Book Review: All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall

“In the tradition of Station Eleven, a literary thriller set partly on the roof of New York’s Museum of Natural History in a flooded future.”

Goodreads blurb for All the Water in the World

Review:

Set in a dystopian future where severe climate change has all but destroyed civilization, Nonnie, her family, and what few remain in what’s left of New York City. They’ve taken shelter in the Museum of Natural History, balancing what they need to do to survive and trying to preserve what they can of what’s left of the world that once was. They are faced with the constant threat of devastating and toxic floods, and eventually, they must evacuate the city.

The author does a terrific job of capturing the atmosphere of what a, more or less, post-apocalyptic New York City might look like. Most of the dystopian novels I’ve read tend to take place in some unknown, often fictional place, so imagining a place as familiar as New York City underwater makes the reading all the more unsettling.

I struggled to connect with the characters, finding a lot of the narration repetitive and not engaging compared to the world-building. The plot was interesting, but missing something for me. I wish I knew exactly what. It may come to me after some further reflection. Still, very much worth the read with such a haunting, well-crafted atmosphere.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing a free digital ARC!

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The world-building.
• How the characters were trying to preserve history in the midst of survival.

What I didn’t like:

• The strength of the setting overpowered the identity of the characters.
• I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style.

Afterthoughts:

I think this book would make a fantastic movie (if done correctly). There is a lot of visual potential.

Where to buy the book: