Review: Leave the World Behind

I have been putting off writing this review because I don’t even know what to say. The book is Leave the World Behind by Rumman Alam.

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 out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: 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 a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G. H. are an older black couple—it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe.

Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple—and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one another?

Suspenseful and provocative, Rumaan Alam’s third novel is keenly attuned to the complexities of parenthood, race, and class. Leave the World Behind explores how our closest bonds are reshaped—and unexpected new ones are forged—in moments of crisis.

Why I Decided to Read this Book

Aaron and I were driving to Raleigh, NC a few weeks ago and wanted an audiobook to listen to. This was a Read with Jenna book club pick and got a lot of hype last year. The audiobook was the perfect length for our trip (we were able to finish it all on the way there) so we decided to listen to it.

Rating

3 Stars (I was entertained) It probably would be lower if I had read the physical book.

My Thoughts

I honestly don’t know how to review this book. Aaron and I listened to the audiobook together and when it was over we both said “that was it?”. I honestly don’t understand the hype of this book but maybe I just didn’t get it?

While listening to the audiobook we were very entertained, it made our drive to NC go by very quickly. The plot was interesting, kept us guessing the entire time. The atmosphere the author created was suspenseful and creepy. I think the writing was outstanding (even listening to it in audio). 75% into the book I thought this was a 4 star book and couldn’t wait to find out how it ended. Then it just ended… That is why I rated it 3 stars.

The book covers topics of race and class in a very interesting way. It definitely makes you reflect on those topics. However, the last part of the book got weird and the ending was just… not an ending. Overall, I have different opinions of this book for different parts of the story. I liked the experience of reading it at times but I didn’t like the ending or understand what the purpose of the book was. Did I miss something?

Content Warnings

Death, racism, body horror, confinement

Who I Recommend this Book to

I don’t know who to recommend this book to. I don’t even know if I recommend it because I genuinely think I didn’t get it.

Get the Book!

Did this review of Leave the world behind convince you to read it? Check out the links below to get it from Bookshop.org and libro.fm. Please consider ordering it from a Black owned independent bookstore. This list of Black owned independent bookstores accepts online ordering.

>>Shop on Bookshop 

>>Shop on Libro.fm (use code GISSELLEREADS for a discount if you want to start a membership)

If you’ve read this book let me know your thoughts in the comments!