforgettable read。 This fascinating story begins in the year 2025 in a hospital in Glasgow， Scotland。 When Dr Amanda Maclean is called to treat a patient who has presented with flu-like symptoms。 Dr Maclean initially believes this will be a run of the mill consultation， but when her patient begins to deteriorate at an alarming speed and he dies within hours of first showing symptoms， she quickly comes to realise that there is something much bigger at play here。As more people begin falling ill with the same symptoms， all of whom are men， that is when the Doctors know that they are dealing with a large scale plague that is targeting the male population， and more worryingly， within days of contracting the deadly virus， most of them are dead。 Dr Maclean informs the authorities， but they are unwilling to listen， which soon enough results in this unknown virus spreading throughout the world and killing 90% of the male population in its wake。The story spans over six years and is told from varying perspectives， allowing us to get a real， indepth insight as to how the wider population have been affected by this tragic plague。 We get to connect with not only Dr Amanda Maclean， but the other characters who share their own perspectives on this outbreak， and I know I certainly found myself riding a wave of emotions as the story progresses。Despite the topic of this story being quite hard hitting， and certainly relevant to the life we have all been living over the past year or so， Christina Sweeney-Baird manages to add some humour and light-hearted moments throughout， something I truly enjoyed。 This never once took away from the serious threat that the world within her story was facing， but did allow us to enjoy the journey that little bit more。Written in a charismatic， immersive way， I found myself drawn in to the world that existed between the pages of this book。 Emotional and all consuming， I adored this story。 。。。more
Divya
，
It is surreal reading a book about pandemic during a pandemic。 What's more surprising is that this book was written before all this began。 It's like the author had a chance to peek in the future。 The book virus is even worse than the real world one。 It is going around killing all the men and the world。This one makes an emotional read for a lot of reasons。The story is incredibly well written with different story lines and a bit too many POVs in my opinion but they all brought the story together i It is surreal reading a book about pandemic during a pandemic。 What's more surprising is that this book was written before all this began。 It's like the author had a chance to peek in the future。 The book virus is even worse than the real world one。 It is going around killing all the men and the world。This one makes an emotional read for a lot of reasons。The story is incredibly well written with different story lines and a bit too many POVs in my opinion but they all brought the story together in the end。 I am so impressed with the author’s observation and imagination。 Every scenario across the world is so well thought。 If most of the men are gone， what is the impact – On the Armies， Politics， IT Jobs， simple manual work， pilots， everything –all over the world。 How the dynamics have changed in the end where we have aworld run by women – and men are the minority。 Its thought-provoking read and I would highly recommend everyone to read this！This review was originally posted on www。instagram。com/stellarcupofbooks 。。。more
Jill Lamond
，
I enjoyed this book very much， despite being in the middle of a worldwide pandemic I still love an apocalyptic disaster novel。 I just have a couple of gripes， one being the difficulty in keeping track of the huge number of characters and the lack of a clearly defined plot。 The other was a pet hate of mine - a couple of typos seem to have managed to escape the editorial process， for instance at one point Toby is called Tony。 On balance though this was a very readable and thought-provoking book。
Lynette
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I really liked this novel。Some speculative fiction involving gender can be very post-apolcalyptic and divisive。 I was not eager for a book about a world where women are now barbaric tyrants over the last few men to prove that "humanity is bad， not one specific gender。"What I got was a eeriely topical mutli-pov story about a pandemic that kills only men and the POVs of the women across the world that live through Day 1 and beyond。 Each character is distinctly their own， and I craved hearing more I really liked this novel。Some speculative fiction involving gender can be very post-apolcalyptic and divisive。 I was not eager for a book about a world where women are now barbaric tyrants over the last few men to prove that "humanity is bad， not one specific gender。"What I got was a eeriely topical mutli-pov story about a pandemic that kills only men and the POVs of the women across the world that live through Day 1 and beyond。 Each character is distinctly their own， and I craved hearing more from each of them。 Tearing through this novel in a day was reliving some of the worst parts of our real pandemic as well as the best human moments we could find。 Getting through the losses and victories， I sobbed。 。。。more
