The Last Bookstore on Earth

by Lily Braun-Arnold, Bailey Carr (Narrator)

This searing YA debut follows two teen girls as they fall in love and fight for survival in an abandoned bookstore, just weeks before another cataclysmic storm threatens to bring about the end of the world. Perfect for fans of Station Eleven and The Last of Us!

The world is about to end. Again.

Ever since the first Storm wreaked havoc on civilization as we know it, seventeen-year-old Liz Flannery has been holed up in an abandoned bookstore in suburban New Jersey where she used to work, trading books for supplies with the few remaining survivors. It’s the one place left that feels safe to her.

Until she learns that another earth-shattering Storm is coming . . . and everything changes.

Enter Maeve, a prickly and potentially dangerous out-of-towner who breaks into the bookstore looking for shelter one night. Though the two girls are immediately at odds, Maeve has what Liz needs—the skills to repair the dilapidated store before the next climate disaster strikes—and Liz reluctantly agrees to let her stay.

As the girls grow closer and undeniable feelings spring up between them, they realize that they face greater threats than the impending Storm. And when Maeve’s secrets and Liz’s inner demons come back to haunt them both, they find themselves fighting for their lives as their world crumbles around them.

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Fiction, Science Fiction

9 pages, Audible Audio

First published January 7, 2025

Reviews

[Brend]

Am I a fan of post-apocaliptic fiction? No.
Am I a fan of lesbians in bookshops? Yes, of course.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I went into this one expecting something a little different and it didn't deliver in the ways that it could have. CW: violence, death, graphic body horror. 2.5

What Worked: The relationship between main characters Liz and Maeve was endearing and sweet. They had such contrasting personalities, but somehow Braun-Arnold was able to get them to work together effectively. It was rewarding to see how the began as two cautious individuals that slowly let each other in, revealing aspects of the past. It's clear that Maeve had more survival instincts than Liz, but they made it work towards the end. Braun-Arnold also did some interesting things in regard addressing past traumas and the impact they can have on us.

What Didn't Work: Oof. Ya'll. I wanted to like this one so much more than I did. I think that when I went into it, I expected to get more about the actual the destruction of the world. This isn't going to appeal to readers who like things like The Walking Dead or more accurately The Last of Us. This is more of a character study and doesn't necessarily engage the world. There are moments where readers will experience flashes of what happened, but there really isn't any explanation. Additionally, there's a scene where a major injury occurred and I'm confused on how the author decided to handle said injury. There's no way that the character would have been able to survive that without adequate medical attention. In fact, realistically it should have become infected and she should have been at risk for death. While the bookstore aspect was charming, it left me wanting more. There was some background information about it's connection to Liz and how she now utilizes it as a living space, trading space, and a means to send messages for people, but it, too, didn't feel overwhelming developed. Unfortunately, this book just lacked the amount of substance and depth than I was expecting. Based on the synopsis, it just felt as though it had much more potential than what we got within the framework of the book.

Overall, this was a disappointing read for me. I'm always searching for new YA sci-fi, dystopian books, but this one didn't deliver.

[Charlotte Rebecca Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭑⭑⭑⭑✩

~

I really enjoyed this one. It was a great quick and easy YA read set in a realistic dystopian Earth (which I appreciated), with dystopian elements that were simple and realistic, which made it more of an enjoyable and impactful read. And anything set in a post-apocalyptic bookstore already has me hooked from the get go🤣
Highly recommend for anyone into LGBTQIA+ dystopia / end of the world vibes
~

Thanks to NetGalley and Lily Braun-Arnold for the ARC 🫶🏼

Publication date 9th January 2025

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry to say this needs a lot more work. At times it makes a fair effort at setting atmosphere, but mostly I found myself boggled by its gaping holes in character motivation and the kind of wacky things the author thought it could get away with. I kept getting the sensation that I'd fallen behind, but I hadn't - the narrative just keeps unevenly jumping across yawning holes.

Strangely, simultaneous to leaving gaps in all the wrong places, the novel is also packed with all this extraneous stuff that kept me from becoming invested in the content. 'The Last Bookstore on Earth' ends up with a whole lot of insubstantial puffing out and a whole lot of wasted words. The novel could have had at least a third shaved off and lost nothing in the process.

Mostly, I detested the way the whole mystery of Liz's past is handled; matter of fact, it became infuriating. More than three quarters of the book is spent hinting, and nudging and winking, dropping tantalising hints about what she's done. Yet after about a quarter of a novel's length of that kind of business, it just gets really flipping tired. In the end, it comes across as juvenile.

I got to over three-quarters of the way in and I made a note that the author still hadn't cleared up the obfuscation of Liz's past. I actually no longer cared to find out how or why she ended up in the last bookstore on earth (the author actually never pays us the courtesy of telling us). I didn't care about Liz and Eva's secret past or whatever the hell they'd gone through (spoiler alert: it's nothing! They used to work together - literally nothing more!); I didn't care about Liz and Maeve's pairing.

