Book about the build up to nuclear war, read in the 90s

[Latenightreader]

I have been trying to find a book I read in the mid 1990s. It was about the build up to a nuclear war and finished with the characters looking up at the sky and seeing the streak of the bombs (or possibly just knowing the bombs were coming - I might have imagined the rest). I think there were two teenage characters in a star-crossed lovers type relationship - possibly one was of Chinese origin. It was set in a real city in England. The final scene was at a 'Stop the Countdown' rally which ended when someone announced that the war had started, people started running away, and I'm pretty sure that it ended with the two characters holding each other as they looked at the sky. The downbeat ending really seared itself on my mind.

I have been through the wikipedia list of nuclear war related fiction, but with no luck. It is possible it was a short story, but it was definitely in a book in the upper school library, so probably aimed at 14-18 year olds. It would be wonderful if someone recognised it!

Still traumatised by On the Beach. When my DD was tiny I used to lie awake at night thinking of the man teaching his wife how to kill their baby…

I know it's been a while, but any luck? I've been looking for a book that I read in school in the 90's also. The family made it into their backyard fallout shelter. I believe they leave the shelter and see the aftermath.... But my memory is bad. I wanted to reread it. But it could be the opposite. They go through a lot before they get to the shelter.

Sadly not - I'm still searching though...

I’ve been trying to find this book too @Latenightreader ! It haunted me when I read it as a young teenager and I’ve never gotten it out of my mind.

I’ve always thought it was called War Games or something similar but when I search that title I can’t find it, so I must be wrong.

No, no luck. I asked on Reddit the other day, but no answers at all there. It is such a relief that other people remember it as I sometimes think I imagined it…

Okay so my husband suggested I turn to ChatGPT… this is what it said:

Your description of the setting in Manchester and the apocalyptic ending with the falling "star" being a nuclear missile, the book you're referring to sounds like "The End of the World as We Know It" by Jason Henderson.
This book was first published in the early 2000s and involves a teenage protagonist in a relationship, set over a short period of time, with the ominous backdrop of a nuclear threat. The scene you're recalling, where the protagonist watches a "star" that turns out to be a missile, fits well with the apocalyptic tone of the story.

The problem with chatgpt is that quite often the descriptions for its solutions sound great but when you look at the actual books they are are completely different. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Only-End-World-KelpiesEdge/dp/1782505172

Sometimes it just invents books!

Endgame by Chris Wooding

Goodness, that could be it! I thought I read it earlier than that, but it may well have been then. I have ordered a copy to check, thank you.

The book arrived today and it is definitely the one I remember. Thank you @Drew1234, it has been bugging me for many years.