This book about climate apocalypse kept me engrossed throughout. None of this book felt far-fetched. The climate crisis, human nature, and family bonds are all on display.

After years of climate catastrophes, Nonie and her older sister Bix live with their father and some of his colleagues on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. Most of the city's population left a long time before, but the museum workers decided to stay, save what they could, and document what was lost. (The author says she was inspired by other museum and library workers in war time and the lengths they went to in order to save and preserve priceless materials.) When the floodgates around the city are breached during a storm, there is no choice but to leave Manhattan. The goal is to reach a family farm up north where relatives may still live.

Most of the book takes place on their journey, much of which is on the Hudson River, using a canoe from a museum exhibit. They come across other people and communities - some good and some not so good. There are some narrow escapes and some unsuccessful attempts, which kept me turning pages. There are a lot of flashbacks, too, where we get glimpses of the family before the world collapsed.

My only critique is the ability Nonie has to "feel" water (storm, river, etc.), like a dowsing rod. The ability was used maybe twice and that was it. It wasn't necessary to the plot and could have been left out entirely.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4⭐
Diversity: yes

I really enjoyed this novel. It’s a haunting, quietly powerful story set in a world that feels both familiar and unnervingly altered by scarcity. There were elements that reminded me of The Road by Cormac McCarthy and the Children of Men film, except this story is less relentlessly bleak. Instead, it offers moments of tenderness and hope that shine through the struggle.

The writing is immersive without being overwrought, and I appreciated how the author let the tension simmer rather than relying on constant high-stakes action. It’s ultimately a very human story about connection, survival, and what we choose to hold onto when everything else slips away.

A compelling, thought-provoking read that lingers after you turn the last page.

This book is great for readers who like post-apocalyptic/dystopian fiction, character-driven stories, and atmospheric storytelling.

A climate change fiction (cli-fi) dystopia, speculative fiction novel - which in my opinion is way too much genre stuff. It was kind of boring. I did not connect with any of the characters.

After the glaciers, Nonie, who can feel the water, battles to survive with her family. At one point I thought it had some hope for keeping me engaged, but it fell short.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall on NetGalley.

Published: 01/07/25

Stars: 3

More Sci Fi and Fantasy than I care for. I found some of the writing engaging, almost poetic. However, in general I was confused and simultaneously bored.

If the synopsis piques your interest and Sci Fi as well as literary fiction are your gotos, All the Water in the World is for you.

Dystopian books will always have a special place in my heart. Eiren Caffall does a wonderful job of bringing all the elements we expect to see in the genre. There is the big city, high stakes, and so much more!

I picked this one up last night and was going to read a few chapters before bed. I could not put this down and finished it in one sitting. This was definitely something different for me and I am glad I gave it a chance. This was a dystopian survival coming of age/adventure of sorts. Climate change has reached its' zenith and has submerged New York in water. Nonnie and her family must relocate as their dwelling is no longer inhabitable. This was definitely a slower pace than I am used to, however I felt that it worked well for this book. There was a lot to unpack to really understand what the family has been through and how it affected them. I do not really want to share more than that as I do not want to ruin it for anyone. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley. This was heartrending and beautiful.

In a flooded future New York, Nonie and her family flee their home — the roof of the American Museum of Natural History (AMEN for short) — from a superstorm with a book of preserved human knowledge, navigating a perilous river journey in search of a future and other refugees.

I’ve been on a massive climate-change/end of the world/struggle to survive-genre kick lately, and I was SO excited about this — the concept of living on the roof of AMEN is inspired and had me instantly hooked. But man, the execution was rough for me. I really appreciated Caffall’s world building and characterization, but the pace of this book was excruciating. It’s almost a bit baffling how this book’s ecosystem is so immersive and anxiety-inducing, but moves at such a glacial pace. It took me 2+ months to get through it, and I only finished out of sheer determination to see it through.

I wanted so badly to like this, but it ultimately missed the mark.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for provide an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one was a disappointment for me. I could not relate to the characters or the plot. It was way too slow and I was bored.

I'm always willing to give a Dystopian book a try. I was intrigued by this cover and the title as well. I did struggle with being invested in this story, however I'm glad I was able to give this book a try!

