The Last Bookstore on Earth
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two teen girls fall in love and fight for survival in an abandoned bookstore weeks before another cataclysmic storm threatens to bring about the end of the world in this unforgettable YA debut. Perfect for fans of Station Eleven and The Last of Us.
“A thoroughly original, intimate, and sometimes harrowing meditation on survival, forgiveness, and learning how to love again at the almost end of the world.”—Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author
The world is about to end. Again.
Ever since the first Storm wreaked havoc on civilization as we know it, seventeen-year-old Liz Flannery has been holed up in an abandoned bookstore in suburban New Jersey where she used to work, trading books for supplies with the few remaining survivors. It’s the one place left that feels safe to her.
Until she learns that another earth-shattering Storm is coming . . . and everything changes.
Enter Maeve, a prickly and potentially dangerous out-of-towner who breaks into the bookstore looking for shelter one night. Though the two girls are immediately at odds, Maeve has what Liz needs—the skills to repair the dilapidated store before the next climate disaster strikes—and Liz reluctantly agrees to let her stay.
As the girls grow closer and undeniable feelings spring up between them, they realize that they face greater threats than the impending Storm. And when Maeve’s secrets and Liz’s inner demons come back to haunt them both, they find themselves fighting for their lives as their world crumbles around them.
“A hauntingly beautiful story of love, loss, and the raw fight for survival.” —Jarrod Shusterman, New York Times bestselling author of Dry
“Hopeful, thrilling, and twisty…the snarky sapphic dystopian of our dreams.” —Jennifer Dugan, author of Some Girls Do
“A thoroughly original, intimate, and sometimes harrowing meditation on survival, forgiveness, and learning how to love again at the almost end of the world.”—Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author
The world is about to end. Again.
Ever since the first Storm wreaked havoc on civilization as we know it, seventeen-year-old Liz Flannery has been holed up in an abandoned bookstore in suburban New Jersey where she used to work, trading books for supplies with the few remaining survivors. It’s the one place left that feels safe to her.
Until she learns that another earth-shattering Storm is coming . . . and everything changes.
Enter Maeve, a prickly and potentially dangerous out-of-towner who breaks into the bookstore looking for shelter one night. Though the two girls are immediately at odds, Maeve has what Liz needs—the skills to repair the dilapidated store before the next climate disaster strikes—and Liz reluctantly agrees to let her stay.
As the girls grow closer and undeniable feelings spring up between them, they realize that they face greater threats than the impending Storm. And when Maeve’s secrets and Liz’s inner demons come back to haunt them both, they find themselves fighting for their lives as their world crumbles around them.
“A hauntingly beautiful story of love, loss, and the raw fight for survival.” —Jarrod Shusterman, New York Times bestselling author of Dry
“Hopeful, thrilling, and twisty…the snarky sapphic dystopian of our dreams.” —Jennifer Dugan, author of Some Girls Do
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Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
The Last Bookstore on Earth is a debut with a lot of promise that, unfortunately, blacks, pacing, and tension.
A Bit Bland
I had high hopes for this novel, drawn in by the intriguing premise of a love story set against the backdrop of a natural disaster in a bookstore. Unfortunately, I found it to be a struggle to get through, not due to poor writing but because it felt rather boring. The story centers on the relationship between two girls, Liz and Maeve, who are trying to survive a storm, but I felt that the characterization was lacking.
Liz, the protagonist, is a character with potential depth, as she lives alone in a bookstore and has a mysterious past hinted at through flashbacks involving her family. However, these glimpses are brief and insufficient for building her character fully. I wished the author had dedicated more time to exploring Liz’s backstory to create a richer narrative, as understanding her past might have fostered a deeper emotional connection with her journey. Despite recognizing Liz’s complexity, I wasn’t invested in her survival early on.
On the other hand, Maeve felt like a generic character, offering little insight into her past, which hindered any emotional connection for me as a reader. Her role as Liz’s love interest lacked chemistry, and I found myself more interested in Liz’s individual struggle rather than their relationship.
