I'm guessing the 48-hour window to download and read this science fiction / speculative fiction novel is to create buzz, so I tore through it and am not waiting for the pub date to post my review to my review site.

This was probably not the best novel to start reading as I watched election results come in. In a future surely not too distant, the effects of climate change have resulted in unpredictable weather, mosquito borne illness, temperature swings, flooding, and the complete dissolution of society, technology, and industry, and manufacturing. People live in found families in tent cities and utopic compounds, anywhere above the rise of the water that is too dirty to drink and potentially dangerous to touch. Looting, mold, and Wild West style survival seem to be the order of the day.

Nonie’s parents made a home where they met and worked, on the roof of New York City’s American Museum of Natural History, or Amen (AMNH) as it’s now known. The narrative, in Nonie’s impeccable, slightly naive, often wise, autistic 13-year-old voice, is divided into eras she has created, named for types of water she’s experienced. The before times are marked by security and apartment living, and when Mother was still alive. The now times begin with a hypercane bearing down upon Amen, the walls in danger of being breeched. An ancient artifact–a birchbark canoe–may be their only escape from the lethal storm. Headed for a farm in the Berkshires, Nonie, Bix (her older sister, traumatized by the death of her peer during a wild dog attack), their father Allan, and his friend Keller push off, risking hostility or death and everything in between anywhere they stop for rest and refuge along the way.

This apocalyptic novel is absolutely gripping, horrific, and unputdownable. The dangerousness of their mission and the dispiriting condition of both the world and the human condition is balanced by clever writing: in one scene, the men debate how to navigate New York over the city by canoe in a manner reminiscent of New Yorkers debating the best way to get uptown by cab, rattling off street names like they can still the signs marking them as waterways. There is hope in recounting of the return of artifacts to Indigenous peoples, the sensitivity and respect for their culture, and recognition and gratitute when recipes and ways of living are appropriated from the Native cultures that knew how to live with a sometimes unpredictable and hostile land. There is also the kindness of strangers, generous even when they have little themselves. And there is baseness, too: institutional racism as people aligning with like and mistrust and reject others; an attempted rape; withholding medicine when there is plenty to go around; the corruption of a tiny amount of power.

Caffall’s deliberate word choices masterfully solidify Nonie’s voice; we see the beauty in the breakdown alongside catastrophic devastation: floating squirrels and rats and garbage juxtapose with the artistic look of abandoned rusted cars, and an collapsing house where the carpet is now moss, trees grow through flooring and skylights to touch the gray sky. The detritus of human life spells out stories one can only speculate on with each abandoned object. The complete, bleak, world-building depicts something akin to a return to pioneer days: lantern light, handwriting, cooking pemmacin and hardtack, crafting salves of goldenseal for healing, and drinking willow bark tea and chewing twigs for pain management in the absence of any other options.

Nonie, a budding. naturalist, shares many details of fossils, sea life, animals, plants and insects, using her scientific knowledge to try to make sense of things she doesn’t understand. Tales passed down by women in her life also help: Buddhist teachings, an excerpt from Moby Dick, snippets of song. The journey from New York to Massachusetts recalled other modern tales for me as well: the survival elements of Meg Rosoff’s how i live now; Stephen King’s novella The Long Walk as the characters step onto the remains of the Mass Pike, now two lines of broken asphalt with dirt in the middle; and Zombieland, as they meet up with other Lost folk, sharing hopeful tales of places that might still be habitable, with clean water and medicine, mythical in proportion and distance and actuality.

Wonderfully constructed and gorgeously written, All The Water In The World has award-winner written all over it. An author’s note states this was eleven years in the making; it’s a masterpiece about a difficult to face potential gtim future that feels doomfully possible and too close for comfort.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #AllTheWaterInTheWorld via #NetGalley, courtesy of #StMartins. This review will post to HLBB on 11/11/2024.

