Thank you so much to the publisher, the author, and netgalley for sending me an e-ARC to read. I gave this book four stars.

An incredibly unsettling, character-focused novel that will leave you feeling uncomfortable and mildly confused!

I really enjoyed it but it won't be for everyone!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this book up or while I was reading it. It's Hard to describe without ruining it but also because whilst everything happens, nothing happens. You get hints of what could be 'the event' and the dangers but these are added as an after thought- not in a bad way that the plot is ill thought out, but in a way that the event is clearly not the point of the book. Understanding what had happened is not the point. It's about human nature, relationship and our reliance on modern day technology. This is a very well thought out book that will be relevant in years to come and still holds the same fear of the threats we face in the world these days. I have seen the description of the film and I understand they had to add more to make it work as a film but at the same time I think it takes the point of the story away and would give too many answers where the main thrill of this book is that there aren't any

I am very late to the party with this but it was worth the wait! I honestly can't describe Leave The World Behind, it was like no other book I've ever read and I can't quite work out how to classify it. Having said that, the writing and the storyline were almost hypnotic, it had the most unusual atmosphere - gripping, bizarre, uncomfortable, creepy and intelligent. It's a bleak story and will definitely make you think, but it's the kind of story that everyone will experience and review differently. The ending was very unexpected which at the time I thought was a bit too abrupt, but having thought about it for a while now, I can see why it ended the way it did and really feel like this is a book that you could learn a lot from by reading again or thinking about after leaving it for a while to sink in properly and process.

This book is something else. I wish I had never read it
It’s so strange and badly written
Don’t waste your time

Amanda and Clay head to a remote corner of Long Island for a holiday with their children away from the hustle and bustle of New York. One night as they are relaxing there is a knock on the door and it is a couple they have never seen before who say they own the house they are staying in. Something strange is happening in the world and these strangers turning is just the beginning.

When I heard about this book when it was first released I thought the premise sounded excellent and then I started to hear mixed reviews. However when I spotted this gorgeous, signed, sprayed edges edition in a local donation bookshelf I couldn't resist. Then it sat patiently on my bookshelf until... I heard the Netflix adaptation was just round the corner.

I know some people have hated this book, some people have DNFd and some people have actually loved it. So with such a divisive book I went in with low expectations and...I actually enjoyed it. I was fully immersed in the story right from the start and then when things started to turn I was fully invested in what was going to happen. I actually didn't want to put it down. Amanda and Clay and even their children were not the most likeable but then it was interesting to see how they changed with the arrival of the strangers at their door, not that they became any more likeable. I can see how it wouldn't be for everyone and it is not exactly fast paced but I found the story strangely fascinating. Like the characters I had very little clue what was going on and by the end I was no further forward but I didn't mind the ambiguity, especially as that played perfectly to the middle of nowhere setting.

This disturbing apocalypse novel is a good read, but takes a bit of time to get going, I wasn't as completely gripped as I would have liked to have been.

Beautifully written, and thoroughly thrilling.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read and review.

This was fantastic - pulsing, terrifying, strange and unusual, probably because it's very grounded in what real terror would feel like. I enjoyed it!

Exciting book to read. I couldn’t put it down once I started it and raced through it. Definitely recommend

I had seen such a mixed bag of reviews for this that I had no idea what to expect . Some classed it as a thriller, some sci fi , I'm still not sure !

I would say it's a sort of literary thriller, very slow burn to start off but also very eerie and has a weird atmosphere which gets the reader intrigued . It didn't take me long before i was gripped . It's a book that gets you thinking A LOT, what would you do in the situation, how would you cope, could this really happen !? This is going to work very well on screen , maybe even better that the book so I can't wait to see how it is played out.

This. Book. Was. So. Strange.

I'm not even sure what to say because a.) it's been a little while since I read it, b.) it left me slightly traumatised, and c.) WHAT?!
There's a certain scene that left me feeling deeply uncomfortable, and I almost experienced a sort of out of body experience from reading it.. I shalln't describe it because of spoilers, but let's just say it made me check my teeth.

The fact that I read this around the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (when people were still a little unsure of everything and we were going into our first lockdown), only made it feel worse - because the book essentially depicts how the world might end. And I remember it having many strange overlaps with the real world at the time. Might have just been the wrong time to pick this up, but that definitely made me enjoy the book a little less than I might have in different circumstances..

Rating: 3/5
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing the ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I struggled to finish this novel. The premise was good but the pacing very slow and over wriiten. More careful and concise editing is needed.

Not a big page-turner, but keeps you interested so you want to know what happens. I see why a lot of people love this book but I did struggle with the writing style.

The blurb for this book really reeled me in. I think that the premise is really interesting and there were parts of the book where I was really hooked (particularly towards the end).

However, I found that the writing, mainly at the beginning, was so wordy. I didn't really need a massive list of every single thing that one of the characters bought at the shops, especially when it wasn't hugely important to the plot. This sort of thing was very common at the start of the book as well as some of the descriptions sounding rather odd and out of place.

This really did improve as the story progressed. I felt that Alam's writing really improved and this helped me to get into the story. I also feel that the character development became more realistic and relatable as the story went.

Overall, this story was interesting and I enjoyed reading it. I do feel that the beginning would have benefitted from a bit less flowery and excessive description, but I still found plenty to enjoy.

"George had expected human communion, but he forgot what humans were actually like."

This book was such a clever judgement of humanity woven into a creepy compelling plot.

A family rent a couple's holiday home for a week but after a few days the couple come arrive at their home asking to stay as a major blackout has hit New York.

I enjoyed the premise of this book and the little flash forward comments to give some idea of what would happen once the book ended.

Another interesting read that intrigued me from start to finish! I should start by saying the blurb makes this seem like it’s going to be a very different sort of book than it actually is but I enjoyed it all the same. Based on the description I thought it was thought it was going to be a home invasion scenario in which you couldn’t be sure who was telling the truth and which characters to trust. But, although there are suggestions of such to begin with, it quickly becomes apparent that that’s not what this story is about at all.

As the book goes on and thanks to little tidbits the narrator provides us, we start to see that what we’re actually party to is an imagining of how ‘normal’ people might deal with the immediate fallout of a global disaster. The characters know there’s been a major blackout in New York but that’s it; As their phones, TVs and radios aren’t working, they have no access to information about what’s going on in the outside world. Then they hear a ‘noise’ unlike anything they’ve ever heard before and the penny starts to drop. Between them they must decide what to do for the best in a situation none of them ever imagined they’d experience - should the visitors stay or should they go?

It’s such an interesting book and although it ends, as other reviewers have mentioned, rather abruptly, it’s one of those stories in which it’s almost better that the author didn’t carry it on any further. It is a cliffhanger of sorts but equally we are told little bits about the future so it’s not all that difficult to work out what happens and fill in the blanks. What’s left unsaid is far more terrifying as a result, imagination is a powerful thing.

Overall it’s definitely worth a read and will certainly make you think about the state of the world, and possibly reflect on how insignificant and powerless we are within it. Sounds a bit bleak but it’s a real thinker and made me want to hug my kids; I know it will stay with me for a while. Oh and for the Hamilton fans out there, ‘Every action has its equal opposite reaction’ - you’ll appreciate that.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A gripping thriller with a slow burn of tension that forces you to keep reading - did want a slightly more defined ending, but still a brilliant book and looking forward to the movie!

Very scary and unputdownable book. It’s tense as you have to decide if the family on vacation are being tricked or if there is a real catastrophe going on. Loved this. 5/5.

Excellent. Gripping, absorbing, exceptionally well characterised. Wanted more! Will definitely look up more of Alam's writing.