Helen Perkovic
，
OutstandingWritten before the Covid 19 pandemic， read and enjoy this entirely believable tale。 Just remember， it could have been worse and I only hope the scientists that have dictated government policy through the pandemic don't read this， it will inspire them to using more severe measures if it happens again。 OutstandingWritten before the Covid 19 pandemic， read and enjoy this entirely believable tale。 Just remember， it could have been worse and I only hope the scientists that have dictated government policy through the pandemic don't read this， it will inspire them to using more severe measures if it happens again。 。。。more
Kirsti
，
Just an all-around excellent novel。 I don't know what to label it because it's dystopian but also funny and witty in parts。 It's plot-driven but has some compelling character development。 And there's social commentary but not to an annoying extent。 The whole thing has a very British way of looking at the world—life in general and certain people in particular will disappoint you， but it's vital to muddle through and do your best for yourself and others。 Bureaucracy is terrible but it's better tha Just an all-around excellent novel。 I don't know what to label it because it's dystopian but also funny and witty in parts。 It's plot-driven but has some compelling character development。 And there's social commentary but not to an annoying extent。 The whole thing has a very British way of looking at the world—life in general and certain people in particular will disappoint you， but it's vital to muddle through and do your best for yourself and others。 Bureaucracy is terrible but it's better than any other way of running things。 Love isn't always exciting or dramatic but it gives life more flavor。 Anyway， I loved it and I look forward to her YA book that's supposedly coming out。 And I hope they put Olivia Colman in the movie。Fun fact: The first person the author thanks in the acknowledgments is her agent， Felicity Blunt。 Blunt met her husband， Stanley Tucci， at the wedding of her sister， Emily Blunt， to John Krasinski at George Clooney's house， with Meryl Streep in attendance。 That has nothing to do with the author or her book， but I just like the idea of all those celebrities actually enjoying each other's company。 。。。more
Megan Vos
，
I read about this book somewhere months ago， and I’ve been waiting so very impatiently！ I’m genuinely surprised there’s not more hype around it because its a great book and really interesting concept。 I know we’re all fed up with pandemics， but it’s nice to know it could be worse 😅 I honestly loved it so much， and keep telling everyone about it！ The End of Men tells the story of well。。 the end of men 😉 Technically it’s the story of a pandemic （yes， sorry） that kills just about 90% of all men。 Wo I read about this book somewhere months ago， and I’ve been waiting so very impatiently！ I’m genuinely surprised there’s not more hype around it because its a great book and really interesting concept。 I know we’re all fed up with pandemics， but it’s nice to know it could be worse 😅 I honestly loved it so much， and keep telling everyone about it！ The End of Men tells the story of well。。 the end of men 😉 Technically it’s the story of a pandemic （yes， sorry） that kills just about 90% of all men。 Women are asymptomatic hosts and are left to run the world， as we do。 It’s about grief， rebuilding and repopulating， about politics and friendship。 The centered women lose the men in their lives， and that’s obviously a big part of it。 It’s not gruesome， so theres no tales of gore。 ⚠️ There is some talk of suicidal thoughts， lot of death and grief， and sadly also the death of children。 So be warned。 。。。more
Samuel
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The concept is really cool but this is way too long and got incredibly boring at the end。 After the plague started and we were like 2 years everything was just a bit plain and uninteresting （just like you feel after the 5th quarantine）
Chalthria
，
Tarina viruksesta， johon sairastuvat vain miehet。 Naiset voivat olla oireettomia kantajia， mutta he eivät siihen kuole。 Hyvin paljon samankaltaisuuksia koronapandemiaan， vaikka kirjoittaja on aloittanut tämän kirjan kirjoittamisen jo 2018。 Kirja muistuttaa niin paljon koronapandemiaa， että koko aihe vähän kärsi ja osin kirja vaikutti toistolta。 Olisin kaivannut tähän enemmän sitä， että olisi näytetty millaiseksi yhteiskunta sitten muovautui tämän mystisen "miesten surman" jälkeen。 Tarina viruksesta， johon sairastuvat vain miehet。 Naiset voivat olla oireettomia kantajia， mutta he eivät siihen kuole。 Hyvin paljon samankaltaisuuksia koronapandemiaan， vaikka kirjoittaja on aloittanut tämän kirjan kirjoittamisen jo 2018。 Kirja muistuttaa niin paljon koronapandemiaa， että koko aihe vähän kärsi ja osin kirja vaikutti toistolta。 Olisin kaivannut tähän enemmän sitä， että olisi näytetty millaiseksi yhteiskunta sitten muovautui tämän mystisen "miesten surman" jälkeen。 。。。more
