I gotta be honest with you. I’d never heard about Endling: The Last before I saw the cover staring out at me at Barnes and Noble. I’m still not sure if it was the title in bright gold script or the picture of what appeared to be a dog and a large mouse-like creature on the cover that grabbed my attention.

And when I started the story, I was almost sure the story was about the mouse-like creature, not the upright dog (who I thought was male and a guardian based on the way the creature was standing).

I admit it. I judged a book by its cover. And I was wrong on almost every count. Which reminded me of very valuable lesson: Things (and people) are not always what they appear. Which is very fitting, because that is the heart of this story.

“It’s never wrong to hope”

Bryx is used to being the youngest and smallest of her pack. But she never wanted to be the last. Who would?

The darines, Bryx was taught by the elders in her pack, were once one of six governing races of Nedarra. Now only a handful of them remain and they live as exiles wherever they can find a safe place to rest their paws. Bryx has never known a life without fear hanging over her head or known what it’s like to live in one place for more than a few days. 

And then suddenly, without warning, she was all alone. 

As the secret survivor of a race that has been officially declared extinct, Bryx finds herself hunted by those who don’t want the world to know she exists and unsure of who she can truly trust.

Bryx could give up and accept that she’s the Endling. The last of the dairnes. But she clings to the hope that others still exist, safe and hidden from those seeking not only her end, but the end of other governing races as well. The question is, can she find the lost colony before it’s too late?

A solid adventure for older readers

Endling: The Last was written by Katherine Applegate and released this past May. This is a well-written and captivating story, but it’s definitely one for upper middle grade readers. There are some big words in it, and I wish there’d been something that told me how to pronounce the names of the different races. Even though the story includes murder and death and betrayal, it’s also filled with loyalty and bravery and trust. I really like that the story ends on a hopeful note. Even if it doesn’t reach its conclusion.

There are some parts of the story that remind me a bit of The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis. If your readers have read that book and done okay with it, they’ll be just fine with this one. But mom and dad, as always, you’re the best judge of what your bookwyrm will enjoy.

Like I said earlier, this story isn’t at all what I expected when I started it, and the closer I got to the end, the more I felt like it was only beginning. The book isn’t listed as the first book in a series, but it’s clear from the ending that at least one more book will follow.

In the end, I give Endling: The Last 4 dark chocolate eggs. And yes, I will be keeping my eye out for the next chapter of Bryx’s journey!

Note: No goods or services were exchanged for this review. The opinions expressed are the reviewer’s own.