By Eian M., Old Mill High School
All That's Left in the World is a cute young adult novel that follows two LGBTQ men, Andrew and Jamie, dealing with an apocalypse that started because of a pandemic, with exaggerated societal effects, largely based off of Covid-19. While not reinventing the wheel, Brown’s writing creates a feeling of instantaneous ease and comfort when listening to the deuteragonist describe the daunting world around them, and each other.
The story starts with an injured Andrew stumbling upon Jamie’s house, and Jamie’s softness has him tending to Andrew, allowing their dynamic to quickly develop. Brown’s writing makes their relationship the highlight of the novel: the softness practically jumps off the pages, the comforting hues of yellow and orange encompassing you. Once healed, the two go on a journey together to find civilization, and encounter trials that make them grow all the closer.
Andrew’s sarcasm and Jamie’s sensitivity makes the novel pop and presents an alternative to how men could act despite their patriarchal conditioning. Their character development throughout the novel strays further away from lingering homophobia and toxic masculinity that they had before the pandemic, a pleasant contrast to many other apocalypse media.
While I did not appreciate the pop culture references as it severely limits a story’s timelessness, I can understand why others would love it for the relatability. Overall, this novel is a great comfort read for those who want to enjoy LGBTQ men growing as people and as a couple, people surviving the apocalypse or refutations of current oppressive structures.
Click here to check out All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown.