Leave The World Behind by Rumaan Alam
Book Synopsis
A magnetic novel about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong
Amanda and Clay head to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a 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 with a late-night knock on the door, the spell is broken. Ruth and G. H., an older couple who claim to own the home, have arrived there in a panic. These strangers say that a sudden power outage has swept the city, and - with nowhere else to turn - they have come to the country in search of shelter.
But with the TV and internet down, and no phone service, the facts are unknowable. Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple - and vice versa? What has happened back in New York? Is the holiday home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one another?
My Thoughts
I wanted to read Leave The World Behind before watching the film adaptation on Netflix.
Amanda booked a vacation house for her, her husband Clay and their two children, Rose and Archie.
This book came across to me as a doomsday end of the world twist on a locked room isolation type of thriller. The two families in this book have to stay together in the one house outside of New York City due to a power failure and all the means of communication and internet are not available to them. This book definitely has a disturbing and eerie plot. I definitely feel this book can belong to several genres including science fiction, suspense, literary fiction, and even a bit of a family drama.
This book was a slow read for me. While it didn't have me turning the pages, I will say that the slow burn seemed to add to the tension in this book. The ending definitely leaves things open for the reader to have their own interpretation of the ending and what happens to the characters in the book. Some readers may prefer a more conclusive ending rather than an open ended one for this book. I am still wavering back and forth on the ending. I guess I am a bit of both - part of me liked it left open ended and that I was left to my own interpretation of the ending and part of me would have appreciated just a bit more of a conclusion.
I found I enjoyed the adaptation more than the book despite the changes from the book that were made in the Netflix film adaptation. Having stated this, I did recognize a few changes from the book that were rather significant, especially one rather major character change which I won't mention here in case you wish to read the book and watch the adaptation. If you do, you will pick up on it early on in the film.
My Rating: 3/5
🦩🦩🦩/5
Book Details
Author: Rumaan Alam
Publisher: Ecco
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: Fiction. Thriller. Mystery. Contemporary Fiction. Literary Fiction. Science Fiction. Suspense. Horror.
Edition: Hardcover.
Pages: 241.
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