Early Review – All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction/Post-Apcalyptic
Length: 304 pages
Publisher:‎ St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: January 7, 2025
ASIN: B0CXDS4Z4V
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley for Review from NetGalley
Rating: 5/5 stars

” In the years after the glaciers melt, Nonie, her older sister and her parents and their researcher friends have stayed behind in an almost deserted New York City, creating a settlement on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History. The rule: Take from the exhibits only in dire need. They hunt and grow their food in Central Park as they work to save the collections of human history and science. When a superstorm breaches the city’s flood walls, Nonie and her family must escape north on the Hudson. They carry with them a book that holds their records of the lost collections. Racing on the swollen river towards what may be safety, they encounter communities that have adapted in very different and sometimes frightening ways to the new reality. But they are determined to find a way to make a new world that honors all they’ve saved.”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this on eGalley from NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: I ended up absolutely loving this book. The characters, the way the story was put together, and the subject matter were amazing. I love that there’s just a touch of magical realism in here as well.

Nonie and her family have been eking out a living in the American Museum of Natural History after the rising of the ocean and the desertion of New York City. Things aren’t perfect, but they are making it work. That is until a hypercane (a hurricane on steroids) causes them to flee on to the water and to the north. Now Nonie, her sister, and her father must make their way through literally unknown waters to the farm they believe is waiting for them in the north. The dangers they encounter are both forces of nature and of the more human variety.

I ended up absolutely loving this book and struggling to put it down. The short chapters are well done and alternate between the time right after the flooding of NYC and the current time. Nonie is a bit different (it seemed like she was autistic) and sees the world in a different way from her family. She also has the ability to sense what water is going to be (a gentle rain or a horrible storm). Her father and his friends want to have a peaceful community where everyone helps out and is striving to save what history they can. The rest of the world has different ideas, though.

This book did an amazing job of putting you right in the middle of all the action and making things feel very real and urgent. However, the chapters from the past were also very introspective and gave you a lot of background on the characters and how the world got to this point. It was an addictive combination that I loved.

The majority of the characters in here strive to help each other survive in this world, but this book also doesn’t shy away from the characters that try to take advantage of the situation. The combination gives this book portions that are desperate survival scenarios that alternate with cozy portions of people enjoying the simple pleasures of life and family.

This was so easy to read, entertaining, and insightful. It really makes you think while at the same time drawing you in to an engaging, fasdt-paced story.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I absolutely loved this book. I loved the format of the story, the amazing characters, and the urgency speckled with spots of calm. This was both though-provoking and entertaining and I stayed up way too late trying to finish this. I eagerly await future books by Caffall.