Leave the world behind by Rumaan Alam
Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526633095.
(Age: Adult / Senior secondary) Highly recommended. Clay and Amanda
and their two teenage children, Archie and Rose, head off for a much
needed family holiday staying in a luxurious Airbnb far off the
grid. It's just what they all need, comfortable, with an
entertaining area, French doors to the deck, a swimming pool, spa
bath, and forest scenery with turkeys and deer in the background.
Then the next evening, whilst relaxing after a day spent at the
beach, there is a knock at the door. A genteel black couple claim to
be the owners of the house, returning back to their home because of
a huge power outage across the east coast. Is what they say true?
From here, this highly original story spirals out beyond anything
you might expect. I was gripped, reading each short chapter after
the next. Not wanting to give away any plot surprises, I can only
say that Rumaan Alam draws readers into an overwhelming sense of
dread, in the beginning reminding me of the 2007 psychological
thriller Funny games. However Alam's novel isn't that kind
of sadistic horror; instead it cleverly shines a spotlight on
ourselves, our class divisions, prejudices, stereotypes, self
interest, dependence on technology, in fact the whole modern world;
and asks of us, if faced with the end of the world as you know it
how would you behave, what would you do?
Themes: Dystopia, Social commentary, Human condition, Ethics.
Helen Eddy