Rhiannon Johnson
，
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。I am always interested in a feminist dystopia: The Handmaid's Tale， Afterland， Vox， Blue Ticket， The Grace Year， Red Clocks， The Mother Code （I could go on and on） and while I loved most of those， I often felt like something was forced or "gimmicky。" This always left me wanting more--a smarter， more fully flushed out story with a broad range of detailed repercussions。 The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird fill I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。I am always interested in a feminist dystopia: The Handmaid's Tale， Afterland， Vox， Blue Ticket， The Grace Year， Red Clocks， The Mother Code （I could go on and on） and while I loved most of those， I often felt like something was forced or "gimmicky。" This always left me wanting more--a smarter， more fully flushed out story with a broad range of detailed repercussions。 The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird filled that void and is exactly the book I have been waiting for！ I'll cut to the chase and say this is currently my favorite 2021 release。 It shocked me， ripped my heart out， made me gasp。。。and I loved every minute of it！ The depth of details and levels of intelligence layered throughout the chapters is magnificent。 My mind reels that this is Sweeney-Baird's debut novel。 Writing her first draft of the novel between September 2018 and June 2019， Sweeney-Baird had no idea that a pandemic would soon ravage our world。 She simply asked herself "How far could I take my imagination？ How would a global pandemic with an enormous death rate change the world？" and she delivered a story that forced me to ask myself what I would do in about a hundred different situations。 The politics， the vaccine race， the breakdown of the economy， the shift of entire governments， and the devastating loss faced by most families was familiar yet intensified from what we have all experienced over the last year。 An absolutely amazing novel that I cannot recommend enough！ Come chat with me about books here， too: Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest 。。。more
Amy
，
What happens to the world when a virus they have called ‘The Plague’ sweeps through suddenly and wipes out all but 10% of the male population？ How is society changed forever， from jobs， to the military and war， to dating and repopulating the earth。 So interesting and scary at the same time！ The author actually began writing this in 2018 before COVID hit， so reading this gave me chills。
Lucy
，
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC。The sheer number of pandemic-themed novels published in late 2020-early 2021 is weirdly coincidental。 Sweeney-Baird does a great job of plotting this wide-ranging novel so you read it quickly in big gulps。 It has echoes of Max Brooks's World War Z and Naomi Alderman's The Power。 Everything seemed very realistic， particularly with our newfound knowledge of what actually happens in a pandemic。 I wish she'd delved a bit more deeply into the questio Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC。The sheer number of pandemic-themed novels published in late 2020-early 2021 is weirdly coincidental。 Sweeney-Baird does a great job of plotting this wide-ranging novel so you read it quickly in big gulps。 It has echoes of Max Brooks's World War Z and Naomi Alderman's The Power。 Everything seemed very realistic， particularly with our newfound knowledge of what actually happens in a pandemic。 I wish she'd delved a bit more deeply into the question of what society would be like with men in the minority with more examples， but I definitely liked the assumption men's rights activists would still exist。 However， I still prefer Bethany Clift's The Last One At The Party， as it delved more deeply into the issues by focusing on one character rather than many。 。。。more
Britt B
，
Think COVID19 but only men are dying from it。 It started out really good for me but overall it was slow。 Each chapter is told from a different POV and I typically like this style of writing but there were almost too many。 Some characters we only hear from once or twice， which seemed a little pointless， while some repeat characters we get no closure on。 Pretty crazy that the author started writing this in 2018， it is a very unique concept。 I also saw that movie rights have been bought so will be Think COVID19 but only men are dying from it。 It started out really good for me but overall it was slow。 Each chapter is told from a different POV and I typically like this style of writing but there were almost too many。 Some characters we only hear from once or twice， which seemed a little pointless， while some repeat characters we get no closure on。 Pretty crazy that the author started writing this in 2018， it is a very unique concept。 I also saw that movie rights have been bought so will be interesting to see how it’s adapted。BIG thank you to the author and goodreads for the giveaway！！！！ 。。。more
