This was major The Last Of Us vibes.

I absolutely loved apocalyptic environments and this suited amazing.

I love how much Jamie changes from the start of the book to the end once he meets Andrew.

Storyline moves so quickly that it doesn’t get boring but I do wish more characters stuck around longer than they did. ( )

This is a story about two boys who are surviving in a world where most people have been killed. For the majority of the book they are traveling from one place to the next, encountering different people and situations. Some are good, some bad. During their travels they are also trying to figure out their feelings toward each other.

This might be the only YA book about a post-pandemic, post-apocalyptic world that I’ve personally ever read. It doesn’t shy away from some general post-apocalyptic tropes, and it does get brutal at times. But it’s still a YA book, so a lot of the heavier things are tamped down and hinted at more than explicitly spelled out.

A lot of this was written before Covid-19 hit, and the author addresses it in the afterword, stating that he added a couple of references to the current virus in the post edits, but the super virus that wipes out humanity in this story is a different, much more lethal one.

There’s nothing truly new or revelatory about this story, in comparison to other dystopian books. It’s about human nature, and it’s about how two teenagers could possibly survive in such an extreme situation. One of the boys is gay, the other possibly bisexual, and this is something they have to consider when encountering different groups of people. Because homophobia doesn’t end just because the world does.

One of the people the boys encounter along the way is a girl they eventually befriend. She reads like a person on the autism spectrum, though that’s not explicitly stated anywhere. It is interesting to consider, though, how someone who faces the world a little differently than the majority of people do would survive in a situation like this.

The main reason why I’m rating this book so highly is the characters. They aren’t teenaged GI Joes who can take on anything; they are just scared kids doing their best and feeling all the grief and anxiety you would imagine while battling unimaginable trauma.

One of the few YA books that I haven’t felt too old to read, in recent years. ( )

Besides a few things here and there that bothered me (slow beginning, clichés tropes...), I really liked this! The romance felt really natural, the way people interact was pretty much on point, and I love that it's not another one of those perfect endings after going through hell, but something more balanced (still mostly a happy ending, for those who fear bad endings!).
Bonus point for the whole issue at the second camp, with the rules being discriminatory and conservative despite the fact that almost everyone is dead! Because let's be honest. People suddenly becoming accepting of everyone after the apocalypse? This is America we're talking about. Of course they'd find a way to be biggots. But no post-apocalyptic media ever use that. I was quite happy to see the author use something so real and frustrating in this book.
Really enjoyed myself, even while crying! ( )

Actual Rating: 2.5 stars

Picking up this book made me realize it’s been quite a while since I’ve read a dystopian novel. I think the last time I recall reading a lot of dystopian was back around 2014, so honestly I was a little worried if I would like this novel. The description seemed interesting though, and I was reeled in by the queer representation.

One of the biggest things that stuck out to me was the romance. As I said, the queer representation was what really drew me in but the romance just seemed out of nowhere. The characters sort of just woke up one day and went you know what? I think I’m in love with him. And good for them, but where was the on-screen/page development??? I’m forgetting the exact timeline, but I think it wasn’t even that long after they met when Jamie was like Oh, I think I love him. I feel like I do have to give some suspension of disbelief though considering these characters are 16/17, and I know how young love and infatuation can be, also combined with the fact that they are living in such an uncertain environment.

The characters were okay- likable enough but not really distinct in their own way. Dual POV tends to be a hit or miss for me, but in this case, I think I didn’t mind it because honestly both characters seemed very similar to me. If it had been a single POV, I think it would’ve worked out fine as well due to their narration styles, and just in general the main characters seemed to lack some substance.

In terms of plot, the idea was good but the plot line itself felt a little bit generic/formulaic. The whole secrecy about the Fosters had me curious but then the reveal was a little underwhelming for me. Then the other issues at Fort Caroline— honestly, I like how the author still incorporated systematic oppression in the novel. Because of course, with the setting being the US, even with a whole apocalypse happening, there would still be white supremacy/homophobia/ableism.

Overall, All That’s Left in the World was a fast, “pass the time” kind of read. It wasn’t particularly exciting or enthralling, but it had a decent plot idea and characters. ( )

Erik J. Brown’s debut novel All That's Left in the World is a touching, earnest story of young, queer love in a post-apocalyptic world.

One of the reviews for Brown’s book called it infectious. That reviewer must’ve raced to publish it to claim that on-the-nose description of a book set in a post-pandemic apocalypse. But it’s important to note that there is much discussion of a deadly pandemic that ravaged the world’s population. Readers looking to avoid COVID triggers would probably want to avoid this one.

All That's Left in the World tells the story of Andrew and Jamie, two queer teens who find each other and a common goal before setting out on a life-saving quest that puts them squarely in the path of their world’s big bad. Brown switches between both boys’ first-person POVs throughout, giving us a thorough look at each character’s motivations for survival–and love. While their relationship begins as a matter of convenience, their earnest and authentic chemistry push Andrew and Jamie’s friendship into something more.

Brown has given the world a very Walking Dead vibe–without the titular zombies, of course. But the boys face groups of marauders large and small on their long journey, along with the expected physical trials and violence. The good vs. evil vibes had a very comic book feel to them. The villains lack nuance and are simply bad.

The story includes many real-world pop culture references to help define the character’s personality differences. You know, one likes rom-coms, the other likes the Avengers. I’m not a fan of that trope, but your mileage may vary.

This book contains mentions of the loss of family members, illness and a pandemic, acts of physical and mental abuse, addiction, homophobia, and detailed descriptions of violence and death. ( )