In 2018, seventeen-year-old Sunny and Toby are on the run after zombies have destroyed most of the adults in their world. Cut to 2034 when Sunny is being held in an underground facility. What happened? Was it aliens, a conspiracy, a simulation, biological terrorism, a totalitarian takeover? And who can infiltrate the facility and release the surviving prisoners? The tables will be turned more than once in this thrilling and thought-provoking novel.
With Steph Bowe’s sad passing at the age of twenty-five, in 2020, we lost a truly wonderful author of three smart, funny YA novels. Her mother and sister discovered a manuscript on her computer: the book you have in your hands. Steph was always wise beyond her years, with the power to access other worlds. Somehow, in Sunny at the End of the World, she predicted an ‘outbreak’ much like the one that changed our world, after she was gone…With her trademark humour, endearing characters and brilliant storytelling, Steph Bowe has left us a novel that helps to make sense of the rapidly changing world we live in.
REVIEWS and INTERVIEWS
ArtsHub
AU Review
Book Muse
CBCA Reading Time
NZ Booklovers
Readings
StoryLinks
andSunny at the End of the World
‘Fierce and funny by turns, with Steph Bowe’s flair for seeing straight to the heart of what makes us tick. What a gift, to have one more tale from this master storyteller.’
‘With classic Steph Bowe humour and undertow, this is a post zombie apocalypse to relish. I loved it.’
‘Brutal, tender and fierce, Sunny is ultimately a celebration of love and resilience, from a much-missed voice in Australian YA.’
‘A tender, quirky love story full of charm [and] authenticity…’
‘A twisty road trip through a post-zombie apocalypse, Sunny At the End of the World is testament to Steph Bowe’s brio, wit and brilliance and the enormity of what readers of #loveozya have lost.’
‘Fast-paced action, with lots of humour thrown in.’
‘I cannot recommend this book enough…Sunny at the End of the World twists in ways that will surprise you, and leaves the reader wanting more (in the best way)…The writing is spectacular. And the jokes are genuinely very funny. Young adults will lap it up. What a dazzling legacy Steph Bowe has left us, and such a devastating loss.’
‘Written with wit, dark humour and warmth, Bowe’s posthumous novel is a beautiful and tragic story of family, of survival, and of appreciating everything we have only when we’ve lost it.’
‘When a writer as marvellous as the late Steph Bowe leaves behind a work featuring such an unbelievable scenario I had to take a deep breath and plunge in…With a whacking twist at the end that will take your breath away.’
‘[Sunny At the End of the World] will leave readers rethinking everything they thought they knew…The characters are easy to like, and the unmistakably Australian flavour of it all is very endearing. Recommended for lovers of YA, zombie stories and road trips with found family.’
‘[Steph Bowe’s] work is notable for delicious humour, piercing insight into teenage emotions and a generous humanity…[Sunny At the End of the World is] all madness and mayhem spiced up with some delicious horror…These teenagers leap off the page and take up space in your head.’
‘Like the love-child of The Walking Dead and Warm Bodies. Steph Bowe knows how to write a book that will totally engage her readers…I read this in one afternoon—I couldn’t put it down…I loved [] and I think it will be a huge hit.’
‘Full of wisdom and humour, adventurous and diverse…It’s books like [these] that show us what we can be, and what the power of representing diversity—even in a zombie apocalypse—can do to empower people and raise their voices…A poignant tribute to a powerful voice is YA literature.’
‘A remarkable novel that transcends its zombie premise to become a poignant journey through memory, loss, and survival…A must-read…Bowe’s final work is both a thrilling adventure and a heartfelt farewell, ensuring her voice will endure in the literary world.’
‘Bowe has left us with a wonderfully fun slice of Aussie YA in Sunny, giving us one last glimpse into her brilliance…Everything is infused with Bowe’s trademark humour, bringing levity to even the darkest of moments.’ A
