As people grow older the world becomes more clear, but as the world becomes less of a blur the real horrors become more defined. People are scared of things they do not understand, but just as much as there is fear for the unknown these fears can amplify when real-world knowledge is applied. A blackout can be caused by a hurricane, or a blackout, when scared, could mean the start of another WW. With the state of the world in 2020, it can be hard to not think of the worst possible outcome when faced with a problem that people are struggling to understand. 

        Leave the World Behind kind of depicts a sort of impending doom. For most of the novel the author forebodes an evil the family and the house owners will have to face. The family and the house owners are left in the dark quite literally. The two families sense a danger happening in the world, but they are left without any way of figuring out if the blackout was caused by a hurricane or if there is a far worse danger that is plaguing their side of the country. For now, the two families are trapped with one another. One family takes on the definition of white privilege and ignorance as they subject the house owners to racist stereotypes. The couple and the family have no choice, but to try and get along with one another until they are able to understand what was really happening in the world right now. 

        Ruuman Alam's descriptions are not only overpacked, but they are needlessly complex at times. The story switched between perspectives and thoughts throughout the work. The first chapter focuses on Clay. The author may attempt to express Clay’s thought process and personality through the usage of syntax and diction. It is creative to attempt to express the characters in such a way, but instead this style of writing only creates a barrier between the work and the readers, as it is hard to lose yourself within the story. The author’s writing style at the start was the source of why the story is a frustrating read. At first the author introduces the characters by oversaturating descriptions of people and places, as well as oversharing unimportant information. He includes too much information such as long lists of grocery items the mother buys in the story. The author dedicates a large paragraph to groceries alone. 

        He even attempts to replace popular phrases with other words instead of ones the majority of people know by heart. Clay describes his daughter as “The shadow of a young girl in flower…” (Alam 2). Typically, the phrase people would usually use is “The shadow of a young girl in bloom…” The replacement of words within popular phrases only frustrates the reader. It feels wrong reading it. This style, to possibly express how unique the character’s mind is, is obnoxious and reminds the readers of high school when a teacher might say “This is technically correct, but this is not the best answer. Try again.”

        Eventually, the author changes his writing style after a few chapters of pure frustration. After the first few chapters, it becomes easier to read and easier to focus on the actual work. When the author changes his style, it becomes easier to also focus more on the sometimes problematic characters and their strange thought processes. 

        The story focuses on a black couple and a white ignorant family. At first, the white family has a hard time believing the owners of such a beautiful house could be black. The two white parents, when first meeting the black couple, believed instead that the black couple would attempt to harm them in some sort of way, and even when the couple proves they are the house owners the wife, who rented the house, still believes they are con men. It takes a while for the family to understand that the couple are just as afraid of what is going on right now just as much as they are. After they come to an understanding there is tension on who actually has any right to act as the host or act as the guest. 

        The white couple precedes to be strange as they constantly think about sex non-stop and wild thoughts such as possibly having an orgy with the old couple. The mother of the family, Amanda, even becomes flustered and deludes herself to believe that the old woman, Ruth, was trying to flirt with her when they are helping one another to make lunch. Ruth is confused as to why chocolate was going onto a sandwich and to be nice she said “‘Opposites attract, I guess.’” Amanda precedes to think “Was Ruth flirting with me. Maybe she was. Were she and Amanda actually opposites?” (Alam 100).

        Besides the strange white couple’s thoughts and delusions, the author is capable of creating interesting and foreboding descriptions, after the first few chapters of course. Constantly the author describes an evil always near, that no one is capable of stopping. The way he suggests a bad omen creates an idea that the darkness surrounding their lives could range from supernatural beings to horrible events that may stem from corrupt governments or corrupt groups. Ruumaan Alam takes some real-world fears and includes them within his story. Just as much as the world fears 2020 the characters within his work fear the changing world.