A rather slow, thoughtful story of climate change, rising waters, and the end of civilization as we know it, told by a neurodivergent girl. Very well-written, highly recommend.

In a word: unputdownable. A harrowing, beautifully rendered coming-of-age story in a dystopian future ravaged by climate change. Similar themes as The Light Pirate (another excellent cli-fi book) but with a different writing style. This one will stay with me a long time.

Pub Date: 1/7/25
Review Published: 1/5/25
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to receive this as an ACR, Thinking that a dystopian sci-fi would be a new genre for me to dip in to. Though I made it halfway through and the writing is just hard for me to enjoy. If you enjoy a slower paced novel about climate change give this a try, you may enjoy.
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the chance to read this early in exchange of an honest review.
2 star

Fantastic, engrossing novel of dystopian fiction. In a world where climate change has broken the world, a small group of people live together in what remains of a museum, until the world breaks further. It’s a page turner, fascinating, riveting.

3.5 rounded to 4 stars.

All the Water in the World is a debut novel that intertwines a world ravaged by climate change, a quest for survival, a story of sisterhood, and a meditation on loss and humanity.

Nonie, her family, and others have taken refuge at the American Natural History Museum (AMEN) in the Life As It Is. Climate change has wreaked havoc on the world, glaciers have melted, sea levels have risen, and relentless storms have submerged coastal cities. At AMEN, the community strives to survive while also documenting and preserving history as best they can. Nonie keeps a logbook, chronicling daily life at AMEN and their fragile way of survival. Crucially, she has a unique ability to “connect” with water where she can sense when storms are coming, which has helped the group avoid catastrophe. But when Nonie fails to foresee a devastating storm that destroys their sanctuary, the survivors are forced to flee in search of a new home. Their perilous journey is interwoven with flashbacks to the Life As It Was, before AMEN, when Nonie's mother was still alive.

All the Water in the World is a quiet, introspective, and slow-moving story. Its lyrical prose beautifully complements the novel’s themes of grief, loss, and the exploration of what it means to be human. Some elements reminded me of Parable of the Sower, the logbook, the protagonist's unique ability, and the search for a safe haven. However, the tone and pacing are closer to Station Eleven.

I especially appreciated the author’s lens on this climate, a ravaged world as seen through the eyes of a younger protagonist. Nonie survived a plague that wiped out many people her age and grew up sheltered inside AMEN. Suddenly, she’s thrust into a brutal reality she’s never had to confront. The depiction of her coming-of-age against this backdrop was both compelling and poignant. Given the rising focus on climate fiction, particularly stories set in drowned worlds, I anticipate more novels tackling similar themes in the near future. This one, in particular, stands out as a quiet yet hopeful exploration of such times to come.

I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy introspective, non-linear novels and don’t mind some elements remaining unexplored or left to interpretation.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader's copy of All the Water in the World.

Really superb survival climate fiction. Our group is upended from the museum shelter they’ve been at for many years. They take off in an exhibit boat down the Hudson in hopes of reaching a safe spot to land. The weather, other people, and their own weaknesses all work against them.

It sounds very bleak and it is, but it’s also beautifully written and hopeful. They gain and lose some people along the way but the additions make it all worth while to have made the trek.

Although I did love this, it just didn’t quite have a 5 star feel. But i strongly encourage lovers of this type of story to give this a chance!

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There is such beauty in this novel, even through everything these characters live through. I loved this story, how deeply Nonnie wanted a future to hope for even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. How badly she wanted to protect the only family she had left. It was moving, heartbreaking & thrilling

I really wanted to love this book. The concept and the writing were great, but the book left a lot of room for improvement. The lack of context behind what led to living in the museum beyond what the main character can recall from her short years alive made this a challenging book to get through. By the end I felt like I had more questions than answers. It did give a lot of Parable of the Sower vibes which was great, it just felt like I was missing the views and stories from elders in the book to really pull it all together.

I loved Station Eleven & looked forward to reading this dystopian novel. For this Florida resident who has experienced hurricanes this narrative is easy to imagine. I loved the setting of the NY Museum of Natural History. It is easy to picture the characters there for those who have visited & explored the halls. The setting & characters are very intersting & would lend to a great movie. The writing was disjointed at times & I found it hard to follow some of the descriptions. It seemed like the author had all the detials laid out in her head but sometimes forgot to spell them all out for the reader. However, I was invested in the characters & enjoyed the overal journey the writer takes. It would have been a 4 star for me if I didn't get a little lost in the details sometimes.

I loved the concept and idea of this one but did not like the pacing or structure. The action started right away, which I usually like, but I felt thrown in without knowing the characters and group they were talking about. The flashbacks were helpful but I would have enjoyed a more linear structure for this one.

Thanks to St Martin's Press for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

This is a very quiet contemplative novel. Told through the eyes of a young girl living some time after the collapse of the world where the weather is constantly lashing and floods are ever present. She and her family live in the Museum of Natural History and take the preservation of humanity seriously. While they struggle to survive they log the artifacts of life. Danger is ever present; from the water to the weather to infections brought by mosquitos and sewage contaminated water and of course other humans. We meet them as they experience a terrible storm which deals them more loss and forces them from their beloved safe haven. The rest of the story follows their pursuit of a promised family farm where they can be safe but takes us through all of the dangers they face along the way.

