A story of survival and a desire to save the collective past. The world has been waterlogged by the glaciers melting leaving Nonie and her family living atop the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The family and other researchers who have joined them work not only to survive this new landscape, but also to preserve the knowledge stored in the museum below them.

A superstorm causes Nonie, her family, and their friends to flee the city. They face new challenges to their survival in a harsh world. They attempt to find a safe place not only to live, but to find a new home for the knowledge they brought with them.

I enjoyed this book overall and felt it lagged in some places. It started strong and then slowed down in places due to the amount of detail in some parts of the story. Of course, I could very well complain about the lack of detail if it wasn’t there!

This is an interesting book with a unique story that reflects not only our drive to survive, but also to ensure the past survives with us.

I have a fascination with climate fiction so this literary science fiction novel was right up my alley. It was interesting, slow and contemplative. I liked so many aspects yet I actually felt a touch disappointed since this one never reached the five star potential the plot had. I wish this one had a bit harder with a punchier story. I liked it but I found it's message a bit soft.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

All the Water in the World is a post-apocalyptic novel set in a near future where the world’s oceans have risen so much because of climate change that many places once coastal are now underwater. Nonie, our protagonist, is a young girl who doesn’t remember to much of the world as it was as she was very young, and only knows her home on top of the Museum of Natural History.

New York City is saved from the superstorms by retaining walls built by the government to protect the historied part of the country. The small community on top of the museum is made up mostly of former employees and their families who continue to document life while trying to survive. They farm in nearby Central Park and only take from exhibits in the museum when in dire need.

Like any good disaster story, change is inevitable, and Nonie and her community are forced out by a hypercane and must journey to higher ground. Humanity’s instinctual behavior is on full display and Nonie and others journey by boat to safety.

This novel is more character driven, and because of that the cadence of the story is slower despite all the dangers Nonie faces. I appreciate this as it delves a little deeper into a community’s behavior and motivations and is less reactive. For those who are fans of post-apocalyptic/dystopian stories, and don’t mind a slow burn, add this one to your list.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and of course the author Eiren Caffall for the advanced copy of the book. All the Water in the World is out on January 7th! All opinions are my own.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley. I was interested in this book because I loved The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks Dalton. It had a similar premise.

But I should have taken into account the suggestion that this is recommended for anyone who loved Station Eleven. I could not get into that book and abandoned it pretty quickly. it is a beloved novel so potentially this could become one also despite my opinion. Unlike The Light Pirate I could not immerse myself in the story or feel any depth in the characters. I was not able to suspend belief and ‘see myself’ in this apocalyptic future. And that is really what I am looking for in this sort of novel.

Eiren Caffall takes us on an emotional journey thru the eyes of Nonie a girl who has grown up in a world covered in water but has never been allowed to swim or explore that water. This is a world of melting glaciers and severe weather. A world of survival. Caffall makes us explore the what if, a world of survival and resilience in a time of true desperation.Nonie and her family some biological and others chosen due to the state of the world adapt to a new reality in an unlikely home the American Muesum of Natural History.
I couldn’t put this book down, riveted by how they survived and would continue to thrive and what would their future hold.
A must read!

This story weaves together a story of The World As It Was and The World As It Is. A family trying to survive the world after a climate change apocalypse. I really enjoyed this book!

#NetGalley

I loved this book. It’s not a rollicking action adventure apocalyptic tale but one that dives deeper into human nature — and with plenty of action along the way.

Nonie is a unique narrator, and her way of speech is moving and poetic. At one point during a storm, she says “the world inhaled”, and I felt that and physically braced myself die the destruction that came with the exhale.

This phrase will also stick with me for awhile: “But greed like that didn't start out bad. What alters wanting is what's behind it. Greed and hope aren't opposites. Greed and hope are twins grabbing for the same thing, one in fear and one in faith.”

This is the sort of book that makes me wish I were a writer.

All the Water in the World is an apocalyptic novel told through the viewpoint of Nonie, a 13 year old girl. Nonie and her family live on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH or Amen, as they call it) in the aftermath of massive flooding due to climate change. The world is forever changed by storms and flooding and Nonie and her family and friends are trying to survive. This novel is hauntingly beautiful and I would definitely recommend picking it up when it’s published on 1/7/25. #bookstagram #netgalley

Objectively, I think this is a really good book, which is why I'm annoyed that I didn't connect with it super well. I love the messages about how remembering the past and conserving the knowledge for the future is so important. The imagery was amazing. I'm not going to forget about the image of the scriptorium anytime soon either. However, I didn't connect with Nonie and her flavor of autism, which made it hard for me to care about the things other than worldbuilding.

The world is flooded; people live in small community groups - some are very dangerous; wild dogs are a big threat, as are common illnesses. A young girl who can sense storms tries to make sense of “The World As It Is”, survive and find reasons to hope. It was a slow and tense read but it was so very good. Thank you NetGalley for the advance digital copy!

Having really enjoyed Station Eleven I was excited to read this book that, in premise, seemed similar but with water. Unfortunately I could not get into this book. The book was written very well but the story just felt like it never picked up. It took me a long time to read this book and I felt like I was waiting for it to picked up but it just never did.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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

This story was beautiful, I absolutely loved this journey! I'm a sucker for a good post apocalyptic book, it's my favorite genre. This one was such a beautiful tale.

Its told through 13 year old Nonie's eyes and I loved seeing her growth through this. It reminded a lot of Life As We Knew It, one of my favorite series from a long time ago.

