Leave the World Behind

A Novel

by

448 pages

English language

Published 2020 by HarperCollins Publishers.

ISBN:
978-0-06-302922-4
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(2 reviews)

Amanda and Clay head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they’ve rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G. H. are an older black couple—it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe.

Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple—and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one another?

12 editions

reviewed Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

A slice of life with a (too) mysterious backdrop

This book was more of a slice of life than mystery than I thought it would be, and not in a bad way.

The omniscient narrator lets the reader look into the different perspectives of all the characters. This was especially entertaining as a character will think one thing, say another, and another character will think that they don't believe them.

I'm not sure if this count's as a spoiler, but the mystery of what happened in the world at large is never explicitly answered. The narrator will only give snippets of things occurring outside of the house. But like I said, I was more curious about the character's reaction to the same lack of info and to each other's flaws.

Overall it was an enjoyable read. Just expect more drama and less mystery.

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