Noni- a 13 yo girl is living in a deserted NYC on top of the natural history museum. The flood gates keeping them safe were breached with a big storm. Now Noni and her family must travel north on the Hudson River to hopefully find her mother's childhood home. It's not a short journey nor a safe one.

I happen to love post apocalyptic/dystopian stories and this was no exception. The storyline was great and I was definitely invested in the characters. Character building was good with some characters and not so great with others. I felt a tad lost trying to keep track of some of the lesser characters as well. A few times in the book I found the writing to be a bit choppy and the storyline to be a bit confusing but overall the idea was excellent. I think this book could have even been longer with more scene building and character depth. The premise of the story would definitely support that. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would read more from this author.

[arc review]
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
All the Water in the World releases January 7, 2025

<i>“Sometimes what looks like shelter is only menace.”</I>

When the first of the world’s climate catastrophes became seriously fatal, Nonie and her family fled to the American Museum of Natural History and built a settlement on the roof of its library.
Now that they’ve been living there for 8 years, they are forced to relocate once again now that the sea levels have risen and the entire city has flooded.

I liked the commentary on what it meant to rebuild in the wake of destruction and the importance of preserving history and keeping an archive of accounts for future generations, but I thought the ending was a bit abrupt in comparison to the rest of the story.

This is the epitome of a book with the most beautiful and lyrical writing and the most mid level plot possible. I thought that this sounded so promising - I can really get into some climate fiction and one that had a bit of a thriller/survivalist element to it sounded so fantastic. However, this is a story that felt so disjointed and ultimately so anticlimactic that I was left disappointed.

We are following a tiny quartet of survivors in a post-apocalyptic New York where everything has been flooded and rained out. There are these massive storms that come and cause catastrophic destruction in the blink of an eye and our main character has the ability to sense these storms (and their potential severity) before they hit. In the course of this story we encounter the run of the mill apocalyptic scenarios - lack of food and shelter, the hoarding and looting of resources, bands of violent people, and the power tripping "leaders" of the new societies. The only new element that we get is the tie to climate change and that is something that we are just thrown into as we get no real back story or explanation for how the world got to the place it is in other than climate change, duh. I would have liked a little more character and plot development to accompany the prose.

I will say that I do give the author props for talking about thyroid medication in a post apocalyptic world. As someone who *literally* needs to take that medication on a daily basis or I will actually straight up die - I appreciated how the author was like "oop people gonna die if they can't find that..". Absolutely. Your girl here would very much like to be permanently removed from any apocalyptic narratives - please and thank you. I don't want to go survivor without my meds, okay.

I did enjoy reading this story. Noni and Biz were interesting character that I enjoyed. The plot was a little slow at times for me. The writing style was great.

This was my first time reading a climate related dystopia book, and I just didn't connect with it like I thought I would.

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025.
An engaging post climate-crisis, dystopian coming-of-age story
This action-packed, tense survival and adventure story kept me wanting more.
I enjoyed the journey the writer takes us on.
A fantastic dystopian thriller. And a wonderful debut.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I loved this! Climate fiction meets dystopian coming of age. Sobering concept, lovely writing and execution. I was rooting for Nonie the entire way.

I tried to read this book but I couldn't get into it. It was atmospheric but the language also felt very cliche and dramatic for the sake of being dramatic instead of making me feel invested.

“In the years after the glaciers melt, Nonie, her older sister and her parents and their researcher friends have stayed behind in an almost deserted New York City, creating a settlement on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History.” I was drawn in by the cover and this description and happy to share that I did enjoy the story. While I don’t read a lot of apocalyptic novels, I felt like this one had a unique premise and setting. I loved the realistic detail that was included about the exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, where the family resides for some time preserving artifacts when New York is completely flooded and abandoned. The science-loving part of my brain appreciated the “I’m thinking of an animal” game that the narrator plays with actual facts about animals or insects either common or unusual. The story was really about the journey (getting out of New York City) and had a satisfying ending. If you enjoyed Station Eleven or Songs for the End of the World (I liked both) I think you’d like reading this.

For my Christian reader friends, the story has no sort of Christian viewpoint or connection at all, purely fiction. But it made me think about the book of Revelation and other prophecy in the Bible about the end of this world. Putting myself in this story made me appreciate that we can actually look to the end of the world as we know it with hope because we believe God is all powerful, good, and merciful.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early electronic galley to read and review. For once I timed it perfectly and finished this book today, right on the day it is released, January 7, 2024, so it is available now.

<b>Finished Reading

<i>Pre-Read notes</i></b>

I went into this one blind, and have since discovered a wonderful post-apocalyptic thriller about a young girl coming of age in a world turned to water and all its perils. A few themes and tropes that I enjoy make appearances here as well, like coming of age, mothers and daughters, water as metaphor, and the definition of home.

