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talkbookswithangela's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Blood, and Vomit
cereads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Vomit, and Medical content
sorcha's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Confinement
Moderate: Death
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Racism, Excrement, and Vomit
carissa230's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Amanda and Clay take their family on a little getaway in the woods. The house is isolated and they are spending time as a family. In the middle of the night there is a knock at the door.
Ruth and GH are running from whatever is happening in the rest of the state. They go straight to their house and convince Amanda and Clay to let them in to stay.
There is something happening. Animals are acting strangely, they're feeling ill, and there is a huge blackout. Although they maintain their electricity there is clearly something going on.
The book was compelling and easily readable. The fear of the unknown was real for these characters.
Ruth and GH are running from whatever is happening in the rest of the state. They go straight to their house and convince Amanda and Clay to let them in to stay.
There is something happening. Animals are acting strangely, they're feeling ill, and there is a huge blackout. Although they maintain their electricity there is clearly something going on.
The book was compelling and easily readable. The fear of the unknown was real for these characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Medical trauma
Minor: Confinement and Racism
sarrasegway's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit and Medical trauma
Moderate: Confinement, Racism, and Blood
franklybookish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
NEW FAV BOOK ALERT
I want to start off this review by saying, I think a huge part of whether someone will love or not love this book is in the lens from which they approach it. I say this because one of my best friends, Alli, who is also a huge reader, and who I usually share bookish opinions with, did not like this book while I freaking loved it.
As we discussed our likes and dislikes of this story, one thing came to the top of our very different experiences. The genre in which we approached this book as being categorized in. Alli came to this book from a literary fiction expectation while I instead approached it as science/eco-fiction.
Leave the World Behind quickly reminded me of the books I read in college in my science fiction and eco literature courses. It also heavily took me back to a film studies course I took that was focused specifically on apocalyptic films from Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) to I am Legend to Beasts of the Southern Wild. If Leave the World Behind gets adapted (which I believe is in the works) it would have perfectly fit into these courses with its stark, raw, ambiguous, tension-filled prose.
This story's strength is in its depiction of the attempt to maintain routine against the backdrop of the apparent deterioration of normal life as it is known. Alam turns the tension up even more when, while navigating this ambiguous uncertainty and perceived danger, our main family's personal space and comfort is interrupted. The writing style of this book is one that folks with either love, it will add to the story and create the most amazing atmosphere of dread, OR folks will find it overdone and distracting. I clearly fall in the first category.
There are so many small details in this book that took it over the top for me. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll leave you with this. This book, though likely not for everyone, for me hit all of the right marks. Though not "scary" this book was so anxiety-inducing it disrupted my sleep for days (but kind of in the best way?). This book was quickly added and without hesitation added to my favorite books of all-time list.
Obviously, I think you should read it, but also do your research beforehand. At only 240 pages give it a go, you might be surprised!
I want to start off this review by saying, I think a huge part of whether someone will love or not love this book is in the lens from which they approach it. I say this because one of my best friends, Alli, who is also a huge reader, and who I usually share bookish opinions with, did not like this book while I freaking loved it.
As we discussed our likes and dislikes of this story, one thing came to the top of our very different experiences. The genre in which we approached this book as being categorized in. Alli came to this book from a literary fiction expectation while I instead approached it as science/eco-fiction.
Leave the World Behind quickly reminded me of the books I read in college in my science fiction and eco literature courses. It also heavily took me back to a film studies course I took that was focused specifically on apocalyptic films from Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) to I am Legend to Beasts of the Southern Wild. If Leave the World Behind gets adapted (which I believe is in the works) it would have perfectly fit into these courses with its stark, raw, ambiguous, tension-filled prose.
This story's strength is in its depiction of the attempt to maintain routine against the backdrop of the apparent deterioration of normal life as it is known. Alam turns the tension up even more when, while navigating this ambiguous uncertainty and perceived danger, our main family's personal space and comfort is interrupted. The writing style of this book is one that folks with either love, it will add to the story and create the most amazing atmosphere of dread, OR folks will find it overdone and distracting. I clearly fall in the first category.
There are so many small details in this book that took it over the top for me. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll leave you with this. This book, though likely not for everyone, for me hit all of the right marks. Though not "scary" this book was so anxiety-inducing it disrupted my sleep for days (but kind of in the best way?). This book was quickly added and without hesitation added to my favorite books of all-time list.
Obviously, I think you should read it, but also do your research beforehand. At only 240 pages give it a go, you might be surprised!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Confinement, Blood, Excrement, and Vomit
kelseyland's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a deeply unsettling book about a path that slowly curves away from normalcy, and the things that people tell themselves to pretend that the curve isn't there. The prose is pristine: Alam is meticulous in his descriptions of the mundane as it slowly slips toward the unsettling, the horrific, and the unthinkable. I wouldn't say that this book is totally bleak, though: only mostly bleak, and also phenomenal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, Blood, and Vomit
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, and Racism
hmann's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Confinement, Excrement, Vomit, and Medical trauma