Down Time Book Review, All the Water in the World

All the Water in the World, by Eiren Caffall, immediately opens with, and weaves throughout the book, a sense of unease. It is told from the point of view of a young girl, who, at her age, should not have to deal with the horrors of the world, but is instead thrown into the thick of it in a search for safety. 

The main character, Nonie, is intelligent for her age, surrounded by scholars and scientists in her home, the roof of New York’s American Museum of Natural History, or as they call it, Amen. Only somewhat prepared to make the journey she is forced to go on when her makeshift home is lost to the water, she faces every situation with the gentle courage that no one ever required of her before. She’s tasked with protecting a logbook of important information about The World As It Was. 

The chapters are short, going from event to event, quickly paced, and it sits at just under 300 pages. Though the wording can be dry at times, there is always something happening, and the language being muted or subdued reflects the characters’ mood and mindset. The scenes of action are intermixed with flashbacks of sweetness and love to juxtapose the danger Nonie and her family are in. 

The novel makes twists and turns much like the fastly churning river the characters are navigating to get to safety. Although I read this novel back in March of 2025, I still find myself thinking about it every week, how strong the imagery of the water is, how it floods every sense and drowns out outside stimuli. This book is definitely worth a read, and even a reread, if you can swing it. I rated this 5 stars on my Goodreads profile.