📖 “We can change the land again with softness, making right what we got so wrong in the years of greed.” 📖⁣
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𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 by Eiren Caffall⁣
What a truly fascinating book to read days out from the US Election. This post apocalyptic tale is set in a New York City decimated by floods and hurricanes. Nonie and her family are living on the roof of Amen (American Museum of Natural History - AMNH) until an even more devastating weather event forces them to abandon their home in an attempt to find land not reclaimed by the ocean. This is the tale of their journey to find a new home. ⁣
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As I was reading this I couldn’t help but think about all of the increasing natural disasters that have occurred just in the US in the last six months. Floods, hurricanes, droughts, extreme temperatures, and forest fires are on the rise. This book reads like a cautionary tale to all those who continue to deny our changing climate and planet. ⁣
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Nonie tells this story from the point of view of a young girl living through the end of one world and the start of another. Her journey reminds us that life contains deep sadness as well as endless hope for a better future. ⁣
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Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this advance copy. Publication date January 7, 2025

When the description starts with "If you liked "Station Eleven"...", well, many books do that and rarely deliver. This is the exception. I took the chance and was not disappointed. I wanted to devour it in one sitting but made myself slow down and enjoy it. It is beautifully written, incredibly visual and descriptive, but also not repetitive or long. I could easily picture the museum's interior and how Amen would look and feel (as well as the other settings, which I will not spoil in this review). It also made me think a little about Margaret Atwood's MaddAdam series, specifically the first two books. I will be ordering for my school library as well as for my Little Free Library - this book deserves to be read.

An interesting approach to a possible future filled with water. Dystopian novels are widely available, but weaving a good tale into a fictional future isn’t an easy task. This one keeps the story interesting.

I think the problem with comparing books to one another is that it sets an unrealistic expectation for the reader and I fear this one falls under that category. This book is likened to Station Eleven which is a beloved book by many and this one fell short of that expectation for me. This book was good but I didn't get the same feeling although I do appreciate the author's writing and story. I felt like the plot moved a little too slow for my taste but overall this was an enjoyable read. There were a few times I felt like I was re-reading certain parts but found that some lines were just a bit repetitive. Yes, the water is dirty and unsafe but I felt like the author kept mentioning it to remind the reader.

I love all types of dystopian/post apocalyptic books and this one is good if you are looking for that type of novel especially with all of the climate change discussion and record breaking storms we have had recently. This book hits a little too close to reality for many of us.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

huge thanks to netgalley and st. martin's press for the advanced kindle read. i inhaled this book over 24 hours AND it was truly a wonderful distraction during election day and the day after. this was beautifully crafted. complex characters along with a deeply disturbing narrative of life in new york city and north of the city after climate change floods everything, literally. being a new york city expat, i absolutely loved the setting of the american museum of natural history and even a chapter about storm king mountain, a place i lived and loved for five blissful years. and the might hudson river. oh man, so shocking to witness the obliteration of all of it. so humbling. and so apocalyptical. if you like this genre, this book will captivate you. and might just leave you feeling very grateful for all of life's everyday conveniences and comforts, too. as the buddhists teach, life is impermanent.

A terrifyingly possible future.
Though extreme in its telling, this novel has much to say about the ability of humans to ignore warnings. It is exciting, but that is a rollercoaster in the telling. Adrenaline up then a flashback crash.The flashbacks break the narrative and, while necessary for the storyline, they interrupt the flow. These backstory inserts would, to me, be more exciting if told in a linear manner. That said, it is a very readable story and recommended.
I now have the urge to make my canoe more convenient and make a GO Bag. I need water purification tablets and one of those survivalist buckets to share with my friends.
Thanks to St Martins Press and Net Galley for this exciting ARC.

I really wished I liked this one, but I struggled to get through it. The premise and writing has a ton of promise. Unfortunately, I found the plot a little slow.

The description of this book drew me in - climate disaster, near future speculative fiction, compared to Station Eleven. Due to this, I had high hopes for the book and I feel a bit let down. It was pretty slow moving and the adversity that the characters faced & the challenges seemed a bit underdeveloped. Sometimes the author's prose/writing was a little confusing, I had to re-read some sections and still had a little trouble following some of the descriptions.

I found the only "Station Eleven-esque" thing to be that they were traveling.

The most interesting part to me was the descriptions of the ravaged Hudson Valley. I'm familiar with the part of the world and its landmarks.

Typically I enjoy apocalyptic books, but this one did not do it for me. Although there was nothing wrong with the writing, it moved so slow. I read about 25% and lost interest. I did not finish it. For those who enjoy slow moving plots, this might be the book for you. Sadly, it was not for me.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

tation eleven-esque, with some bird box vibes. But not the least bit a copycat or retelling. I was hesitant at first, just based on the description of “in the tradition of station eleven.” So glad I gave it a chance and will squeeze in as a favorite of mine for 2024. And will be a favorite of yours in 2025 when released.

Thank you for the opportunity to review! The writing is fascinating and crisp, really enjoyed the work of reading through this.

