Review Detail

ALL THAT'S LEFT IN THE WORLD is an engaging post-apocalyptic adventure about humanity, civilization, and survival. The world has basically ended with a new supervirus that has a 99.99% mortality rate, leaving a few people trying to survive. Andrew has been staying off the road - which seemed smart to avoid unscrupulous survivors but backfires when he finds a bear trap by stepping on it. After freeing himself, he finds a cabin - and Jamison (Jamie).

Jamie has been living in his family's off-the-grid cabin since losing his mother to the virus. As a physician, she had seen this coming and prepared him as well as she could. He has been troubled about his survival without her when Andrew arrives. As he helps to care for Andrew, they find a close friendship that seems bigger than they could have anticipated after a short time. When Andrew leaves, Jamison leaves with him.

The world has changed, and finding their way amidst it is anything but easy.

What I loved: Andrew and Jamie are both really compelling characters, and I appreciated that the book gives the reader both perspectives. Imagining this post-apocalyptic future is fascinating with each of the characters dealing with impossible situations and reacting in ways that are relatable. The world is broken and so are the people left in it. Their relationship is really beautiful and grows slowly with a steady pace that keeps the reader cheering for them together and the right amount of tension amidst the stress of the post-apocalyptic world.

The adventure elements the story really keep things going as they encounter other survivors and unexpected challenges on their journey. There are definitely some tense moments and high suspense/thriller ones. This was a really intense and action-packed trip, but the thought-provoking themes around humanity and human nature, trust/honesty, believing in your gut, and society really make this a deeper and more pensive read. Humanity has been left to its own devices, and this definitely manifests in different ways as people are finding their new footing with limited resources and differing priorities. While there is a hopeful edge to the book and a focus on the importance of trusting certain people, it also looks at the darker sides of human nature.

Other themes around friendship, prejudice, love, and survival were also really powerful, and this was a a great, emotional and evocative read. Despite all the bad, the book manages to find the positive and bring us a lovely romantic story after the end of the world. There are also some messages about the way everything was handled by governments in the past that reflect and extend from recent experiences.

Final verdict: Emotional and thought-provoking, ALL THAT'S LEFT IN THE WORLD is an engaging and fast-paced YA post-apocalyptic read with unforgettable characters and powerful themes.