All That's Left in the World by Erik J Brown

All That's Left in the World

by Erik J Brown

Jamie and Andrew are strangers, and two of the last people on Earth. They don't know what they'll find on their perilous journey ... but they may just find each other. A queer romance about courage, hope and humanity - this is How I Live Now with the heart of Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda.

When the Superflu wipes out most of the population, Jamie finds himself completely alone in a cabin in the woods - until an injured stranger crosses his path.

Life is dangerous now and, armed with a gun, Jamie goes to pull the trigger. But there's something about Andrew ... something that stops Jamie in his tracks. Jamie takes him in, and as Andrew heals and they eventually step out into the strange new world, their relationship starts to feel like more than just friendship ...

But trouble isn't far behind. As the boys make a perilous journey south, they'll come face to face with a world torn apart and society in ruins. And who, or what, will they find waiting for them at the end of it all?

Reviewed by lessthelonely on

5 of 5 stars

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5/5 stars.

tl;dr: Incredibly high and dynamic stakes always hit hard even when the heartstopping romance is in front stage and center: you'll laugh, you'll bite your nails, you'll even cry. Get it.

This is just one of those books that as soon as you get a little bit into it (for me, I already knew I was going to really like this book like 30 pages in) you regret for not having read sooner; in my case, I just start thinking about all the times I thought of buying this book and only now did I actually buy it.

But anyway, what is good here: this isn't a structured book. I would bet money on believing it was pantsed (aka: written and plot figured out as the author kept going), and because of it there's this actual feel of never knowing what is going to happen next. It was tenseful, it was funny, and it was incredibly romantic for a book about the apocalypse.

The romance is main driving force here, and that's probably why I enjoyed this book so much. I believe most subject matters were dealt with tastefully, and at the end of the way, the romance was just TOO good. Like I wish I had this in my life.

Just read it.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 4 February, 2023: Finished reading
  • 4 February, 2023: Reviewed