Leave the World Behind - Rumaan Alam

" A change was upon them; a change was upon it all"

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I can honestly say that this book surprised me. After reading the blurb I didn't think it was going to go where it eventually went! There are several things from the beginning that I thought would make this a DNF, but I am glad I persevered as this novel definitely grows on you as it progresses!

Amanda and Clay are desperate to escape the bustle of New York and spend a relaxing week away with their teenage children in a rented house in Long Island. Their opulent family holiday is interrupted one evening however when Ruth and G.H unexpectedly knock on the front door, claiming to be the owners of the house and seeking shelter. They relay that a sudden blackout has occurred in the city and with no power, internet or phone service they have nowhere else to turn. As strange happenings unfurl, and with no access to the outside world, the families are forced to seek safety and support in each other, providing much needed comfort in crisis.

The first and standout thing that I have to mention is the adult characters. Throughout the book Alam delves into each of their minds and displays their perspectives of different situations, and through this I came to find each of them inherently unlikeable! Internally they are all judgemental, privileged and prejudiced (though occasionally self aware of this fact.) Early on I developed an irrational irritation at all of them, their overzealous reactions and their inner monologues selfish and whingy. The further I read however I came to realise that this is a clever intentional move on Alam's part to highlight the self-righteous and self-absorbed nature of being human, in order to emphasize the value and difficulty of forming relationships and bonding in stressful circumstances.

Rumaan Alam has definitely succeeded in creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere throughout the book by drawing on common fears and stressors, combined with his unusual staccato writing style. As the characters can only speculate on what is happening their ignorance becomes complicit in their fear, and adds to their claustrophobia. It also feels like a poignant read in the current social climate of Covid-19 where we are all trapped within our homes and the future seems uncertain.

At it's heart I think this book is about what it is to be human, the feeling and experience of living in both good times and in bad. Rumaan Alam creates wonderful moments by combining the mundane and the sensational thoughts that are an everyday part of life. He expertly portrays what it is to be afraid, and the importance of shared experience and personal connection as a method of survival.

H x