Reviewed by Makenna J.
Grade: 9

All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown is a unique book. Surely a post-apocalyptic book can’t be anything other than death and despair, right? Contrary to what one might think, this book was filled with comedy, a touching romance, and suspense, along with the very real situation that threatened to happen because of COVID-19. Although the book was not meant to be an alternate universe of what might’ve happened with COVID, nor was it the focus as there was just a brief mention of it in the character’s history, it might hit pretty close to home for some readers because of the pandemic, but also other reasons as well.

This book started off with main character Andrew getting injured by a bear trap and seeking shelter at a cabin he found in the woods. To his surprise, the home was inhabited by a boy his age who pointed a gun right at Andrew’s head. The boy, Jamie, eventually let him stay and helped him with his wounds. Together, they left the cabin after a scuffle with another group of people that also survived the bug and made their way north in hopes of Europe coming to save them. Unfortunately, the rumors they heard were lies, and they wouldn’t be saved. Along the way, they meet an old woman whose daughter might be alive in Florida and another group of survivors who might not be what they seem. All the while, the two boys start to develop feelings for each other that leave them both struggling with their emotions during their travel.

I felt that this book was more of a journey than anything. Yes, there was the initial plot, but the end goal changed multiple times throughout the story as they ran into different kinds of trouble. It’s not a bad thing at all, though. I very much enjoyed seeing how the two main characters managed to push through their hardships even though the world ended. They had each other to lean on, which brings me to another point. This book had a great representation of the LGBTQ+ community, which isn’t shown a lot in post-apocalyptic stories. The comedy balanced perfectly with the suspense and the very real-life experiences that some readers could relate to.

I thought this book was very interesting because of the plot and characters, but the main thing that jumped out at me right away was the author’s style. There are two main characters and each chapter switches between their points of view. The story is also written in first-person, which I personally don’t like, as it was a little weird to constantly switch between both characters’ minds. After a few chapters, though, I was able to get used to it and it didn’t bother me as much. Along with the author’s choice of points of view, the way he wrote it felt like I was really in the minds of both characters. Their feelings came alive and I enjoyed seeing their realistic views of their situation.

For people who enjoy comedy and thrilling suspense, I would definitely recommend this book. The first paragraph might scare some people—as it did me—because it’s a little confusing, but I don’t have anything that I really hated about the story. I’m pretty bad at figuring out themes and lessons of stories, but I did like the positive message that even if the world ends, there’s still hope. This was demonstrated very well with the characters who had each other to rely on and their heartwarming relationship.

I personally have not read either of these books, but I’ve seen many people compare All That’s Left in the World to What If It’s Us by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli and They Both Die at the End also by Adam Silvera. 

A little more about the author’s style because I just find it very fascinating: there weren’t any big words or lengthy detailed sentences, but instead it was a simple but deep, straightforward but complicated, and an overall very intriguing story that leaves the reader with a sense of fulfillment.