“You told yourself there was an end to the worry. You told yourself it was sleeping through the night, then weaning from the breast, then walking then shoelaces then reading then algebra then sex then college admissions then you would be liberated, but this was a lie. Worry was infinite. A parent’s only task was to protect his child.”
Amanda and Clay are enjoying all of the frivolity of a vacation in the Long Island countryside with their two children, when a knock at their rented Air BNB changes everything for the worse. The owners of the Air BNB, Ruth and George, return to the doorstep of their home with news of a blackout across New York city and a request to be allowed back into the guesthouse portion of their home to stay and wait things out. Televisions, cell phones and even the radio are not working and there is no way for Amanda and Clay to verify the information the homeowners have presented. A very reluctant Amanda and Clay allow Ruth and George to stay with them as things begin to unravel around them.
This was such a quick, ominous read. The idea that something is happening in the world without the information needed to protect yourself or your loved ones from it is terrifying. I was discussing this book with a friend who HATED it, and midway through our talk I realized that we both had different expectations of what this novel would be going in. She had assumed it would be a "disaster novel" detailing exactly what disaster had occurred and how it effected the world and its population as a whole. You should know up front, that this is not a disaster novel.
Leave the World Behind is a character driven story that is more of a character study of how people respond and react in a disaster. Added levels of intrigue are layered when you consider the way two sets of characters from very different backgrounds and races experience these unexpected turn of events both internally and externally. The writing of Leave the World behind was both beautiful and haunting. A sometimes omniscient narrator gave the reader a little more to go on than the characters of this story had to work with, but not enough to paint a complete picture of what was happening. This made me feel both anxious and totally creeped out. It was horror felt but never fully seen.
If you are wanting a detailed post-apocalyptic novel with a unique virus, or zombie outbreak, this may not be for you. This novel leaves the reader with more questions than answers when the conclusion of the book is reached. I blew through this so quickly and I enjoyed every minute. It was fun to be along for the ride of an engaging read without the expectations of where it would end up. If you go into this read for the fun and creepiness of it, rather than needing all of your questions answered, I think you will enjoy it a heck of a lot more!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars
Reviewers note:
This novel was given to me by Harper Collins Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
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