The story limps towards its end, finally popping the comically lacklustre bubble of Liz's super shady backstory (after 80% of refusing to tell us, the 'secret' is that she hesitated to open a door!), and staging some truly motivationless, unprompted yet overwrought 'fight' scenes, there's absolutely zero payoff for having lasted this out. I'll never get back the hours of my life that I spent reading this. Save yourself and DNF it at the earliest opportunity (or better yet, don't let the cool cover and Sapphic tag lure you in)!

Thanks to Penguin UK Random House Children's for the eARC via NetGalley.

[Joe Krakovsky · Rating 2 out of 5]

THE LAST BOOKSTORE ON EARTH had two things going for it. It was a story about a bookstore and it was based on an apocalypse. So why the two stars? For one thing I couldn't stand the main character. Besides that, it had some faulty technical issues.

Technical issues you might ask? I will get to that in a moment. But first let me talk about the main character. This gal was definitely not one of those tough, take no crap, strong willed women so popular nowadays. She was just the opposite. And dumb! She is living in a post-apocalypse world where one's number one priority should be survival. You know, find food, water, shelter, and let's not forget security. But what does she do? She lives in her former place of employment, afraid to leave and relying on strangers to give her food in exchange for books and acting as a post office of sorts. Okay, that could be workable. But does she read a survival manual or how-to-do-it instructional material? No! She reads the classics or one of her favorite novels. She doesn't even clean the place or repair damage in the least. Didn't her mother ever teach her to dust? At one point she mentions how she had to operate her parents' smart TV for them but she doesn't recognize a generator when she sees it, nor does she know which part is the fuel tank. I guess she couldn't Google it on her phone. Oh yea, the apocalypse! And then once her friend gets the generator started, she almost loses her arm sticking her hand into mechanical moving parts. Now who does that? I was thinking that it was a good thing she didn't have a working garbage disposal. Then when they run into some hostile people she tells the bad guy that they have a generator and running water back at their place! Her friend is somewhat more street smart and is always scavenging for anything of use, yet when they get a gun with no bullets they throw it away instead of hanging on to it in case they come across some bullets, or at least use it as a deterrent. How she never got raped and robbed, I don't know. So being as I couldn't stand this ding-a-ling, and probably 90% of the book was about thoughts cascading through her silly head, I was so tempted not to finish it.

As for the technical problems. Let's start with the earth shaking event. So the storm brings acid rain. Okay, but it would be nice if how this happened was explained. And even though the acid is so powerful it can instantly melt skin, it seems that once the water evaporates, there is no need to neutralize the dried acid. European farmers were still getting burned by mustard gas when they plowed it up for years after World War I, but this dried acid was harmless? And as for knife fights, these things can be over within seconds, yet we read several pages of thoughts flowing through her head while the opponents are frozen in time.

I guess my low rating is due to my expecting a Walking Dead type of story when in reality this was more of a young adult, avoid-the-triggers, love story.

[Zana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is like if Ellie never met Joel, and if she wasn't The One. It's more of a What-If scenario with Ellie attempting to settle down and find normalcy with her girlfriend.

This is definitely an apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic story for the younger set. It's not very technical on the hows and whys, so don't come in expecting in-depth worldbuilding. There's a couple of horror/thriller scenes to whet your appetite, but this novel leans more heavily on the interpersonal relationships between the characters, and the FMC reminiscing about her past life.

Maybe I'm too old for this, or I was expecting a little too much out of it, but I didn't find this novel all too exciting. It was a little too cozy than what I like in this type of setting. I liked the concept of the acid rain, and the bookstore/postal service, but I wasn't really a huge fan of how the setting was 99% isolated to the bookstore.

The bookstore was a main character of sorts, but I didn't find it all too compelling to stand on its own. Liz didn't work there long enough for me to feel like there was some kind of deep-seated history intertwined between them. She just happened to be a former employee who ended up squatting there for the apocalypse.

Liz and Maeve's relationship was cute, but at the end of the day, it felt like they fell in love with each other due to proximity and convenience.

This was a quick read, and I'd recommend it for preteens who might want to read something that's a lot less gruesome than The Last of Us.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this arc.

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've said it before - young adult is NOT my thing, and I should just stay away from that section of my library.

But . . . this one SOUNDED really good.

After surviving the first apocalyptic event, 17-year-old Liz has been sequestered in the bookstore where she worked before THE END OF THE WORLD . . . not because she's such a big reader, but because she always liked it there. But there are rumors of ANOTHER approaching storm, and this one may not be survivable. Luckily a new gal is on the scene, and able to help turn the store into a fortress to weather the coming catastrophe.

Well . . . okay then.

