All the Water in the World was a scary look at a future in which global warming finally takes its anger out on the world. It had the potential to be a wonderful and expansive journey. It meandered instead of ran. There was no sense of anxiety or danger in the situations the characters continued to find themselves in. It read more like a textbook than a novel in several places. I did not find the characters to be interesting or even realistic. Often they were almost robotic. I enjoyed how the author described the world of the future but didn't connect with the book.

The newest flooded-world entry in the climate fiction genre! Much like, After the Flood by Kassandra Montag, we follow young women maneuverer the dangerous new oceans as they search for home. In After the Flood it's a mother in search of her lost daughters, and in All the Water in the World, it is a young girl searching for her deceased mother's home.

I really dug the concept of All the Water in the World! As a librarian, I'm always fascinated by stories that revolve around preserving of history and the lengths people will go to keep knowledge alive (think Nuclear Semiotics or The Golden Record). And that was a really cool part of the novel- until the concept was abandoned almost entirely during the initial scene.

Most of the plot was: Go to point A -> someone gets hurt -> go to point B for antibiotics -> someone else gets hurt -> rinse and repeat.

The story was a bit dragging with some interesting musings from our young narrator. And ending felt completely rushed in a not-epilogue- It wasn't fleshed out and didn't feel earned I'm afraid.

I did enjoy the history lessons of the curators in Iraq and Leningrad, and the weaving of Indigenous history as our crew navigated their world. Nonie, our autistic child protagonist, and her sister Biz are great and complex characters who sort of remember the world "as it was", but not enough that they can't adapt to this new world. Like, how I technically remember a time before 9/11, but my post-9/11 life is much more impactful on who I am as a person.

I will probably recommend to readers who like After the Flood, and any Emily St. John Mandel-, but they haven't been exactly my cup of tea.

The audiobook was Eunice Wong who I have listened to a few times! Her narration voice was a little quiet and I had a hard time hearing her if I wasn't alone in a quiet room.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall takes place in the future where all the climate-change warnings were ignored and the effects of that broke down an already stressed and over-taxed society.

With rising temperatures came the "Mosquito Borne" - a fever caused by the influx of year round warmth and mosquitoes causing the death of more people than wars. The rising temps also led to famine and water shortages. Then normal storms such as hurricanes became hypercanes, wiping out complete coastal areas allowing the ever rising ocean to eat up land. Because of these factors, people sought shelter high up, on building tops.

The story surrounds a small group of people sheltering on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History (pronounced "Amen" in the audio book). The people include the main character Nonie, her sister and her parents and some scientists/researchers. The group wants to record and save what they can filling log books out for the future.

The story is told from Nonie's perspective which was powerful and unique. She has a strong connection to the water and can predict when storms are approaching - a useful trait to have in a world surrounded by water! The story also alternates from the past to the present, allowing readers to understand what the group has endured leading up to where the story starts.

The book has an obvious serious tone and one that makes you feel the stress and exhaustion of the characters. Numerous times I found myself picturing scenes from The Walking Dead while I was reading this... without the zombies, of course! But similar to the TV show, families are formed by the people you learn to trust and rely on; people do things they never would have done in a civilized world to get the resources and supplies they need for themselves or their group; and sadly, true family members and group members die during the journey to find higher group.

This was a four star read for me and one I think many, many people will love! It is scheduled to publish January 7th so if this sounds right up your alley, I recommend pre-ordering a copy now!

It’s the near future in New York City. The latest hypercane storm finally defeats the retention walls that have kept the city from flooding. Now they’re gone and the few remaining New Yorkers who were surviving on the roof of the Museum of Natural History must take the canoe from an old Native American diorama and head north in search of dry land. This is the story of Nonie and her family as they make their way north to find a place to live. It’s a dangerous journey in a time when some survivors have created new communities (as Nonie’s family did at the Museum) that sometimes welcome and sometimes shun outsiders. It’s about people helping each other, what family means, and how we might go on living amid the chaos and infrastructure collapse that climate change is bringing.
The writing is evocative and the story kept me engaged. As dystopian novels go, this one has a hopeful side. Highly recommended.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @MacmillanAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes. Publication date: Jan 7, 2025.

This is the story of 13-year-old Nonie and her family who live in "the world that is" as opposed to "the world that was." In this new world, glaciers have melted, cities have flooded, and super storms are common. Nonie and her family and friends must make a way in this new world while trying to save the things that are most important. Through the journey of this book, she will come to decide what those important things are, how to let go of the ones that aren't, and how to tell the difference.

The voice of Nonie, our narrator, made this book what it is. She jumps between the present and the not-so-distant past to give us a portrait of her life in the face of a reality that is difficult for us to even comprehend, and she does it through the lens of a child's perspective. Although, to be fair, she doesn't come across at all child like throughout most of this novel. This is one that I'll be thinking about for a while, I suspect, as I grapple with wondering who I would be and what I would do if faced with a similar situation to the one we find here. And that's the point, to make us look at the things that each of us hold close and the things we let go, all wrapped up in one heck of an adventure. Highly recommend.

