One year on from a devastating acid rain storm that killed millions, Liz is barely surviving while holed up in the bookstore in which she used to work. The building is crumbling around her and her loneliness is bone-deep, sated only by the occasional passers by for whom she acts as a message office. Then Maeve breaks in one night, and Liz's quiet life begins to be challenged in numerous ways, both good and bad. And another storm is coming...

That Last Bookstore on Earth is a satisfying dystopian YA which will appeal to fans of Station Eleven and The Last of Us. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The world is over and Liz is living in a bookstore alone—although not lonely, she swears. But then the tough, knife-wielding Maeve turns up at her doorstep, and Liz begins to realise that the end of the world doesn’t have to be… well, the end of the world.

This was a comforting and reflective read, considering it’s a novel about the apocalypse. It’s very character driven, focussed on the relationship between Liz and Maeve. Their trust in each in other builds gradually and realistically, and I enjoyed how they had their differences and conflict, but never at the expense of their overall bond.

I enjoyed how a lot of Liz and Maeve’s main problems felt realistic—a hand injured by a generator, a tree falling, clean water. The conflict with the group of other survivors worked less well for me, and could potentially have been developed more.

Part of me wanted more insight into the world outside Liz, although her isolation was a big part of the novel. I would have particularly loved more information about the apocalypse itself (acid rain? environmental collapse) and what society looked like in the aftermath—we see the group who live in the woods, but a fair few other people pass through Liz’s bookshop, and I would have loved to know how they lived.

Overall a simple and cosy yet meditative take on the apocalypse, with strong character work at its heart

Wow!!! I saw the title and thought "yes, i'm in!" - who wouldn't want to be in the "last bookstore on earth". Buckle up Buttercup you are in for one helluva ride! This book has everything. The doomsday prepper, the angst teenager, a bookstore, unrequited love, family drama, knives, blood, then a bit more blood, oh and did i mention a bookstore ?
Liz, the main character, is so well drawn, yes she is a lesbian but that is not the main thing, the thing is the world has ended as we know it. Acid rain has melted flesh and bones, very few survive and certainly not unscathed be it mentally or physically.
If you enjoyed the tv drama "The Last of Us" then this is definitely for you!

The Last Bookstore on Earth - Lily Braun-Arnold

Thank you to Penguin for gifting me an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where was this book when I was 17? I'm so jealous of all the kids who'll read this and feel a little less lost. It's got sapphic love, a post-apocalyptic setting, and an indie bookshop, what more could you ask for?

In simple terms, it's a story about a who's girl running a bookshop after an acidic storm has killed off most of the earth's popular, and the girl she falls in love with who breaks in one night with a knife. But really, it's a story about hope.

I really enjoyed how intimate and closely we experience the new world through Liz's eyes. I've read my fair share of dystopia adjacent books and this year especially they can easily feel way too heavy and bleak, but the way that Braun-Arnold tells Liz and Maeve's story is brimming with hope and love. Liz and Maeve are both such rich and real characters, nuanced and flawed in such relatable ways. The horror was just juicy enough to have me gritting my teeth, but not too much.

As a queer bookseller dystopian lover at heart, there was never a chance of me seeing this cover and not picking it up, but can we also just have a moment for how gorgeous the artwork is and the genius of the title??

I wish we'd heard more about the people who visited the bookshop and the bartering system, as well as a little about the group in the woods, but I did like the stories sprinkled throughout. Maybe I just enjoyed the picture being painted so much that I wanted to see more of it.

I can see this book being really popular, and I can't wait to see it get the love it deserves.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Out 9th January

The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold is perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Erik J. Brown. What bibliophile wouldn't be ecstatic to read a sapphic romance set in a bookstore in the middle of an apocalypse? 

I'm something that I've coined a “what-if” reader; meaning, I'm constantly asking myself what if the world as we knew it ended? I almost exclusively survived my teenage years on YA dystopia (and biscuits!!), so, naturally, I've envisaged myself as a protagonist surviving Armageddon a million times. Of course, I was the kick-ass-and-take-names kind of hero. Now, I'm 24 years old, my back hurts, and the outside world pretty much sucks. So when I ask myself “what if the world ended?” Well, you'll find me holed up in a bookstore exactly like Liz. My best days are behind me, and if I'm being honest, teenage me would have done the same!! 

So, it was refreshing to have a narrative revolve around a protagonist who doesn't automatically become a hard-core survivalist after the apocalypse. We can't all be Katniss Everdeen when the going gets rough, no matter how much we want to be. Liz is a character that largely lets the story happen to her; trying to immortalize herself and her “customers” while avoiding the main conflict until the very end. On one hand, I appreciate that she hasn't allowed the apocalypse to change her values. On the other, her naivety became somewhat intolerable. For a girl who considers herself a cynic, she's an idealist when it comes to the nature of humankind and far too trusting. Her lack of survival instinct was frustrating, and even when she finally addresses the conflict, her game-plan is to hope the knife-wielding antagonists show her mercy!! And she doesn't take a leaf out of Kevin Mccallister's book and booby trap the very bookstore that she's willing to die for (she had a bear trap THE ENTIRE TIME!!). 

