Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I found the storytelling interesting as we're introduced to the dystopic world where Manhattan is flooding, a levee keeps water out and Nonie and her family are living in the American Museum of Natural History knowing that much of the rest of the city is deserted. When the waters rose, there were those who immediately left and others who stayed behind. Their community is made up of the various families of those who worked there, Nonie's parents being researchers employed there. This first part of the book I found the most interesting. They use the resources in museum, make up their rules for living and surviving and band together as a community. Then the flood happens and they are running for their lives as the building fills with water. The rest of the story is one of survival - getting to a place up north where her aunt lives and seeing the remaining world and what it's become, as well as the people. This part was not as interesting to me as it was more of a survival story, dealing with desperate people rather than the dystopic storyline. But, overall, it was an interesting read.

Adventurous and daunting, this story of survival highlights strength between sisters, the real dangers of global warming, and the everlasting social issues of our country. It is a survival story of not just humans, but our art and society, too

4.0 to 4.5
All the Water in the World
Eiren Caffall
St. Martin's

I would like to recommend this debut novel to readers who are in search of adventure against perilous odds. This story would fall into several categories: Speculative, Climate and Dystopian fiction. For me, Climate Fiction can be difficult to read, because we are aware of the hottest summers ever documented recently and the glaciers melting at alarming rates. Personally, I like stories that focus on the real possibilities that humans could face regarding water, its power and other apocalyptic events.
If you are looking for a novel you can rush through, this is not the novel for you. Building characters and settings take time, Escaping, trauma, injuries and survival must also be explored. I connected with all the main characters and the the tragedies they must overcome to find safety and freedom. I thought many characters, especially Nonie and Keller, were heroic and trust-worthy and focused on others' needs before their own.
The journey was long, but the rewards were good.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the eCopy of All the Water in the World. My opinions are my own.

Perfection.

As an engineer working to prevent stories like Nonie’s from happening, I’m both drawn to and scared by books like this. Post-climate catastrophes where the world is struggling to make sense of a new normal. Too many things in this story rang true as I read:
-tropical heat in November
-blizzards melting into heat waves
-hurricanes coming then turning around to come back
-polar cold fronts in the south

Probably one of the strongest messages I’ve taken away is from Nonie’s dad: “It was easy to see, but maybe hard to accept” when talking about the data pointing to the climate disaster on the way. We’re living that at this moment.

Water itself is a character in this book - another thing that resonates strongly with me. I grew up and still live surrounded by water. I flock to the water routinely for my soul to drink in its calm and reset my internal tides.

But water can be powerful in a damaging way. We’ll never be able to harness it.

This story was an interesting story from an author I don’t know or haven’t read before! Will look at finding other things by this author. I am grateful for the early access, thank you to those that allowed it!

I was completely consumed by All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall. I was drowned in it's grief, it's dread. I was buoyed by it's hope.

Caffall takes us into a dystopian future that feels all too real, too possible (dare i say, probable?). She floods New York City and carries us out on the shoulders of a young girl and what's left of her family through the Hudson Valley. My Hudson Valley. The Hudson Valley I returned to to raise my child.

As they race against the rising tides, storms, and lost people, the danger of losing human history looms over it all. What can we preserve? What do we need to carry forward and what can we leave behind?

Climate fiction has become one of my favorite genres and this one tops the list. If you like Charlotte McConaghy's novels, Private Rites by Julia Armfield, and The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller, this is for you.

Really enjoyed this dystopian story! A little slow for me at times. But very interesting, and at times terrifying, story.

A chilling look at what might be in a world where the glaciers melt. Hypnotic and exciting, this book offers so much. Great world building and interesting characters make a t a must read for dystopian fiction fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

All the Water in the World was a very interesting dystopian novel. This book, though slow at times, was a very entertaining and interesting read. It did feel a bit too real at times, but that just shows what an effective writer Caffall is. I will definitely be revisiting this one.

Thank you so much to Eiren Caffall, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this loan.

All the Water in the World was an atmospheric, yet detached read for me. While I enjoy dystopian literature, especially "Cli-Fi", I had not read the genre in some time so I anticipated a bit of a curve in getting into it. Still, I never felt the emotional suspense I expected. Still, Nonie and her family's journey along the Hudson kept my attention, especially due to all the communities along the way. The sense of humanity, family bonds, and continued hope in the face of desperate survival is a timeless story I did really enjoy in this setting and family dynamic. Would definitely read Caffall's writing in the future.

I really enjoyed this dystopian novel. Set in Manhattan, where the Atlantic Ocean has taken over all but small pockets of protected land, we meet Nonie along with her family as they are trying to preserve knowledge of the arts for future generations. They reside on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History and have usually felt safe until there is a breach in their wall and they must flee. They travel to Massachusetts and as a native myself, I loved hearing them talk about familiar places to me (Berkshires, the Mass Pike). They meet different communities in their travels, and while I didn’t fully feel connected to any of the characters on a deep level, I still very much enjoyed being taken on their journey. Will read this author again. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I first started reading this book I thought, "if this book doesn't talk about mosquitos in a meaningful way, then I won't take it seriously." Luckily, it did.

