Fear the unknown

 

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑  When Amanda and Clay, with their children Archie and Rose, rent a home in a remote area for their  summer holiday, they do not anticipate a late night visit by the homeowners bringing distressing news whilst asking to stay the night. The host/guest dynamic is tipped on its head as homeowners must work to persuade their renters to take pity on them. No one is clear what has happened but it is no small thing as hints dropped throughout the novel lead the reader to believe it's seriously troubling.

There are two elements that make me rate Leave the World Behind with 5 stars. The first is its rawness. There are no feelings, thoughts or activities that are off limits here which is refreshingly different. Initially, it felt too intimate - I am not sure I am comfortable with Amanda pondering her children's farting and belching  - but it transforms the invasion of her family's personal space by the unexpected arrival of the Washingtons into a transgression on another level. Family comfort has no bounds but that limit is challenged when guests are present. As the world seems to shut down around them, no one would expect the lack of internet and gps to be such a monumental thing, but it is. Frightfully so. We, as people, are so reliant on tech that we simply cannot function without it. Not knowing what has happened becomes a specter worth fearing in a time when we are so used to having any information we desire in a moment's notice.  The fear of the unknown is a raw thing that means something different to each character. What makes for a crisis? What should we do when we feel under treat but have no solid facts to back that up? This novel really made me think.

The second element, that kept me transfixed by this novel until the last page, is the subtle feel of menace. For a book where not much happens, emotionally this novel is a roller coaster. We face the unknown from the perspective of a family who want to flee back to their home in Brooklyn and that of G.H. and Ruth who are home and want to stay here. The menace dripping from each page is not that of a creature or killer but of...well, what? We don't know. And that makes it even scarier. Not knowing what to fear makes the characters, and me as a reader, dissect every little thing looking for a place to direct fear. It's so well done! The edginess made me shift my alliance from Amanda and Clay to Ruth and G.H. Maybe it was their mature perspective or their comfort level with the location and lack of knowledge but I did find Amanda and Clay rather poor parents who had no chance of safeguarding their children. The contrast between the two really made this book sing. I honestly loved it. Though it felt a bit stressful it was such a good read.