This was soooooo good! Absolutely amazing. I was surprised by this one but it really got me out of my reading rut. I read this voraciously and was completely captivated the entire time. The romance development was gorgeous and kept me rooting for them all the way to the end. The world building was phenomenal. I had no idea what would happen next at any point. IT was also so funny and sweet. really great work!!!

Thoughtfully written LGBTQ YA book. The post-apocalyptic setting was fresh and added to the story’s themes well.

A fascinating and thrilling queer sci-fi story that will thrill fans of the genre and may even win a few new converts with its excellent characterization.

Unique post-apocalyptic plot, realistic romance development, and engaging writing are this books strengths. I enjoyed this!

This book was very easy to read and fun, but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for personally in ‘post-apocalyptic’ since it was maybe a little bit too romanticized and not realistic enough. but if you’re looking for a happy sweet and comforting story this is for you!
Full review on YouTube

I liked this book. I love that it's set in post-apocalyptic America, the pandemic after the COVID-19 Pandemic. I love that there's a queer love story buried in this post apocalyptic world. I also liked the portrayal of the intolerance of certain groups of people in the post apocalyptic world because bigotry just never seems to die, even in sci-fi/fantasy novels (even though it should). As a Georgia Peach Book Award nominee, this YA novel was a hit.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Superlative! Review to follow, but in the meantime, thank you to #NetGalley for an e-ARC of this remarkable, moving, often funny, often very scary story.

Update. I didn't get around to properly reviewing this at the time, but the one thing I'll add at this stage, almost 1.5 years later, is that this book became one of two or three favorite books of 2021, and it has very much stayed with me. In addition, several of my friends have read this and really enjoyed it as well. I cannot recommend this book enough!!

I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was great, the plot was solid, and the romance was very sweet. I wish there had been a little more time devoted to Jamie and Andrew feelings when they were still stuck in the cabin, but other than that I thought their romance arc progressed really nicely. Will definitely recommend to anyone who's looking for a good post-apocalyptic YA.

This is a needed take on an apocalypse novel. Queer YA representation tends to get stuck in the romance and realistic genres with an occasional fantasy book thrown in here or there, and while books can be found in other genres, this book is a wonderful addition to any Sci-Fi collection. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and how they developed throughout the book. The pacing was perfect and kept me reading, waiting for the next obstacle or tender moment between Jaime and Andrew. This book has the perfect amount of comedy to break up the tension, and

One of my favorite books of 2022. You don't see a lot of LGBTQ+ representation in typical YA survival fiction, so I'm glad this exists and is so well-written.

I really didn't know what to expect from this so I'm glad I gave it a shot. I had tried to stop reading after a certain time and I would get to scenes and just keep reading because I was so anxious about what was happening. I feel like it's rare to find a survival/dystopian that is equally about that and the romance, and I enjoyed it a lot.

"I hope the afterlife has a little movie theater where you can sit in silence and watch the sequence of events that led to the watershed moments of your life"

@erikjb I give you a standing ovation, what a debut!

All That's Left In The World takes us on a queer, post apocalyptic (with a splash of romance) journey with Andrew and Jamie.

That's right you heard me correctly folks, we have a QUEER POST APOCALYPTIC story!

A deadly illlness has wiped out most of the population and Andrew and Jamie are determined to find a way out. Together they go and search for civilization trusting in each other to survive.

"The world ended and there's nothing left but shit.
And him.
Us.
So that's all right, then."

The characters in this book made my jaded heart grow a few sizes bigger and I felt fiercely protective over them. The bickering and banter between them made me laugh out loud several times.

The writing felt effortless and never forced which led to such a flawless progression in the story that made it all feel so real.

Definitely check this one out!

This was a surprising good post-apocalyptic YA story. I really enjoyed our two main characters and the natural growth of their relationship and them coming to terms with their past demons. I do think that after they reach South Carolina it became a bit tedious to read but I still wanted to see how this story ended.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ever mad you started a book and can’t remember why you didn’t finish it? Well, I am. This book was INCREDIBLE! Why did I take MANY months off to finish it? I have legitimately no idea.

This queer pandemic thriller is tense, gorgeously written, and it drags you in for the most enjoyable ride. I loved how he tied in COVID and how he kept it restrained still. And I’m OBSESSED with the way this book unfolds. The timing is divine.

Try this book. You won’t regret it.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from All That’s Left in the World because this is Erik J. Brown debut novel and I’d therefore had no experience with his writing before. Going in, I found that I enjoyed the way Andrew and Jamie met. I really liked their dialogue too, even from the beginning and it only got better and better from there.

The setting was also interesting to read about. I was intrigued to be reading about a world in which the human race had been ravaged by a pandemic that was worse than the one we’re experiencing. It wasn’t hard to imagine how it could have been much much worse like in All That’s Left in the World. I also found that even though not a lot of writing was dedicated to the setting, it was very easy to imagine. Having watched a few post-apocalyptic movies might have helped, but I’m not sure.

Back to Andrew and Jamie, I liked that this book was written from both points of view. It provided more insight into both characters, and also made the friendship-romance more enjoyable. I especially thrived on the pining. Haha. All joking aside though, Andrew and Jamie’s relationship was so heartwarming!

The fact that I cared about the main characters so much really made the action bits more intense. I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of those, yelling things like “go, go, go!” or “don’t split up!” at the book. I’m glad there weren’t too many intense parts though and that I didn’t spend the entire book a ball of anxiety and anger due to character choices and situations (a problem I often have with post-apocalyptic books, movies, and shows).

This book is another one is a recent string of arcs that never ended up on my kindle. I don't know what the problem is, but I can't review it. Sorry.

this book !!!! slaps !!!!!

do you like
- post-apocalypse stories that aren't about saving the world?
- protagonists who have made awful mistakes?
- cross-country adventures that are 80% walking or riding a bike?
- the idea of escaped zoo animals thriving in an urban environment?
- badass grannies who really shrugged off the apocalypse and said maybe later?

then this book is for you.

I really, really loved this book. I was a little startled by how fiercely and immediately I loved it, in fact. I was expecting more of a typical post-apoc book; a desperate race across the country to reach some mysterious and isolated destination X that has some mystical compound A that will cure the world of whatever is killing it, blah. I am not necessarily against those plotlines, as I am super fond of post-apoc books, but sometimes I need something new and fresh. All That's Left in the World absolutely delivered.

the POVs alternate between Andrew and Jamie and they are both lovely and interesting protagonists. people looking at reviews trying to decide if they want to read this book need to understand that this isn't a hardcore post-apoc story. yes, tons of people have died and our protagonists are both struggling with massive trauma, but the story is a lot quieter. this is no Walking Dead situation. the world is quiet because the vast majority of folks have died. the boys walk through ghost towns, or see strange survivors at a safe distance. Jamie, sheltered at his mother's cabin, particularly struggles with this but Andrew has already seen and lived through a lot.

honestly, there isn't a single thing I would've changed about this story. I bought it immediately after finishing my library copy and put Erik J. Brown on my insta-buy list without hesitation. I cannot wait for them to write another book, no matter the genre, because they did such a lovely job with these tender boys.

I read this book in April and I'm writing the review in August. I have been reccing this book like a madwoman to anybody who will slow down for more than three steps and listen to me. so far, I haven't heard back from anybody that they disliked it, and frankly the Goodreads average rating kinda speaks for itself.

Not quite my cup of tea, but the focus on trust during a dystopian time endeared me to the two boys.

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.