While the flashback scenes provided some insight into the devastating natural disaster and its impact on Liz’s life, they were too short. I felt that if the author had expanded on these moments and developed both Liz and Maeve’s characters more fully, it could have enriched the narrative and allowed me to become more emotionally invested in their stories.
Final Thoughts
The Last Bookstore on Earth isn’t a bad book by any means. However it was a bit bland which is unfortunate.
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A sapphic dystopian, The Last Bookstore on Earth has two young loves trying to wait out the deadly storm in a local bookstore.
The Last Bookstore on Earth is a debut with a lot of promise that, unfortunately, blacks, pacing, and tension.
A Bit Bland
I had high hopes for this novel, drawn in by the intriguing premise of a love story set against the backdrop of a natural disaster in a bookstore. Unfortunately, I found it to be a struggle to get through, not due to poor writing but because it felt rather boring. The story centers on the relationship between two girls, Liz and Maeve, who are trying to survive a storm, but I felt that the characterization was lacking.
Liz, the protagonist, is a character with potential depth, as she lives alone in a bookstore and has a mysterious past hinted at through flashbacks involving her family. However, these glimpses are brief and insufficient for building her character fully. I wished the author had dedicated more time to exploring Liz’s backstory to create a richer narrative, as understanding her past might have fostered a deeper emotional connection with her journey. Despite recognizing Liz’s complexity, I wasn’t invested in her survival early on.
On the other hand, Maeve felt like a generic character, offering little insight into her past, which hindered any emotional connection for me as a reader. Her role as Liz’s love interest lacked chemistry, and I found myself more interested in Liz’s individual struggle rather than their relationship.
While the flashback scenes provided some insight into the devastating natural disaster and its impact on Liz’s life, they were too short. I felt that if the author had expanded on these moments and developed both Liz and Maeve’s characters more fully, it could have enriched the narrative and allowed me to become more emotionally invested in their stories.
Final Thoughts
The Last Bookstore on Earth isn’t a bad book by any means. However it was a bit bland which is unfortunate.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
That first time the alien talked I was taken aback, but got a good little giggle out of it. This book definitely wasn't what I was expecting! The whole alien overlord added in was just the right touch thankfully and not overdone. It made me wonder if Liz was losing that much of her humanity and had been reading science fiction to pass the time.
I hope that pea coat man comes back 😭
I was surprised when Maeve came in and was so rude before telling Liz that she needed a place to stay. It seemed so odd that she would be rude before asking that. The fact that Liz allowed her to stay spoke volumes of just how lonely Liz was feeling. It also spoke to her character of being a people pleaser. I wonder if she wasn't somewhere she worked at before the storm if her willingness to help would have been different.
I found myself wondering just how young Liz was and when it was revealed it made sense. She talks as if she is in her late teens or very very early 20’s and naive. The longer I listened I got the feeling that Liz was fresh out of high school and not street savvy. When she nearly took off her own hand I cringed at her stupidity and impatience.
Early on with Liz’s crush on Maeve it seemed like a child-like infatuation. She was falling for Maeve because she was lonely and had survivor's guilt about her hand. The further into the book I got the more the survivor's guilt was shown. It was obvious she felt that her sister should have survived and she shouldn't have. I didn't get much guilt about her parents, but definitely about her sister.
I wondered if the woman Maeve stabbed in the woods was the one who turned on her for being too kind to the man that stole from them. When it was revealed that it was Eva who had turned her back it surprised me. I could tell there was something there when Eva showed up to warn them about the second storm and tell them to move on. I felt that Eva was trying to make sure Liz moved on because something else was going to happen rather than the storm.
I'm glad that Liz took accountability for her actions when Maeve actually left. It seemed like she was surprised because people didn't tend to listen to her throughout her life. The fact that Maeve actually came back and rescued/saved Liz from the woods people really showed that Maeve cared about her. I felt it was bittersweet that Eva died, but it was done on a good way.
Not 100% sure how I feel about Liz and Maeve both surviving the second storm.
Yay peacoat man came back!
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