This started out so interesting - it reminded me of Station Eleven meets the Day After Tomorrow. I did get really bored after the first 20%, but then it picked back up for a meh ending. I found it didn't really have a consistent narrative - so the imagery was ok, but overall, I just will forget it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

“You are allowed to hope for something that doesn’t just save...”

Living on the rooftop of the abandoned American Museum of Natural History in New York City, besieged by storms, Nonie and her family have survived the initial aftermath of a global catastrophe. Together with a handful of other survivors, they take on as their mission the preservation of museum artifacts, and an accounting of events. For a time they eek out a meager existence, but are forced to evacuate their haven in the wake of a “hypercane.” Driven by a need to seek a path forward and in hope for the future they journey out into the unknown in search of a family owned farm Nonie’s mother frequently spoke of located in up state New York. It is through the narration of Nonie’s interior thoughts, memories and reflections, that we learn and become invested in the fate of this lonely band of survivors, and of those they encounter along the way.

All the Water in the World, Efren Caffall’s debut novel, is a stand-alone speculative fiction about one family’s fight for survival in the midst of catastrophe. It is ultimately more than just a hopeful survival story, it is about the power of remembering, the need to preserve and understand our history in order to pave a corrective path forward.


Many thanks to the author @eirencaffall , @StMartinsPress, and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to both netgalley and the publisher for access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think this book will ever leave my mind. I don't think i've read such a poignant, heatbreaking but ultimately hopeful story such as this in a long time, and I cannot recommend this enough, especially considering all that is going on climate-wise in today's' world.

The plot is engaging and the characters (though a large cast) are memorable on their own. There were genuine moments where I felt for them, and more than once I found myself crying alongside them, or hopeful for their futures. The prose is beautiful and the author definitely has the talent for making readers feel for her writing.

3.5 stars. This mid-apocalypse dystopian is a view of the world following the melting of the polar ice caps and the subsequent flooding of previously heavily populated areas. The story begins in New York City with a family harbored in the Natural History Museum and follows through the POV of a young girl.

The story is a bit slow to get started and has some issues with organization of flashbacks, but the concept and intrigue are something special. I enjoyed the use of a child POV, especially one who has very limited knowledge of "The World As it Was". Her view of life and "normalcy" are different than had there been use of an adult POV and I think that allows for a more gentle and critical evaluation of both the situation and the progression of the apocalpytic scenarios.

Once the basis had been established and the plot truly got in motion, the story was very interesting and it held my attention quite well. I do wish the plot had been more heavy on this section of the novel.

The ending wraps up rather quickly. It was written well, but somehow left me feeling a bit whiplashed. After the tenseness of the last third of the book it just felt something like a sudden stop in a way that made the prior section of the novel feel a bit off kilter. It somewhat downplayed the severity of the situation and the difficulty of adaptation and survival. I can't say much more without spoilers, but just know I wish this would have been fleshed out a bit more.

TLDR: An excellent concept with good attention to potential issues, but fell a bit short on the initial pacing and the plot development of the conclusion. A decent think piece for sure.

This was quite an interesting read. I at first felt a little confusion while getting myself settled into the world and exactly what happened that created a world of water. I also got confused at times just learning about the new civilization and the workings of the new governmental systems. But even when I felt confused, I always felt compelled to continue. The story always kept my interest, and I was always invested.

Caffall has created an intriguing and fairly believable dystopic world in which the natural progression of global warming has melted the polar icecaps and flooded a great deal of the world. Our narrator, Nonie, is a young girl who is living with her parents and sister Biz in the top floors of the AMNH in New York. They are part of a small group of former museum employees and friends who are trying to preserve what they can of the exhibits while they attempt to survive in a very uncertain world. Nonie has a sensory connection with water and can tell when storms are coming. Over time resources become fewer and some of the group die, including the girls’ mother. After a terrible hypercane in which the flood gates are overtopped and several more of the group are killed, the girls set off with their father and the other remaining man to try to reach their mother’s family farm inland. Of course, they encounter a variety of problems on the way. The book was a little uneven, with action sometimes slowed by internal conversations and unnecessary details, but it kept my interest. There was an unfortunate attempt to wrap things up too neatly at the very end, but some like that. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in return for an honest review..

All the Water in the World takes place in a not-so-distant future, where the world is experiencing devastating fires and flooding. The novel follows two young sisters, Bix and Nonie, as their home built on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History is wiped out by a “hypercane”, and they must travel north by canoe with their father and friend, to find safety and shelter.
The novel is told from 9-year-old Nonie’s perspective, going back and forth from the present to stories of the world before.