I wish there was a dual narrative, similar to All That’s Left In The World. Jumping between Liz's and Mauve's POV would have made me more invested. Mauve was so much more than a love interest, but we never really got more than surface level with her. I loved how the chapters were interspersed with snippets of the “customers” stories, though. It was beautiful that the bookstore became a beacon of hope and a hub of communication at the end of the world, and how people were willing to part with scarce resources like batteries and food in exchange for books and a message that might never be delivered to a loved one. I found myself aching for deeper conversations with those side characters, at times, rather than clever repartee between the MCs. Speaking of, the romance felt a little underdeveloped. I only really felt platonic vibes after the initial forced proximity friction rather than romantic chemistry. 

The pre-apocalypse chapters were very timely; with some characters dismissing severe weather warnings as media hysteria or as anything other than a matter of life-and-death since humanity has continuously been warned that we're approaching the point of no return and yet, nothing extreme has actually happened. How safe they were in their ignorance until they quite literally weren't. 

Overall, The Last Bookstore on Earth is a mix of love and loss, glimmers of hope in the darkness, and the innate power that is your local bookstore. Teens and adults (who most likely had an edacious appetite for YA dystopia growing up) that naturally err on the side of caution and dream of getting locked in a bookstore or library will no doubt find solace, some much needed levity, and a whole lot of heart in this book. So, grab your own copy on January 9th, 2025, and for more LGBTQIA+ cosy dystopia recommendations in the meantime, check out All That’s Left In The World by Erik J. Brown and Bleeding Mars by Asher J. Quazar. And if you're in the mood for LGBTQIA+ dystopia with horror vibes, Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White and Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin might be exactly what you're looking for. 

It makes me wonder, what would be in my post-apocalyptic library? Definitely my dog-eared copies of TJ Klune's books, my vast collection of Red, white, and Royal Blue and my favourite edition of The Song of Achilles! Opps… I forgot my survivalist guide books!! 

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK and Lily Braun-Arnold, for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really quick, end of the world, YA survival romance that felt very topical for 2024. The dystopia felt unnervingly true, with Liz' friends and family all arguing about how genuine the threat was right up until the first drop of acid rain fell.

I liked Liz well enough in the beginning - I liked how she collected stories from the customers who visited the bookshop. I liked the cosy bookshop vibe Liz had continued to cultivate, even in the face of all the horrors around her. Initially I liked how she hadn't caved to inhumane survival tropes, but eventually it started to get on my nerves how passive she was, even when both her and Maeve's lives were on the line. She does get some growth in this regard, but not until the very end of the book. The flashbacks to the first storm were harrowing and intense, and I can see why Liz ended up paralysed with fear, even if I found it frustrating! The side characters were fine, the only one I was actually invested in was Maeve, and I actually wish we had more time developing their relationship so that the later events in the book hit harder. Maeve and Liz had a realistic dynamic, I just wish we had more time with them.

Overall though I enjoyed the book, and I would recommend for fan of post-apocalyptic YA.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Childrens for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book. The two girls lives were torn apart by a previous storm and they find each other after the first storm but theres another storm on the horizon will they survive? After an interesting meet can they work together to survive the next storm. There were numerous events which were unexpected and it wasn't an obvious plot which I loved it was still able to surprise me.
I loved the character development from Liz. I loved her and Maeve's chemistry the way they worked together. How people from their past cropped up and how they dealt with it. Liz realising she was enough I adored this ya Post-apocalyptic world.

I really enjoyed this book! A lot more than I thought I would. I flew through this in one sitting, it was such a quick read. I relate to Liz, like I really think that I'd be her in this situation. As much as I'd like to think otherwise after years of watching and reading dystopian stories, I honestly think I'd find a safe place and try to keep some normalcy in my life. Its not something you tend to see in media and its refreshing. Not everyone is going to turn into this survivalist superhero if the world ends and its good for kids to hear that. Loved it.

A really really enjoyable book! If I had picked this up at 16 or 17, I’d have been obsessed with it. What’s not to love about bookstores, apocalypses, and lesbians!
I, too, would hole up in a bookstore at the end of the world. Seems like the perfect thing to do if you ask me. The story was great, and left enough hidden to make you want to keep turning the pages. I’d definitely recommend this to teens or anyone who enjoys YA.
The only thing I felt was slightly off was the timeline. The events of the book happen over 2 weeks I believe. Maybe it’s because I’m older and more skeptical now, but the entitlement and attachment Liz felt towards Maeve seemed quit unreasonable after a week of knowing her. But other than that it’s a perfectly pleasant read.

A beautiful, heart ache of a novel that feels like a strikingly original take on the dystopian story. The voice is so real, and the perspective and the way the story unfolds was very moving.