Told from the point of view of a young girl, Nonie, this book is set in the aftermath of extreme climate change. The glaciers have melted, and the water levels have risen to flood out cities like New York. Nonie and her family live on the roof of the New York Natural history Museum, trying to save the exhibits from the floods.
When another flood breaks through the city flood barriers, Nonie and her family escape to the north, meeting other communities of survivors along the way, and running into danger at several turns.

The book made me think of all the things that we take for granted in our modern world, as Nonie and her family struggle to find food, clean drinking water, medicines etc. They fear water, as it contains hidden dangers, from creatures to branches and submerged buildings that will tear at their canoe, to bacteria and viruses that could prove deadly.

I listened to the book, and the narrator did a good job of painting this new world, from the close sense of community among Nonie and the survivors they know, to the dangers they face. I must say that the book felt long and drawn out in the middle - I realized I wanted the survivors to get to where they needed to be, when in fact the journey was the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this wonderful book by Eiren Caffall, with the audiobook gorgeously narrated by Eunice Wong. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 5 stars!

This book is set in the near future, when climate change has devastated the world. Nonie and her older sister, their parents and fellow researchers have taken refuge on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. They hunt and grow food in Central Park and only scavage the exhibits if necessary. When a hypercane (a huge superstorm) breaches the city’s flood walls, Nonie and her family must escape on the Hudson River, determined to find a new world to honor what they’ve saved.

I sometimes have a love/hate relationship with dystopian/apocalyptic stories, but the writing in this book, and the audiobook narration, made it perfection. Told from Nonie’s point of view in the present, along with flashbacks letting the reader know what it was like before, this is an adventure story, a cautionary tale, and will make you think about what’s important to keep. While the subject matter is fightening in its potential reality, the book is filled with hope, with community and people trying to help. The writing was so beautiful, almost poetic, with lines to make you think, such as, “You never know in the darkness, who’s holding the light;” and “A building is just a body through which you live a life. What mattered was the people we found and lost.” I listened to the audiobook while reading, and the narrator’s voice was so haunting that it added layers to the story. Highly recommended!

The premise was so intriguing--I wanted to love this! Unfortunately I just could not connect with the writing of the characters. Too serious, and too distant. Sadly this one was a miss for me.

"Greed and hope aren't opposites. Greed and hope are twins grabbing for the same thing, one in fear and one in faith." Keep in mind that this is written before the final publication of the book but that quote grabbed ahold of me and pulled me along in a sense of wonder.

Nonie is born into a world that is radically changed by climate changed. Born in an apartment and then moved as a small girl to grow up in the American Museum of Natural History, or on its roof. The reader meet Nonie as a young teenager, when she and her family have to flee a hypercane, the supercharged hurricane the breaches the city's flood walls. As they travel north toward the farm where her mother grew up, Nonie reflects on events in her and there is a strong sense of adventure.

A strong dystopian novel that will engage readers of all types, All the Water in the World is a must read for everyone. It is not a YA novel but could still be added to the library of a high school. It is a must for public libraries and home collections.

This book will haunt me for years to come. I have a book hangover and feel bad for whatever I read after this. I finished the entire book in one day, unable to stop. If I wasn't with students, I have my earbuds in listening with baited breath!

The narrator is excellent and builds drama and excitement to match the writing. She even changes her voice to better match the quotes and characters.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Net Galley for the ALC! All opinions are my own!

I had very high hopes for this book since I love anything climate change related, but unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. The only reason that I gave this two stars is that I enjoyed the setting of NYC. When I started listening, it felt like I had been dropped into the middle of the story and I had no idea what was going on. I never felt like I connected with the characters, and quite honestly the story was just one bad thing after another. Look, I know that climate change in the real world has the future looking bleak, but even in non-fiction books on the topic, there is some kind of hopeful message. This book gave me none of that. I think I’m the odd one out with these opinions though, so I guess take my review with a grain of salt.

I'll just say it: this book is considerably out of my comfort zone, so please take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Rarely do I read sci-fi or dystopian novels, but now and then I like to give them a go, especially when it is about nature or genetic topics.

Unfortunately, this book didn't speak to me. Even though I was curious about this new reality of our own world where massive storms haven taken control of everything and cities are under water. I did empathise with our protagonist, Nonie, and her dynamics with her family struggling to survive in such a dangerous world. The writing is interesting, too. But pretty much that was everything I enjoyed about this book.
I didn't connect with the narrative or care for what was going on.
I cannot pinpoint what I think is wrong with this book. I don't even think there is anything essentialy wrong or bad about it. I'm just not the right audience.
Sci-fi and dystopia stories are very hit or miss for me. Sadly, this one was more of a miss.

