Not every apocalypse needs to be a ridiculous, large, destructive spectacle.
That's one of the things I learned while reading Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam.
As I'm in the middle of revising/pitching an apocalyptic book of my own, this came up as a possible comp title. I have the feeling this one, published in 2020, gets brought up a lot.
The plot here is simple: a family shows up at their rental home for summer vacation expecting to get away from it all. Their vacation, however, is interrupted when people claiming to be the rental property's owners show up and ask if they can stay.
The renters, a family of four, don't trust these new guests, a wealthy couple who also happen to be Black. Their initial distrust, rooted in at least some racial bias, eventually gives way as it becomes clear something is happening in the outside world.
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| Image via Indianapolis Public Library |
New York City has experienced a significant blackout, but the rental home still has power. The televisions no longer receive a signal and the internet is down, making it nearly impossible to decipher what's going on in the world at large. On multiple occasions, they hear military jets speeding overhead.
It's unclear what's causing all of this--including a strange deer migration--but the lack of clarity is the point. The world is coming apart at the seams, whether that's due to war or ecological disaster or economic collapse. It doesn't really matter. The family and homeowners must learn to trust one another if they have any hopes of surviving. That trust is not easily earned.
This book won't be everyone's cup of tea. The narrative takes its time, even in a relatively short book. Don't expect any explanations, just a lot of atmosphere and character work. The writing, to me, came off a little self-indulgent at times. It seemed like Alam wanted to let everyone knows about his expansive vocabulary. Some mundane detail work, in my opinion, is also a little overdone.
I'm also not sure I liked many of the characters. They are well drawn but seem to lack common sense or compassion. They come off as selfish, which I'm certain is a product of authorial intent, as the book explores themes of race, class, and consumer culture. I think it's worth reading, if just for the pervasive sense of dread and the quiet, resigned nature of a dying world.
Without a doubt, this is a novel that invites discussion (and judging by some of the reviews, a considerable amount of division!).
