I went into this novel expecting a family summer vacation-themed read, and while it does *start* that way, what it turns into is anything but "easy reading." Instead, a family on vacation must face questions of survival and existence--and at what cost--when facing an unnamed and inexplicable, yet obviously large and very real, threat. Creepy, chilling, and complex.

It is a tense, locked room kind of dystopian mystery, which leaves the reader guessing about the reasons for the end of the world. Such fine writing here, especially on the sentence level and at the level of characterization, though I would have liked more from the plot. The book feels like it ends at the climax, and we don't get to know what will happen to these characters as the world ends.

Hated this book. None of it truly made sense and the characters were infuriating. Wish I could unread it

This unfortunately got buried in my arcs. I started it in 2020, but the subject matter was too disturbing during the peak pandemic period when we were all worrying about whether the world as we knew it was ending. I picked it up again, intrigued by the Netflix show. The book started out great but was just too disturbing for me and I could not connect with any character. Impressed by the writing- - very very evocative and visual but just not the story for me.

I think I might need to take a break from all these dystopian novels - definitely not good for my anxiety! This novel did an amazing job creating this building tension and fear - there were moments when I could feel my heart racing, wondering what was going to happen to these characters.

The story follows Amanda and Clay and their two children, Archie and Rose, who venture out of New York City for a much-needed vacation. After a few idyllic days, the rental home's owners, G.H. and Ruth, show up, claiming that some mysterious calamity has befallen the city. With no Internet, phone service, or TV, Amanda and Clay must decide whether to trust these people (who just happen to be a different race and social status than them). Is it really the end of the world? The plot for this book does follow some formulas for dystopian novels (it did remind me of "Station Eleven"), but Alam was able to create a truly suspenseful sense of dread as each chapter progresses.

There were two aspects of the book that kept me from giving it 5 stars. First, some of the sex scenes just seemed unnecessary (and I felt like you could totally tell this was written from a man's perspective). Secondly, I hated the ending. I understand why the author chose to go with some ambiguity, but I would have loved to have more hints on the fate of the characters (and of the whole world for that matter!).

Not 100 percent sure why this has such a low Goodreads score, but I'm glad I read it, and I'm excited to check out the movie.

The premise of Leave The World Behind was intriguing: Amanda and Clay, take their teenage children on a week-long getaway from their home in NewYork City to a luxury vacation rental (think top-of-the-line AirBnB) and find their peace and quiet abruptly ended by the arrival of a frantic older African-American couple (Ruth and G.H.) in the middle of the night. The couple claim to be the owners of the house, and they say they have come to stay in “their” house because a sudden blackout has completely shut down the City. There is iffy cell reception in this quiet rural area, and they are all without cell service, TV, or Internet...then creepy things start to happen.
All kinds of questions come up: can Amanda and Clay believe what they are told by this couple? What exactly is happening? Apparently, some cataclysmic event has taken (or is taking?) place, but what? And is this a safe place to be? Should Clay and Amanda try to get home? Or stay in the home that they feel is rightfully theirs for the coming week?
They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe.
Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple—and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for time heir families? And are they safe from one other?

The biases, fears, and issues of age, class, and race all enter into the story, and the gradual revelations about WTF is going on are REALLY creepy...but in a good way. The writing is sharp, and I loved the way I came to know things about each of the characters by their actions and thoughts, without being hit over the head by declarations about their past situation or current challenges.

I had just read that a movie is planned with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington, so I had a nice visual aid while I read this book (provided by Harper Collins Ecco and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review). It’s a bit dark, and the ending may leave some readers frustrated...but I keep thinking about it and can’t come up with an ending that would have been better.. Highly recommended, and might be good for book clubs. 5 stars.

When I first started reading, I thought the prose was going to be too much for me, but then the intention behind the writing style became clear. This is a book that is uncomfortable to read, but it’s supposed to be. It definitely does what it’s intended to do.

Definitely not to my liking. Lots of potential in the idea, but just left hanging with nothing much. Over entitled people with very few scruples, not very likable characters.

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam was a decent read, but was severely lacking in several ways. Despite the mystery it didn't really hold my attention. I do applaud the author for their amazing descriptive skills.

I am the rare dissenter who didn't find much to enjoy in this one. Yes, it was wonderfully written, but it was just too bleak for my tastes. That said, it could certainly work for others who are in the right mindset.

YI really wanted to enjoy this, but the whole time i had no idea what was going on, and while it could play to the plot/make sense, it just wasn't for me.

I'm a bit late to the table with this book. The writing was beautiful but...I really wanted to love it but I barely liked it. It started off strong. White family air b and b s a black couple s house. Black couple shows up.at house and reports there's been a blackout in the city and they'd like to stay. I feel like there was such an opportunity to address classicism , racism. Maybe that did happen and it went over my head. I also thought this could have been a great horror story. I kept waiting for something to happen , something meaningful, something poetic. Alas, this was just a so-so read.

This one left me thinking for weeks afterwards. One of the most beautiful dives into the human psyche and our feelings, desires, fears, emotions, biases, and more. Absolutely stunning.

This excellent mystery is all about trust. When an older, seemingly harmless couple arrives at their rented home, everything is not as it appears. A taut thriller, work the time to read

Leave the World Behind was unnerving and unsettling, but overall it was fine? I found the writing to be pretty unique - both straightforward, but overly detailed, if that makes sense.

This cover...visually pleasing and beautiful. The other reviews of this book...RAVES. (even President Obama added this to his "must read" list). My reality after reading this book....shattered. I could NOT get into this book. The concept would make for a super fun read normally....but in this reality it was painful and stilting and slow and I could not finish this book. The writing style was just not my jam. I know I am most likely in the minority for this view, but it is my honest review. This one was just not for me.

People either loved this or couldn’t get into the book. I read half of the book and never fell in love. It was a strange book and just not for me. I have friends who loves it. I say to each their own.

I was so excited about this one, but I just didn't liked as much. At times the book was good, but other times a lot of it didn't make us much sense. Good read for the pandemic though.

This book was not for me. I had such high hopes and the suspense in the beginning was amazing, but ultimately it fell flat.

The writing style was confusing and I sometimes had a hard time figuring out who was talking. None of the characters were very developed and the focus was definitely plot heavy, yet even that was lacking.

I would have liked to see more out of this.

The good: Leave the World Behind makes a great book club book. It spurs so many discussions – not necessarily about the book itself, but some of the more significant topics it touches on.
The not great: I honestly don't know if I liked it?
I started off reading the book but was so annoyed by the try-hard writing that I stopped after a few chapters. Since I needed to read it for book club, I switched to the audiobook (If not for book club, I think it would have been a DNF). Marin Ireland does a splendid job narrating, and I enjoyed her performance. It made it easier to overlook the aspects that I was hung up on while reading.
One of our group's main discussions was about the genre of the book. We felt like the book had been misrepresented as a thriller but did not feel like one. It was much more about introspection, character relations - there's a lot of nothing happening while also having a lot of stuff happening?
So, I'd recommend Leave The World Behind if you're looking for a book to discuss. It is sure to spark conversations and polarize your book group!