All That's Left

by Ward Anderson

[Leah]

This was an interesting read. I've never read one of Ward Anderson's books, although I have his debut novel on my Kindle somewhere. I actually expected a funny read, but this was actually way more serious than I expected. I mean, I knew it was a brother dealing with his twin's death, but I very much expected it to be more humorous. It's okay that it wasn't, though.

All That's Left was interesting and also a bit gross, because it was a bit weird to me that Steven would be attracted to his brother's girlfriend, and that his brother's girlfriend Dania would be attracted to him. The whole reason Steven went to Singapore was because Scotty died!!!! I mean, have a bit of respect?!?! But, no. They're attracted to each other from the off and that's the part of the novel I just didn't get. Shouldn't Steven and Dania have been mourning instead of wondering about their "attraction" to each other? Who needs enemies when your brother's happy to sleep with your girlfriend, eh?

The love story just didn't work for me. I mean, it did. It was just weird to me that it was Steven's brother's girlfriend, of all the women in Singapore; of all the women in the world, etc. The love story itself was fine (and had a pretty impressive, well thought out twist), I just struggled with the notion a brother would do that, especially since it's his twin and his twin is now dead.

I liked the Singapore setting immensely. More books should be set there, it sounds like a nice place and it's nice to read a book set somewhere you rarely read about and have never visited. A very, very good setting, although I would also have liked to have seen more of Canada, which is forgotten about with America right there usually.

This was an engrossing read, it definitely kept me reading, but the central premise for me was the sticking point, the thing I didn't agree with. The rest of it was fine, more than fine, but I just couldn't get over Steven and Dania, it just didn't seem right to me. If Dania had been anyone but Scotty's ex, I would have loved this book more.