Intense, Compelling..
A weekend gone badly awry forces strangers together. As isolation is imposed upon them, things may soon get dark. Intense, highly descriptive prose scatters a slow burn and equally intense plot bubbling with tension and populated with a deftly drawn, keenly observed and credible cast and with a narrative drenched with social commentary. Compelling.

Ruman Ali’s unique disaster novel has become a bit of a sensation, with a recent Netflix adaptation starring Denzel Washington. It’s garnered plenty of praise from literary critics, but also received a fair amount of criticism from reviewers for its abstract, overwritten prose.

I’m sitting somewhere in the middle on this one. On starting this book, I did need some time to adjust to the writing style. Particularly in the first few chapters there’s some verbose, graphic descriptions – from the characters’ genitals to grocery lists – which really didn’t feel necessary and added very little to the story. But I pressed on, I adjusted and, ultimately, I enjoyed this surreal tale.

Amanda and Clay are on vacation at a rental in the Hamptons with their two teenage children. Their relaxing holiday is going smoothly until the second night, when there’s loud banging at the door. It turns out its the house’s owners, George and Ruth, who have escaped the city for their second home due to a sudden blackout in New York.

“A city without power was like a flightless bird, an accident of evolution.”

There’s tension between the two couples and prejudices come to light as the strangers are thrown into a unique set of circumstances - Amanda reflects; “But those people didn’t look like the sort to own such a beautiful house. They might, though, clean it.” But from there on things just get weirder and more eerie.

Leave The World Behind is a disaster book which never clarifies what the disaster is; a story about the end of the world without a clear ending. Instead, it captures the minutiae in between, ruminating and reflecting on the mundane details of life with a pervading sense of impending doom.

It looks at what humans hold on to when the world around them seems to have lost all meaning. It explores relationships between couples, families and relative strangers. Through the characters, Ali explores themes of race, class and society and shows that nothing is black and white. I can see why it isn’t for everyone, but I’m glad I persevered.

I don't really know what this book was doing. At times it felt like nothing was happening and it dragged. I wanted to read it before it became a TV series on Netflix. Now I'm not sure if I will watch it. I guess Julie Roberts could save it.

This highly acclaimed story, set to be adapted into a major Netflix series featuring Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, Ethan Hawke, and Mahershala Ali, has captivated readers with its compelling narrative. The book's immersive and intricate plot makes it nearly impossible to resist devouring in a single sitting. Marked by a sense of claustrophobia and complexity, the story induces a chilling unease, keeping readers awake at night. Exploring themes of race, class, wealth, and privilege, the narrative provokes thought and discomfort, adding layers of depth to this unforgettable tale.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I had high hopes for this book, but found it incredibly hard to get into and like the characters. DNF

I'm not sure what I feel about this book, I read it but at times it just felt like nothing was happening. I will watch it when it comes on Netflix but not sure the book is for me

Ahhh? Ahhh! That’s the only way to describe this book. I don’t know what happened, it was like a disaster novel without an actual disaster. The entire length of this book I felt uneasy and uncomfortable, and I was waiting for something awful to happen. And awful things did happen, but not to the magnitude I was expecting. It was eerie and uncomfortable yet nothing actually happened? I really don’t know how to explain this, I enjoyed it and am left still in search of answers.

It turns out that I read this when it was released a few years ago, and the fact that I didn't remember it might tell you what you need to know. At the time, I said that the language was lyrical and it had clearly been sweated over, but I was frustrated by the lack of ending, the switching POVs and the way the narration occasionally broke off to tell us things the characters couldn't know. I still agree with that, and, a little older now, I'll add that the author's obsession with bodies, especially genitalia, especially in the children, was vaguely upsetting. It's a really interesting story and I hope people try it, but it's not going to be everyone's taste.

Soon to be a major global Netflix adaptation starring Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, Ethan Hawke and Mahershala Ali.

There is a reason this story has become such a favourite and has won so many awards. It’s almost impossible not to devour this book in one sitting. Claustrophobic and complex this is a story that will keep you up at night. The disquiet of not knowing what is happening and what is real makes this a chilling read. The underlying themes of race, class, wealth and privilege are challenging and uncomfortable at times.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this intriguing book in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this, it kept me gripped throughout. I'm looking forward to it premiering on netflix..

Rumaan Alam writes a claustrophobic, chillingly unsettling, and atmospheric psychological mystery that features a New York couple, Amanda and Clay, and their teen children, Archie and Rose, who are renting a isolated Long Island place for a break. Initially all is well, but then the mood and everything shifts, in the night there is a knocking at the door. It is a black couple, G.H.and Ruth, claiming to be the home's owners, they left New York in search of sanctuary after a frightening blackout in which services were cut off, including electricity, mobile phones. Tensions, fear, and suspicions are set to rise, can any of these characters trust each other? They are, after all, strangers to each other. What precisely is going on?

This is thoughtful, character driven, imaginative and richly descriptive storytelling, with odd, unnerving noises and strange happenings, suggestions as to what may be occurring, but little is certain or known. As might be seen as fitting, the ending is suitably ambiguous, which might not appeal to some readers. This uneasy read touches on issues of sex, family, race, age, class, and more. I understand this is being adapted by Netflix, starring Denzil Washington and Julia Roberts, I am looking forward to seeing how this translates to the screen! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I look forward to the Netflix series
For me the book was good,intriguing and cleverley written but maybe just too many words used,,I guess I am trying to say there is a lot of flowery descriptive narrative that went over my head and I didn’t feel brought anything extra to what was already a fascinating enough topic/read,,without doubt one of the most different books read this year and full of challenging ideas so even though I have said that about some of the narrative it is still an enlightning read and worthy of 4 stars

"You demanded answers, but the universe refused. Comfort and safety were just an illusion. Money meant nothing. All that meant anything was this - people, in the same place, together. This was what was left to them."

It’s time to revisit a world that was left behind ahead of the brand new Netflix adaptation coming something soon!

A relaxing weekend away turns into the stuff of nightmares in this intriguing literary suspense story. A quiet, calm version of a world-changing dystopia but with all the intensity and stomach-dropping fear of a cinematic end of the world tale.

The prose is richly descriptive, poetic and lyrical at times with a deeply visual style that paints a picture with words. It portrays the isolation, the fear, the unknown in such a palpable way that you can feel your heart pounding in your chest. This was a unique story that focuses on the before, not the aftermath and decimation of a dystopia - something that felt so possible and terrifying real. I loved the striking detail that made you pay attention to everything (Even if sometimes there was a little too much description of details like grocery shopping, and quite a bit too much time spent on describing genitals.)

Whilst our two families are trying to find out the truth about what’s happening out there in the rest of the world, there’s a sense of reflection and thoughtfulness about our place in the world and what we leave behind when we eventually depart. We watch on as our characters tell their stories in the third person and unravel the mysteries not only about what’s happening outside in the world but also between their walls, allowing us to see everyone’s thoughts in turn although at times it felt quite distant; with the external narrator switching between characters sometimes mid-paragraph. Whether it was the literary style or the cohesive voice across all the characters that made their personalities a little different to find, it did take me a while to get to know them and find my rhythm. The pacing was odd, glacially slow and leisurely, confined to the walls of one shared home and these two families but still kept moving along steadily.

A curious story about endings and beginnings told with an inquisitive, thoughtful voice.

What an exciting cast and new series that will be premiering on Netflix. I can’t wait to,share my full thoughts and review and compare it with the show. I will be updating this very soon thank you so much for the opportunity. I know readers are going to love it!