A review by marylannireads
The Last Bookstore On Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 

The world as she knows it is gone, and seventeen-year-old Liz Flannery has settled into the remains of a familiar bookstore, riding out the uncertain future as best she can. Initially, Liz’s maybe-more-than-a-friend Eva was there to share the loneliness alongside Liz. But after Eva’s abrupt departure, Liz was on her own once more, making small talk with the few visitors who would occasionally venture inside. When a new companion named Maeve enters the store, however, Liz finds herself adjusting to her new reality in ways she never expected, and even as the world prepares to end once again, Liz no longer feels quite so alone. This thought-provoking novel transports readers into the not-so-distant future where natural disasters abound and contemporary human society has ceased to exist. Told through Liz’s perspective and alternating between Liz’s past and her present, the narrative offers readers pieces of the story that are compelling as they fall into place. Focused more on the character development between Liz and Maeve than on the forward momentum of the plot, the novel moves slowly, allowing both the reader and the characters to better absorb the situations unfolding within the narrative. Themes of loneliness, peril, LGBTQIA+ romance, and survival are found throughout the book. These themes, coupled with the speculative nature of a potentially catastrophic global future, give the novel a sense of weight and offer readers the opportunity to consider how they might react under similar circumstances. Deep and contemplative, this book is well-suited to mature readers who enjoy stories that investigate the complexities of human existence.