The Last Bookstore on Earth

By: Lily Braun-Arnold

Narrated by: Bailey Carr

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two teen girls fall in love and fight for survival in an abandoned bookstore as they prepare for the end of the world in "the snarky sapphic dystopian of our dreams" (Jennifer Dugan, author of Some Girls Do).

“A thoroughly original, intimate, and sometimes harrowing meditation on survival, forgiveness, and learning how to love again at the almost end of the world.”—Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author

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.

“A hauntingly beautiful story of love, loss, and the raw fight for survival.” —Jarrod Shusterman, New York Times bestselling author of Dry

Critic reviews

“A thoroughly original, intimate, and sometimes harrowing meditation on survival, forgiveness, and learning how to love again at the almost end of the world.” —Nicola Yoon #1 New York Times bestselling author

“In a post-apocalyptic world, The Last Bookstore on Earth tells a hauntingly beautiful story of love, loss, and the raw fight for survival.” —Jarrod Shusterman, New York Times bestselling author of Dry

“Hopeful, thrilling, and twisty, The Last Bookstore on Earth is the snarky sapphic dystopian of our dreams.” —Jennifer Dugan, author of Some Girls Do

★ “Just the right amount of action, balancing the introspective scenes, a blossoming queer romance, and a well-executed slow doomsday reveal . . . A beautifully realized addition to the genre.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ “[A] 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.’” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"[Braun-Arnold] 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." —Booklist

"A solid standalone dystopian." —School Library Journal

"A slow-burn sapphic love story....The Last Bookstore on Earth explores our need for human connection and hope in dark times.” —Paste Magazine

The Narrator Saves This Book

The story itself is mediocre at best. The author mentions The 100 TV series, and this book does truly feel like a basic episode of any old school CW show. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy some mindless CW shows for fun, but they never really feel groundbreaking. The major events in this book also have something else in common with CW shows: they are all predictable. I wasn't surprised even once. The core romance is cute, but also feels very rushed at times. The "villains" of the story, and I use that lightly, are lacking enough dimension for the audience to care all that much what happens to them. This isn't awful for a first novel. Far from the best thing I've ever read or listened to, but not awful. Though had I been reading the book, I am nearly certain I would have stopped and given up on it. This book is one best listened to. The story is mediocre at a very generous 3 stars, but the narrator is a 5-star performer all the way. She alone earned this title an extra star from me. She alone got me to the end of the book. I doubt I will be seeking out future books by this author, but I will certainly be looking into other books the narrator has performed. I pre-ordered this book, so I was very excited for it, and it let me down, but I do still encourage others to give this title a shot. I wanted to be honest in my review, but by no means do I want to turn anyone off to this new author. This story didn't entirely work for me, but it might for you, so give it a try, but listen to it because the narrator saves this book.

Apocalypse Not so Nasty!

The best part about this book is that not everyone in what's left of the world is violent and out for blood. There are a few survivors that believe their survival is based on the extinction of others, but it's not the prevailing theme, which was refreshing. Altho the book was lovely, the premise of the disaster(s) is all too believable, making it even more horrifying. Basically, I loved the protagonist. I recommend pairing it with the other debut by a new author, All the Water in the World (also very believable). I liked them both, but this one most.

I like it.

Easy to read, the flow of the story seems slow for me. I like the character Liz, though. If I were in an apocalypse situation, I wouldn't want to leave my place too.

A fun easy listen

This book was super easy to listen to, no crazy world building or complicated plot points. I really enjoyed the characters and the twists in the story.

Great read

I couldn’t stop listening to this book. It’s such a great read and kept me so interested!