All That's Left In the World by Erik J. Brown Review

When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie’s house, he’s injured, starved, and has nothing left to lose. A deadly pathogen has killed off most of the world’s population, including everyone both boys have ever loved. And if this new world has taught them anything, it’s to be scared of what other desperate people will do . . . so why does it seem so easy for them to trust each other?
 

After danger breaches their shelter, they flee south in search of civilization. But something isn’t adding up about Andrew’s story, and it could cost them everything. And Jamie has a secret, too. He’s starting to feel something more than friendship for Andrew, adding another layer of fear and confusion to an already tumultuous journey.
 

The road ahead of them is long, and to survive, they’ll have to shed their secrets, face the consequences of their actions, and find the courage to fight for the future they desire, together. Only one thing feels certain: all that’s left in their world is the undeniable pull they have toward each other.

“If the world was ending you’d come over, right? You’d come over and you’d stay the night…” because you broke your leg in a bear trap-

Never has my heart felt so warmed by a post-apocalyptic survival road trip adventure, but Erik J. Brown’s debut novel All That’s Left In the World did that and so much more. A YA survival story of two lonely teenage boys finding a home in each other after most of the world died all around them, the book’s characters, tone, pacing and plotting feels pitch-perfect and is an incredibly well-crafted novel. A lot of other reviewers had previously mentioned how wholesome and cute it is, which had me raising an eyebrow given the genre and premise (I sometimes find post-apocalyptic stories slow and repetitive), but it really is such a hopeful and heartfelt book that far surpassed all of my expectations. Providing much needed queer representation is a sub-genre of science fiction that lacked clear standouts while avoiding being too graphic, harsh or scary, All That’s Left In the World is an outstanding and well-rounded book that’s sure to satisfy a wide variety of readers, even adults as well despite its YA classification and target readers.

Originally drafted pre-Covid and published in 2022 just after the height of the pandemic, you would think All That’s Left in the World would fall back on America’s response and experience, or worse, relive those dark moments in literary form. Fortunately, Brown largely avoids that, though the story has a few trace mentions of the Covid pandemic which places this story a few years after, followed by Brown’s fictional flu strain and apocalypse. Despite not being specifically refenced as such, off-handed references suggest that All That’s Left in the World‘s pandemic is a type of avian flu, which funnily enough is incredibly relevant in 2025 despite not being a lethal to humans at this time. While the novel has dystopian elements and a few chapters of notable action, the bulk of the story is almost entirely a character-focused one of Andrew and Jamie’s relationship. Initially meeting after months of isolation and having experienced their friends and families dying all around them with no hope in sight, the story is about them finding salvation and something to live for in each other when all else seems hopeless. Set-up as a strangers to lovers YA romance story, that simplistic description shortcuts its more nuanced strangers, to friends, to inseparable comrades, to found family, and then finally to something more. All That’s Left in the World isn’t about the romance or a happily ever after at the end of the day, but about the trust, journey, and character growth covered to eventually get there.

But then I look at him; I hear his laugh, I see his smile, and the darkness melts away. Then I do have hope–even just for a little while–because I know that there is something in this world I can fight for. Something I will fight for if I have to. We’re going to be okay,’ I repeated to him.

While the story has excellent pacing and a solid plot, most of it would have little value if not for how well-written Andrew and Jamie’s characters are. While being comical opposites on the surface and each having their own personal demons, the connection both characters have on a deeper level is very well-done in the story. Isolation and losing loved ones are the norm for post-apocalyptic stories, but with both boys being only 16yrs old and their loved ones dying slowly and painfully as opposed to the similar but more dramatic/sudden zombie apocalypse premise, the mental toll is far greater and more subdued. Right from the get-go I loved the characters platonic chemistry and despite the obvious foreshadowing and synopsis hinting at a future romantic angle, it’s just teenage boys being boys (albeit, ones that are emotionally more mature than the norm). From Andrew’s disgust at Jamie’s favorite movie being the Avengers Endgame (such a straight boy choice) and lack of classic movie knowledge, to Andrew’s ignorance of jazz music, the tone is consistently comedic and light-hearted for the first half of the story, and it’s almost impossible not to find their banter and solace in each other comforting.

There’s still something about Andrew that feels familiar, like we’ve been friends since we were kids. Because that’s what we are now. Friends. At least I hope we are, considering I’m in a looted Home Depot looking for a gift for him. That’s not the main reason I’m here—it’s getting warmer and I wanted to find seeds to plant in the backyard—but thought I’d look around while I was here.

