Hello, friends! I’m back with a blog tour review + my favourite quotes for Alex Wise vs. the End of the World by Terry J. Benton-Walker. Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it!

Thanks to Labyrinth Road for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

TL;DR: Alex Wise vs. the End of the World was an emotional, action-packed and engaging MG fantasy. From start to finish, I didn’t want to put it down. I loved the exploration of difficult family relationships, sibling bonds, and best friendships. The found family vibes were great and I also adored how the author explored identity and self-love. Alex’s journey toward loving and accepting himself made me feel sad at times but ultimately, so happy for him. For those kids who never saw themselves in books, especially being the heroes of said books, this one is definitely for you. A great read and recommendation for young readers but also readers of all ages!

This was my first book by Benton-Walker and I thoroughly enjoyed his MG debut! What starts as a grand summer with plans to reunite with an estranged friend and plenty of bestie adventures quickly turns into the worst summer Alex Wise could never have planned for. From a terrifying Shadow Man stalker, to an even more horrifying cruise from my nightmares, to getting up close and personal with the four horsemen of the apocalypse, I was swept up in the author’s writing and fully immersed in every scene. Alex’s voice was also humorous and entertaining and a joy to read!

“Adults sure do seem to keep a lot of secrets and make a ton of mistakes that affect a bunch more people than just them, yet they’re always telling kids we’re the ones who aren’t responsible and can’t be trusted. Make it make sense.”

“You actin’ like we’re on vacation,” I snap back at him. “Do you think I want to be stranded here with you, Gandalf the Grouch?”

The focus of this story is two-fold. We have the larger plot of Alex having to save the world when he’s unexpectedly put in dead centre of the apocalypse’s unfolding. Alongside this action-packed plot, we also have Alex’s inner story dealing with feelings of abandonment and the fear that his identity makes him unworthy or not good enough. While I loved the haunting eeriness of the apocalyptic setting—I could literally see all the scenes playing out in my head like a movie—and the action-packed fight scenes and plentiful uses of God-bestowed magic, the thing that made me love this book most was Alex’s journey and all the relationships the story had to offer. The author addresses some tougher topics that I think were handled very well. From the author’s note, we’re told that it’s loosely based on his own childhood experiences and the emotion of that really came through in the writing.

“It’s hard not to take the blame by default for everything bad that happens when everyone keeps telling (and showing) you that you’re not good enough.”

“Caring for someone who loves you is never a burden.”

I loved Alex and Mags and their sibling dynamic is one that I can imagine many siblings of all ages will be able to relate to, both in good and bad times. Alex’s love for his little sister, despite her being “mostly annoying” and somewhat of a know-it-all, was so pure and fed into his determination to rescue her regardless of the cost to himself. Both of them carry a lot of baggage related to their dad leaving following the divorce and they’ve internalised it in very different and heartbreaking ways. Some of the scenes involving their dad really angered me because he was a real jerk to his kids and they both deserved better. Alex was such a great kid—he’s selfless, loyal and although he’s going through many of his own struggles, he does his best to be empathetic and understanding, but not in a way that feels unrealistic for a kid. It wasn’t at all difficult to root for him!

“You can never hope to understand the feelings of others until you understand your own.”

“Sometimes I worry I might have more sadness than I know what to do with.”

His best friendship with Loren, who I adored from the beginning, was amazing. She’s a baddie who can knock you down with her Muay Thai moves but who’s also a great listener and the best ride-or-die you can ask for. They have an unbreakable bond and their friendship is a great example of what I love most about MG stories. Joining their dynamic duo was the grumpy, lonesome demigod, Liam. It wasn’t friendship at first sight and they both have their guards up and issues to work through, but they do so together and through it all, they prove that they’re never alone and that they’re perfectly loveable and worthy as they are.

“Magic never made you a superhero. It only enhanced who you already were. I chose you because you are the platinum standard, Alex.”

There were some character twists that I half-predicted but also half didn’t see coming and it really kept me on my toes! I knew there was something fishy going on… 😂 With the way this book ends, I’m assuming there’s going to be a follow-up (like, there better be) and I’m curious to see how Alex and this awesome crew of supportive family and friends will face what happens next. It’s not really a cliffhanger but you know there’s more to come! I hope that in the next book we learn a bit more about the powerful entities and their origin because that was the one thing that I wish we got more of in this one. Overall, this was a fantastic read and I can’t wait to continue the story!

Do you plan to read Alex Wise vs. the End of the World or is it already on your TBR?

• Follow me on Goodreads!
• Follow me on Bluesky
• Follow me on Instagram!
• Follow me on Twitter!