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A review by christinabijou
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Summary: Leave the World Behind is an introspective musing on the sudden and unannounced end of society as we know it. Alam details the thoughts, reactions, and experiences of two families as they learn to grapple with their new reality and struggle to find trust in one another during times of uncertainty. Capitalizing on the innate human fear of "the unknown", Alam highlights how prolonged uncertainty and isolation can breed bias, mistrust, and contention.
Review: All told, Leave the World Behind is a solid literary fiction novel, but nothing to write home about. This is a character-driven novel, focusing more on how the characters respond, feel, and react to the "end of the world" as opposed to focusing on what actually happened to cause the end of the world or descriptions of what this new reality looks like. While Alam's ability to build complex and sympathetic characters is an impressive feat, I wish there was more time dedicated to explaining what exactly is going on in the world. However, Alam's theme of uncertainty carries throughout the entire novel all the way to the end, which was a bit unsatisfying for me.
Review: All told, Leave the World Behind is a solid literary fiction novel, but nothing to write home about. This is a character-driven novel, focusing more on how the characters respond, feel, and react to the "end of the world" as opposed to focusing on what actually happened to cause the end of the world or descriptions of what this new reality looks like. While Alam's ability to build complex and sympathetic characters is an impressive feat, I wish there was more time dedicated to explaining what exactly is going on in the world. However, Alam's theme of uncertainty carries throughout the entire novel all the way to the end, which was a bit unsatisfying for me.