Book Review: Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

Book: 156

Rating: 4/5

This is not a book for everyone. This book is character driven, and one that just really makes you think. What would happen when the world is ending? Or when something catastrophic happens? Chances are, it's not like the movies where you are going to save the world and know the ins and outs of what's going on... you'll be at home, with your loved ones, with no idea what is going on (which, frankly, is much scarier).

Amanda, Clay, and their two teenage kids decide to leave the hustle and bustle of their Brooklyn brownstone and head to Long Island to rent out an Airbnb for a week away. Their vacation takes a turn when Ruth and G.H., an older Black couple, knock on the door arriving in a panic back from the city. It is their house that they rented out to Amanda and Clay, and are claiming that a sudden blackout has swept the city, with all telecommunications affected as well. Can Amanda and Clay trust this couple? And vice versa?

It is a slow burn, semi-suspenseful book and I really enjoyed the realism of it. This is definitely something I could see happening, which makes it all the more eerie! I'm really intrigued to see this one play out on the small screen: it's going to be a Netflix film starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington!

I switched between reading and listening to this one: thank you to Libro.fm for the ALC and Ecco & Edelweiss for the advanced digital copy.