I had trouble suspending my belief with this one. How did our main character last as long as she did post-apocalypse? The door to the bookstore DOESN'T EVEN LOCK, and food and water seem to be of minor concern to young Liz. I also couldn't help believing that what happened before the apocalypse seemed much more interesting than what came after. I was more curious about the dynamic between Liz and the rest of her family than I was in the "love" story between Liz and Maeve who seem destined to fall for each other simply because they're both there.

So, not for me, but maybe it's for you . . .

Kudos to this young author for getting a book published while she's STILL AN UNDERGRADUATE. I've no doubt her next book will be better, and I'm certainly willing to give it a shot.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, everything about this book sounded great. But the reality was that I hated the characters, all of them. I did not root for them. I side with The Storm, acid rain that dissolves the bodies of those it kills.

Liz lives in what she considers to be the last bookstore on Earth, the place where she worked before The Storm. When another young woman breaks in, she decides to trust her and enlist her help in fixing up the store before the next Storm. So on and so forth. Sapphic romance that felt like it was only based on being around each other and forced fight with “enemies”.

In the end, I just did not enjoy it. At all. I rage read it as I seethed over the fact that I was using my Friday night to do this instead or enjoy a book, watch a movie, or stick bamboo shoots under my fingernails.

The thing is, there is an audience for this book. It is a book about fear, guilt, and an unwillingness to work to survive. This will appeal to some but not me.

Thank you to Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press, and Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

[Megan Gallardo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish it. I legit just gave up on it because I got told it gave the Last of Us vibes and all I got was the last of my patience drained completely.

[Tyffani · Rating 1 out of 5]

Liz is so insanely stupid it’s painful. I wish this was the Hunger Games and her name got pulled in the reaping and I could cheer as she got killed by careers. Although in reality, she would probably die by stepping off her platform too early like the idiot she is.

[kellyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

apocalypse with no stakes bc major life ending injuries are treated like paper cuts??

[Tina ♥ Bookaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

In einer Welt, die von zerstörerischen Stürmen heimgesucht wird, findet die siebzehnjährige Liz Zuflucht in einer verlassenen Buchhandlung – ihrem einstigen Arbeitsplatz und nun ihr sicherer Hafen. Dort lebt sie zurückgezogen, tauscht Bücher gegen Vorräte und hält sich von der gefährlichen Außenwelt fern. Die Ankunft der unerschrockenen Maeve bringt jedoch nach einem Jahr Bewegung in Liz' isoliertes Leben. Gemeinsam bereiten sie sich auf einen weiteren verheerenden Sturm vor und entdecken dabei nicht nur die Herausforderungen des Überlebens, sondern auch eine aufkeimende Beziehung zueinander.​

Der Einstieg in den Roman ist atmosphärisch und fesselnd, hat mich sofort mit der richtigen Stimmung gepackt und festgehalten. Die Darstellung der postapokalyptischen Welt, insbesondere die bedrohlichen Stürme und die daraus resultierende Vereinsamung von Liz, erzeugen eine beklemmende Stimmung, die perfekt für dieses Genre gepasst hat. Die Idee, Bücher als Tauschmittel in einer zerstörten Welt zu nutzen, unterstreicht mMn die Bedeutung von Geschichten und Wissen selbst in den dunkelsten Zeiten, was ich irgendwie tröstlich fand. You know what I mean?

Allerdings bleibt die Charakterentwicklung hinter meinen Erwartungen zurück. Unsere Hauptfigur Liz zeigt im Verlauf der Handlung nur eine kleine Entwicklung. Obwohl sie am Ende etwas mutiger geworden ist und eine Partnerin an ihrer Seite hat, aber es fehlt ein klares Ziel, auf das sie hinarbeitet. Die Beziehung zwischen Liz und Maeve entwickelt sich zwar, doch diese ist mir zu oberflälchlich und ich konnte sie nicht ganz greifen. So, als ob man eben mit der anderen Person zusammen ist, weil sie sich zufällig in all der Zerstörung gefunden haben. Was mir leider nicht reicht. :/

Ein weiterer Kritikpunkt ist die fehlende Erklärung für die Ursache der Stürme. Während die apokalyptische Kulisse beeindruckend beschrieben wird, bleibt unklar, wie es zu dieser Katastrophe gekommen ist und welche Hoffnung auf eine bessere Zukunft besteht. Diese offenen Fragen lassen mich am Ende etwas unbefriedigt zurück.​ Ich hätte zu gerne gewusst, WARUM diese Stürme gekommen sind? Was dazu geführt hat und warum zum Teufel eine ganze Regierung nichts dagegen getan oder sich vorbereitet hat? Ich meine in einer kontrollierten, erforschten, hochtechnologisierten Welt wie unserer, müssten Forscher das doch kommen sehen und eine Lösung parat haben?! Außerdem hat man nie erfahren, ob es auf der ganzen Welt gleich aussieht. Ob es noch sichere Häfen gibt, wo die Menschen hinflüchten können. Für mich wäre es schön gewesen, wenn sie sich am Ende dazu entschieden hätten, so einen Platz zu finden - einen Ort, wo sie ohne Angst vor weiteren Stürmen leben können und sich dann dorthin aufmachen. Das wäre auch noch ein offenes Ende gewesen, aber zumindest eines, das Hoffnung auf Besserung gibt.