<b>Final Review </b>

<i>Mother taught me how to love the water.... I have more of that than any of them.</i>p 40

I finished this book a couple weeks ago. It must not have made an impression at me, because my recollection of this read is vague. I remember that I loved the main character, a seven year old trying to survive the end of the world in a small group of people. Her perspective on this story

<b>Reading Notes</b>

<b><i>Three (or more) things I loved: </i></b>

1. Mother taught me how to love the water... I had more of that than any of them. I had to give Father and Keller and Bix the water love Mother gave me, put them into the bathysphere with me... p40 At first, I found the perspective jarring, as the narrating character is only about seven years old. Most often, I find inauthentic, overly adult tone, diction, and syntactical complexity ascribed to a very young narrating character. Here, the style strives for simplicity and focuses on describing things phenotypically, like "bathysphere" in place of bathosphere.

2. The antagonist in this book is water, an ocean-like deluge that covers most of the world, as a natural force the characters must grapple with and survive. One of the things that makes this book unique is how much the protagonist, a child survivor, empathizes with this water, her literary nemesis.

3. Bodies of people we love die, we leave them. Something of them remains in us, something we have to keep like we would a fossil, a story no one remembers, .... I knew that a place is just a body, no longer alive without the people that ensoul it, but it still hurt to go. p58 This book takes on some wonderful themes, like the definition of home or the definition of the body.

4. I like numerous short chapters, which is how this is written. More organization is better than less, in many cases.

<i><b>Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof. </i></b>

1. This is kind of a dry read. It has to do with a few style choices, namely the narrative voice, fashioned as coming from a child. The sentences are all simple and similar to each other in form.

2. I really struggled to connect with this book. I think it's because the story developes into multiple directions at once– the long past, the recent past, many directions in the present, and possible futures for the characters. The pace is almost leisurely, but the plot still manages to be convoluted. There needs to be more than just survival in the story; the story needs a point, a primary conflict.

<b>Rating:</b> 🌊🌊🌊🌊
<b[Recommend?</b> Yes, for fans of more literary novels
<b>Finished:</b> Dec 23 '24
<b>Format:</b> Digital Arc, NetGalley
<b>Read this book if you like:</b>
🌊 water, lots of it!
🏚 distopian settings
👧🏽 girl's coming of age
🔥 slow burn plot

Thank you to the author Eirin Caffall, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD. All views are mine.
---------------

This post apocalyptic novel starts off with thirteen year old Nonie and her family who live in the American Museum of Natural History due to the glaciers melting and causing earth to be flooded wiping out most of the communities. Then a hypercane (basically a hurricane times a 100) destroys the museum and they have to abandon their home and escape to the North for safety. During their trek they run into obstacles—some dangerous.

I really liked the premise. It started off strong. Though the middle was very slow at times. The last 25% had a lot of action however I needed more from the conclusion. It was very rushed.

The writing style and structure was unique—I liked that. Reminded me a bit of All the Light I Cannot See. Short chapters—so it was a quick read.

I recommend this to anyone that enjoys topics of climate change and survival.

3 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a climate fiction fan most of the time, so I probably should have know going in this wouldn’t be for me.

This was middle of the road for me. I liked the FMC, and enjoyed the writing style overall, however the pacing felt a bit off and at times the story really dragged.

When I first picked up All the Water in the World, it started off slow, but as the story progressed, I found myself completely hooked! The way Caffall explores how water, something we depend on for life, can simultaneously be both a needed refreshment and a curse, really left an impression on me. Water in this novel is not just a symbol of life—it can be dangerous and poisonous, adding an intriguing layer to the plot.

What really took me by surprise was discovering that the book is a coming-of-age story. It beautifully highlights how the world around us can change so drastically, but the growth of individuals and relationships remains central.

Set in an apocalyptic world where climate change is advancing faster than we ever imagined, the novel paints a bleak picture of a future shaped by our own actions. The real danger here isn’t the water—it’s humanity’s disregard for nature and each other. Yet, amidst the devastation, there’s a thread of hope that keeps the narrative grounded.
This is a climate fiction book, and Caffall delivers not only a gripping storyline but also excellent character development. The bonds between characters, especially the importance of family and found family, really stood out for me. It’s a powerful reminder that people are what make a home, no matter how chaotic the world becomes.

The themes of the novel are painfully realistic—climate change, survival, and human connections—but the actual plot felt a bit far-fetched at times. While I appreciated the depth of the story, there were moments when the events didn’t quite ring true for me. But even so, it’s a thought-provoking read!

