This was surely an interesting read. It's a family drama than the apocalypse, but it explores lots of dynamics like race, class. There's good commentary. It's a slow burn, lots of descriptions, so if you expect a page turner, that's not it.
Overall, it was a good book that I enjoyed to read.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

This was a slow burn, and at one point I considered giving up on it. I'm so glad I didn't! This is an absolutely astonishing book, and I will be urging every customer in my shop to read it. I will be reading it again, now I have read the story I will want to go back again to experience the exquisite writing without hurrying to get some answers.

Well, I have to admit I chose this to read/review primarily on the information about a future Netflix series!
With hindsight this book did not prove to be a good read for me - nothing to do with the subject matter but more to do with the slowness and long descriptive sections of text linking the odd important events in the couple of days at the B&B.
I can see this is very much a topical read but I couldn't tell whether the author is a disciple of David Attenborough and/or has sleepless nights worrying about Iran, North Korea etc. I was hoping for something of an ending in fiction rather than reaching the cliff edge and stopping. Who knows?!
However, there are some absolutely superb comments/sentences throughout the book but it is a bit like the old treasure hunt computer games where you have to struggle through masses of text/pictures simply to find the one nugget hidden in the room.
This is a very subjective review without me getting involved in the whys and wherefores of the book. Doubtful I will watch on Netflix

A fantastic and addicting read exploring race, class, and family dynamics--less an apocalypse novel and more of a family drama, but it will keep you up late reading more. One of my favourite reads of the year!

Without anything really happening this book has managed to scare me, worry me, excite me and challenge me!
What an amazing idea that seems so close and yet I think we are all so similar to the characters that it is haunting to think how unprepared we would be for such a disaster.
Would you, could you step up? What do you really know, what can you really do without your phone or technology to help you, guide you. Good Samaritan or survivalist? So much in this book and it seemed like it sped through!
I feel like I should learn some survivalist skills and stock up on tinned foods etc!!

Dense, intelligent, thought-provoking, terrifying, it’s all there in this short but highly original novel. It starts lightly with an all- American family going on holiday, settling into the rented house, buying provisions, easing down, then it all changes and how. Racism, culture, disaster, survival, all played out with a narrator who tells us snippets of what is happening in the city, tells us what the future is bringing. It’s scary and realistic and makes you think.

Leave the World Behind is one of those books that catches you by surprise and you'll be thinking about for days after. I felt very strange leaving the house after reading the book as the events really get to you.

It starts off very average - sounding like a family holiday to the ideal airbnb in the middle of nowhere. After a while, they and you get the impression that something is very wrong, especially when the owners of the house turn up.

It has a real dystopian feel about it and like most successful dystopian novels, the disaster or change in the world is only hinted at. Also, the ending has that hint of hope, which is all that can be dreamed for at the end.

A couple and their two teenage children rent a home in the countryside for a weeks holiday. The night after they arrive an older couple knock on the door saying that they are the owners of the house and that there has been a blackout in the city and they have come home.
Although they have electricity, the telephone, television, radio and mobile phones are not working so they don’t know what’s going on.
A slow moving claustrophobic story that has plenty of tension but little action.
I was disappointed in the ending because it never explained what was happening or the fate of the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

One of the most hyped literary thrillers of the year (it's already been optioned by Netflix, with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington lined up to star), I had high hopes for Rumann Alam's 'Leave the World Behind'. However, what followed picking it up was a disappointing and self-indulgent read that unfortunately left a lot to be desired.

Synopsis
Having booked a holiday at a luxurious home in a remote part of Long Island, Amanda and Clay can't wait to escape from New York City for a week with their children. Everything is perfect - until a knock at the door changes everything. The owners of the house, Ruth and G.H., have arrived, not knowing where else to go after an unexplained power outage has brought the city to a standstill. Now stuck together, and with no way to contact the outside world, both families must face their new realities, navigating the uncomfortable circumstances that have brought them together while working to each ensure their own survival.

Review
I really wanted to love this book as I was excited by the hype, but I sadly ended up being very disappointed. A book about what is potentially the end of the world as we know it could not be more timely right now, ‘Leave the World Behind’ explores privilege and the mundanity of everyday life in a really interesting way. However, Rumaan Alam also makes it unbearably clear that he is aware of his own cleverness, writing in a way that comes across as conceited and arrogant. At his most extreme, Alam even breaks the fourth wall to get the reader to acknowledge his writing prowess - literally writing '(get it?)’ after an unexciting reference to something that previously happened in the book.

