Well I most certainly wasn't expecting all of that to happen in this book. But it sure did and then some. We meet Liz and as thr story unfolds we learn how she came to live in the bookstore. We get little pieces here and there about what may have happened to her family. But not much it's more she tells stories about the before the storm. About how things were. And we also get some stories about the people who pass through after the storm. They tell Liz their stories and make trades for books and food and such. We learn that she had a friend that was living there with her at the bookstore but she leaves. Then we meet Maeve who is such an awesome character as well.
We don't necessarily know her whole story either. But when Liz and Maeve run into trouble one day when they go out looking for some food and things they may need before the next acid storm comes. The trouble just continues from there on. As if an acid storm wasn't trouble enough, other people are not the greatest during a I'm going to survive no matter who I harm in the process.
This book was very interesting and I would like maybe a second book or a novella or something to see how Liz and Maeve are doing and if the world has changed for the better or at least their town?

A cozier book than I expected for a post-apocalyptic dystopian setting. It was a nice fast paced read that I didn't want to put down. Loved the setting (also love the idea of spending an apocalypse in a bookstore) and the character development, I felt connected to Liz. And I love a good sapphic book!

What I Liked: Dystopian books are something that I will almost always pick up especially when I need a different world other than my own to be falling apart. This was just what I got when I picked up The Last Bookstore on Earth. I was hooked to this story from page one as I love the setting of this book, it was something that I hadn’t really seen in a dystopian book before which was surprising.

This book goes back and forth from before the storm and after the storm. Through these perspectives you get to see what life was like for Liz before the storm and what becomes of her life after the storm. It was fascinating to see the way that things were run prior to the storm and how different things were after.

Something that I was longing for throughout the book was during the storm, I wanted to hear how Liz experienced it and later how Maeve experienced the storm. This aspect is what kept me reading as I wanted to know more about this storm, I had to know what this storm looked like and how it impacted all of our character’s both in the past and future. And just when you find out about Liz’s past and what happened to her family you wish that things had gone differently as your heart breaks for her.

The other characters that are introduced throughout the book are great additions to the story as they contrast well with Liz. Maeves addition is great as she knows a lot and has many of the skills that Liz is lacking. I enjoyed reading as their relationship develops as it isn’t one that you see coming when we first get introduced to Maeve. The twists that are introduced later in the story when Eva comes into the book is one that I did not see coming but makes you want to know how this all ends.

Final Verdict: The Last Bookstore on Earth is a great dystopian read showing the importance of being able to rely on others as well as yourself. This book will keep you on your toes as you get transported into another world and read as Liz is trying to make it out alive. There are so many moments in this book in which you will be yelling at the characters for their choices and then yelling at the author for breaking your heart. Continue reading to stay on the emotional roller coaster that is definitely worth your time.

The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold is a remarkable post-apocalyptic story!
A very entertaining dystopian fiction that kept me glued to my kindle!
I was so invested right from the beginning and was not disappointed at all!
I cant even begin with how absolutely GOOD this book was. Lily Braun-Arnold knows how to set the vibe, creating intriguing and entertaining characters.
A fantastic YA debut!

Thank You NetGalley and Delacorte Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lily Braun-Arnold, and Random House Children's for the opportunity to read this captivating post-apocalyptic story. If the world ever ends, I can only hope to survive in a bookstore! The novel beautifully explores themes of loss, the formation of new bonds, the complexities of old relationships, and the struggles with toxic connections. It’s an emotional journey of adaptation to a changed world and learning how to move forward from the past.

Man, did I love this book!! I loved the way it made me feel! It made me gasp out loud. It made my heart drop. It made me yell out loud at the fictional characters. I love the books that make my family question my sanity 😅

Sometimes flashbacks are confusing, and sometimes, but not this time. I liked the way Lily Braun-Arnold wrote these flashbacks because they told bits of the story about who Liz is and why, and the puzzle doesn’t completely fit together until the very last flashback.

This story made me think about the dystopian books we read and the actions we would actually take if we were in that situation for real. This might be the adult in me…or it may be the over imaginative reader, but with the way the world is today, I feel like dystopian stories prepare us for the very near future 😬. Maybe we should be in better shape to be able to do physically hard things. Maybe we should take stock of the things that matter to us so we know what to fight hardest for. Maybe I’m getting a little too deep after reading a dystopian teen book. Who knows.

