A review by criticalgayze
All That's Left in the World by Erik J. Brown

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

First, I want to talk expectations management. The copy for this book labels it as an "adventure romance," and I feel that needs to be discussed a little more. This book is an "adventure romance" in the way The Darkness Outside Us would be called a "science fiction romance." All That's Left in the World is an incredibly bleak package with a kernel of light and joy at the center that keeps the book from just fully being The Road (Young Reader's Edition).

That being said, this is an amazing book for Queer fans of the post apocalyptic genre. The tension is great, the story hits a lot of Walking Dead and The Road marks, and you get a sweet drop of M/M romance mixed in. I appreciate Erik Brown for allowing an entry for the Queers out there.

As much as I enjoyed the story, I did want more of both the "adventure" and the "romance" elements. With the adventure pieces, I felt we were rushed through a little too quickly in a way that added a lot of tense moments but allowed us very little time to actually sit in and stress about them. (This may be the YA of it all.) The romance is also cute, but I feel like it takes too long to get there. I know the acknowledgments cite this as an editorial choice, but I think that gives the reader too little joy for a YA story. I think this book would have worked better as a trilogy or duology where Brown could have delved a little deeper without creating one overlong piece, which I feel YA likes to try to avoid.

I am excited to see where Brown takes readers next!
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