Trotz dieser Schwächen bietet die Story dennoch eine interessante Grundidee und einige berührende Momente (einmal musste ich sogar richtig fies heulen). Daher 3,5 Punkte für ein düsteres Weltuntergangsbuch für Jugendliche, das gerade am Ende etwas von seinem Potential verschenkt hat.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

the title and premise had my attention here, but this is a rather clunky dystopian sapphic romance. (and, oddly, it's not even that bookish!)

our main character's narration is stilted, and there are some points where the writing made me physically cringe with distaste. liz is also a horrifyingly naïve teen, considering she's a young apocalypse survivor.

after miraculously avoiding peril from the storm that wiped out her whole family and created a dystopian wasteland, liz learns that a second storm is coming. her reaction, and i quote: "This storm won't take me out. I can promise you that much." GIRL wtf is wrong with you. no idea how she is even still alive, considering her poor choices and lack of survival instincts.

liz insists on manifesting her own solitude and doom, then complains about it endlessly. she literally injures herself by STICKING HER HAND INTO A MOTOR on mindless impulse, which i came to realize is one big allegory for her actions throughout the book. absolutely insufferable.

the story does a thing where there are sections of mini life stories from people that have come through the bookstore and talked to liz about their journeys. i love the concept here, but the passages are too few and far between to be impactful.

overall, this one isn't romantic, isn't bookish, and isn't even an interesting or well-built dystopian world - it mostly consists of the main character's lamentations.

[OhDudeHey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Echoing everyone else's reviews slightly with what I'm about to say! Apologies these are just notes I made during my audiobook listen and I can't be bothered structuring them into a meaningful review.

SO. The massive injury is so poorly researched and written that you don't even understand how it happened let alone how she just gets over it within a few hours...

The conflicts make no sense and are so overdramatic. They could be solved by a simple conversation half the time but Liz refuses to do this without having to mention what she's been through and that "everyone leaves". Bro your family died the same way everyone else's did? Plus your mate only left because you wouldn't leave the SHOP. You haven't experienced anything harder than anyone else

Why's she so attached to the bookshop? Do we actually know? Is it just that she's too scared to leave? Is that the ONLY REASON?

Oh my god shut up shut UP "I don't know if I even deserve to live" Liz is so overdramatic can you just get over yourself for a second??

Don't even get me started on blaming Maeve for doing what she had to to survive? Liz confronts her because she has a KNIFE? YEAH OBVIOUSLY she does what the heck girl. Throwing away a gun because it's spooky and you don't want Maeve to use it is so stupid I can't justify a single decision Liz makes holy moly.

Maeve isn't blameless either though - why would she keep the secret of the woods people coming to get them? Just wasting time fixing this stupid shop when they could have been on their way to safety?

WHY COULDN'T THEY JUST SET UP A NEW HOME IN ANOTHER BUILDING THOUGH? Is this not a massive plot hole? It's a town right? Is there not another shop next door they can just move into?? What's stopping them?? How is the WOODS a better option than a building? A tent is gonna stop acid rain?

Omg also how are there so many noodles and cans of soup for them? Liz said after the rain people were shooting each other and looting but somehow as soon as she gets peckish they can go to the supermarket and pick up supplies? I'm FUMING

What was the plan for saving the shop tho really? ONE NAIL in the door? Pushing over a bunch of shelves with no actual weapon?? Oh now they're here you're trying to run away? Almost like that's what Maeve TOLD you to do WEEKS AGO and you could have gone PREPARED.

Liz was fully prepared to kill someone with a hammer to survive even though she judged every single other person for defending themselves which was incredibly frustrating.

"Becca is small - weighing no more than a mini fridge" What method of measurement is this babe?! The last chapters were sooooo dramatic and silly and couldn't help but feel happy when it ended so I could move on to something more my style. I know it's not the genre for me as I'm no longer YA but still... Come on - YA deserve better.

[Lexi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️

One of my many MOST ANTICIPATED reads of 2025. Oooh how I wish I enjoyed this so much more.