3.5 stars. It took me a little bit of time (60% through) to finally have real emotions for the characters. Nonie is very withdrawn and book smart, which makes sense with all the horrors she has witnessed at an early age but ultimately had me struggle to connect to the characters through most of the book. The ending is what made me fall in love with the story. Throughout it all, there was hope and love, and the story blossomed into an adventure I wanted to follow the characters on.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my review!

This book is about surviving the world throughout it changing. Very interesting and kept me hooked right in.

All the Water in the World is told in the voice of a girl gifted with a deep feeling for water. This is part literary thriller, part climate change dystopian novel, and tells the story of people serving in different ways in a world where the climate has created chaos.

I ended up loving this book. It took me getting through the first section to really get into it. Once you get into it, it moves very fast and it is so good. I loved it. Great characters and great plot. I have already been telling others about this book. I read a NetGalley copy.

bookscoffeebrews Book Review: ALL THE WATER IN
THE WORLD
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Eiren Caffall @eirencaffall
Publisher: St Martins Press @stmartinspress
Thank you @netgalley for my gifted ARC

The mesmerizing cover art of All The Water in the
World seized my attention, showcasing iconic New
York City landmarks like the Empire State Building,
largely submerged in water, embodying the invincible
human spirit of resilience and hope. The publisher's
blurb further ignited my curiosity, and I knew I had to
immerse myself in this extraordinary journey. The story,
set in a not-too-distant future, is masterfully narrated
by Nonie, a young teen with a profound affinity for
water. Alongside her sister, Bix, and their father, Nonie
resides on the rooftop of the former American Museum
of Natural History in Manhattan, now a thriving
community known as AMEN, where determination,
adaptability, and hope converge. As they strive to
preserve precious artifacts and knowledge, the
community's unwavering resilience and determination
serve as a powerful testament to the human capacity
for hope, transformation, and triumph.

#AllTheWaterInTheWorld #GlobalWaterCycle #read
#reading #readreadread #readmorebooks
#readersgonnaread #readersofinstagram #AquaLife
#WaterIsLife #WaterAwareness #BluePlanet
#HydrationNation #SaveWater #booklover
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#book #bookaddict #currentlyreading #bookreview
#instaread #lovetoread #booksarelife #bookreviewer
#whattoreadnext #readallday #booksofinstagr
#newreads

Thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

This was such a fascinating novel and I completely see how it's been compared to Station Eleven. After the glaciers have melted, Nonie lives with her family and people on top of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The world-building in this novel is exceptional and I appreciated how easily this book fits into post-apocalyptic literature without being basic or a copycat. The short chapters helped keep the pace going and I was never felt like the plot was treading down a worn path. The characters were interesting and distinct and I loved how the author handled the stress of this world. The book never gave false hope while also not being depressing. I can't wait to read another novel from Caffell, this was fantastic.

This is a dystopian novel with a climate change theme. Nonnie has been living most of her life with her dad, her sister Bix and several other researchers at AMNH, the building that was famously known as The American Museum of Natural History in NYC. As the ocean levels rose and the storms increased in force and frequency, much of NYC was submerged underwater and Nonnie’s family found refuge at the museum where her mother used to work. There they survived, growing for food in Central Park and scrounging for medical supplies from the abandoned city stores and hospitals. But when a massive hurricane forces them to flee the museum, Nonnie and her family are faced with the dangers of the open seas, others who are struggling to survive and a fight for limited medical supplies and food as they hope to reach dry land up north.

This story started off a little slow as the background to the novel and the backstories of the characters were developed. Once Nonnie and her family fled the museum, the pace picked up and the plot grew more intriguing. This was an interesting perspective into what could possibly be the fate of many of our coastal cities should we continue to ignore the signs of how humans are destroying our planet.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for an early digital review copy of this novel.

All the Water in the World was a paradox, but I enjoyed it! The things happening around the characters are stress-inducing and life altering, but the inner monologue of the main character is so poetic and metaphorical that it is easy to forget just how dire her circumstances are. The ending felt right and brought hope to the end of the long, perilous journey that we are taken on while reading this book. While the ending doesn't necessarily call for a sequel, I would definitely be interested in reading one, just to see what more Eiren Caffall can do with The World As It Is.

This book is perfect! I have no notes. It honestly felt like I was reading the screenplay to a really in-depth movie. The characters, the narrative, and prose did something for me most books do not. I pray for nothing but positive things for the author and this book.

I love natural disaster films and tales, so I thought I’d love this book. Unfortunately it didn’t click for me. It was very slow and I found myself really bored while reading.

"Literary Thriller" might be one of my new favorite genres! If you loved the movie The Day After Tomorrow, the pictures from that movie will be set in your mind while reading this book. I can definitely see this one becoming a movie one day. So good!

