Reading this book at the end of 2024 was perfectly in line with the year—a climate change inspired post-apocalyptic novel seemed right in line with everything else in my news feed. I must admit that the initial setting, inside and atop the Museum of Natural History, was the first of many compelling pieces to this moving story about love, loss and courage. The society that remains after water has upended everyone's lives is still riven across racial divides, despite other minor notes of progress. Caffall paints a picture of terrible collapse, but offers hope in the form of meaningful collaboration, mutual support, and the purpose-driven life. A good note to start off the new year, and a good reason to pick up this book.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for early access to this title in exchange for my honest opinion. It is a different genre from my usual reads, but I think it’s valuable to try new things, especially at the beginning of the year.
This dystopian novel is set in the not-too-distant-future, when NYC has been evacuated except for a small group of people who live on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History. A superstorm hits, and Manhattan floods, and the few remaining people decide to leave, heading north to upstate New York. The story follows the young Nonie and a small crew, trying to survive. Water is all around them, but there is worry of contamination, and Nonie begins a water log, tracking the water for the future.
Nonie’s preoccupation with water may seem unusual, but I've had similar experiences when backpacking and need to plan my day around where and when I can access water. Having grown up in the greater NYC area, I enjoyed the descriptions of what remained on the Hudson River as Nonie and crew made their way up the Hudson - alongside the cliffs of the Palisades and up past West Point. However, I didn't really connect with the story, and I'm surprised it's not labeled as YA, considering the age of the main character.

I was drawn to this book based on the setting in NYC and description - it was truly thrilling! I was engaged in the story and message and recommend it to those interested in dystopian thrillers!

4.5 stars

The nitty-gritty: Full of vivid imagery, thrilling action scenes and plenty of emotion, All the Water in the World is this year’s “don’t miss” post-apocalyptic story. 

I didn’t have plans to request All the Water in the World, but a publicist offered me an eARC, so I thought, why not? And it was such a great decision! I absolutely loved this book, and I’m so glad to have discovered Eiren Caffall. It’s being compared to Station Eleven and that’s a fair comparison, and I would also say if you’re a fan of The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton, you should definitely give this a try. Caffall tackles such themes as climate change, preserving our history, loss and grief, and wraps it all up in a thrilling story of survival. This is a vision of the future I haven’t seen done in quite this way before, and combined with beautifully drawn characters and many emotional moments, it really won me over.

The story is narrated by thirteen-year-old Nonie and takes place during what she calls The World As It Is. Nonie, her sister Bix and their parents live on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, after years of increasing storms and rising oceans forced them to find a safe, dry place to call home. Much of New York is under water, but the museum, which they’ve nicknamed “Amen,” is still water-tight in many places, and they’ve been able to not only survive, but to take care of the many artifacts the museum houses. Nonie’s mother has taught her how to take detailed notes on each artifact and preserve that information for the future, just in case the worst happens.

And then one day, it does. A gigantic hurricane hits New York, plunging the remaining dry land and everything on it into the sea. Nonie and her family barely escape in a birchbark canoe, one of the museum exhibits that they’ve hidden from looters. With a destination in mind—Mother’s family farm in Tyringham—they begin their treacherous journey to safety.

This was an unexpectedly thrilling tale of survival, as Nonie, Bix, Father and their friend Keller are forced to flee the safety of Amen in an old birchbark canoe, rowing across the Hudson River (which has become part of the ocean!) while trying to avoid the Lost—those desperate people without shelter who loot and kill to survive. In alternating chapters, Nonie fills in some of the blanks of what life was like before the story begins (“The World As It Was”), how some of their friends and family were lost, and how the world changed. This is one of my favorite storytelling techniques, and Caffall does a great job of balancing the past and present narratives. In addition to the terrible storms, there is the constant threat of illness, as medicine is in short supply. There are some very tense moments in the story when the characters are sick or injured, and you just don’t know if they will survive. And because I loved the characters so much, these scenes were very stressful!

Caffall’s imagery is gorgeous. Her descriptions of the birchbark canoe floating over the drowned city of New York were so eerie and magical. Nonie peers over the side of the boat and sees buildings, sidewalks and trees below the water, but also piles of dead bodies (people who drowned in the storm). We see everything through Nonie’s eyes, a girl who has never lived in a normal world, and it’s such a surreal experience.