This started out as a promising 4.5 star read. I mean, who wouldn’t want to read a story about a girl surviving in a bookstore after her hometown suffers from “The Storm.” The minute that I finished Chapter 1, I knew that I was going to fall in love with the atmosphere of the bookstore. Being able to hear different authors’ names being dropped. Being able to read about how Elizabeth Flanney (FMC #1) got her job at said bookstore as well as how she has managed to survive so for sounded priceless. I couldn’t wait to read about her past, from her family to her time in high school. Was she an overachiever??? Was she a huge fan of reading or only got the job at the bookstore because it felt easy and she just wanted to be lazy??? I had so many questions running through my mind that I practically read Chapters 1-6 in one sitting. I then turned around and stayed up until 1:30 in the morning reading Chapters 7-14. And thing were going great. I was still loving Elizabeth and got even more excited when Maeve (FMC #2 and no last name was mentioned) entered the picture. Maeve being introduced into the story spiced thing up tremendously. She came off as mysterious, full of knowledge, and felt like she had her crap together A LOT more than Elizabeth. I just couldn’t wait to read more of about Maeve. I was even able to predict that these two would fall for each other and their relationship was just what I needed.

But…Oooh how things took a serious and unlikable turn from Chapters 15-39. The epilogue was okay.

It took 15 chapters before the annoyance of Elizabeth Flanney took place. It took 15 chapters before I found myself thanking God that I chose to read along with the audiobook. I quickly sped up the audio to 1.75x and I was able to read the last several chapters in three hours. Elizabeth had no character growth. She was weak, naive, and helpless. To make matters worse, SHE KNEW THIS and did ABSOLUTELY nothing to change it. And, to add insult to injury, she made the MOST dumbest mistakes. The amount of times Elizabeth talked about the “end of the world” books that she read as well as the amount of the movies and tv shows she watched and she still managed to make mistakes. This made no sense!!! She talked wwwaaayyy too much to strangers and everyone knows that Rule #1 to any “end of the world” situation is that: YOU DO NOT TELL PEOPLE WHAT YOU HAVE!!! Maeve even told her this and Elizabeth still failed to listen. I am sorry but, Elizabeth did not deserve Maeve, especially during and after their third act breakup. Every time Maeve did something wrong Elizabeth would get mad at her but then talk about how she was a hypocrite because she had done the same thing. It took 15 chapters for the eye rolling to begin and I couldn’t stop until I hit the end.

Nothing hurts a book more than when the last chapters of it are just there. When the reader finds themselves ready to get things over with. To feel this way from Chapters 15-39 was both bothersome and heartbreaking. I really wanted to love this book. It was a new piece of literature for me. I can watch post apocalyptic movies and tv shows but to read books about them always makes me feel uncomfortable and scared. But, The Last Bookstore on Earth was something different. Falling in love with the cover was what pushed me to read the synopsis, which then led to me requesting the ARC. As soon as I started reading this piece of literature, I found it both easy to get into and a helpful palette cleanser. One might also find themselves wanting to read this on a rainy day (feet kicked up and drinking coffee, hot cocoa, or hot tea). I don’t know but this book just felt relaxing. The audio is only 9 hours total and can be finished in one day.

Do not shy away from from this book if you find yourself wanting to read it. Your experience, thoughts, and feelings could be different from mine. And I hope that turns out to be a good thing.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for granting me an Advance Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Post-apocalyptic bookstore run by a lesbian? Count me in. So excited for this debut!

~~~ updated after reading ~~~

Even after the world has ended, we still need to find meaning and purpose in our lives and that is exactly what Liz does at the bookstore she used to work in. The last bookstore on Earth isn’t just a place of solace for others, it is for Liz too. With nowhere else to go, why not go to her home away from home?

This story has a great blend of tense action and emotional moments between characters. Liz’s backstory is one I won’t forget anytime soon. I loved all the references to some of the author’s favorite books and can’t wait for readers to discover this on shelves in real bookstores.

~~~ updated after listening ~~~

Bailey Carr absolutely crushed this audiobook 👏

[Evelyn Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE YA BOOM IS SO BACK BITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Abby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Booooooo tomato tomato tomato

[Fernwehwelten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eine dem Trotz der Gefahren widerstehende Buchhandlung in einer apokalyptischen Welt als Hort für eine woman x woman Liebesgeschichte? HOLD MY BEER, I'M IN. Das waren so ziemlich meine Gedanken, als ich das erste Mal von The Last Bookstore on Earth gehört habe. Omg, ich wollte das Buch nicht nur unbedingt lesen, sondern auch unbedingt lieben. Nachdem ich ersteres nun erledigt habe, muss ich leider sagen, dass es mit letzterem nicht ganz geklappt hat.

Ich habe ehrlich gesagt erwartet, dass die Dystopie an sich eine größere Rolle spielen würde. Die zerstörte Welt, die verbliebenen Menschen, die Schwierigkeiten im Kampf um das eigene Überleben. Leider erschien mir all das eher oberflächlich in Szene gerückt zu werden, um den Plot und die Liebesgeschichte voranzutreiben. Dadurch blieb die Atmosphäre aus; es fühlte sich an, als wäre die Dystopie als Kulisse nur fahrig über den grundlegenden Plan der Storyline gestülpt worden. Die Idee war definitiv toll, aber die Umsetzung eher unaussagekräftig.