This is definitely a slow burn journey, alternating time periods of Nonie's life to tell the story. But it's a beautiful tale and beautiful journey. I absolutely loved getting thrown into this world of the world ending but finding your tribe in the middle of it all.

A sure way to pique my interest in a book is to invoke “Station Eleven” in the description. Emily St. John’s masterpiece is one of my favorite books of all time. So, I was happy to be able to read Eiren Caffall’s beautifully written book of an environmental catastrophe and those it left behind. Told by Nonie, a sensitive and brilliant teen who describes what a superstorm has done to those who surround her and how the people left behind try to save what they can from their old world to make a new one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy for review.

A child's story of found family and dead dreams. A happy ending clouded by death and loss, the hope of the characters comes through in the story.

I was so excited to get my hands on this book based on the description, but I’m sorry to say that it didn’t meet my expectations.

There was so much potential here, but I felt that the plotting and characterization really fell short. I struggled to finish.

I gravitate toward a dystopian or post-apocalyptic story, so when All The Water In The World popped up on netgalley, I snapped at the chance to read it. I quickly got bored with the beginning, though. Plenty of reviews say this starts slow and I definitely agree. I switched to the audiobook in hopes of increasing the pace, but the narrators voice felt far too old for Nonie's age and inner monologue. I just didn't feel connected to this story or the characters. Obviously I see the realistickkness of these "unprecedented" super storms and I see in real time how these storms are a new reality coming alongside climate change in my real life outside this book, but overall this book just lacked intrigue and intensity. Sure, it’s sad and raw and I sort of rooted for Nonie, but I also didn’t really care and there was a totally underwhelming storyline of Nonie’s potentially superhuman connection to water that wasn’t truly addressed. It’s unfortunate that this book fell so short overall. I’m sure it will resonate with some, but it just didn’t do it for me.

A few years into the future The World As It Was completely changed due to the melting of the polar ice caps. We find young Nonie and her older sister Bix, their father, a man named Keller, and a few friends living on the roof of American Museum of Natural History in NYC, trying to survive the apocalyptic World As It Is Now. Food, drinking water, medicines are scarce. Stray dogs and people known as The Lost are threats to an already fragile way of life. Nonie and the others are hoping to retain as much as they can from AMNH to help keep history and knowledge intact. That all changes when a Hypercane (a super hurricane) destroys what little was left of AMNH and they must flee in a canoe from an exhibit. Will they find the refuge they need on dry land? Will they survive the journey and dangers along the way?

WOW. I scooped this up based on the comparisons to Station Eleven, which I loved. This is truly just as good, if not better. From page one I loved Nonie and Bix. I was pulled into their orbit as a mother myself wanting to protect them. I thought a lot about my own daughters. My own husband who, as a type 1 diabetic, would likely not survive without medicine like others in this story. Without spoilers, I won't touch on other aspects of the story that drew me in, but will say it felt very much like I was on this journey alongside them. I thought a ton about what I would do and how I would survive. We take so much for granted with our own current day (aka "The World As It Was") and saw a glimpse of how quickly things could go bad during COVID but if things REALLY turned on their head, how could we continue?

This book was so well done. The writing style of this author is beautiful and she invites the reader easily into the new world she creates. I felt like I was in the canoe wet, hungry and scared myself. I couldn't put it down and need to know how and if they survived. What a story!!!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review. This story and it's characters will stay with me for a long time. I also will be collecting field guides and learning survival skills as a result. Let's be real - what this author created isn't too far out of the realm of possibility so maybe we all need to wake up! WOW again!!!

How fitting that one of the last books I've read this year is also by far one of my favorites.

Our young narrator Nonie has the gift of knowing water; she can sense the intensity of impending precipitation, from rain so gentle you might tip your head up to drink it, to a monster storm known as a hypercane. Nonie lives with her parents, older sister Bix, and a few other survivors on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History. They have fled to it as shelter as the world's glaciers have all melted; civilization has collapsed, and catastrophic weather and illness have wiped out much of the population. The small community ventures out to hunt in Central Park and scavenge medical and other survival supplies in the mostly abandoned city. They utilize only what is absolutely necessary from the various museum exhibits while attempting to preserve and make records of the rest.

When a storm more intense than anything they've ever imagined destroys their shelter, a small band of them set out in hopes of finding a family farm they remember. Danger and other traumatized survivors are scattered along the route, and Nonie needs to find any bits of strength and hope she has to fight for herself and those she loves.

This book is just beautifully and heartbreakingly written. The characters are so well developed that we absolutely know them and root for them to live, to find a way to create a new life for themselves. I highlighted sooo many powerful passages in this that moved me. I'm adding this author to my must-read list!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

"All the Water in the World" by Eiren Caffall is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that explores the devastating impact of climate change.

I DNF about 65% in for several reasons

I was so excited for this book because The Day After Tomorrow is one of my favorite movies! For me, this book was so slow but I kept reading hoping it would get better. The deciding factor of DNF this book... I was HAPPY that there are diverse characters in this book UNTIL Keller (a Black Male character) is left taking care of 2 white girls (idk their age and I don't care). My assumption is that he will eventually die to ensure the two white main characters live. But also, Mano is NOT white character dies gruesomely so the older daughter learns her post apocalyptic lesson?
Honestly, the author could have kept this in the drafts or made Keller white, then I would have finished the book and probably rated it.

I will say... Eiren Caffall, you weren't wrong about some information about the Ingenious peoples.