The story is good enough, although most of the characters drove me crazy. Also, the conceit of the story is that the scientists believe they are protecting their things just like the museum curators do during wartime. This was sort of interesting but there was a lot of weird things mixed in with this, such as their reluctance to use techniques or material discovered by Native tribes since they can't get permission from these tribes. I mean, if you have the information or the resources they were already stolen, so what does it matter during an apocalypse? Also, the idea of keeping collections intact when the planet is irrevocably changed was very strange, but the book kind of handles that question at the end. All in all, this was an interesting concept but was only hard to read as we face our current situation.

Okay, so, climate change happens. Massive hurricanes. Flooding everywhere. Dystopia.

The main character can sense water…like rain? Or storms? Which is supposed to be a big deal, and it is sometimes, but then other times it’s sort of forgotten.

The description also talks about how this takes place on the roof of the natural history museum. And it starts that way, but a majority of the book is the two sisters, dad, and their dad’s friend trying to get to a farm the mom owned. I thought there was water everywhere, but there wasn’t actually…just in a lot of places.

For me, the beginning of this book felt rushed in setting up the story. It was jumping back and forth in time, and I had a hard time grasping what happened, when it happened, and whose story we were following. Once the journey to the farm started I was good, and it was your typical dystopian survival story where a group must overcome obstacles to get to the safe space.

If you want to read about the end of the world with a little bit of hope, you can pick this one up.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

What a beautiful, heartbreaking, and intriguing story! I absolutely loved the main character, not to say I didn't love all of them. The bonds that are made through such a nearly impossible time were amazing and to see where those ended up were everything! Highly recommend. I'd love to read an audio of this one .

Interesting dystopian debut novel. The world is flooded and disease is prevalent in this novel. This book gives us a girl's insight while traveling to a safer place. The world has become a scary place and you cannot know who to trust. One can easily imagine the new world as the author describes and places us into that world.

While traveling which is mostly by canoe we jump timelines to the beginning of the crisis. I enjoyed hearing about the Natural History museum during these flashbacks. The family spent a lot of time camping out there before leaving the city.

I enjoyed this book and will look forward to a next novel. There was a lot of action and a lot of humanity written into the story. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and publisher, for an early copy of "All the Water in the World' for review.

This wasn't my favorite read of the year so far. It moved way too slow, and I just really couldn't get into it. I had to force myself to keep going, and it was a chore.

Wow, I loved this one! Just a third of the way through, there had been numerous moments just packed a punch-so powerful. This one is a tear jerker for sure.

All the water in the world starts with a bang. A big storm and the flood gates have opened. The family we follow is forced to leave their shelter and head north. We are on the adventure along with them and then we get pieces of what led them here in the form of flashbacks throughout. This structure worked for me!
Lots of emotions. I joked it’s like The Road but with water. (Though I haven’t ever read The Road, so I can’t say.)
So good! I recommend!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

I found this dystopian climate crisis to be slow-going, but once I got past the first 20%, I found it to be an intriguing story worth the read. Sure, it had some issues with pacing, but the storytelling made up for it.

SYNOPSIS

- In a world where the glaciers have melted and most of humanity has perished, thirteen-year-old Nonie lives with her family on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
- Their fragile existence depends on survival skills and resourcefulness, but when a devastating hypercane strikes, they are forced to flee north in search of safety.
- Armed with little more than a book that documents their way of life, Nonie and her family encounter the remnants of civilization—some welcoming, some dangerous—while struggling to stay alive.

MY THOUGHTS

- A promising premise that never fully delivers. The idea of a drowned world and a family surviving atop a museum sounds fascinating, but the execution is lackluster. The worldbuilding is serviceable but lacks the depth and originality needed to make it stand out in the crowded dystopian genre.
- Slow pacing and not much happens. The book meanders through survival scenarios and encounters with other groups, but the tension is minimal. There’s little momentum, and I found myself waiting for something truly gripping to happen—but it never did.
- One-dimensional characters. Nonie and her family are never fully fleshed out, making it hard to invest in their struggles. Their relationships feel surface-level, and their dialogue is often flat.
- Bland and unmemorable. For a book about the end of the world, it lacks the urgency and emotional weight that should come with that premise. It felt like it was going through the motions rather than delivering a gripping, immersive experience.
- The ending was… meh. Without spoiling, it didn’t feel particularly satisfying or meaningful. It just sort of ends.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️A dystopian novel with an interesting concept but weak execution. Slow pacing, flat characters, and a lack of compelling storytelling make this a dull read. Not much happens, and the ending isn’t satisfying.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now.

A thrilling academic thriller with a captivating unique premise. Can’t wait for the big screen adaptation.