Would I recommend this book? Yes! If you enjoy novels about a dystopian world, coming of age, and climate change I would recommend it.
This book was received from @stmartinspress and @netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

In All the Water in the World Eiren Caffall delivers a wild spin on a climate driven apocalypse tale. Eiren has crafted an unforgettable dystopian world, not to mention some pretty unique characters. Nonie and co. struggle to survive the weather ravaged planet kept me reading late into the night. I don’t know what Caffall has planned, but I will say this is a world I wouldn’t mind revisiting. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me access to an eARC.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-the-water-in-the-world-eiren-caffall/1145317413?ean=9781250353528&bvnotificationId=d7d17d69-cd21-11ef-a179-0affd9d1648b&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/331532174

The world is flooded after an an clear apocalyptic event has occurred. One can imagine the ice caps have melted, the oceans have risen, and the world is plagued by superstorms and intense heat due to an unstable climate situation.

Nonie, her sister, her dad, and a few other survivors are hold up in the American Museum of Natural History until another storm comes along and washes away nearly everything they've worked to create. They've been trying to document human history as well as gathering research to retain for the future. However, a lot of it gets washed away when the Museum is destroyed.

They have a canoe within the museum they use to escape and to make their way up the Hudson River in search of a family farm Nonie's mother mentioned would hopefully be their sanctuary should they ever need it. Now, they make their way north and through the wilds of the new world outside. Medicine is scarce so even common colds and illnesses can be deadly. Not everyone they meet along the way has the best of intentions either.

I did love reading in the summary that this story was inspired by the curators in Iraq and Leningrad who worked to protect their collections from war. I thought that was such a great way to be inspired by a story and I am now more curious about their stories. More than anything, I think this book does have some echoes of Station Eleven and survival and humanity in a world after the apocalypse has occurred.

I am a huge fan of dystopian novels and when a book is called a thriller and compared to Station Eleven, I have an expectation that there will be action and world building with speculation on what happened to the world and what will come. While this book does have dystopian themes, it’s much more in Nonie’s head rather than the dystopian world. As such, it’s very poetic and lacking in any real action. It’s so slow and not at all my type of novel. Lots of characters introduced but not much development so I didn’t connect to anyone. This just wasn’t for me.

What happens to culture, art, the things we keep from the past, when the future is uncertain and the world is ending?

I really thought the overall story was beautiful but the writing style wasn't for me I think. Short, blunt sentences made up most of the writing which some people will enjoy.

All the Water in the World has a fascinating concept: A group of survivors have formed a community on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City after flooding and disease have irrevocably altered the landscape and society as we currently know it. But when a superstorm breaches the city’s flood walls, they are forced to abandon the museum, travelling north on the Hudson River toward what they hope is safety and a fresh start. The book is narrated by thirteen-year-old Nonie in a structure that alternates between the past and the present.

All the Water in the World is a thought-provoking book, providing insights into how society can survive and thrive in a climate disaster, highlighting the importance and nobility of preserving the past for a future that may never come. The writing is spare and quite beautiful, simple but meaningful. Nonie is an endearing character, possibly neurodivergent, with life experiences and a unique perspective that kept me engrossed in her narrative.

The blurb calls this book a thriller, but I think that’s an inaccurate representation. Rather than an action-packed apocalyptic road novel, All the Water in the World is more contemplative and slower paced, focusing on thematic elements and characters rather than plot development. It reminded me of both Station Eleven and The Light Pirate in this way (although I don’t think it accomplished as much as those two books did). The ending was satisfying, but the journey to get there was more thoughtful than exhilarating.

3.5 stars rounded up. All the Water in the World is a worthy addition to the growing genre of climate fiction and nature-centric dystopia. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the early reading opportunity.

I thought this book was going to be like other post-apocalyptic books I’ve read, but this was totally unique and action packed! I never felt bored, the writing was absolutely beautiful, and I was hooked to find out what happened next/at the end. It comes out today, so if you’re looking for something new, go for it!

Happy Publishing Day!

This is dystopian climate fiction, and it is totally enthralling. The writing is lyrical, and the plot is action-packed. This is unlike any book I have read recently and really keeps me engaged. I would recommend it to pretty much anyone! This would be a great book club pick!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this. It's out now!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

I did not think that I would be finding a 5 star read so early in the year but here we are. I cannot fully express how much I loved this book. Set in the (near?) future the glaciers have melted and ocean levels have risen. Much of the population has died with the exception of a few pockets of people here and there. This is a startling glimpse into what could/will happen due to our climate crisis. We follow Nonie and her family as they evacuate their camp to safer ground. Its a story of trials, danger, love, and ultimately, hope.