Fiction
2020 HarperAudio
Narrated by Marin Ireland
Narrated by Marin Ireland
Finished on 2/10/22
Rating: 3/5 (Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
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.
I listened to the audiobook of Leave the World Behind, which was probably the best way to go with this dystopic thriller. Marin Ireland's narration is excellent, bringing each characters' anxiety about the blackout and the unknown global situation to life. The reader is given clues about what is taking place, but the characters are left in the dark (literally and figuratively), even up to the very last page. I have a feeling that had I instead read the print edition, I would have grown bored and given up, but Ireland's performance maintained just enough tension to keep me listening. Even listening to the countless lists (what Amanda bought at the grocery store, what they packed to take to the beach, what they ate for dinner) was entertaining, the cadence of each almost melodic to the ear, but eventually grew tiresome. In spite of the narration and apocalyptic nature of the novel (which I usually enjoy), I was underwhelmed. I would have liked a less ambiguous ending. Netflix plans to produce an adaptation of the book starring Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la Herrold and Julia Roberts. This may be the rare case in which the movie is better than the book.
I received a complimentary copy from Libro.fm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