Either way, if the world ends, I would want to end up in a bookstore, no matter how impractical it may be. A smarter place might be a hardware store or a grocery store….but I would 100% head for the bookstore.

I cannot believe that the author is just a junior in college. This book was well written and immersive into the world of a bookstore at the end of the world. The characters were complex and I always appreciate a queer storyline.

This book says if you like The Last Of Us you'd like this and I did get slight The Last Of Us vibes but not a ton. Over all I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all readers. I love good eco dystopian books and wish there were more out there.

Boy, did this book surprise me: intelligent writing, realistic post-apocalyptic setting, sapphic romance. I loved all of it!

The story is uniquely divided into several parts: a dual timeline of what occurred before and after a cataclysmic storm, along with archival stories from survivors collected by our MC, Liz. The past timeline provides a sense of life "before," illustrating how people didn't truly believe that the worst could happen, while the present reveals the destruction caused by nature. In between these timelines, I particularly enjoyed the archival stories from survivors as they relived their experiences of survival, the storm, desperation, relief, and memories of their previous lives. I thought these stories offered valuable context without writing additional POVs - brilliant!

As a horror lover, I really enjoyed the ecohorror elements. The impending storm intensifies the tension and stress throughout the story, and revisiting the previous storm is definitely not for the faint of heart. At its core, this ecohorror forces our characters to seek purpose and healing amid their grief.

Other highlights: book store as your home base, proof of human resiliency, contemplation of being alone vs being lonely, and Liz’s imagination of what Alien overlords would say if they discovered her

The world has ended and Liz Flannery is content to live in the “last bookstore on earth” as far as she’s concerned. She’s alone but only until a stranger breaks into her store, hoping for shelter and supplies.

I did enjoy this book but I don’t really feel like I was the audience for it. I’m all for a post-apocalyptic novel but the YA vibes were very teenager-y to me. However, I was still very entertained and read it pretty quickly and enjoyed the characters. Overall, a fun read that would probably be the perfect read for a high school student. Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I honestly have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the writing style and the plot was an interesting concept. However, I found the main character to be fairly intolerable. Maybe I'm just too old for this but in my opinion Liz was too naive and extremely self-centered to the point that I cringed multiple times per chapter. The ending was fairly lackluster. It was a bit anticlimactic and left me wanting something else, though I'm not sure what. Overall though, I would say that the book is worth a read if you like post-apocalyptic stuff. Also, Maeve is fun. I loved her character.

The Last Bookstore on Earth” is a quick and easy YA debut novel that surprised me that this is Arnold’s first book AND she is only 19 years old.
The story follows 17-year-old Liz, who has been living in an abandoned bookstore in suburban NJ since a catastrophic event known as “The Storm” devastated civilization. She trades books for supplies with the few remaining survivors, finding comfort in her familiar environment that she once worked in.
Then she learns that another Storm is approaching and everything changes. Along comes Maeve, a guarded outsider seeking shelter. Despite initial tensions, Liz allows Maeve to stay, recognizing her skills could help the bookstore against the next storm.
As they work together, a deep bond forms between them, leading to a romantic relationship. I felt it was a circumstance relationship of convenience and need of comfort/companion. 🤷🏻‍♀️.
Both girls have secrets and past traumas that threaten their survival as the world around them continues to crumble.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s Publishing for the ARC read in exchange for review.

A post apocalyptic YA book set in a bookshop? Yes, thank you! This was a quick read. It’s set in a bookshop after an apocalypse in the US. Another disaster is looming and Liz learns to rely on someone other than just herself to be able to survive.

I really enjoyed this book! It was an interesting take on dystopian fiction and I thought the whole story was very well put together. Love, betrayal, and books at the end of the world. Five stars because I couldn't put it down

Set in a not to distant dystopian future, Liz is hold up in a crumbling bookstore and is determined to weather out this disaster one book at a time.

I can certainly see the UA elements in this novel and it works well for what the author is trying to portray. a 17 year old and other teens who have survived the first wave of acidic storms are doing the best they can and some of them are far more cut-throat than the others.