An exciting concept that falls flat. While I really enjoyed the back story, the how we got here portions of the novel, the character development and arcs I found to be lacking. By the end of the novel, I was fully invested in the world that Eiren Caffall created, but I wasn’t emotionally invested in any of the characters who lived there. Her talent as a writer is obvious, and I look forward to seeing what she releases next.

This is billed as a “literary thriller” and an “adventure story”. I’ve never read a more dull and boring “thriller” than this book. You’d think a “hypercane” weather event driving a family to escape their museum home and make their way through a world of water would be exciting but you would be wrong. There are deaths and near drownings and grave illnesses and dangerous people but it all manages to be so bland and unremarkable. At the end, the narrator mentions how important all the people they encountered were and they might be important to the plot but they were also all flat and uninspiring. Maybe it’s the writing style that contributes? The style is sort of simple which is fine but I personally felt very little emotion even when people close to them were dying or when they were actually in danger. I’m so glad I finally got to the end.

📚BOOK REVIEW📚

📱🎧 “All the Water in the World" by Eiren Caffall

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
published January 7, 2025

Thank you @StMartinsPress and @netgalley for this eARC. I like a good dystopian story, and then mix in some "Station Eleven" vibes and I was excited to read this one. In NYC after the glaciers have melted, flooded the earth, and left only a few survivors, a small group of people took refuge in the Museum of Natural History. Nonie and her sister were raised in the settlement created by the researchers on the top of the museum. As past curators in Iraq and Leningrad had worked tirelessly to protect their collections from war, these researchers also take care to preserve exhibits that could be destroyed by the water. In Central Park this group hunts and grows their own food, just trying to survive. When a hurricane ruins the flood walls, Nonie's family must escape and travel north on the Hudson. Encountering dangerous communities and people, survival is the only thing they must do. 


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All the Water in the World was a super interesting read. I loved the character study and the writing felt propulsive. I'd read more from the author.

This pulse-racing speculative fiction combines masterful storytelling with relentless suspense and unforgettable characters. Every twist is a revelation, perfectly timed to keep you guessing and breathless. The writing is immersive and sharp, pulling you deep into a world where no one can be trusted. It's a riveting, high-impact read that leaves a lasting impression.

2 stars

I had such high hopes for this one, but it was such a struggle to get through. It is slow and the narrator has little emotion which made me not too invested in any of the characters. There were some interesting g things, just not in the way it was told. The flashbacks made everything more drawn out.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.

This book was giving me Day After Tomorrow vibes and I found it to be super interesting, It was a bit of a slow burn but I really liked it in the end.

3.75 stars

This felt like The Walking Dead without zombies or The Last of Us without fungi creatures. A group of survivors try to navigate a changed world.

I loved the setting of this, particularly as a New Yorker. The characters themselves felt a bit flat at times and I didn’t always care what their fates were. It didn’t feel like the most original story ever, but I still overall had a good time reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for access to this work. All opinions are my own.

Very interesting read, dystopian book. Nonie, her sister Bix, and their parents are living on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History after New York is flooded. Their parents used to work at the museum. They live with other people who also used to work there. Things are not so bad until a huge wave crashes into the museum and they lose all their food, medicine, and supplies! This story shows how lost we are without electricity and everything else we use every day, without thinking about it!

All the Water in the World” is a post-apocalyptic tale set shortly. I found the story to be well written.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and author Eiren Caffall for providing me with a complimentary ARC.

An interesting premise but this one was too slow for my taste and a little hard to follow due to the writing style.

I picked this up because of the comp for Station Eleven, which is one of my favorite books. While, I can understand the comparison this one just didn't work for me. The pacing was somehow very slow, while the feeling was quite anxious (fear of water...maybe I was bound to dislike this from the beginning!) While harrowing, it was also pretty non-emotional and I couldn't connect to any of the characters. Overall, it was hard to pinpoint how I was feeling about anything because of these contradictions in tone/pacing, etc.

The premise was really promising, and I do like post apocalyptic stories - but this one wasn't for me. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a digital arc!