In the year since The Storm (a massive days long event with corrosive acid rain that killed large numbers of the populace), Liz has lived out of a bookstore in New Jersey that's slowly falling apart, trading books for necessities. An encounter with a raider-turned-roommate/sapphic love interest changes things for her in this mostly gentle apocalypse that leans into its ecological horror elements towards the end.

I enjoyed my time with The Last Bookstore on Earth. The dialogue is snappy and fun, though some of the pop-culture references felt either dated (The 100, the Pirates of the Caribbean films), or like they are quick to become dated, which distracted me a bit from the story. Some of the tonal shifts from cozy to eco-thriller to body horror threw me off a bit, and made the pacing and style feel slightly uneven.

Lily Braun-Arnold’s debut novel, The Last Bookstore on Earth, is an exquisite and thought-provoking journey through a post-apocalyptic landscape, one that skillfully blends the power of storytelling with the resilience of the human spirit. Set in a world ravaged by disaster, we follow Liz, a former employee of the title bookstore, who now resides within its walls as a survivor of the storm that altered everything. While The Last Bookstore on Earth may not have initially seemed like the typical read for me, Braun-Arnold quickly captivated me with her intricate world-building. The beginning, though initially slow, serves as the perfect foundation for what gradually evolves into a profound and engaging story, pulling readers into a dystopian reality that feels both so far away and heartbreakingly familiar. Admittedly, the ending left me with a lot of unanswered questions, which I personally found unsatisfying, but this is a minor critique in light of the overall strength of the novel. As a debut author, Braun-Arnold has crafted a remarkable work that reflects not only her creativity but her sophisticated grasp of narrative structure. Her writing sparkles with wit, charm, and a certain type of boldness that makes her character development shine. The infusion of a brief romance, while initially surprising in a dystopian setting, serves to humanize the experience and adds an unexpected layer of warmth to the stark backdrop of post-apocalypse survival. I enjoyed that once the romance was brought into play it was not made the main focus which is often what drives me away from books. In sum, The Last Bookstore on Earth is a thrilling debut. If this novel is any indication of what Lily Braun-Arnold has in store for the future, there is no doubt that she will continue to rise as a literary force.

*To be more specific I would rate this 3 1/2 stars

A fantastic piece of climate fiction, sure to leave you thinking about Liz and the Bookstore for days after finishing this story.

In The Last Bookstore on Earth, we meet Liz, 17, living in the remains of the bookstore she used to work at. The world is nothing like it used to be after an earth shattering weather event and Liz is just trying to get by. That all changes however, when someone breaks into the bookstore.

Liz must navigate not just how to survive but also how to connect with people in these dangerous times. Can she really trust another person when so much is at stake?

This was a thoughtful, immersive read, truly one of the best YA dystopian novels I have read in a very long time. I would recommend this to both adults and teens, anyone looking for a book with dark themes but also with some glimmers of hope.

How do you find your normal when the world is no longer the same? In The Last Bookstore on Earth , Liz tries to find her new normal, living at the same bookstore that she used to work in before the apocalypse started and deadly acid rain storms erupted everywhere. To Liz, life in the bookstore is now routine and she has established a trade system with those who pass by. The bookstore in itself is a character, a living space and carved into a new home for Liz.

Most of the story takes place within and around the bookstore, and is centred around Liz’s survival in this new world. I really enjoyed the way this was written because you easily find yourself standing in the middle of the bookstore, imagining the shelves and the cracks in the building. The writing strikes at your heart and makes you feel so much - you experience every emotion that Liz goes through. This is such a beautifully crafted story about living and surviving in a time when everything seems to be working against you.

Maeve’s arrival adds another layer to this story. She is a girl with secrets, and like everyone, has gone through a lot because of the Storm. Her personality is a direct contrast to Liz, making the two perfect foils for each other. Where Maeve has constantly been on the move, Liz has stayed at her bookstore refusing to leave. The two could not be more different and yet I felt like the progression of their relationship (in the wake of immense adversity) felt like the utmost natural thing.