Introduction
It's not often that you read the first book in a new type of genre, but the only way I can describe this is as 'cosy apocalypse'. Not in the snide way that some people described John Wyndham as cosy catastrophe; this book mixes the gentle feel and local stakes of cosy fantasy with the danger and settings of post apocalypse. However, being apocalyptic it does have some darker moments, though the overall feel is still quite cosy.

Book Cover
I don't always comment on the covers but I thought it was warranted here! These are both really atmospheric covers and sum up the book really well in different ways. The beautiful colours in the UK cover, and the grim burning flowers in the US! Plus, although I obviously didn't realise until I read it, everything in the UK cover is plot relevant. The more I look at it, the more things I notice.

Plot Summary
The Storm mentioned in the blurb is a kind of supercharged acid rain. It came without any specific warning the first time around, killing anyone caught outside, damaging buildings and other structures and flooding everywhere, trapping survivors inside until it drained away. Now the survivors have established a sort of society, but there's another Storm on the way...

Characters
Liz and Maeve, our main characters, are both teenage girls. Although they try to hide it in different ways - Liz by simply ignoring it, Maeve by putting on a brash front - both are deeply traumatised by the first Storm. We don't get Maeve's pre-Storm background in much detail, but we do hear Liz's and it's pretty horrific. Both girls have to learn to open up and to deal with their pasts during the course of the book.

Writing Style
Everything is from Liz's POV which gives us a great, up close look at everything. The tone is chatty and light with some banter and funny lines. It's an easy read.
It's worth noting that the timeline jumps a bit, going back and forth between Liz's life pre-Storm and the main story. Although I sometimes find that style confusing, this was very easy to follow and I was never confused about what was happening. I also enjoyed the occasional insertion of the story of an unrelated character describing how they survived, as Liz has made a hobby of collecting people's stories as proof that they existed.

Themes and Messages
The main theme of the book is about learning to survive and the different ways people choose to do that. Liz and Maeve both have things they need to forgive themselves for, and their different ways of coping lead them to clash more than once. Each has to learn to bend to the other. There's also a bit about the practicalities of surviving, but surprisingly little!

Setting
Post-apocalyptic New Jersey. A lot of the book is set in the dilapidated book store Liz has fixated on, but there are some trips outside to see how the rest of the world is getting on, and it's really well written, very atmospheric.

Favorite Quotes/Passages
It's difficult to quote this without spoiling it, but I did love the tone of this passage and how effectively it conveys the new world:
“Is this what it’s always like?” I ask as we pass by a deserted football field, a jersey and water bottle still draped across a bench. The field is completely overgrown, weeds up to my knees with moss and ivy strangling the bleachers. A scoreboard looms in the distance, a few degrees from falling over completely. Maeve looks ahead, like she’s trying not to acknowledge it. Like maybe, if she doesn’t move her gaze, she won’t meet my eyes, and I won’t be able to ask her anything about Becca. "Is it always this empty?"

Strengths
Clear and easy to read
Loved the cosy tone in the bookshop and the implication that more people choose to be good than bad
A fascinating story line

Weaknesses
Some timing elements were off, but I'm reading an early version so they'll probably be fixed in the final version
This is not at all confined to this book, but the relationship between the girls develops very quickly

Personal Connection
I really enjoyed reading this. I love a good apocalypse story, and I am a bookseller, so this was perfectly positioned for me. It's a fantastic read and I absolutely devoured it. I very much hope there'll be a sequel!

Conclusion
Highly recommended to teens and up. There's a small amount of danger and a couple of gross medical moments - of course, anything is very dangerous medically in a post-apocalyptic world, but these really are pretty gross. Still, it's definitely worth it for the rest of the book.

Author Information
Amazingly, the author is still a teen! 19 years old and still in college, she works at a bookstore, so I imagine the store in the book was based on hers. I'd love a map or floorplan in the final book as I'm very visual and love to be able to picture the layout properly!

Further Reading/Viewing
Victoria Bergin wrote a duology about deadly rain a few years ago, The Rain and The Storm. Hers didn't damage buildings, though! For another post apocalyptic romance, try All that's Left in the World. The most famous cosy catastrophe - although it wasn't all that cosy, really - is The Day of the Triffids. Both 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead paid tribute to this classic of post apocalyptic writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Children's for approving my request to read an arc of this book

This book follows Liz, a seventeen year old girl who is surviving a global warming induced apocalypse by herself in a slowly crumbling bookshop. Apart from visits from a person stopping in to trade every now and then, Liz spends her days completely alone, that is until one night when Maeve breaks in looking for shelter from the upcoming storm.
The story switches between the past and the present and we see some of the events that led Liz to where she is now and insight into her family life. There were aspects of the story that I did genuinely enjoy, however it lacked the depth needed to make it as great as it could have been. I did still enjoy it though, and I felt that it brought up very real issues with the environment.
When I first read the book, there was a reference to Harry Potter which I felt was very harmful, however I brought it up to the publisher and they were amazing. I felt I was heard and taken seriously and the reference has now been changed to The Hunger Games. I’m so grateful and I feel much happier about the book now and can appreciate the other aspects of the story now that the trigger has been removed.