Bookseller Reviews
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Disturbly realistic look at how the world will probably end.
I couldn't put this book down. Each time I tried I would find myself picking it back up again. On holiday in the middle of nowhere a family are disturbed o... READ MORE
Thrilling, frightening, intelligent and thought provoking page-turner
I absolutely loved this! It's a book that demands to be read, as each chapter ends you find yourself compelled to read the next one to see where the story ... READ MORE
Disappointing
I have received a proof copy in return for an honest review. Well unfortunately honestly I really disliked this book. Being a non native English speaker I ... READ MORE
Synopsis
Now a major global Netflix adaptation
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 holiday: 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 civilisation, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one another?
An impossibly compelling literary thriller about the world we live in now, Rumaan Alam's novel is keenly attuned to the complexities of parenthood, race and class. Leave the World Behind explores how our closest bonds are reshaped in moments of crisis - and how the most terrifying situations are never far from reality.
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- ISBN: 9781526633101
- Number of pages: 256
- Weight: 186g
- Dimensions: 198 x 129 mm
Customer Reviews
View allUtter tripe
I bought this as it was the book of the month - I am sorry to say it is utterly dreadful. I don't normally wrote reviews, but was driven to here. I found... READ MORE
A nothing burger
It was an intriguing albeit overly descriptive tale of family and the uncertainty of life until the very end. It was so abrupt and honestly feels like the ... READ MORE
Review
This book is really slow in starting and the plot only really comes at the end. I was really disappointed by the book thinking that if I stuck with it it w... READ MORE
Don’t read it
Really wish I hadn’t wasted my time. I’ve never felt so compelled to spare others the effort.
A poorly written book with characters so under-developed th... READ MORE
Gripping, if a bit gross
A very eerie and unsettling book that kept me hooked. Some bits were a little too gross/TMI for me, but I guess that added to the grim atmosphere.
Boring and slow
I had such high hopes for this book! But it was so disappointing, I struggled to finish it, it was slow, nothing really happens, it isn’t well written. Don... READ MORE
A fantastic read!
I loved this book. It draws you in to the characters so vividly and every page is enticing you onto the next, it grabbed me and took me on a journey. Look... READ MORE
page turner
Read in one sitting. couldn't put it down. Had a 'The Road' vibe.
Haunts my memories as one of the worst books I’ve ever read
--And I was an avid Wattpad reader.
Unending and uncomfortable sexual overtones, a lack of general plot, and too many pages on shopping trips.
Considerin... READ MORE
Find Something Better To Do
I was really looking forward to reading this book after looking at the media reviews. Apologies if I have missed something, but what a let-down!
I strugg... READ MORE
Believe the hype.
This book wasn't very high on my to-read list until a Waterstones store employee told me how good it was, I started it the same day and finished it two day... READ MORE
Thought-provoking but underwhelming
I was really looking forward to reading this after great reviews and it being featured as Book of the Week in my local shop. Sorry to say that I was incred... READ MORE
Thought provoking.
This story happens in your own imagination, the place where you hide your secret fears. As a wife, mother and grandmother the sense of panic running throu... READ MORE
Poor
Sorry to say I did not enjoy this book.
To me it seems it has been written with a film deal in mind - and it would be a second rate film at that. Wait for ... READ MORE
Don't waste your time
The book goes nowhere and doesn't answer any questions. It waffles on about things that are irrelevant rather than getting to the point.
Boring and no plot
I was waiting for the story to start and then I reached the last page! There’s all sorts of random things happening with no answers - it’s like the forgot ... READ MORE
Over before it began
I found it an underwhelming read. The characters are well defined and felt that there were the bones of a good story. However seems to be lost in its own n... READ MORE
I don’t get it?
I’m always intrigued by the front cover of a book, and after reading some decent reviews decided to give it a go.
Few months back I got 50 pages in and wa... READ MORE
An eerie read and true sign of the times
I have read very few books like this. I really liked how it was told in third person; I felt that it helped to build the atmosphere of the book giving that... READ MORE
A book like none I've read before
Leave the World Behind left me feeling both disappointed and like I'd just read something very profound. The narrative of the book itself is mislead by the... READ MORE
Read this if you like wow words with no storyline
Currently 121 pages through this book and just wanted to pretence this review by saying that I will not be reviewing this book lightly. I want to give my 1... READ MORE
Wouldn’t recommend
It has taken me 3 weeks to finish this book, which is a really really long time for me. The first 180 pages were so slow and boring, and then from around 1... READ MORE
Gripping!
I read this book in one day! I couldn't put it down I was so determined to know the ending! The story was great and it was so important to hear the unfilte... READ MORE
Leave The World Behind by Rumaan Alam
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam is a fascinating story about how two couples who meet at an unparalleled time in their lives. This book was written b... READ MORE
I would give this 4.75 stars if partial stars were allowed.
So close to a 5 star review but I have to acknowledge that there are elements of this book that make it slightly less satisfactory as a reading experience.... READ MORE
Unsettling
Such a good read. Great writing, slowly becoming more and more unsettling.
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