Beautifully emotional and packed full of tense moments too, The Last Bookstore on Earth will leave you on an introspective note, and wanting more of Liz and Maeve’s story. I am so so glad I read this and that this became my first 5 star read of the year!

After a horrific climatological disaster destroys society as we know it, Liz, a 17-year-old recent high school graduate, has managed to carve out a small life for herself living in the remains of the local bookstore she used to work at part-time. She has to scrounge and barter to stay alive and her whole world consists of her books and whichever strangers happen to stop by that day, but everything changes when a mysterious person breaks into her bookshop in the middle of the night and changes Liz’s cozy life forever.

If there is such a thing as Cozy Dystopian, this is it! The stakes for our characters are relatively high, but much of the book deals with the practicalities of functioning in a post-apocalyptic world, grappling with survivors guilt, and learning to trust someone new when all the rules of modern society are thrown out the window. I thought the pacing was good, with enough peeks shown of the original world-ending disaster to keep me intrigued without giving away everything too quickly. The writing is charming as well, easily readable for its intended YA audience with plenty of humor and tongue-in-cheek moments that don't detract from the weight of the situation. The main characters are believable in their ages by their thoughts, actions, and dialogue which is something not every YA book gets right. I found it highly enjoyable and would recommend it to any reader who enjoys dystopian fiction, YA or not!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ARC copy! All opinions are my own and willingly shared.

I enjoyed this post-apocalyptic climate fiction, but the immaturity of the narrator indicated that it was definitely YA.

Narrated by Liz, a teenager who is living alone in the bookstore where she worked before the storm that ended the world as she knew it (and ended her family), Liz has stayed in the bookstore because she doesn't believe she has anywhere else to go. People sporadically come and go, and she acts sort of as a post office for people to leave things with others. She also writes down their stories, and they offer her food and valuables in exchange. She's still fixated on Ava, her former co-worker, and crush, having left several months before.

Liz is a little worried when a regular customer tells her that there is another storm coming, as the store isn't in the best shape, with a hole in the roof but she doesn't really have the skills or materials to fix anything. Then Maeve breaks into the bookstore one night, claiming to just need a place to crash. After some initial squabbling, they decide to work together, after Maeve finds a generator and Liz gets hurt trying to start it.

Everyone is dealing with PTSD and there are groups of people around, but luckily, up to this point, Liz has remained safe. But has associating with Maeve now put Liz in danger, too? And what if they don't get repairs done before the next storm?

I recommend it if you like climate and post-apocalyptic fiction, suitable for young adult readers.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. I have been having bad luck with reading YA books in the recent past and this book redeemed that. This was a fast read and the dystopian aspect kept me wanting to find out what would happen next. If I had to live in these times I wouldn't mind it being in a book store.

Recommended for those who like post-apocalyptic books. I think this would be a winner for teens, either upper middle school or high school. This was unique and with the state of the world these days I could totally see this happening.

The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold [Random House Children's Publishing #NetGalley]

Young adult dystopian novel that feels too real, contemporary, and entirely possible given the climate state that our world is in; if the world really does end soon, I'd love to be holed up in the last bookstore on earth too.

What do you do when the world ends? Maybe just keep going to work.

After The Storm, Liz still works alone in a bookstore in New Jersey. Now the customers only wander in occasionally to trade various supplies for books. She moved into the apartment on the floor above the shop. Liz has took on the role of an informal post office, and started recording the stories of regular visitors in a journal. Liz finds this existence a relief; she hardly ever has to bother with people and all the stressors of her old stressors have been washed away. With another Storm coming, Liz realizes how precarious her situation really is, with dwindling food supplies and a building in desperate need of repairs. One night, she’s awakened by a creaking noise from downstairs. Armed only with a hardcover edition of Anna Karenina, Liz confronts the intruder—a girl about her age, Maeve, who’s in need of a place to stay and happens to be good at fixing things. The two form an uneasy alliance.

This post apocalyptic novel is filled with cynical and witty characters who are exploring the nature of and need for human connection. The story contains just the right amount of action, balancing the introspective scenes, a blossoming lesbian romance, and an executed slow doomsday reveal.




The author has written a post-apocalyptic novel.

