Leave the World Behind takes the dystopian genre to a new and pragmatic level. While many apocalypse stories focus on drama, action, and survival, this novel takes a more realistic approach. What would you really be doing if the end of the world was imminent? Most likely, you’d be hunkering down in your house, stocking up on canned goods, and wondering what the hell was going on, just like our protagonists do in this novel.

Before reading this book, I had a very limited understanding of Chicago’s South Side. Everywhere You Don’t Belong gave me a nuanced view of what life is like there. It taught me about many of the challenges and tragedies of life in South Shore. Importantly, it also showed me the joys and the everyday struggles.

Books about passing make up an important and unique genre in American literature and film, and Bennett’s novel undoubtedly is a new essential read in this genre. The story follows Desiree and Stella, identical twins who grow up in a small town in Louisiana. At age 16, they run away from home, and Stella makes a choice that alters her life forever.

At its core, this is a book about a breakup, but it doesn’t end the way Hollywood has trained my brain to expect it would — Carty-Williams defied my expectations with a refreshingly modern ending.