I also loved everything about the museum setting and the way the characters are so dedicated to preserving the exhibits and artifacts for the future—not knowing for sure that there will be a future. Caffall used some real life examples as inspiration for her story, including the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad during WWII, which gave a deeper layer of meaning to the story. Nonie’s Mother and Father, as well as their friend Keller, are all scientists of one type or another, so the book is peppered with facts on storm systems, the ocean, climate change, entomology and much more. 

As for the characters, I loved every one of them. Nonie is a precocious young girl who has an affinity for water and can sense storms. She writes everything about the weather down in her water Logbook, hoping to see patterns and predict what will come next. She wistfully thinks about a research vessel called the Sally Ride that someone told her about, and throughout the story she wonders if the ship is still out there somewhere. The small group who live together in the museum are a tight knit community who care for and protect each other, so when tragedy strikes (and it does, unfortunately), it’s even more emotional because you care so much for these people.

The story is packed with so many wonderful moments and details, that I have barely scratched the surface in this review. All the Water In the World would make a fantastic movie, and it sort of reminded me of the Netflix movie Leave the World Behind. My favorite apocalyptic stories are the ones that leave the reader with a feeling of hope, and this one does that brilliantly.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

The story is good overall. I wasn't drawn to it, excited for the time of day that I get to read again. I have enough anxiety as it is (about everything, but for the purposes of this book, about climate change) and reading about a world destroyed by it was not easy.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The state of today's climate and the natural disasters that seem to occur with each nightly news gives each of us a look at what the future could bring. Eiren Caffall has done her research and written of the horrors that are possible. In ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD, the glaciers have all melted, rising water levels have forced civilization onto high ground and higher buildings. As super storms batter the world, retaining walls weaken. It's not a matter of if, but when. Future generations must adapt or die.

ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD centers around a family that has managed to build a home on the roof of the Museum of Natural History in NYC. They have learned to make the most of what they have and document the world as it was and as it is now, hoping future generations will be able to use the history that came before them. When they are forced by the breach of retaining walls to find higher ground, the world along the way looks nothing like any other "after the world as we know it fails" book I've read before.....and I love the apocalyptic genre. The genetics of the central character have adapted to a world dominated by water. She chronicles the lives and deaths of those around her, giving readers one more scene to haunt their nightmares. This book is so well written, it seems more like a prophecy, one I'd hope never comes true. 5 astounding stars.

A fascinating and unique story.
This easily could’ve been one of my favourites, but I feel like it was missing something to make it a great book.
Overall, this was an intriguing climate-themed dystopian/apocalyptic story, and I did mostly enjoy it.
I recommend this if you love reading speculative climate fiction.

3.5/5 stars

A unique dystopian thriller told through the perspective of a girl named Nonie. We follow her and her family trying to survive in a flooded world, facing every challenge that is thrown at them. There were many characters and a lot going on, but at the same time, it also seemed too slow of a pace for most of the read. I loved the concept of the antagonist being water, something that can kill while also being something we can't live without. While I wanted to love this one, I felt like it had so much more potential. The writing, however, was beautiful, and I was surprised to find out this was a debut. Overall, I give this one three stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

This was definitely an experience I enjoyed. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc.

The writing of this took a little time for me to get into. The voice is very distinct and there are a lot of words and terms that I had to figure out what they mean.

Once the book got moving I really enjoyed it. It is such a unique premise and really made me think. I liked how the story floated back and forth between before and after to build a clear picture of the world. I found the characters interesting and the plot fast paced. Overall, a different and interesting dystopian story.

This was a beautiful, devastating and hopeful story in a realistic post apocalyptic world. We follow our main character, Nonie, as she grows up in a freshly devastated world. This story was done so well!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

I read the first 1/4 and had trouble getting into the book. I was able to get an audiobook copy and listened to most of it and enjoyed the book much more this way.

Nonie, her sister Bix and parents live in the American Museum of Natural History trying to survive a world where the waters have risen dramatically and are dangerous. After a huge super storm they are forced to leave their sanctuary. I read a lot of dystopian books and enjoyed this one. Nonie and team tried to be care keepers of the museum and also were able to learn a lot about survival from the exhibits. As always after reading an end of the world book I need to go stock up my pantry!

This book was marketed to those that liked Station 11 - I think severance by Ling Ma would be a good comparison as well. This is not a new concept of an apocalyptic event that wipes out society and then survivors learn to co-exist- but…yet…this felt completely fresh and rich with characters and the incredible setting. I loved this book.