Astra Astrid
，
At first glance， this looks almost like a novelization of covid。 But it's not， of course。The story is told through multiple points of view and also through multiple media。 There's dialogue， news articles， personal narratives。 Although it is， relatively speaking， linear， so quite easy to follow。The only real issue I had was with the production of the vaccine。 It was， supposedly， 100% effective， and went into production with no human testing。 Of course， if they had done human testing， they could o At first glance， this looks almost like a novelization of covid。 But it's not， of course。The story is told through multiple points of view and also through multiple media。 There's dialogue， news articles， personal narratives。 Although it is， relatively speaking， linear， so quite easy to follow。The only real issue I had was with the production of the vaccine。 It was， supposedly， 100% effective， and went into production with no human testing。 Of course， if they had done human testing， they could only have tested it on women， as men were too scarce to endanger in that way。 Rather ironic， don't you agree？I've been thinking about this， some more， and realized a couple of other things。 Polyamory exists。 In a world where there's a shortage of a sex， it's far more likely to become the norm， I think。 This book didn't even touch on it。 Which I find slightly disappointing。 Nuclear families are a fairly recent concept。 There could have been far more discussion of viable alternatives。Canibalism also exists。 A large group of people on a ship stuck at sea， is more likely than not going to have someone who's willing to show the rest。 Especially if people are conveniently killing themselves。 I don't like the idea， but it's more realistic， I think。 。。。more
Celia
，
4。5
Brittany （whatbritreads）
，
Reading this while we’re how deep into the Coronavirus pandemic was a bit surreal。 A lot of this hit so close to what we’re experiencing now even though it was written before。 Super trippy， and definitely probably not the book you’re going to want to pick up if you’re in the mood to escape our current problems。I really loved how this made me think about the different roles of men and women in our society and what life actually would be like a world where men didn’t exist and how that would funda Reading this while we’re how deep into the Coronavirus pandemic was a bit surreal。 A lot of this hit so close to what we’re experiencing now even though it was written before。 Super trippy， and definitely probably not the book you’re going to want to pick up if you’re in the mood to escape our current problems。I really loved how this made me think about the different roles of men and women in our society and what life actually would be like a world where men didn’t exist and how that would fundamentally change everything。 It really gave me perspective on several things I never even thought about and I appreciated that， it really did outdo itself with fulfilling that goal。 This， while an excellent concept， could have been executed so much better。 I think when you’re dealing with such massive scale loss and destruction， there’s an opportunity there to really pack an emotional punch with the story you’re telling and get readers to really engage and feel for these characters。 Though the events of this book are devastating， because of the way it is told I felt nothing。 The emotional scenes in this book didn’t make me emotional ta all。 I didn’t connect to or particularly care for the characters plights as much as I like to when I’m immersed in a story。I think this stems from two things – the pacing and the multiple narratives used throughout。 This book within literally the first nine pages， kicks off an entire global pandemic and one of our main characters is panicking。 In nine pages。 There’s no real build up， no picture of life ‘before’ this all happened。 We dive straight in。 No exaggeration， this nurse makes some Sherlock Holmes level of deduction after looking at two patients with similar symptoms she declares a pandemic。 She’s literally hysterical and emailing people declaring a global emergency ten minutes after seeing her second case。 It was just all a bit too much of a jump for me to be honest。Though the multiple narratives kept it snappy and boosted the pace a bit， they weren’t for me。 Because so much happens in literally the first chapter， everything after that was neither here nor there in terms of being engaging or really adding much to the story。 It just felt like a never-ending decline with no real explanation。 There were some scientific parts in this novel， but the science of this disease and actual explanation for what on earth happened is actually beyond me。 Haven’t a clue， couldn’t really tell you。 In fact， if you ask me about the plot points， they’re all a bit vague。 There are so many haphazard accounts in this book they all sort of blurred together and I never spent enough time with either of them to form an attachment to their narrative which was a shame。 I think this story would’ve benefitted from a select few perspectives to rotate between and a shorter timespan with more in-depth emotional speak。I’d say give this one a go and see for yourself what you think， definitely an interesting one！ 。。。more
