Rating: 4 Stars Genre: LGBT/Dystopian/YA Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought When the Superflu wipes out most of the population, Jamie finds himself completely alone in a cabin in the woods - until an injured stranger crosses his path. Life is dangerous now and, armed with a gun, Jamie goes to pull the trigger. But there's something about Andrew ... something that stops Jamie in his tracks. Jamie takes him in, and as Andrew heals and they eventually step out into the strange new world, their relationship starts to feel like more than just friendship ... But trouble isn't far behind. As the boys make a perilous journey south, they'll come face to face with a world torn apart and society in ruins. And who, or what, will they find waiting for them at the end of it all? TW: Pandemic, illness, murder, gun violence, injury depiction, loss.
Review by Sophie. Ok, so I really didn’t think this book would be my cup of coffee, mainly because of the whole post-apocalyptic "super flu" setting, but I was intrigued as I don’t think I’ve read anything similar, and I’ll be the first to tell myself that I need to try new things… and truth be told, I’m really glad I did. Also, just look at the front cover! Andrew and Jamison have managed to survive the super flu and collide into each other’s lives, and we start our journey with them. Andrew stumbles across the cabin where Jamie resides after being injured in a bear trap. “I’ve been hobbling through the woods for the past day and a half looking for some shelter and a way to clean my wounds. Finding some medical supplies, a pantry full of food and Tom Holland wouldn’t hurt either. Instead, here we are. And not a Tom Holland in sight." They’re both very untrusting and wary of each other at first, but after spending weeks isolated together we start to learn about the struggles that both have endured since the start of the flu, and how it’s practically wiped out the human race. An altercation with a hostile group then forces Andrew and Jamie to leave the cabin. Andrew and Jamie are two very different people. Andrew is openly gay and a full-on sarcastic film fanatic, while Jamie, who's very strong minded and responsible is just figuring out that he’s Bi, and we see him struggle with that too. The world building throughout was good and really helped me to submerge myself in this post-apocalyptic world. I had no trouble at all in getting lost in this book. The pacing was quite fast and with the build up of tension that happens quite quickly, I found myself flying through it. I absolutely love Andrew and Jamie’s journey. Reading about how they grow, overcome their pasts, and how they face difficult situations side by side really pulled on my heart strings. I loved how their relationship developed from untrusting strangers, to friends, to more than friends, and I loved the banter in between. I think that Erik J. Brown does a fantastic job of having you as the reader laughing on one page, to sitting on the edge of your seat with the worst feeling of tension and dread for a character’s wellbeing on the next. It was a bit of a roller-coaster that was very touch and go! I think that anyone that reads All That’s left in the World will ultimately relate it to how extreme COVID could have been, but I know that Erik J Brown didn’t intend for it to be that way; it was originally written in 2015 and he hoped that it would be its own fictional creature, but for me, I think it added to the intensity of the setting, like with Covid and the initial fear of when it was announced, I think a lot of people thought that this could be the beginning of an apocalypse. “But then I look at him; I hear his laugh, I see his smile, and the darkness melts away. Then I do have hope--even just for a little while--because I know that there is something in this world I can fight for. Something I will fight for if I have to.” All in all, I thought this was a great read, I actually read it with in a day or two, and really didn’t want to put it down. It was very easy to read, and is probably one of the cutest, but nail-biting, love stories that I’ve read so far. So, if you currently have All That's Left in the World on your TBR, I'd highly recommend that you give it a go! |
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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