Knowing the setting of this novel from being there and having been in New York during Super Storm Sandy, I felt both intrigued and like I wanted to cover my eyes when I picked this title up. After all, it describes terrifying events, including floods, in a city that I love.

This is a story with characters for whom readers will care. They are an intrepid group including Nonie and her family.

In this novel, the characters are invested in their world and want to save all that they can. Readers will just desperately hope that they are successful.

Recommended to those who enjoy literary fiction with some sci-fi elements and those who are concerned about climate change. It is an original story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Dystopian fiction is a genre that I never pass up, so I was excited to receive an ARC of this book. Having recently read a lot about Hurricane Katrina and the levees breaking, this book made me think a lot about that and use it as a frame of reference as I imagined what this would be like. To be living on the roof of a museum, having to go back to all basics and figure out how to live again without comforts and conveniences at my fingertips - it's pretty overwhelming. I also thought about how lucky Nonie and her family were to be stranded somewhere "safe" with resources available to gain knowledge of long-lost skills. They could reference books and educational materials throughout the areas of the museum that were still accessible., whereas others did not have that option and were left with whatever they could figure out on their own. The story is certainly devastating in many ways and it's difficult to fathom being in this situation. I enjoyed the storyline overall.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an ARC of this book!

Noni- a 13 yo girl is living in a deserted NYC on top of the natural history museum. The flood gates keeping them safe were breached with a big storm. Now Noni and her family must travel north on the Hudson River to hopefully find her mother's childhood home. It's not a short journey nor a safe one.

I happen to love post apocalyptic/dystopian stories and this was no exception. The storyline was great and I was definitely invested in the characters. Character building was good with some characters and not so great with others. I felt a tad lost trying to keep track of some of the lesser characters as well. A few times in the book I found the writing to be a bit choppy and the storyline to be a bit confusing but overall the idea was excellent. I think this book could have even been longer with more scene building and character depth. The premise of the story would definitely support that. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would read more from this author.

[arc review]
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
All the Water in the World releases January 7, 2025

<i>“Sometimes what looks like shelter is only menace.”</I>

When the first of the world’s climate catastrophes became seriously fatal, Nonie and her family fled to the American Museum of Natural History and built a settlement on the roof of its library.
Now that they’ve been living there for 8 years, they are forced to relocate once again now that the sea levels have risen and the entire city has flooded.

I liked the commentary on what it meant to rebuild in the wake of destruction and the importance of preserving history and keeping an archive of accounts for future generations, but I thought the ending was a bit abrupt in comparison to the rest of the story.

This is the epitome of a book with the most beautiful and lyrical writing and the most mid level plot possible. I thought that this sounded so promising - I can really get into some climate fiction and one that had a bit of a thriller/survivalist element to it sounded so fantastic. However, this is a story that felt so disjointed and ultimately so anticlimactic that I was left disappointed.

We are following a tiny quartet of survivors in a post-apocalyptic New York where everything has been flooded and rained out. There are these massive storms that come and cause catastrophic destruction in the blink of an eye and our main character has the ability to sense these storms (and their potential severity) before they hit. In the course of this story we encounter the run of the mill apocalyptic scenarios - lack of food and shelter, the hoarding and looting of resources, bands of violent people, and the power tripping "leaders" of the new societies. The only new element that we get is the tie to climate change and that is something that we are just thrown into as we get no real back story or explanation for how the world got to the place it is in other than climate change, duh. I would have liked a little more character and plot development to accompany the prose.

I will say that I do give the author props for talking about thyroid medication in a post apocalyptic world. As someone who *literally* needs to take that medication on a daily basis or I will actually straight up die - I appreciated how the author was like "oop people gonna die if they can't find that..". Absolutely. Your girl here would very much like to be permanently removed from any apocalyptic narratives - please and thank you. I don't want to go survivor without my meds, okay.

I did enjoy reading this story. Noni and Biz were interesting character that I enjoyed. The plot was a little slow at times for me. The writing style was great.

This was my first time reading a climate related dystopia book, and I just didn't connect with it like I thought I would.

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025.
An engaging post climate-crisis, dystopian coming-of-age story
This action-packed, tense survival and adventure story kept me wanting more.
I enjoyed the journey the writer takes us on.
A fantastic dystopian thriller. And a wonderful debut.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!