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Readers say *Leave the World Behind* masterfully explores human nature under crisis, with vivid character insights and unsettling reflections on race,...
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Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
241 pages
What’s it about?
Clay and Amanda drive away from Brooklyn with their two teenage children looking forward to a summer vacation on Long Island. They have rented a nice house with a pool out in the countryside and envision barbecues and day trips to the beach. On their second evening there is a knock at the door and their vacation changes. New York City is experiencing a blackout and the homeowners have returned to the country. But is it safe?
What did it make me think about?
I could not help but to think of the beginning of the pandemic when I read this book. Are we ever really prepared for our world to change?
Should I read it?
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. The story was suspenseful, but in a different way than I expected. Mr. Alam's observations on race, class, and even parenting are thoughtful, "Her distrust was not of her parents but of the world that they had made, and maybe she was right."
Quote-
"They had asked themselves questions when they decided to have children- do we have the money, do we have the space, do we have what it takes- but they didn't ask what the world would be when their children grew."
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Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
241 pages
What’s it about?
Clay and Amanda drive away from Brooklyn with their two teenage children looking forward to a summer vacation on Long Island. They have rented a nice house with a pool out in the countryside and envision barbecues and day trips to the beach. On their second evening there is a knock at the door and their vacation changes. New York City is experiencing a blackout and the homeowners have returned to the country. But is it safe?
What did it make me think about?
I could not help but to think of the beginning of the pandemic when I read this book. Are we ever really prepared for our world to change?
Should I read it?
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. The story was suspenseful, but in a different way than I expected. Mr. Alam's observations on race, class, and even parenting are thoughtful, "Her distrust was not of her parents but of the world that they had made, and maybe she was right."
Quote-
"They had asked themselves questions when they decided to have children- do we have the money, do we have the space, do we have what it takes- but they didn't ask what the world would be when their children grew."
If you liked this try-
A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Exit West by Moshin Hamid
The author's descriptions were so vivid that they distracted from the book and made up the whole book basically. What happens is unclear and it ends unresolved.
Terrible book to read anytime, but especially during a pandemic. I kept at it because I thought a full story would come through....it never did. When I reached the last page, I couldn't believe it. I thought there would be some closure.
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