I get the comparisons to Station Eleven which is a core favorite novel of mine. I enjoyed this story but it was missing some of the magic Station Eleven had for me. I felt like it had more of a Last of Us vibe.

I love dystopian books and (Station Eleven is an all time fav) so requesting this arc was a no brainer for me .

Unfortunately the writing style is just not for me and at 10% I’m just looking for excuses to avoid the book so I’ve decided to DNF 😞

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed this refreshingly different dystopian novel. Rather than earth destroyed by war or heat or an EMP, extreme storms are the cause here. Besides the usual theme of survival, there is also the issue of saving knowledge for future generations. Nonie and her family try to preserve items in the museum. I like that additional emphasis.

The survival venture is good with lots of action and suspense. That aspect of the novel is somewhat typical, with some helping travelers while others will not share. Also somewhat typical is the attempt by an individual to establish a new community. Caffal makes reference to “lost” people, those who have forgotten that being human is to care for other humans.

The structure of the plot is good. I like the events Nonie remembered, flashbacks in a sense, helping us understand how the family came to be where they are. They also add a personal side to the survival story.

This is a good debut effort. Caffal's writing style is good and I'll be watching to see what her next novel will be about.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I do enjoy an apocalyptic thriller and this one, taking place in a flooded future, had me turning the pages. Told in alternating narratives between The World Before and The World as it is by Nonie, a young girl running for safety with her sister, her father, and a friend, Keller, and the past, where Nonie, Bix, and her parents were living in a NYC museum before they fled in a canoe on the Hudson river for higher ground. Climate change has taken its toll. The world is flooded by torrential rains and 'hypercanes' which have left every man to fend for himself. The author is a gifted storyteller, writing a tense narrative that kept me glued to the pages. My only complaint was that the ending felt rushed.

In the wake of climate change, rising sea levels, and the collapse of “the world as it was”, Nonie and her family are living in a village on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History. When a super storm floods the city, they set off for their family farm with logbooks of the lost collections from the museum.

Inspired by the curators in Iraq and Leningrad who worked to protect precious art from war, Nonie and her family are determined to record what they can people in the future can perhaps recover or at least remember these precious antiquities.

I know that some readers found the pacing to be slow in the beginning, but I actually enjoyed the pace and the POV of the young narrator who is heavily autism coded. (My son is on the spectrum and it felt a bit like climbing inside his thought process as I read.)

Unlike a lot of climate fiction, this doesn’t feel preachy. It’s at times tragic, at other times profoundly hopeful, and entirely evocative. This story is one that lingers, and would make for an interesting book club convo.

𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑨𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑰𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑳𝑫 𝒃𝒚 𝑬𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝑪𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 is coming out January 7th by @stmartinspress & @macmillan.audio and I got to read it in all its wonder via @netgalley.

This dystopian tale shows a world when the glaciers have melted, sea levels have risen, and storms breach all but the last hold over New York City where Nonie, her older sister, parents, and researcher friends have formed a small colony on the roof of the Natural History Museum. When a massive hurricane forces a retreat from this last hold, this small community must salvage what they can and escape to a new higher ground. They encounter both natural and human friends & foes that threaten them all, as well as ensure their survival.

"Utopias never last." Indeed.

This was an intense read from the very beginning with the main survival storyline punctuated by breathers of the past. This made for a quicker read that was made even better with both digital and audio formats. Eyes and ears were engulfed in this water world struggle to survive. Eunice Wong was a fabulous narrator, capturing the boldness of young Nonie while also conveying the fears of survival and the desire to please her family.

I was moved by the family dynamics in this fraught tale. Both natural and found family become vital, despite any underlying tensions that sisters inevitably have. Deciding what knowledge to store and take was a theme that was made more profound by realizing this has inspiration from war torn countries. The hope that not all will ever be lost is comforting in both ideals, and I do believe, reality.

I really liked this story. It had an intensity that was balanced with tenderness. Well done. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

“Sometimes you have no choice but to walk into the dark”
I listened to the audio of this book and it was wonderful! If you like dystopian, nonlinear timeline, coming of age stories this one if for you. Highly recommend!

I thought the premise for this story sounded so good. Sci fi with a little dystopian mixed in but this book was not for me. I was bored and I struggled with the writing style. I felt it lacked depth and and nothing really happened until about 50% of the book. Overall it was a 2 star read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the chance to read this early in exchange of an honest review.

This was not for me because while I enjoy climate fiction, I like a little bit more happening plot-wise. This was slower, which isn't a bad thing, and would probably be perfect for readers who like slow paced books.

This dystopian/ post apocalyptic climate fiction is a tense, thrilling and emotional ride. that In the near future, when climate changes have caused worldwide flooding and the disappearance of entire communities, Nonie and her family seek shelter on top of the American Natural History Museum in NYC. As the floods continue to decimate the area, they embark on a tense journey to the north to seek out safer ground. Along the way, they encounter some of the best and worst of humanity. There is a strong sense of foreboding throughout the novel. I loved the writing, the very realistic and scary descriptions of the intense weather and consequences of climate change, as well as the found family aspects. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and I didn’t feel as deep a connection to the characters as I wanted. Some of the parts became a little repetitive. Overall, this was a suspenseful literary take on the climate fiction genre with a propulsive plot. I would recommend this for fans of The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton and Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: 1/28/25