When I heard the premise of this book I was really looking forward to receiving the arc (thank you netgalley). I did enjoy this book in places, However I did find it a little repetitive at times.

It was a lot of repetitiveness. There's only so many times you can say I'm in an apocalypse. I only read a few chapters but it was the same thing over and over again. The only reason this isn't a one star is the fact that I liked the various characters and the personalities. The storyline was just not up to scratch though. Disappointing.

Lesbians in a bookstore? Sign me up. That was my main reason this book interested me, that being said I wanted more from the plot.
The contrasting personalities between the two main characters made for an interesting relationship, although this book does focus mostly on the relationship between them as opposed to the world itself set in. I wanted more from the world building and the bookstore element of this.

A dystopian book set in a bookstore sounds very me! I liked aspects of this story but felt like it needed a bit more action. Not a bad read though and quick to get through.

This was a good book that had a ff romance with a dystopian plot.
I liked the characters and their relationship.
Overall a good read.

Love, love, loved this book
binge read in a few hours
I enjoyed the plot and ended up staying up till 2am to finish it

DNFing at 70% due to a Harry Potter reference.

I tried to continue reading but any author that still uses that franchise while knowing how the author treats lgbt people, and POC is a no from me.

I was enjoying it for the most part but I can’t justify promoting it when my book profiles are supposed to be safe spaces for people

I cried buckets, was hooked, loved the characters and the storytleling.
I liked the good storytelling
Highly Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Unfortunately The Last Bookstore on Earth wasn't for me I wa really looking forward to a dystopian post-apocalyptic read that was set in a bookstore but unfortuantely this fell flat for me, I couldn't connect with the characters and unfortunately I did DNF this around 30% in.

A YA classic trope - guilt-ridden survivor of apocalyptic scenario, attempting to continue living...but this one has a twist. (No, it's not zombies)

Instead of following the instincts of others, our protagonists decides that 'better the devil you know' is the best plan for someone who has no survival experience. As, let's be honest, as much as we might choose to believe that we'd all suddenly become Bear Grylls overnight in that scenario - there's something rather refreshing about a character who fully realises their complete lack of ability and realises they need others expertise! Plus, she realises that her role in the new civilisation relies on the skills she does have, listening to people and valuing their stories.

Then in addition to those wonderful features, we have an angsty teenage love story wrapped up in their survival tarps. Although this book had the conventions we expect to see in a post-apocalyptic setting, it didn't shy away from survivor's guilt, humanity's darkest potential and the reality that many of us would NOT know how to fix half of the utilities that keep us alive on a daily basis!

This was a really beautiful read, following a young girl alone in the ‘last bookstore’, as she meets occasional customers trading supplies for books or to pass a letter on to a loved one passing by. Liz meets Maeve when she breaks into the shop and the two begin to live and work together, fixing up the shop so it’ll survive the next storm. I thought this was such a lovely story of young queer love in an apocalyptic situation, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in dystopia without any horror. (There is injury mentioned but nothing too scary!)

Loved this book :)

I understand it was a short book but I just felt like not a lot really happened and the book ended and I was a bit like “oh..”

This is about a post apolocolypic world and there's lesbians... what more could I want? I think this could be done even better than it is, but this is an enjoyable read that I think loads of people will love!

I was really excited to start this book, I love a dystopian book, and mix it in with a bookstore and I was sold! From the start there were some 5th Wave by Rick Yancey and All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown vibes to it. Small cast of characters, a world that’s gone through something devastating. Trust no one.

Liz lives and takes care of the bookstore she worked at before The Storm, trading books for supplies with people, the occasional letter kept for others. And then Maeve breaks in and her routine is changed. Maeve has been out in the world, and they team up, with Maeve persuading Liz to finally leave the store.

I thought that this book started off well and it was rather exciting and mysterious, but it fell flat for me and I feel like nothing much actually happened. The characters that Liz and Maeve met were either out to kill them or kept telling them a new storm is coming. Spoilers for the rest of this paragraph! When the storm did arrive, it was very anticlimactic, also the epilogue is set in the future and the world seems to be healing, with no real indication of how and why. I like a happy ending, but it almost didn’t make sende to have one here.


I liked the letters throughout the chapters, other people had left their stories and it was a nice insight that there were other people out there apart from the cast of characters we meet, and despite what seems to be the majority of the population wiped out. Also the way some people died in the storm such as Thea was rather gruesome, though it did make sense. It did feel a bit like some deaths were added for Liz’s backstory and character development, rather than to make readers feel emotion. Also, the relationship between Maeve and Liz, I personally didn’t see any chemistry between them but I am glad they found eachother!


Overall, I think this book had so much more potential and I was very excited for it, and whilst I did enjoy reading it, it just didn’t hit the mark for me at all, and it felt a bit rushed, therefore I am giving it 2.5 stars, though I am looking forward to seeing what else Lily Braun Arnold writes, bonus points if it is an apocalyptic book too!

⭐️⭐️.75

A big thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy via NetGalley!

This ended up being quite different from what I was expecting. I absolutely love the YA dystopian genre and a queer book that is set in a bookstore during the end of the world…well that sounded right up my street!

Unfortunately, although this book was short and therefore a fast read, I felt that not a lot actually took place and by the end of the book I was just left feeling a bit unsatisfied.

I don’t think we get to see the potential chemistry from our two main characters and their relationship development sadly felt rushed; the foundation for a great book was there but unfortunately it wasn’t executed as well as it could have been.

That being said, I really enjoyed the authors writing style and would be interested to see how they develop throughout their career. I also loved and appreciated the importance that books and stories had to our main character!

As a lover of dystopian, and reading debut authors, I knew I had to get my hands on this one. It was good, but lacked some more punch in the story. I felt like the book dragged on at times and wasn't getting to the point. I wish there would have been more of Maeve's backstory to align her with Liz's, but I still enjoyed it. I be excited to see what else Lily writes in the future.

A must-read for fans of dystopian books!

We meet Liz, who lives in a bookstore - probably one of the last ones on earth. A year ago, a storm destroyed the earth, taking with it pretty much everything Liz knew and loved. Since then, she has spent her time alone in her store. Sometimes visitors come by to trade her goods for books. One night, someone breaks in, Maeve, a girl Liz's age. She brings danger - but also a sense of comfort. Another storm is about to hit. They must decide how to deal with it, even if it means going their separate ways.

How do you handle an apocalypse? Do you run away and do everything you can to survive? Or do you cling to everything you have left? Do you stay alone or do you connect with people? Do you protect your loved ones, or do you ditch them to survive?

A book full of conflicts of conscience and a heartwarming love story - I love it!

Queer fiction is one of my favourite genres, and I was excited to see a new post-apocalyptic story being added to the shelves.

Lily Braun-Arnold has written an excellent, low-stakes romance with some tense action thrown in.

I have a love-hate relationship with the main character, as I found that her naivety felt a little too unrealistic to have survived in that world for so long. You're telling me that no one tried to rob Liz in the time that she ran the bookstore? Maybe I view humanity too negatively.

I loved the dynamic between Liz and Maeve and the element of distrust that runs throughout the book. Really glad I got to read this, and it's always a spark of joy to see it out in the wild.

I really enjoyed this book! It was nostalgic, reminded me of some of the end of the world/walking dead era books i read when i was younger! I liked the characters and the plot. I would have 100% chosen a bookstore to ride out the end of the world!

I enjoyed this book throughly
This was a sapphic Dystopian
The is post apocalyptic love story and I enjoyed it till the end!
This story is filled with love and emotion and definitely gave me the last of us vibes