book review: leave the world behind by rumaan alam

Leave The World Behind by Rumaan Alam

(no star system)

STORY ✔️

CHARACTERS ✔️

PROSE ✔️

Synopsis: Family books a peaceful vacation but end up confronting cultural tensions they had never acknowledged in their day to day...and the world might be ending.

One-sentence review: I was pulled in to this one due to the story and the perfect craft. The pacing and tension is some of the best I’ve read. 

Overall storytelling/structure: the brilliance of this book is in the storytelling, the pacing, foreshadowing, and overall anticipation of this unknown catastrophe is looming. 

Writing style/prose: not lyrical but real and true. Some of the descriptions or metaphors where right on the nose. 

Characters: well developed and whole. Not necessarily likable, but that plays into the pacing and anticipation.

Mood: can be read by anyone at anytime. BUT the bad review I’ve seen of this have been from people who (1) listened to it on audio vs. experiencing it in their own words, (2) wanted a thriller instead of a literary fiction suspense i.e. like a straightforward arc, (3) did not understand the cultural tensions presented.

Best quality of this read: the pace is perfection! I didn’t want to put it down. 

Books Similar/Read if you like: The Push, Lakewood, the movie Get Out and I’ll come back to add more as I come across other literary suspense types! 

Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️