All That's Left in the World by Erik J. Brown (ARC Review)

Title: All That’s Left in the World
Author: Erik J. Brown
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQ, Romance, Dystopia, Science Fiction
Publisher: Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
Date published: March 8, 2022

A complimentary digital copy of this book was kindly provided by the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie’s house, he’s injured, starved, and has nothing left to lose. A deadly pathogen has killed off most of the world’s population, including everyone both boys have ever loved. And if this new world has taught them anything, it’s to be scared of what other desperate people will do . . . so why does it seem so easy for them to trust each other?

After danger breaches their shelter, they flee south in search of civilization. But something isn’t adding up about Andrew’s story, and it could cost them everything. And Jamie has a secret, too. He’s starting to feel something more than friendship for Andrew, adding another layer of fear and confusion to an already tumultuous journey.

The road ahead of them is long, and to survive, they’ll have to shed their secrets, face the consequences of their actions, and find the courage to fight for the future they desire, together. Only one thing feels certain: all that’s left in their world is the undeniable pull they have toward each other.

⤖ My Review ⬻

I wasn’t sure what to expect from All That’s Left in the World because this is Erik J. Brown debut novel and I’d therefore had no experience with his writing before. Going in, I found that I enjoyed the way Andrew and Jamie met. I really liked their dialogue too, even from the beginning and it only got better and better from there.

The setting was also interesting to read about. I was intrigued to be reading about a world in which the human race had been ravaged by a pandemic that was worse than the one we’re experiencing. It wasn’t hard to imagine how it could have been much much worse like in All That’s Left in the World. I also found that even though not a lot of writing was dedicated to the setting, it was very easy to imagine. Having watched a few post-apocalyptic movies might have helped, but I’m not sure.

Back to Andrew and Jamie, I liked that this book was written from both points of view. It provided more insight into both characters, and also made the friendship-romance more enjoyable. I especially thrived on the pining. Haha. All joking aside though, Andrew and Jamie’s relationship was so heartwarming in All That’s Left in the World!

The fact that I cared about the main characters so much really made the action bits more intense. I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of those, yelling things like “go, go, go!” or “don’t split up!” at the book. I’m glad there weren’t too many intense parts though and that I didn’t spend the entire book a ball of anxiety and anger due to character choices and situations (a problem I often have with post-apocalyptic books, movies, and shows).

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Erik J. Brown is a writer based in Philadelphia, PA. In 2009 he graduated from Temple University with a degree in Film and Media Arts with an emphasis in Writing for Media. When not writing, he enjoys traveling (pre-pandemic), collecting disco compilations on vinyl, remodeling his haunted house with his husband, and embarking on the relentless quest of appeasing his Shiba Inu, Charlie. In 2021 he was selected as a Lambda Literary Emerging Writers Fellow. His debut young adult novel, ALL THAT’S LEFT IN THE WORLD was named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and received a starred review from Kirkus.