'All That's Left in the World' and 'The Only Light Left Burning' by Erik J. Brown
- Booker
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Author: Erik J. Brown
Rating: B+
Vibe: The Road, but make it gay and give it a hug
If Cormac McCarthy's The Road made you want to lie face-down on the floor for a week, Erik J. Brown's duology offers a different proposition: What if the apocalypse didn't have to strip away all hope? What if two teenage boys could joke their way through the end of the world—and maybe fall in love while they're at it?
All That's Left in the World introduces us to Andrew and Jamie, two teens thrown together after a pandemic has decimated humanity. Andrew is clever and quick, the kind of guy who uses humor as both shield and weapon. Jamie is quieter, more earnest and relatable. Together, they're a great pairing: optimism amid the apocalypse, warmth in a world gone cold. The banter between them is genuinely fun, and Brown paces the slow-burn romance with real skill. You believe these two people, and you want them to make it.
The post-apocalyptic setting isn't just window dressing here—it's essential. Brown uses it to raise stakes, yes, but also to ask interesting questions. I appreciated that homophobia and racism don't magically disappear when society collapses. That felt true. Hate doesn't need infrastructure; it just needs people.
The Only Light Left Burning continues the story, and while I'd still give it the same grade, I liked the first book a little more. Without getting into spoilers, the dynamic shifts—Andrew and Jamie don't communicate as well, and I missed their banter. I had to remind myself: these are two traumatized teenagers. They're going to make frustrating choices. And I think Brown's point is a good one—tough times change us, but it's up to us whether we lose our humanity in the process. It's an earned thematic choice, even if it made for a less immediately enjoyable read.
The YA of it all mostly works. Yes, sometimes you want to shake these boys and say just talk to each other, but that's teenagers for you. This is one of those books I wish I could've read when I was fifteen. A story about two boys falling for each other in impossible circumstances, that would have felt remarkably relevant and given just a jolt of hope.