Keine Tiefe, kein richtiger Weltenbau, sondern eine Protagonistin, die sich vor dem Weltuntergang versteckt und irgendwie dann wohl... damit durchkommt? Was bedeutet, dass der Weltuntergang leider auch vor uns versteckt bleibt. Es gab einzelne Einschläge in der Richtung, aber selbst die erschienen mir fahrig gezeichnet und wenig bewegend oder schlüssig. Speziell eine Szene, bei der es um eine schlimme Verletzung geht, hat mich sehr verwirrt runtergelassen - es fühlte sich einfach so falsch an, wie problemlos das abgehandelt wurde.

Zu vieles wurde nur dürftig erklärt, blieb offen, oder wurde nicht einmal ansatzweise aufgegriffen. Ich habe das Gefühl, diese Geschichte und diese Welt hätten SO VIEL bieten können, aber von allem, was möglich war, kriegen wir nur einen winzigen Bruchteil. Auch wenn die Buchhandlung als Hauptsetting hätte der Fokuspunkt bleiben sollen, hätte man glaube ich drumherum noch vieles aufbauen können, das mir als Leserin ein besseres Gefühl für die Welt gegeben hätte. Oder generell ein Gefühl für irgendwas.

So hatte ich leider wenig Verbindung zu den meisten Dingen, die in diesem Buch passiert sind. Am Anfang fand ich Liz als Protagonistin relatable und gerade dadurch amüsant, mit der Zeit hat sie mich aber immer mehr verloren, weil auch sie mir etwas fahrig erschien. Den Beginn der Liebesgeschichte fand ich ganz cute, aber leider empfand ich da auch die Dialoge immer wieder als hölzern.

Ihr merkt: Für mich leider eher eine Enttäuschung, was ich gerade aufgrund der so, so verdammt cool klingenden Basis echt schade finde.

[KMart Vet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a more introspective take on survival in the dystopian genre. Post-apocalyptic stories thrive on exploring survival under extreme duress, and The Last Bookstore on Earth brings an intriguing angle to the genre. Instead of focusing on action-packed survivalists or determined rebuilders, this story highlights someone who is paralyzed by grief and unable—or unwilling—to move forward. Liz embodies this in a way that's deeply human and uncomfortably relatable. She clings to the bookstore, not just as a physical shelter, but as a tether to a life that's long gone. And let's be honest - most of us would probably be similar despite hoping that we'd be tough survivors.

This story examines the quieter, more stagnant side of survival. Liz isn't a hero, and that's kind of the point—she's surviving half-heartedly, more out of inertia than intention. And while I appreciated this unique perspective, I wish the bookstore itself had felt more significant. It's clear the store matters to Liz, but her actions don't always reflect that attachment. She doesn't seem to care for it with the urgency or reverence I expected from someone so deeply tied to it emotionally. But honestly, she's paralyzed by grief and that's something that I can really relate to.

The introduction of Maeve shakes things up, both in terms of the plot and Liz's emotional journey. Their relationship unfolds in a believable way, and the moments of connection between them felt genuine. I think their connection is mostly due to circumstances, but that's how life works sometimes.

However, the external conflict with the group in the woods felt pretty contrived. Logically, why wouldn't they just take the generator and leave? Violence, especially in a resource-scarce world, feels like an unnecessary risk if the threat isn't immediate. This plotline strained my suspension of disbelief a bit. Maybe they're just jerks, but the girls weren't really a threat, so why bother?

Despite those hiccups, the story still had an undeniable charm. There are some lovely emotional beats as we uncover Liz's past and the more playful moments between Liz and Maeve are where the book shines brightest.

While I wish the themes of attachment and survival had been pushed a little further, this was still an engaging read that offered a slightly different perspective on the post-apocalyptic genre.

Thanks so much to the author and TBR and Beyond Tours for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Bookstore on Earth is another one of those books where I have no idea where the notion to read it came from, and yet I am so glad I did. I can’t believe this is Lily Braun-Arnold’s debut OR that she is still an undergrad because this was a very progressive and disturbing YA dystopian read. I can’t wait to see what she does after she hones her talent even more, and I would gladly go back into this world of acid rain and queer romance.

And did I mention I loved the audiobook?! Bailey Carr was such a great narrator for this, and she made Maeve (my niece’s name!) come alive in the best possible way. I walked around my neighborhood listening to The Last Bookstore on Earth because I couldn’t put it down, and I was basically hanging on by a thread not knowing how it would end. Maeve is young, so she is very flawed but also very relatable and the things she goes through I wouldn’t wish on anyone. The only thing I will say is that there is an injury that was probably not completely realistically portrayed in the aftereffects but that was small fish in the big pond of enjoyment.

Read this if you are looking for a bookish setting, excellent horror elements, and YA that reads more adult!

Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Elías Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

La Librería del Fin del Mundo - Lily Braun-Arnold

Género: Distopía juvenil, cli-fi, romance queer

Imagina un mundo donde el cielo llora ácido y las ciudades son ruinas silentes. Ahí, La Librería del Fin del Mundo de Lily Braun-Arnold, recién llegada a España de la mano de Duomo Ediciones (29/09/2025), me atrapó desde la primera página.

La historia sigue a Liz, una joven de diecisiete años que sobrevive en una librería abandonada en Nueva Jersey, usando libros como moneda de trueque. La llegada de Maeve, una desconocida de carácter fuerte, desencadena un viaje emocional que mezcla supervivencia y conexión humana. Sin spoilers, es una danza entre desolación y esperanza, con un romance sáfico que calienta el corazón.

Me fascinaron los personajes: Liz, con su evolución de dureza a vulnerabilidad, y Maeve, un contraste de optimismo y dudas, crean una química que late en cada silencio compartido. El estilo de Braun-Arnold, con metáforas como “la librería como corazón latiendo entre ruinas”, es poético y envolvente, y la traducción de Fátima G. Cáneba lo hace sonar natural en español. La ambientación postapocalíptica, con cielos anaranjados y paisajes rotos, añade una capa de urgencia que resuena con nuestras ansiedades climáticas.

Le doy 4 estrellas. Es una lectura poderosa por su mensaje sobre la resiliencia y el amor, aunque la resolución podría sorprender más a quienes conocen el género. Me encantaría saber qué piensan otros lectores: ¿sentisteis lo mismo con Liz y Maeve? Recomiendo este libro a jóvenes y adultos que disfruten de distopías con corazón. ¿Lo leeríais?

Si queréis leer la versión ampliada en mi perfil de SUBSTACK:

https://open.substack.com/pub/paginas...

[rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

re-reviewing because i decided idgaf. really bad. makes no attempt to be realistic whatsoever, every character has the same voice/tone which makes it extremely boring to read, and the characters had no logical motivations for any of their actions. i can’t imagine even a child or young teenager enjoying it either because the majority of the conflict is so pointless. but i guess at least it was gay.

[Jessi (Novel Heartbeat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe closer to a 2.5/5

I had pretty mixed feelings on this book. While I did enjoy it overall, there were some things that seriously bugged me.

I'll start with the good first. The concept is fantastic! I loved the idea of a bookstore - possibly the last bookstore - being open during the apocalypse, trading goods for books. Because even in the apocalypse, literature is relevant. Also, there's something about a post-apocalyptic book that I just love. I don't know why; I wouldn't want to be in an apocalypse, nor do I think I would survive one, lol. Something else I loved was the random stories from strangers that passed through the bookshop. They were irrelevant to the plot, but I thought they were cool! The book had a cozy feel to it, despite being post-apocalyptic. I did enjoy the idea of a sapphic romance in a bookstore at the end of the world, but I'm not necessarily sure I enjoyed this particular romance.

I also really enjoyed the audio! It was done by Bailey Carr, who also narrated Pip in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (one of my all time fave audiobooks!). She did a fantastic job, and I know I wouldn't have enjoyed it half as much without her narration!

So, onto the things I didn't like. My main issue was the too-stupid-to-live main character, Liz. She had been holed up in the bookstore since the apocalypse started, and never left. So she had NO idea how things were in the real world of the apocalypse. And listen, I get that the people that came through her bookstore were good, but like...how could anyone honestly have faith that humanity in general would be that way in a fucking apocalypse?? Basic human decency would be the first thing to go, and I feel like that should be common sense. Liz was naive to the point of extreme fault, and it grated on my nerves. She made stupid decision after stupid decision, and was shocked when she realized that survival is something that people actually had to do. The fact that she was appalled by Maeve having a knife was frankly astounding. Of course she has something to protect herself, wtf??

Speaking of something to protect themselves: they had their hands on a gun, and Liz THREW IT AWAY???!?? What the actual fuck?? Liz said she threw it away so that Maeve wouldn't have to be reminded of almost killing the one woman, but....COMMON SENSE?! It's the apocalypse. A gun would be invaluable for protection. As soon as she did it, I was like, yeah, that's gonna come back to bite them in the ass later. Boy, do I hate being right all the time, lmao. When shit hit the fan, Liz even SAID "I wish we had a gun." YOU *DID* HAVE ONE, YOU FUCKING DUMMY. *long suffering sigh*