However, I do recommend this book to any sci-fi readers are out there who enjoy plots envolving nature, climate change, and, possibly, realistic scenarios to our own reality.
The audiobook is also recommended. It is narrated by Eunice Wong and, in my opinion, she is always great at voicing different characters. She was the main reason why I even requested this audiobook. :)

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for allowing me to listen to an advanced free audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

All the Water in the World is told by Nonie, a young girl who is trying to survive the floods with her parents, sister, and other survivors on the top of the American Museum of Natural History. While trying to perserve the museum relic's and keeping a log of events for themselves this tight knit community have to work together to survive. Nonie has the gift to perdect when the storms will come and helps aide in their survival. Now Nonie, her father, sister, and a researcher have to flee their home and find a new place to live after a superstorm has them fleeing their "home". With supplies of medicine, food, clean water are dwendling can they make it to their destination in time. This was a really good dystopia book that deep dives into what global warming will do if we don't strart to make changes. The floods are being caused by glaicers melting and rising the tides in the ocean. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for letting me listen to an advanced copy of this audio book.

2.5 stars!

Thank you to Eiren Caffall and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Wow, okay this was not for me. Touting comparisons to both Station Eleven and Parable of the Sower, I'm not sure what I was expecting but this definitely fell short of my expectations.

All the Water in the World follows Nonie as she and her loved ones navigate the floods which have devastated much of the world as we know it. Nonie is 13 years old apparently, which you wouldn't know from her very mature narrative voice and which I didn't internalize until the epilogue. Based on the comparison to Station Eleven I was expecting multiple interweaving POVs or timelines which I really enjoy in books but we only ever get Nonie's POV with a few mildly confusing flashbacks. I would say this is a lot more similar to The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn or In Universes by Emet North, both books I did not personally enjoy but if you did this might be more up your alley. Another issue I have is the guessing game that Nonie plays, which she is never really challenged by and only seeks to insert heavy-handed animal metaphors when they become relevant. The plot is pretty bare bones and the characters are fine, I didn't have any issues with them but I didn't feel engaged either. The narrator did a good job, I have no complaints about her performance.

You get the gist. I'm sure this book is for someone, but it really doesn't feel novel at all. Even if you are the type of person to enjoy this kind of book, I'm sure there are books like this that are just done better.

Happy reading!

This is a review for the audiobook version.

The narrator was interesting and easy to listen to.

Not my usual choice of genre, but the rave reviews peaked my interest and so here we are. I really enjoyed this story and it was fast-paced and apocalyptic. The only downside is that it alternated from the past to the present and it wasn't always clear to me which timeframe the story was in. This was a bit distracting as I was trying to figure it out. This made not have been as clear because it was an audiobook. While the author did a great job at keeping the atmosphere of dread, I wanted more description of the physical atmosphere. At times it was difficult for me to visualize their setting. However, I still enjoyed this story and for anyone who is in to sci-fi with end of the world type things, this is for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio copy.

DNF -- I could not get into this one. If you like reading speculative fiction about our future due to climate change, you might like this. I just felt both anxious and disinterested. The narrator did a good job, though.

In a dystopian vision of the not too distant future, in a world devastated by the effects of climate change, we follow Nonie, along with her remaining family and companions on a journey north from New York City. This book is more of a character study of Nonie than a "post-apocalyptic thriller." As such it is less about the destination, and more about the journey and her growth along the way. An enjoyable and engaging read/listen.

While After the Flood promised an exciting post-apocalyptic journey, the execution fell short of its potential. The premise—survivors living atop the American Museum of Natural History after catastrophic flooding—was intriguing, but the book spends too much time dwelling on the pre-apocalypse world, a detail that felt redundant rather than illuminating. Once the survivors are forced from their refuge and journey north, the narrative does pick up, and Caffell’s evocative writing shines in moments of tension and despair. However, the lack of plot momentum and missed opportunities to explore group dynamics in a survivalist setting left me wanting more depth. If you appreciate a slow-burn story with a focus on atmosphere over action, you may find this engaging; for me, the potential for a richer, more psychologically driven tale went largely untapped.

In a near future world where the catastrophes expected by climate change have happened, Nonie and her family have created a settlement in a fallen New York City on top of the American Museum of Natural History. They scavenge, hunt and survive, not without losses, until a major storm breaks down the flood walls and wipes out the entire city. They're forced to take a canoe from an exhibit and escape north, headed for her mother's family farm.

Along they way they encounter the most deadly things, other humans and disease. But they also find community, partners, and, eventually, a safe place.

While the story focuses on a decimated future unlike the life we know now, it's still hopeful.

Thank you for the ARC. The narration absolutely fit the role! I love the way the family tells the protagonist about the before times. It was so interesting to see how someone might explain that to someone who hasn't experienced it. I love the idea of trying to preserve history.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook of All The Water In the World by Eiren Caffall. It was narrated by Eunice Wong who did an excellent job in the narration, making the book come alive for me. This is a new author and I thoroughly enjoyed her wonderful writing drawing me into the book like I can see and feel what was going on. The dystopian society that was left after the waters came were hard and cruel, no place was safe and they constantly had troubles all along their travels. It certainly kept me wound up in the book, and I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. I would recommend this book, excellent! Thanks to Macmillan Audio.
#NetGalley #AllTheWaterInTheWorld