⭑⭑⭑⭑✩

~

I really enjoyed this one. It was a great quick and easy YA read set in a realistic dystopian Earth (which I appreciated), with dystopian elements that were simple and realistic, which made it more of an enjoyable and impactful read. And anything set in a post-apocalyptic bookstore already has me hooked from the get go🤣
Highly recommend for anyone into LGBTQIA+ dystopia / end of the world vibes
~

Thanks to NetGalley and Lily Braun-Arnold for the ARC 🫶🏼

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Penguin Random House UK for offering an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book overall, but I thought it suffered in a couple of aspects, such as pacing and characterisation.

The premise is original, detailing an apocalyptic event which kills a large part of the population. The main character Liz takes refuge in the bookstore that used to be her place of work, and it becomes a sort of trading post for people passing by, who leave each other messages or pick up books in exchange for other items that Liz might need. The message here that people need escapism and literature even in the darkest of times was, I thought, really sweet.

I also liked how the author didn't shy away from gory description of injury and actually flinched at some parts. The main character lost her entire family in the first apocalyptic event and is now getting the building ready to withstand another event, which she hears is impending - but none of the cast of characters are sure when exactly, and therefore how long they have to prepare.

I didn't really feel that the chemistry between the main character and love interest was believable or that the "enemies to lovers" trope was well executed. There was one singular POV as the book is narrated in first person, and the author failed to highlight any reasons why the MC is falling for, or even likes, the LI. I couldn't get through the opening chapters quickly enough, but the book significantly slows down around 70% of the way in. I didn't lose interest per se, but I thought once a third character was introduced in the dynamic, everything became pretty rushed, and the MC's feelings did not make sense to me, but they may have done if the author had spent longer on this. The inner monologue of the MC is very much telling us rather than showing us.

Essentially, before that 70% mark I would have been eager to buy/gift a copy of this book to others, but I do think the final third was a bit of a letdown and could have used more polishing and detailing.

Usually dystopians are heavy, grim narratives about how we’ve inevitably destroyed our world through our own stupidity and although The Last Bookstore on Earth definitely has elements of that, it also has a rare message of hopefulness throughout.
Liz is not our usual struggling downtrodden survivor of the apocalypse whose rage allows her to rise up and overthrow the establishment. She’s very much a normal teen in abnormal times, trying to make the best of a bad situation. Is she willfully ignorant? Probably. Does it somehow work for her? Pretty much.
The story manages to blend minimal adventure and tender romance with the profound impact of climate change and somehow keeps you engaged throughout.
The story follows Liz, a solitary survivor haunted by the past, and Maeve, a mysterious newcomer with a hidden agenda. As their world teeters on the brink of annihilation, their paths intertwine, sparking a connection that could be their salvation or their downfall.
The characters are relatable and endearing. The romance, while tender and heartwarming, is tastefully executed, avoiding explicit content and focusing on the emotional depth of the relationship rather than spicy scenes- so perfect for younger readers.
While the book delves into serious themes of loss and survival, it never loses sight of its core message: love, even in the darkest of times, can be a powerful force for good.
As dystopian fiction experiences a resurgence, The Last Bookstore on Earth stands out as a must-read for fans dipping a toe into the genre.

I thought this was a great and realistic take in what any normal teenager would do when suddenly faced with the end of the world and no support system.

Liv isn't great at everything. She has no survival skills, doesn't know how to keep the bookstore standing and isnt an incredible hero that can save the day. She's a kid who should have been going off to college when an apocalyptic storm takes out society and leaves her with no one.

So she does what most of us would likely do - stays somewhere that she knows and that feels safe. She trades books for things and generally stays to herself, without learning many skills that could keep her going. I am Liv and Liv is me.

Unfortunately, not everyone is as content with their lot in the new world as Liv is and this soon becomes apparent, resulting in chaos and bloodshed, neither of which she's ready for.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Liv's development was slow but interesting and the interspersed chapters revealing her life before the storm gave valuable insight. I also enjoyed her budding relationship with Maeve.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for a fair and frank review.

I found this book pointless. It was based on the destruction of earth. Liz owns a bookshop where people leave notes on a cork board hoping their loved ones come in and they find one another in the event they come in too. The writing was bad and it finished with no actual conclusion at all. I am not sure what the author was trying to do.

4.5 stars

I mean, it's a YA book (which I love), it involves a bookstore (ditto), and it's a dystopian type thriller (another win) - so surely there was absolutely no way I wasn't going to enjoy it.