While there are post-apocalyptic themed threats and dangers, the first half of the story mostly feels like a coming of age dramedy read with very light romantic undertones. Something I thought the book did great was its gentle easing of the reader through the story, almost self-aware that the grim premise could be too dark or difficult for sensitive readers to get through. While there is an overall story involved, almost of all of the content is focused on getting to know Andrew and Jamie and their developing trust and friendship, effectively presented via a split perspective setup of alternating chapters. The story uses the miscommunication trope often, but Brown executes the disconnects very skillfully and fully aware of how long these unspoken issues should run for their narrative purpose. Additionally, when the characters have mistaken impressions of each other, they’re always framed with their friend’s best interest at heart and as a mechanism for them to trust and open up to each other on a deeper level, rather than the often frustrating and taxing way many other romance novels use miscommunication to stir up drama or manufacture contrived conflicts. Andrew and Jamie’s miscommunication is always simply just two thoughtful yet caring softies more than happy to sacrifice their own well-being for each other, unknowingly against the other’s wishes (how can you be mad at that, it’s endearing).

Once their companionship is well-established, the book’s second half adds more action and the more traditional post-apocalyptic elements one would expect for the genre. While there are certainly life-threatening dangers and tense moments, All That’s Left in the World smartly plays them at just the right intensity not for shock value, but again to bring Andrew and Jamie closer. While a completely different genre and likely skewing for a slightly older readership, All That’s Left in the World gave me the same feeling and experience of when I was first reading Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper series where although they don’t shy away from darker themes or moments, there’s a certain comfort and hope knowing that somehow things will work out alright. This novel also took a very similar approach when a situation or misjudgment by Andrew/Jamie occurs where typical media have conditioned us to expect worse, the story instead takes a pleasantly surprising turn to avoid it. The same can be said about the survival threats which can be tense, but takes an effective path of least resistance. That’s not to say that Brown is softening the blows or watering down the story, but he smartly calculates the narrative payoff vs the reader’s comfort level (that said, I’m also someone who reads a lot of dark and intense books, so my standards and tolerance are higher than the average reader of this novel).

While definitely having a modern writing style and narration voice for both Andrew and Jamie, I really liked Brown’s writing throughout the story that has hallmarks traits of current popular books without relying too heavily on trending features. There isn’t a single tiktok reference anywhere in this story, but there are pop culture references like Andrew imagining Tom Holland coming to the rescue or Jamie’s love of Marvel movies. Though the refences will obviously age over time, they’re those that will have relevance for quite some time and are mainstream enough to not cause adult readers to roll their eyes nor for non-queer allies to miss the reference. The narration and character voice for both characters feels authentic and real, both for the their ages and personalities, complete with all the awkward confusion of teenage years. And although the road trip adventure and journey is good, packing some unexpected plot twists, the book and Brown are at their best in the quiet moments where the two of them are simply resting, doing nothing in particular except talking to each other. Andrew and Jamie could be watching weeds grow on a cracked sidewalk for pages and I wouldn’t mind thanks to the strong character work and narration.

This might just be me, but YA novels tend to fall into two camps of either making me feel tired and old due to having overdramatic and “life-shattering” teenage angst, or making me feel wistful and almost, nostalgic, with a dose of melancholy missing those younger years. All That’s Left In the World fell completely in the latter group for me as there’s not an ounce of unnecessary angst and every conflict or plot element is used to strengthen the relationship between Andrew and Jamie. Brown’s portrayal of Andrew’s clear out and semi-proud(?) gay identity and Jamie’s confused I-don’t-know-what-this-is-but-I-care-so-much-about-him discovery is not only great and healthy representation (labels are omitted as they don’t matter to the story), but also such a refreshingly sweet, clean and comforting effort (toxic masculinity doesn’t exist here except in a villain). I loved how Brown nails the teenage feelings and thoughts that are often jumbled yet honest; the age where you might not know why you like or love someone but would not hesitate to die for those feelings. This is the type of book or story that I would’ve loved to have read years ago, yet despite being in my early 30’s, I still found its story heartfelt, and its hopeful optimism wonderfully presented.

Well-written, paced, with as balanced and as warm of a tone you can get with a post-apocalyptic premise, All That’s Left In the World is a standout queer YA novel that’s an excellent read for teenage and up readers. Featuring great main characters that are impossible to dislike and a friendship that grows slowly and naturally, this is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a comforting queer/LGBTQ+ novel, or even just readers looking for a sweet friends to true partners story. Despite the world having already died and suffered in this book, the story is one that is full of hope, warmth, and is impossible to put down (I finished this in two days). And while a sequel has since been released in 2024, this novel can fully be read as a standalone, self-contained and satisfying story. I really enjoyed this one and if the synopsis at all interests you, definitely give it a try!