The ending of this book was also incredibly unsatisfying. Throughout the book, the plot is confusing and convoluted, with almost every end-of-the-world trope - from losing teeth and mass animal migration to unexplainable noises and no ways of connecting to the outside world - featuring at some point. By the ending, it finally feels like the plot is going somewhere, and that you're going to be given an explanation that ties all of these tropes together. However, the book instead ends in what feels like the middle of a chapter.

Additionally, none of the characters in the book are particularly likeable which, whilst serving to highlight Alam’s point that people often don’t think as we would hope, also makes it hard to remain invested in what happens to them. This is because, in this instance, not likeable is equated to being bland and boring. The only character I was particularly interested in was Clay and Amanda’s daughter, Rose, who begins to come into her own in the last chapter, only to have her character development disappointingly cut short when the book abruptly ends.

Another important thing to be aware of is that a lot of sexual language is used throughout the book, including in relation to Clay and Amanda's children. This isn't something I picked up on too much as it is part of Alam’s overall style, however, having flicked through Goodreads to check if I'd just missed what has caused this book to gain so much hype, this made several other readers feel uncomfortable.

In summary, while this book was sold based on a really intriguing premise, the writing style means that there are far more interesting books on this topic out there. If you do still want to pick it up, I'd advise waiting until the Netflix adaptation - until then, you won't be missing out.

Rating: 2/5

This book was kindly gifted to me in the form of an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. My thanks go to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and NetGalley for providing me with a copy.

To sum up this book in one word? Alluding. There is some great characterisation and human interaction, but the foundation of this book is all about alluding to one great event that happens. The central theme is alluded to but never really explained, allowing the reader to guess from crumbs of hints. Cause and effect magnified without the reader ever getting clarity. But this really works as it encourages the reader to assume and guess.

The central characters pull and push throughout and the plot grabs you and holds you close until the end. Because you begin to know and care about these central characters, the looseness of the plot can sag as these characters hold up a pretty interesting and entertaining book, with the real stars being these wonderfully created people who sparkle in their own mundane way.

I love dystopian and disaster fiction and 'Leave the World Behind' is an interesting take on it. I loved the setup, especially the way Alam played with what is known and what is not. I was very engaged by the realism in that after a major event people may not have a clue what happened or even if anything happened. What I wasn't so keen on was the writing style - often painfully overworked descriptions, especially the constant and extremely detailed references to everyone's bodies. It came across as creepy and weird and is probably half the reason that I didn't like a single character.

What I did enjoy was the slow burn and sense of confusion throughout the book. I liked that the characters behaved in ways I imagine normal people would instead of the standard book hero. I loved the omniscient narrator's comments and I liked the ending not being locked up. Most importantly I did nothing but read from the moment I started until I was finished and I will be thinking about this for a long time.

Holiday Turns Bleak...
A holiday turns bleak in this atmospheric, often poignant and chilling, suspense laced with dark humour. A growing sense of tension but with stiff characters, often not credible, and sometimes jarring prose. Literary fiction with a dark edge.

Leave the World Behind creates a claustrophobic, creepy atmosphere that makes you as desperate as the characters to find out what's going on. Not an ideal distraction in the middle of a pandemic but it definitely makes you empathise with them. Although the ending doesn't provide many answers it was a satisfying read.. Ultimately, as they find out, we are out of control and can only rely on each other.

Great read. Total page turner, one to cost up with on a dark winters night. Definitely one that will be a movie in no time.

This was such a great, atmospheric read. I spent a grey, dull rainy day doing nothing but reading this book and it was perfect!

A family have rented a house for a week’s holiday but the owners turn up on the doorstep unannounced, looking to shelter there as a black out hits the east coast of America.

And then the questions begin... what’s going on out there? Who has the right to be in the house? Are the people who they say they are? Will they survive?

The build up of tension is so good. Rumaan Alum sets up the characters so efficiently that I found myself connected to them very quickly even though they’re not necessarily all likeable characters! The world is no different to the world we live in today which made it feel so eerie.

It’s a claustrophobic, apocalyptic story that explores the themes of race, class and privilege through beautiful, eloquent prose.

I loved the way it ended. No spoilers 😉

Thanks to netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing for my eARC.

Amanda and Clay take their children to Long Island to stay in a luxurious house. The first evening the original owners appear, having driven back from New York as there had been a serious power cut and they want to stay in the countryside where they felt safer. The television and phone services are not working; clearly something is awry.

The book is very much in the genre of Stephen King; however the master would have written it much better. In the first half of the book I felt the author was using a dictionary to use as many descriptive nouns and adjectives as possible. The story did not flow. It did pick up pace in the second half, but felt a little disjointed. The author kept hinting at future events and what was happening, without actually explaining much at all.