This is a really good story, I could not read it fast enough, scary that this could be our future with global warming. Nonie and her family, sister Biz and parents, had left their home in New York and moved into the American Museum of Natural History (shortened to Amen throughout the book) after a severe storm hits NY and places begin to flood, her mother had worked at the museum and used her keys to let them in. A group of similar workers also find their way there, they lock the doors to keep out the Lost Ones, and create an encampment of sorts on the roof. They hunt in the park and carefully document all the exhibits for future generations. A very large storm hits, a hypercane they call it, and their rooftop home is destroyed along with a good portion of the museum. They take a canoe from one of the native exhibits and escape into the water surrounding NY. They eventually make their way onto the Hudson River and make a plan to head for a house in the country that Nonie's parents were familiar with. There are only 4 of them in the canoe, Nonie, Bix, their father and a friend, the others had passed during the storm or during a mosquito borne disease that had hit previously. Their journey to this house is fraught with difficulties, trying to hide from other people (who would probably eat them), trying to find food, water and shelter when the rain comes. They find a house with people that allow them to stay and use their knowledge to treat their ailments. The author mentions in her acknowledgement that it took 11 years for her to write this book, let's hope the next doesn't take quite that long. Thanks to #Netgalley and #St Martins Press for the ARC.

The first part of this book really grabbed my attention, and while my interest waned a little bit towards the end of the book, I still really enjoyed it. Nonie's narration was really unique, and I loved the before and after timeline.

I enjoy a near future dystopian novel and All the Water in the World is a great read, I did find it slow going in parts but nothing to stop me reading.
The characters are all strong and full of personality as they orbit around the main characters of Bix and Nonie.
There is action, humour, thoughtfulness and drama and I will not hesitate to recommend it. I would say if you liked The Light Pirate and The Last Murder at the End of the World you might enjoy this book.

The concept of this book is not only wild but scary considering the state of our world. Despite that, I really enjoyed it. Usually this genre isn't my style so I went outside my usually comfort zone because the description seemed so interesting. I really found myself entranced in this story and imagining myself in a world like this. The writing is beautiful and descriptive but no overly so and the story is engaging enough to keep you reading!

I had such high hopes for this book - I love a good disaster dystopian. But this one was so dragging in the beginning, I lost interest :(

I loved this book, though "love" seems like the wrong word. It's a non-stop narrative set in the near future, when climate change has wreaked havoc on the East Coast, and probably most of the world (we only see the East Coast, but it's telling that no aid comes to help the survivors of the storms that pound the coast). Especially in light of what has happened in North Carolina, this one is a must-read.

Wow, what a book. In a future that is frighteningly close, the earth's glaciers melt - raising water levels to catastrophic levels and superstorms terrify the few people who remain. Cities are either ruined or gone and society truly collapses into a "every person for themselves" survival mindset. The narrator is Nonie, a young girl who lives with her parents and sister on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History in a deserted NYC. Eventually they are forced to abandon the museum as the storms increase in strength and what comes next is equally terrifying. Similar to Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel and would be a good choice for book clubs.

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall is a haunting, beautifully written dystopian novel that explores the delicate balance between survival, history, and the power of human connection in a world transformed by climate disaster. Told through the eyes of Nonie, a girl with a deep affinity for water, the story is set in a post-glacial New York City where her family and a group of researchers live in a makeshift settlement atop the American Museum of Natural History. Their mission: to preserve what remains of humanity’s cultural and scientific collections.

The novel’s world-building is vivid and atmospheric, capturing the eerie quiet of an abandoned metropolis and the fragile hope that drives Nonie’s family. When a superstorm forces them to flee up the Hudson River, carrying with them a precious book documenting their work, the story shifts into a harrowing journey. Along the way, they encounter other survivors—some welcoming, others menacing—who have adapted in different and often startling ways to the changed world.

Caffall’s writing is lyrical and meditative, yet the novel is also an engaging adventure, filled with danger, uncertainty, and the deep love that binds Nonie’s family together. Inspired by real-life stories of curators saving priceless collections during war, All the Water in the World is a reflection on what we choose to save from collapse, both tangible and intangible, and a testament to the resilience of human spirit in the face of environmental catastrophe.

Fans of Parable of the Sower and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler will find a lot to love here. It’s a thought-provoking, heart-stirring read that blends survival, love, and the importance of knowledge in a world forever altered.