44 pages • 1 hour read
The Leftovers
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Book Brief
384
Novel • Fiction
Mapleton, New York • Contemporary
2011
St. Martin's Press
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta follows the Garvey family in a small northeastern US town as they navigate life after a mysterious rapture-like event causes the sudden disappearance of millions of people worldwide. Wife Laurie joins a cult, while son Tom follows the Healing Hug Movement. Husband Kevin attempts to restore normalcy as the town's mayor, while daughter Jill struggles with teenage existential crises. The novel explores themes of grief, loss, and the search for meaning in the aftermath of tragedy.
Melancholic
Mysterious
Contemplative
Emotional
Bittersweet
Reviews & Readership
52,648 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Tom Perrotta's The Leftovers offers compelling storytelling with deep emotional and psychological layers, praised for its originality and character development. Some critics found the pacing sluggish and the ending ambiguous. Overall, it's a thought-provoking narrative that explores grief and human resilience effectively.
Who Should Read The Leftovers?
Fans of dystopian dramas and explorations of human resilience will appreciate Tom Perrotta’s The Leftovers. Readers who enjoyed the philosophical depth of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road or the sociocultural commentary in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale will find Perrotta’s blend of emotional complexity and suspense compelling.
52,648 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Kevin Garvey
Kevin Garvey
The mayor of Mapleton who represents stability and normalcy in the aftermath of the Rapture, embodying a desire to move forward despite personal and communal losses.
Jill Garvey
Jill Garvey
A seventeen-year-old girl who grapples with adolescence and loss after the Rapture, trying to assert her identity and process the upheaval in her family.
Tom Garvey
Tom Garvey
Laurie and Kevin's son who joins different religious movements as he navigates uncertainty and a search for belonging in a world changed by the Rapture.
Nora Durst
Nora Durst
A woman dealing with intense personal loss after the Rapture, who seeks to rebuild her life and find new purpose despite being labeled the "saddest person in town."
384
Novel • Fiction
Mapleton, New York • Contemporary
2011
St. Martin's Press
Adult
18+ years
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