Some of the tricks the author used were quite clever, hinting and suggesting and leaving a lot to the reader's imagination, but this can also be very unsatisfactory in the final analysis unless it is done with great finesse.

Overall it was an interesting read, and could have been really very good, but the writing style, scenes and characters felt under-developed to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book gives apocalyptic and end of the world vibes and is full of suspense. For example, things like animals behaving strangely giving the reader a forewarning of an imminent crises building this sense of dread throughout the whole book.

It explores the complexities of parenthood, race and class and shows how unexpected bonds can show in a time of crises where you lose your ability to control situations around you. If you want to read a book that will keep you guessing, keep you on the edge of your seat and make you suspicious of even the nicest people this is perfect for you. I’d also say it’s a good autumnal and spooky season read.

The reason I’ve rated it down is because I wanted to know more at the end. Although this is also quite clever because the descriptions given to describe the outside situation give you space to imagine it for yourself which in turn probably makes it more personal and eerie because I’m sure it would be slightly different to us all! I loved the concept of this book and it being written now in the current climate makes the fiction seem almost real. Also, I think this is being made into a Netflix film/series!!!

Amanda and Clay, a white middle aged couple, have booked a vacation away in an Airbnb with their teenage son and daughter in the middle of nowhere, which they are all mostly looking forward to. A day or two into their holiday, late at night there is a huge bang on the door. They are not expecting anyone. Cautiously, they answer the door to find the owners of their holiday house at the door in a panic. Mr and Mrs Washington, an older black couple. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe. Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple—and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one another?
I had no idea what to expect with this book. I haven’t read any of Rumaan’s work before but this has made me want to go back and read everything he has written. It was suspenseful and provocative, I just wanted to keep reading to find out what was going on. I didn't know who to trust or who I wanted to trust. It was brilliant!
I would’ve enjoyed the story more if the language and vocabulary wasn't as complex, I had to reread a few times, but it wasn't enough to stop me from enjoying the storyline.
Leave The World Behind covers the complexities of parenthood, race, and class, it explores how our closest bonds are reshaped—and unexpected new ones are forged—in moments of crisis.
I felt the story was especially strong in the area of how he brought the story alive. In a third person view of what the characters are thinking and how they handle each situation they come across, it makes you feel for them even if you cannot trust them. I never knew what was going to happen and I actually preferred that and felt that it enhanced the tension and sucked you in for more, it definitely raised the suspense which was something you rarely see. The whole premise of the book had me captivated and wanting more. I was shocked by the ending but I felt that it couldn't have ended any other way.
I’m really looking forward to the film that has been confirmed with Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts. I really hope they make the most of some suspenseful music!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book, I really did - and there were some parts that were really well done.

I have given it a 3 stars because it is not something I would pick up again and read and by the half way stage, I was contemplating it being a DNF. Honestly, by half way, nothing had really happened and I was wondering, from the Synopsis, where this would pick up. I did, however, persevere and it did pick up with a few bits of action/resolution in the back half of the book and as a result was much more enjoyable to finish.

I am a bit disappointed, I was excited to read this and found it just missed the mark.

What it did well was building atmosphere towards the end, tackling racial and class and tensions displaying the irrationality of individuals who are living through an event (of which some is evident in every day society right now).

I wanted more but I am glad I read it.

‘Leave the World Behind’ is one of those books with enough literary street cred to avoid the damning label of science fiction, thereby assuring it gets shelved in the general section of book shops along with other works of artistic merit. That’s not really a gripe, just a statement of fact. Whereas the movie industry seems quite happy to admit that genre films can be worthy of praise and even awards, the world of publishing still has some way to go.
But this is a science fiction novel. To say much more than that about the plot than that would give away too much, so you’ll have to take it from me. It starts as a comedy of manners, with a middle class white family surprised at the AirBnB rental by a black couple. It’s an encounter that’s beautifully handled, with the polite embarrassment of both groups palpable. There’s also a real tension at play, spawned by the fact that, as the reader, you don’t really know what’s going on. As the events of the book get more bizarre and unexplained, that becomes a familiar feeling.
For the first third, the book can feel a little overwritten. The minutiae of the characters lives and thoughts are laid out and it sometimes seems like that author has something to say about absolutely everything. I’m not sure if it’s that tendency lessens as the book progresses, or if I was just more willing to forgive it once the plot kicks in. Either way it ceased to bother after a while. That grumble aside, the book is very well written. The characters and situations are believable and the depiction of our reliance on our smartphones is pitch perfect. Only the absence of COVID prevents this from being the ultimate 2020 novel, but there is isolation, paranoia, and racial unease aplenty.