Why was this so fun? It's giving sapphic the last of us.....but YA. I literally have no notes, but if you like Si-Fi mixed with queer vibes, mixed with bookstore vibes, then this is for you. READ IT!!!

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my early e-arc.

This was the first non-zombie post-apocalyptic story I've read since the Hunger Games, and I'm glad I got the chance to read it.

A storm came through and destroyed almost everyone and everything. Liz, our main character, is all alone in the bookstore where she worked before everything went to hell. She's young and afraid of moving on, mostly because she doesn't believe she deserves to. She was relatable in some moments and kind of annoying in others. She lives day to day in a loop of tending to the bookstore and the few customers that come through. While this seemed a bit odd for a post-apocalyptic world, it was an endearing concept.

Enter Maeve, a young girl who is nothing at all like Liz. Once she arrives, shit hits the fan for poor Liz. Everything she'd be hiding comes to light. Danger and accidents happen. This is where the action really begins.

I loved their back and forth banter. I liked that even though they were both hiding their pasts, they were able to get to know each other and try to move forward. Maeve more so than Liz.

I liked how we got both past and present aspects of Liz's life. It helped to flesh her out. However, I don't feel like there was a lot of growth for her until the very end. And that in itself felt a bit rushed.

I would have loved more world building, though the description of how people and places were affected by the storm was very well written.

Overall, it was a unique and intriguing story that I really enjoyed.

a post apocalyptical adventure, a teenage romance, and the struggle to stay save, stay alive all coalesce into an amazing, unique story. a girl who cannot move on and a girl who cannot stay put, both circling around each other as they both try to survive in a world where resources are slim, and people are rare. a coming of age adventure that starts out surprisingly cozy, until it speeds up into a train wreck waiting to happen. secrets might tear these two lovebirds apart... if the storm that is coming doesn't do it first. it only gets worse when those secrets could very well risk the minimal safety they have left.

this book made me gasp, cry, and cringe. the author doesn't shy away from the grim reality of a world after everything else has gone to shit. of injuries, of fights, of attempting to stay safe. of doing everything you can to find food, and learning to trust another person even when your not so sure you should. a heartwarming tale of learning to love... and a nail biting journey of trying to protect what little you have left.

The author of this book is young, still working on her English degree. I don’t want to be too discouraging; props for even managing to put together a complete story.

However, this book is missing the heart. The plot feels like, “things need to happen here, so here’s some things to happen.” The main character reads like a self-insert. The romance (and most of the character conflicts) feels unrealistic/overly dramatic. They don’t act like real people would act. And everyone just seems immature.

But the character motivations for both Eva and Liz were good, I think. That was a conflict that would happen in real life.

Overall, disappointed with the apocalyptic world-building. People are living in the woods but passing up empty houses? Some people are murderers and some still visit bookstores? I suppose that might happen, but more detail about why would’ve been helpful.

I think the author should think long and hard about the story she needs to tell, about the message she wants to send out into the world, and then try again.

Compelling characters, and an interesting plot for readers like Station Eleven. My favorite parts are: mostly focused on one scenery and one character, but the arrival of a new character who is the opposite of who Liz is will bring more disruption to her life than the end of the world. An imminent storm is coming and she can't stay as she is anymore, so she embraces it all, chance, a relationship, and the new cruel world outside. I like the many references to famous and wonderful books classics or modern, even some pop culture. It's more of a YA take on a dystopian. The main character is sweet and naive and has some hilarious thoughts and takes.

Thank you Random House Children’s and Netgalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this is FANTASTIC, riding out the apocalypse inside a bookstore, and for the most part I did enjoy this book, but some of the execution wasn’t great.

It took me until around 1/3 of the way through to get into this one and I nearly gave up on it. But I ended up drawn in by Maeve and all the things she was hiding along with the second storm coming.

Liz was such a flat main character in all honesty. Kind of relatable in that she spent a lot of time doing nothing and feeling sorry for herself, but frustrating to read about a lot of the time.

This really is a character study more than anything. I was left with more questions than answers.

I loved the small human touches like the Peacoat Man and the small stories Liz had collected from customers since the storm.

