The Last Bookstore on Earth

Starred review from November 1, 2024
What do you do when the world ends? Maybe just keep going to work. Almost a year after The Storm, Liz still works alone in a bookstore in suburban New Jersey, although now customers only wander in occasionally to trade various supplies for books. She moved into the apartment on the floor above the shop, took on the role of an informal post office, and started recording the stories of regular visitors in a journal. In some ways, Liz finds this existence a relief; she hardly ever has to bother with people and all the stressors of her old life (like choosing a college major) have been washed away. But now, with another Storm coming, Liz realizes how precarious her situation really is, with dwindling food supplies and a building in desperate need of repairs. One night, she's awakened by a creaking noise from downstairs. Armed only with a hardcover edition ofAnna Karenina, Liz confronts the intruder--a girl about her age, Maeve, who's in need of a place to stay and happens to be good at fixing things. The two form an uneasy alliance. This stellar debut is filled with cynical and witty characters who are exploring the nature of and need for human connection. The story contains just the right amount of action, balancing the introspective scenes, a blossoming queer romance, and a well-executed slow doomsday reveal. Main characters present white. A beautifully realized addition to the genre.(Post-apocalyptic. 14-18)

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Starred review from October 7, 2024
Braun-Arnold’s poignant sapphic debut dystopia turns a suburban New Jersey bookstore into a haven for survival and romance in a world of “death, and rot, and memories.” After acid rain ravages civilization and kills her parents and twin sister, 17-year-old Liz Flannery shelters in the only place that feels safe: the bookstore where she used to work, and where she now trades books with fellow survivors for necessities. After a year in hiding, Liz’s solitude is disrupted by mysterious, street-smart Maeve, whose past hints at violence and trauma. Despite misgivings, Liz allows Maeve to stay, realizing she needs Maeve’s know-how to fortify the dilapidated bookstore before the next disastrous storm. As they work together, animosity warms to affection and romance—until Maeve’s enemies find them, unleashing deadlier chaos than
the pending tempest. Liz narrates with tongue-in-cheek sass, interspersing her story—a vivid homage to books, music, and their power to unify and comfort—with memories of prestorm life and excerpts from the logbook in which she records survivors’ tales. Endearingly
awkward romance pushes toward a hopeful resolution that heartens this desolate vision of a postapocalyptic future. Protagonists cue as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Lily Dolin, United Talent.

December 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 Elizabeth ""Liz"" Flannery is doing her best in a postapocalyptic world--she's set up a trade system in the bookstore she occupies, getting just enough human contact to maintain her sanity. One of her regulars notes a second Storm is coming, potentially causing more damage than the first that set the apocalypse going. Liz panics, unsure of how to manage the endless list of repairs that need to be done to the bookstore so she can survive the new Storm. Luckily, Maeve breaks in one fateful evening, and the two girls form a tentative, strained relationship, since Maeve has the skills Liz needs to make the repairs. The closer they get, the more threats appear amid the ruins, and they'll both have to decide what's worth sacrificing to survive. Braun-Arnold's debut is flush with literary references, though somewhat clunky in plot and character development. Still, she manages to create a sweet romance amid the chaos of the climate-impacted world, and the conversations in flashbacks about climate and how close humans are to the "point of no return" will invoke a familiar anxiety.

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January 17, 2025

Gr 9 Up-Liz Flannery was on the cusp of adulthood when the Storm hit, a devastating result of human-created climate change that wiped out a huge portion of civilization. Liz holed up in her local bookstore for months, only vaguely aware of what was happening beyond its doors. Her sole connection to the outside world came in the form of infrequent visitors to the bookstore, where she acts as a de facto post office, barters for supplies, and spends the rest of her time reading. Suddenly, her world is upended by the arrival of Maeve, whose approach to life in this new dystopia is very different from Liz's. Maeve rubs against Liz's carefully cultivated ignorance by being brash, sharp, smart, and talented, and the two team up against what they think is simply the impending devastation of another Storm but turns out to be much more. In her debut, Braun-Arnold has approached the postapocalyptic genre from a unique lens of a young person who grew up with the climate crisis looming large. The challenges that Liz and Maeve face feel eerily possible, and the use of flashbacks and epistolary storytelling aid in building the tension surrounding Liz's past and the uncertainty of her future. While Liz lacks depth, her trauma is well-defined and explains her inability to act; plus, enough is happening around her that the story does not drag. Avid readers will appreciate the bookstore setting and the references to popular titles and authors. VERDICT A solid standalone dystopian for any YA collection.-Christine Case

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