I loved this book. The characters were wonderful and the story compelling. I hoped each character would find a home. I hope there is a sequel. Would be a fantastic tv series.

All the Water in the World was such a strange, moving book, and I am so thrilled I received an ARC of it. I went into it semi-blind and am actually glad that I did: getting to watch Nonie's story unfold with no expectations whatsoever was so thrilling, and I felt completely absorbed in the worldbuilding. I feel like the only apt comparison would be with All the Light we Cannot See -- this book's got a similar blend of intense character study, thrilling plot, and prose with a keen eye towards the natural world. I cannot stress enough how every chapter of this book was such a perfectly crafted vignette; I can't believe I hadn't heard of Caffall's work before this.

All the Water in the World fits neatly in between literary fiction and the growing speculative subgenre cli-fi. Thirteen year old Nonie and her older sister Bix are daughters of scientists who, when the world flooded due to climate change, took refuge in a museum of natural history. Called AMEN by its residents (draw what Biblical parallels from that you will), this museum does an apt job of providing for those who look after it. Nourished by the gardens and educated in medicine by the historical texts there, Nonie and crew seem poised to outlast the apocalypse. But when a hypercane (a supercharged hurricane) floods their refuge, Nonie, Bix, their father, and their father's friend and chief entomologist Keller pile onto a canoe and attempt to make their way to a family farm upstate for shelter. There is no guarantee that the farm will be still standing, and there are dangers aplenty along the way -- both natural and human. But the crew has no choice but to hope, because giving up hope means certain death.

This book felt so fully realized, it was heartbreaking. No little detail goes unnoticed, adding to how dire the stakes are. From the poisonous water around them, made undrinkable by sewage runoff and industrial spillage, to the simple diseases made deadly by lack of antibiotics, this was such a perfectly imaged apocalyptic scenario. And I cared so, so deeply for the characters. I know some readers struggled with Caffall's choice to bounce us back and forth between past and present, but I personally felt it both added urgency and gave us much needed character development. When we're thrust into a life-or-death scenario every second of the book, it's hard to stop and find those moments of growth. Caffall gave us those, and more -- the pauses and rushes of All the Water were so well timed. Like the tides, this book ebbs and flows effortlessly.

I also particularly loved the choice to make Nonie some variety of neurodivergent; seeing how her neurodivergence brushes up against their new world was such an interesting bit of intersectionality. The representation's also very well done, not only for Nonie but for all the characters. Keller in particular is a highlight. And the prose was so beautiful that, if I'd had a print copy, it would've been dog-eared and highlighted and quoted for all eternity. I look forward to reading more of Caffall's work, and I hope that this wins all the accolades, because it so deserves it.

Timely, well-crafted, and moving, All the Water in the World is a stunner.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Eiren Caffall for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Nonie is the young protagonist of this stark climate-change dystopian future, in which her small community fights to survive and to preserve history--from the roof of the American Museum of Natural History--before a horrific storm sends them fleeing up the Hudson, encountering kindness and nefarious groups in their quest for a new home.

In a dystopian future in which the glaciers have melted, Nonie, a young girl with a gift for feeling the water, coming storms, and weather, lives in a largely deserted New York City with her family.

Their settlement is on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH, or "Amen"), and they hunt and gather in Central Park. They must be careful, as packs of feral dogs--and packs of desperate humans, the Lost--will try to take what they can get to survive. Along with her parents' researcher friends, her family helps try to save and further the exhibits of human history and science.

The scenes of Nonie and her sister Bix, who have long been trapped in a confined boundary of existence, wandering the partially destroyed museum and wondering at the history and the world are particularly captivating. I was also struck by the haunting moments of grown-ups sharing the old stories: what it was like to swim (when waters were not deadly with pollution), to pick wild berries, to fly in an airplane, to have easy access to medicines, and more.

But a superstorm (which they deem a "hypercane") floods the city further, and the group must escape up the Hudson. Nonie and her group carry a book holding precious history preserved from Amen, and on their journey they encounter a few communities, each of which has adapted to survive. Some try to help, while others have nefarious intent. It's sometimes tough to tell which is which until it's too late.

This climate-change novel is powerful, disturbing, and, starkly lovely in its stripped-away love and loyalty. The story keeps in the forefront the looming dangers, the fear of disease and ill intent, and the bone-weary fatigue involved in simply fighting to survive--and I couldn't ever forget that the enemy, the deadly monster here, is the human race that destroyed its planet.

The found-family element is a favorite of mine, and the makeshift nature of Caffall's imagined future in All the Water in the World necessitates crafting a family from like-minded survivors. This story was upsetting, fascinating, and wonderfully shaped.

I received a prepublication edition of this title courtesy of St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.