Owen Butler
，
4。5 -5 stars。beutifully written， timely subject matter
Jennifer
，
True Rating 4。5 stars rounded up！ What would happen to the world if a virus attacked and killed only men？ The novel is told in an oral history style giving multiple narratives from different women during certain timeframes: Before， Outbreak， Panic， etc。。。。 （Very reminiscent of World War Z， another book I liked a lot！） It took a minute to keep all of the women's stories straight， but once I had everything organized in my mind it was off to the races！ The first sections dealing with the outbreak True Rating 4。5 stars rounded up！ What would happen to the world if a virus attacked and killed only men？ The novel is told in an oral history style giving multiple narratives from different women during certain timeframes: Before， Outbreak， Panic， etc。。。。 （Very reminiscent of World War Z， another book I liked a lot！） It took a minute to keep all of the women's stories straight， but once I had everything organized in my mind it was off to the races！ The first sections dealing with the outbreak and panic had me on the edge of my seat。 I felt the panic ratcheting up。 The sections dealing with the aftermath were also interesting: the investigation into the disease's origins， hearing how women would get things done in areas that had previously been male dominated， the struggle to find a cure， and the gender roles playing out in a new way。。。I was here for it all。 I knew the premise going in， but I wasn't really prepared for the emotional toll it would take to read about these women's sons dying and there being nothing they could do to stop it。 As a mom to a son and daughter， reading the commentary of the mothers who had only daughters being secretly happy that their children would live and the anguish that the mother's of sons had to endure knowing death awaited。。。。the emotional component felt real。 There was no sugar coating it。 While the book was released during the Covid19， the author actually started writing it before the current pandemic。 Keeping that in mind made certain parts of this story very surreal to read。 This is a book that I will continue to recommend to friends。 。。。more
Willow
，
Reading a pandemic novel within a pandemic really is something！ Sweeney-Baird does it right though - the story is realistic and scary， as she tells the tale of a virus that kills only men in 2025; yikes！ Overall I felt the novel was well-paced and very engrossing， and the entire time I felt the bounds of my own reality being tested （pleaaaaase can we end it with just one pandemic， world？ Please？！）。 Great dystopian novel that feels even more realistic given。。。well， everything。
Andrea
，
I really loved "The End of Men" by Christina Sweeney-Baird。 I loved almost everything about this book。 Of course the title piqued my interest right away。 And certainly the premise of a pandemic that only affects men is very interesting。 Before the current COVID pandemic I read a few pandemic novels and I always wondered how realistic they were。 I could hardly imagine actually living through a pandemic。 Fast forward to 2020 ad I now have totally different thoughts on the issue！！ This book has so I really loved "The End of Men" by Christina Sweeney-Baird。 I loved almost everything about this book。 Of course the title piqued my interest right away。 And certainly the premise of a pandemic that only affects men is very interesting。 Before the current COVID pandemic I read a few pandemic novels and I always wondered how realistic they were。 I could hardly imagine actually living through a pandemic。 Fast forward to 2020 ad I now have totally different thoughts on the issue！！ This book has so many things I love - a thought provoking premise， multiple points of view， short chapters， and female characters。 I loved the writing - it was engaging and drew me in right away。 With the exception of one male point of view the entire novel is told from the point of view of several female characters located in various parts of the world - all of whom are affected by this Plague in various ways。 If I had one complaint about the book， it would be that maybe there were a few too many female characters。 A few only had one or 2 short chapters that were so far apart I had forgotten who they were when they showed up again。The book spanned a number of years during and after the Plague and I would have actually loved for the book to be longer。 I would have liked even more of the immediate aftermath of the pandemic when there were so few men left and women had to do almost everything。 