Another thing that drove me absolutely fucking BONKERS - and I cannot believe it wasn't mentioned in any other reviews (that I could find, anyway) - Liz's injury. I don't think the author realizes how extensive the recovery on such a huge injury would be. Liz basically had her entire arm degloved (from a generator...not really sure how that would actually work, but ok) - she mentioned that her tendons and muscle and even some bone were showing, and her fingers were dangling! Just because you cauterize an enormous injury does not make it...not...an enormous injury. It stops the bleeding, but it's still a giant wound! The only treatment that was mentioned at all was antiseptic spray. No antibiotics or anything else. A wound like that would risk infection (especially in an apocalypse without hospitals or technology??? and I don't remember any cleaning being mentioned, other than bandage changes) - and would be so painful and draining that you would be out of commission for weeks. Yet, somehow, Liz was running around playing with Maeve in the grocery store the next day, and then SPLASHING IN A CREEK?? Like seriously, a water fight. For fun. Um, what?? You would not even have the energy for running (not to mention it would hurt like a MF jarring your arm like that), and you're going to get a massive wound wet?? Seriously? That is the dumbest shit I've ever heard and is just asking for an infection (when they have no antibiotics!!). Even if she didn't get an infection, the pain would be unbearable! Oh, and at one point Liz said something about her arm being puckered scar tissue and how it was healing - dude, it's been like 3 days, there is NO way that shit would be even remotely healed within even the first week. The utter lack of logic regarding Liz's injury made me fucking crazy!! I feel like the author should have made it less severe, or just left it out entirely, because it was very poorly written. Spoiler alert: the real ending we don't see is that Liz died from sepsis, lol. Because that's what would have happened.

I mentioned above not particularly enjoying the romance. They were together and fell for each other mainly out of convenience, which wouldn't normally bother me, but they didn't have any actual chemistry. It probably didn't help that I didn't like Liz. I did really like Maeve, though! She was awesome. She deserved so much better than Liz.

Other than all that, it felt very young. Mostly because of the main character being so horribly naive, but also because it felt rather fluffy for being a post-apocalyptic setting. It was more cozy romance than anything. All of the action was smashed into the last 1/8th of the book, and I felt pretty meh about it. I wasn't worried about the characters at all, and didn't much care what happened to them. I think the lack of emotional investment in the book overall didn't help, but there were also no stakes, at least not for the main characters. A couple of side characters died and I didn't bat an eyelash, because they were "bad" and didn't give me any reason to care.


This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good concept but I was disappointed by the execution. Apocalyptic weather event that decimates most of the population - check. Young woman taking shelter in the one familiar place left, the bookstore she worked in - check. Said woman refusing to leave bookstore to explore options or perhaps find a safer bolt hole - annoying. Even when her friend and companion leaves, our heroine remains cowering and deluding herself that this is her only option.

Liz was one of the most frustrating characters I’ve had the displeasure of reading about. She’d rather be forever alone and terrified than take a chance with another girl with better survival skills and move on to find food and safety elsewhere. By the end of the book I wanted to give Liz a sharp slap every time she tried to convince herself that doing nothing was her best and only option.

We never find out what caused the disaster or if it was worldwide or isolated to certain locations. There’s very little explanation of what actually happened as we remain trapped in a bookstore for the bulk of the story.

This book could have been so much better if Liz had been able to grow and develop. A wasted opportunity.

[Asia J · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book has carved a space in my heart as large as the bookstore. a perfect chronicle to prove that WB will never die because we love it too much to let it.

JERSEY BITCHES STAND UP!!!!!

[Hannah (The Curiouser & Curiouser) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I truly have no idea how Liz could be so naive/stupid a year into the apocalypse.

[Madison]

DNF @ 10%

The writing is incredibly belabored and overworked, and the story is tonally really strange. We're sort of straddling the line between "intense post-apocalyptic survival story" and "goofy bookstore antics," which would be doable for a better writer but just reads SO weird here. A teenage girl hears someone break into her home in the night, where she lives alone with no resources, and there's no sense of terror or grimness or anything--she just grabs a heavy book to use as a weapon and goes to investigate. But at the same time, we're hearing about people being burned alive or losing their whole families and whatnot. The author can't decide on a tone.

We don't get much of a sense of the world at the beginning, just confusing snippets about "The Storm" and "the next Storm" that don't really establish anything about Liz's surroundings or circumstances. But we know her sheets are red and her pillow is flatter than she'd like.

The concept seemed promising but this book doesn't read as ready for publication and could have used a stronger editor and a looser narrative voice.

[Nora (NoraLeest) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went in expecting an exciting dystopian / post-apocalyptic story and this book simply did not deliver. Definitely not for fans of The Last Of Us, as it bears no similarities to it. The post-apocalyptic narrative barely received any attention and was not thought out very well. Issues were resolved quickly and easily, and I was not made to care or worry for the characters at all. I’m going to be honest and say that if I read this as a physical book I would have DNF-ed it, but because I was listening to the audiobook I could listen to it while cleaning.

Regardless of that, the sapphic romance was rather gentle and heartfelt, which I could appreciate. Plus, it’s a short book!

Thanks Libro.fm for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

[Booklunatic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apokalypse und Buchladen - count me in!