I was reading this as Storm Darragh was wreaking havoc across England, and the wind and rain that kept me company overnight, whilst once was calming, in tandem with reading this had become quite eery.

I agree with the reading age. It's ideal for teenagers and young adults (any younger and I think they'd find it a bit too scary). But as an adult in her 30s, I really enjoyed it too, but I probably got different things out of it. I could understand the family aspects, the survival and whatnot, whereas younger readers may like it more for the friendships and romance and see it more as an adventure.

It is mainly set in the present time, after the storm, but it does occasionally flash back to before the storm; when there are the first rumours of the storm, what people plan to do, we meet families, and it all helps paint a vivid picture of what caused these characters to be where they are now.

This whole story is held together by one, and then two, young women. It's a tough environment to live in at any age, even an experienced adult would struggle physically and emotionally, but these two teenage girls are just about holding it together, and the book rests on them and they work brilliantly.

It's a mixture of dystopian, thriller, YA, romance - all with bells on. I can totally see it on the big screen.

My one negative I suppose is that some of the dialogue is a bit ropey, a bit unrealistic, but I can gloss over that considering it's 1) aimed at younger readers, and 2) the characters are trying to stay alive and probably aren't thinking about the readability of their sentences.

Not to get too deep about it, but it does have some interesting themes. Let's be honest, there's been a lot of talk of World War 3 and Armageddon, a climate crisis that dooms our planet. There always has been and always will be. But for me, it's not the thing that will doom us. It might wipe some out, but it's who we become afterwards that's the problem. You may think you'd never hurt a fly, but when someone is standing in the way of your child getting enough food to survive, you'll be surprised what you can do. And for me, that was what is so interesting about this book. It's not so much about the storm, it's about what the storm represents and what the storm creates, more than what it takes away.

Quick, easy, post apocalyptic read. Definitely made for a young adult audience but with just enough horror to make it, at times, brutal.
Liz was mildly annoying in her overall naivety but to be fair I am 37 and most things annoy me these days 😅 (I have firmly entered my grumpy old lady era early 🤣) having said that her naivity was also endearing. I loved that she inadvertently set up a trading post in her desperation to find social interactions in her new normal. Maeve was the typical "tough cookie with the gooey interior" and I loved how they each brought out more of the other.

If you’ve watched any type of post-apocalyptic tv drama like “The Last of Us”, then The Last Bookstore on Earth is essentially a milder young adult versions- albeit in written format.

The front cover and the book’s title initially grabbed my attention; promising the beginnings of something great. And overall I found The Last Bookstore on Earth to be a quick and easy read. It’s worth noting that the story is clearly geared towards a younger audience as both the plot and the content lacked the usual angst and nitty gritty detail expected in this particular genre. For example, it’s established that the Earth is now suffering from acid rain that melts people on the spot, but there isn’t a great deal of backstory as to why, or how that has come to be. Whilst it doesn’t take a genius to point towards some form of climate change, it is these aspects of the story which are very light touch.

The setting is mainly focused on the bookstore itself, which does get a little tedious after a while; part of the enjoyment of these types of stories is being able to explore what a barren and abandoned world would look like. I did also find one of the main characters Liz, to be fairly naïve of the dangers of just staying put in the bookstore, and ignorant of most things farther than the bookstore’s stoop – I ultimately chalked that up to the age of the character. How worldly wise would any teenager really be in an end of the world scenario?

However, as a debut novel from the author, the book is a nice read with some interesting components. I liked that whilst Liz is holed up in the bookstore that she essentially sets up a local trade point, offering books (who’d have thought!), in exchange for goods. This obviously works as a mechanism for the wider plot in allowing other characters to enter, and providing a reason for unscrupulous folks to want what Liz has. It also provides the opportunity for Liz to collect stories from her customers, which increases the amount of supporting characters readers come into contact with, even though they don’t directly feature on the page so to speak.

Definitely for a much younger audience than myself, but certainly worth picking up if you like the genre and fit the target audience in terms of age range.

In the year since the world fell apart due to The Storm, Liz has been living in her old place of work, a Bookstore

She has set up some alliances and trades to survive, never really knowing what the world outside is like now

But when Maeve breaks into the store to settle, thinking it empty, her and Liz strike a tenious alliance for Maeve to help Liz fix up the shop for another incoming Storm

The two girls have their own pasts, old friends and lingering traumas... but can they find a new place with each other despite the dangers lurking and getting closer...

I love post apocalyptic fiction and I can't imagine a better place to be after the end of the world than surrounded by books!

Coming out in January, the 9th, so loads of time to get those preorders in. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the review copy, all opinions my own

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.