I really was enjoying this part when the book skipped ahead several years。 I also loved all the complex female characters。 Some driven by grief an others driven by power and greed。 It is an interesting reflection of society as a whole。 Sweeney-Baird said in the Author's note that she started this book in 2018 as a "thought experiment" and she finished in 2019 before the COVID pandemic。 I thought she wrote the pandemic part very well。 It felt real to me as well as the fear and grief of those affected。I'm not going to spoil the plot but if this type of fiction interests you I highly recommend this book。I was given an digital ARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Gia
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Glasgow。 2025。 An A and E doctor in a busy Glasgow hospital treats a male patient who dies from what appears to be flu-like symptoms。 When more men suddenly start dying from similar presentations， she fears the worst。 Warning her superiors is met with cynical skepticism。 From there on， it’s too late。 A deadly， global pandemic caused by a mysterious virus that targets only males。 Women are the asymptomatic carriers – agonizingly passing the virus to their sons， husbands， brothers， fathers。 In a r Glasgow。 2025。 An A and E doctor in a busy Glasgow hospital treats a male patient who dies from what appears to be flu-like symptoms。 When more men suddenly start dying from similar presentations， she fears the worst。 Warning her superiors is met with cynical skepticism。 From there on， it’s too late。 A deadly， global pandemic caused by a mysterious virus that targets only males。 Women are the asymptomatic carriers – agonizingly passing the virus to their sons， husbands， brothers， fathers。 In a race against time， brilliant women around the world come together to find a vaccine。 Portentously relevant to the pandemic assailing our society， the plague in The End of Men， rubs chillingly close to home。 Heart-rending， compelling and spellbinding。Highly recommend The End of Men。Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada， Doubleday Canada， for the read of Christina Sweeney-Baird’s， The End of Men。Opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Tilly Fitzgerald
，
WOW！ You may not think a novel about a pandemic which targets men is what you need right now， but this was just utterly impossible to put down！ The concept is simple （I mean， apart from all the science and stuff 🤣） - it’s the year 2025， and a virus which originated in Scotland is killing men at a terrifying speed。 Women are asymptomatic， and a very small percentage of men are immune， but most people are losing sons， husbands， brothers， fathers and friends。 It’s a race against time to find out wh WOW！ You may not think a novel about a pandemic which targets men is what you need right now， but this was just utterly impossible to put down！ The concept is simple （I mean， apart from all the science and stuff 🤣） - it’s the year 2025， and a virus which originated in Scotland is killing men at a terrifying speed。 Women are asymptomatic， and a very small percentage of men are immune， but most people are losing sons， husbands， brothers， fathers and friends。 It’s a race against time to find out where the virus originated and to create a vaccine。 （This sounds scarily familiar？）。 The utter brilliance of this novel is in the vast amount of characters （from various countries worldwide） whose viewpoints we look at - from the doctor who first spotted the urgency， to an anthropologist recording its impact on people， and to MI5。 The variety and different experiences all of these characters bring just makes this so compelling - and the chapters are really short， so it’s brilliantly fast paced too。 I was surprised at just how emotional I found this - it’s probably one of the most realistic and heartbreaking depictions of what it’s like to know you might lose everyone you love， and how you are meant to move on after losing a husband or child。 Certain chapters absolutely devastated me， but thankfully the pace and movement between characters means there’s not too much time to dwell。 The other big impact of this novel is in the amount of moral dilemmas it raises - decisions as to who gets to have a child in this new world with so few men， in drafting people into employment， even in whether the person who created the vaccine should be compensated （hmm， no， she’s awful！）。 I think this is the type of novel to provoke lots of thought and discussion which is always a good thing。 I just honestly can’t recommend this enough - it’s gripping， terrifying， moving， and I wish I could experience reading it for the first time all over again！ Astounding！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The End of Men
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The End of Men&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The End of Men&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0