The romance between Liz and Maeve was really sweet, too. I did overall enjoy the journey this book took me on. I think if you go into this expecting not much plot or world building and just a character study, you’ll enjoy it.

The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold is a uniquely original and intimate exploration of survival, forgiveness, and rediscovering love in a post-apocalyptic world. This harrowing tale delves into the depths of human emotion and resilience as characters navigate the challenges of a world on the brink of collapse. Braun-Arnold's poignant storytelling captivates readers, offering a thought-provoking reflection on the enduring power of hope and redemption in the face of adversity.

Thank you to Lily Braun-Arnold, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

First, the cover of this one instantly grabbed my attention. I love it so much. Second, this was really good. It was an interesting premise that held my attention. Liz's backstory really tugged at my heartstrings.

Liz is a teenage girl living alone in a bookstore, one of only a few survivors of a climate-related disaster she refers to as The Storm. Through flashbacks to before the storm, we get to know Liz’s family and we learn about their increasing concern about the climate. In the present day, Liz’s family is gone and she starts to hear rumors of another impending storm, one potentially as devastating as the last one.

Liz has spent the majority of the last year alone comforting herself with the books that surround her. Until, one night, Maeve breaks into the store. The two slowly become friends, and then a lot more, and ultimately come to rely on each other for survival. Maeve’s arrival forces Liz to reengage with the world outside of the bookstore and all its terrors. When another disaster strikes, the two teens find themselves in a fight for their lives.

This book had me on the edge of my seat. The impending feeling of dread was palpable and kept me turning the pages. But this book was also a love story between two young women. It was a coming-of-age novel as Liz and Maeve try to figure out the people they want to be under circumstances where the stakes are about as high as possible. This book would be an excellent choice for any high school student who likes post-apocalyptic fiction with lots of action but also with a lot of heart.

A dystopian novel about two girls that hide out in an abandoned bookstore just as a horrible storm is about to come through and bring forth the end of the world as they knew it. Liz Flannery has been hiding out in the bookstore she used to work, using the books to trade for other goods she may need while living in an apocalyptic world. Then one day, she learns that another storm is about to come through that may bring forth the end of everything. That’s when Maeve enters her life. She breaks into the bookstore to take shelter for the night, not realizing someone else is already in there. Their relationship builds up as they brace the storm together. A cute LGBTQ novel with likeable characters that I was rooting for! More lighthearted than The Last of Us, but a good read for teens!

As I read this title, I couldn't help but think of my own teenage years, working in a bookstore, looking forward to going off to college. So to set this story in that vulnerable in-between time, where you're looking forward to a not-so-distant future for the main character, and then to have it all go so horribly wrong, was to me a brilliant choice.

This story is set about a year after an apocalyptic (literal) acid rain storm destroyed most of the America, and the world, and follows Liz a young woman, defeated by circumstance, and largely alone. She survived everything, seemingly by accident. (Some people just have good fortune) and set herself up at the same bookstore she once worked at, to keep tradition alive. As it works with these kinds of stories, she meets a girl (Maeve) she falls in love, theres a near death experience, there's unhinged post-apocalypse rationale from other groups of people. It made for an interesting story, that to me had something clear to say about individuality vs group think in a end-of-the-world situation.

While Liz as an individual was passive, and almost letting life pass her by, as soon as she had someone to defend she did it. Whereas the group that we meet, even if someone wasn't into fighting, or killing, they were egged on by their peers. To fit in with the group they "had to do what they had to do to survive". To me the message was, on your own you can survive, even thrive, but as soon as you have people pressuring you to do something you don't want to-you could make a fatal choice. That even applies to her bookstore visitors. On their own they're searching for something or someone, so they use the bookstore as a way station. They don't harm her, they don't fight, they trade & barter. But the group doesn't trade, the group takes, even though Liz on her own seems like she's willing to share.

This was the kind of book that I found myself immersed in. I wanted to know the secrets Liz & Maeve kept. I wanted to know more about the people who came to the bookstore to trade. I was endlessly curious about the story, and truly think I could read another set in this world. But If there's not a sequel or s spin-off in the works, I, like Liz am content staying in the Last Bookstore on Earth.