Liz's family was washed away in the storm which seemed to mark the end of civilization as she knew it. However, instead of staying at the home she grew up in, she no longer feels safe in that space and seeks out the comfort of the bookshop she has been working in. Her last co-worker leaves, and Liz finds herself alone, handing out books for whatever people can spare and passing along notes and letters for travelers who pass through.

It isn't until Maeve breaks into the bookstore one night, does Liz's world get turned on it's head. Maeve is far more concerned with survival and tries to hammer in the idea that Liz should either leave or shore up her defenses before the next storm threatening the horizon.

I would call this a kind of cozy post apocalyptic book with lots of heart and survival. I do think there is a level of neurodivergent representation in this book even though the author doesn't come out and say any of her characters may be neurodivergent. I like seeing her characters think and act in ways that may not often be represented in other books. It was a quick read and well worth picking up.

Happy publication day! I want to thank the publisher for the advance reader copy of this book. I stayed up until 2am finishing this one, because I just had to get to the ending.
This story had a really interesting premise and I cover that caught my attention. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed this book and I think the author did a great job building this post-apocolyptic world. I would have liked a little more character development for our two main leads. I felt like they were kind of stuck in the same back and forth for a while before there was any development. But overall really enjoyed this!

This is another book that instantly attracts your attention with the cover and the title. The book was an easy read to read through. Dystopian isn't as popular as it used to be so I loved reading a new release with those elements. I loved the bookstore. Overall a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love apocalyptic stories and anything sapphic so I was super excited about this one. I love the idea of lesbians in bookstores.

4.75 ⭐️

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 9
Atmosphere: 10
Intrigue: 10
Narrative: 9
Build-up: 9
Originality: 9
Wow Factor: 10

The Last Bookstore on Earth follows young Liz as she navigates life post-apocalypse, sheltering in the bookstore she once worked at. This refuge becomes a hub where survivors stop by to share stories, trade, and leave letters. For Liz, it’s not just a place of work—it’s home and her lifeline. But her quiet existence is upended when a mysterious young woman visits one night, bringing news that the apocalyptic storm which nearly wiped out humanity isn’t over yet. A sequel storm is brewing.

The imagery in this novel is stunning—vivid and cinematic. I felt like I was watching the scenes play out in real time. The characters are deeply thoughtful, their emotions raw and authentic. Liz is especially relatable. As much as I enjoy dystopian novels, I know I’d likely be one of the first to go in an apocalypse! Liz’s reluctance to step out of her comfort zone and her focus on mere survival resonate with many of us. She’s not out to rebuild civilization—she’s just trying to stay safe in the only world she knows.

Enter Maeve, who gently pulls Liz out of her shell. Their dynamic is heartwarming, and the story's climax is as satisfying as it is gripping.

I can’t recommend this book enough! Big thanks to the author and TBR & Beyond Tours for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For more of my thoughts on this exciting release, check out my bookstagram (@blackgirlbujos).

Storms have wreaked havoc on Earth. Liz Flannery stays in an abandoned bookstore in New Jersey where she used to work, trading books for supplies with the few remaining survivors. Another Storm is coming, and Maeve breaks into the store to stay the night. The two butt heads, but Maeve has skills able to repair the shop so it could possibly survive the Storm. While they develop feelings for each other, Maeve’s secrets and Liz’s inner demons come back to haunt them both. Now they're fighting for their lives as their world crumbles.

The Storms that hit the country were brutal, involving literal acid rain that harmed and damaged everything it fell on. Liz hides away from the world in the bookstore, still using whatever water and food stores that had been there when she had a fellow coworker staying there with her. It was damaged, but safe enough for ordinary weather conditions. Liz collects stories of survivors who passed through and serves as a message center. Maeve is the daughter of a former NYC superintendent, so she has some practical skills to help repair the shop since Liz refuses to leave. She's caught up in the past as much as Maeve isn't and wants to leave. Other survivors are still out there, and some of them aren't interested in peace, only hoarding potential supplies and resources. Maeve knows some of these survivors, and Liz is still dealing with grief.

With the tight timeline punctuated with glimpses of the past before the first Storm, the story feels almost claustrophobic before the danger ratchets up. Maeve and Liz bring out different sides of each other; Liz needs to push past her comfort zone, and Maeve needs to care about others. The end of the world is a tough place to be, and survival depends on so many factors. In this novel, it's the connections to others that make a difference.