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Sanctuary
“The meek shall inherit the Earth, unless the rich get there first.” That’s the reality of the post-apocalyptic world in this electrifying debut thriller.
The near future…
Climate disasters have crippled the United States. With half the country under water and the other half a dust bowl, civil unrest would soon escalate into something darker, something unstoppable. Billionaire John Brandt anticipated this and channeled his money, power, and influence into being prepared for the great unraveling.
Now Brandt, his family, and his security team must retreat to Sanctuary, their underground bunker—a vast luxury mansion beneath the parched earth of the Nebraskan Great Plains. But they are not alone. Above ground a group of raiders are desperate to survive and will use any means possible to accomplish that goal.
As tensions mount both inside and out, battle lines are drawn— between the haves and the have-nots, between decency and expediency, between life and death. In this game, everyone's a loser.
The near future…
Climate disasters have crippled the United States. With half the country under water and the other half a dust bowl, civil unrest would soon escalate into something darker, something unstoppable. Billionaire John Brandt anticipated this and channeled his money, power, and influence into being prepared for the great unraveling.
Now Brandt, his family, and his security team must retreat to Sanctuary, their underground bunker—a vast luxury mansion beneath the parched earth of the Nebraskan Great Plains. But they are not alone. Above ground a group of raiders are desperate to survive and will use any means possible to accomplish that goal.
As tensions mount both inside and out, battle lines are drawn— between the haves and the have-nots, between decency and expediency, between life and death. In this game, everyone's a loser.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
November 3, 2025
Where many climate-related societal collapse stories read like tumbleweeds, their desiccated perspectives as hollow as the futures of their own doomed characters, Sanctuary stands like a monolith meant to outlast the ravages of time with its vital message.
A propulsive, captivating thriller that gives its readers time to contemplate the bigger picture, this book is perfect for fans of apocalyptic fiction like McCarthy's The Road and Stephen King's The Stand. Cleary uses restrained poetic language and a straightforward delivery with authentic Dust Bowl history to contextualize a hypothetical future that becomes all too real in relatively few pages. For a thought-provoking, entertaining take on climate disaster fiction, you won't do better than Sanctuary.
A big thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin Random House for the ARC.
A propulsive, captivating thriller that gives its readers time to contemplate the bigger picture, this book is perfect for fans of apocalyptic fiction like McCarthy's The Road and Stephen King's The Stand. Cleary uses restrained poetic language and a straightforward delivery with authentic Dust Bowl history to contextualize a hypothetical future that becomes all too real in relatively few pages. For a thought-provoking, entertaining take on climate disaster fiction, you won't do better than Sanctuary.
A big thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin Random House for the ARC.
May 20, 2026
4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️!
Sanctuary, by James Cleary, was a compulsive reading experience for me to be sure! I had a hard time putting it down, wanting to know what was going to happen next. It painted a desperately bleak portrait of an apocalyptic United States due to unchecked environmental changes, politicians, and self-interested billionaires. I’d classify this read as a thriller/horror. And although it has me feeling sad and a bit depressed, the story itself was quite good! Recommend for anyone who enjoys dystopian apocalypse reads.
Sanctuary, by James Cleary, was a compulsive reading experience for me to be sure! I had a hard time putting it down, wanting to know what was going to happen next. It painted a desperately bleak portrait of an apocalyptic United States due to unchecked environmental changes, politicians, and self-interested billionaires. I’d classify this read as a thriller/horror. And although it has me feeling sad and a bit depressed, the story itself was quite good! Recommend for anyone who enjoys dystopian apocalypse reads.
May 31, 2026
Bleak but good, and not totally without redemptive light.
After the climate crisis comes to a head, a billionaire locks himself and his family, a few staff, and some hired contract ex-military in a luxury underground bunker that has enough supplies to support way more people than are in there.
Of course a bunch of regular people arrive needing help and shelter, but the billionaire is not having any of it. Although you can guess the general outline of the rest (because of course people are going to act predictably like people), the details make for an interesting and human story that remains compelling.
She could never make him see the glaring irony of how he'd built a bunker to save himself and his family from the consequences of a climate catastrophe that he and his business practices had helped create in the first place. A bunker built by the very people he intended to leave behind to die. She may not have the words to express all that she was feeling and thinking, but she knew, in the place where hearts know things, that what was happening was wrong.
After the climate crisis comes to a head, a billionaire locks himself and his family, a few staff, and some hired contract ex-military in a luxury underground bunker that has enough supplies to support way more people than are in there.
Of course a bunch of regular people arrive needing help and shelter, but the billionaire is not having any of it. Although you can guess the general outline of the rest (because of course people are going to act predictably like people), the details make for an interesting and human story that remains compelling.
She could never make him see the glaring irony of how he'd built a bunker to save himself and his family from the consequences of a climate catastrophe that he and his business practices had helped create in the first place. A bunker built by the very people he intended to leave behind to die. She may not have the words to express all that she was feeling and thinking, but she knew, in the place where hearts know things, that what was happening was wrong.
May 13, 2026
So as you can see, I rated this book all the stars. Also, I hated this book. It turns out that this is not mutually exclusive. Honestly this whole reading experience was a lesson in contradictions- I could not put the book down, but I also wanted to throw it across the room; I loved and hated it in equal measure. See, it's too true, too accurate, too realistic. So spot-on a commentary on our current situation that I am blown away by the author's ability to have, in essence, written a book about our future in his past.
You'll recognize the major players- the selfish billionaires, the incompetent hateful government, and the everyday folks just trying to get by (and eventually, keep them and theirs safe). You'll be infuriated of course, and that is very definitely the point. It pulls at the heartstrings in absolutely gutting fashion- the author pulls absolutely no punches, and guarantees safety for no one. There's no plot armor to be had here, and it's both realistic and devastating in equal measure. The book is overall sad in tone, but with enough glimmers of hope (appropriately feasible hope, that is) to make it bearable. I cannot say enough about how great a job the author did, and how mad I am at its believability.
Bottom Line: So well done, but so very haunting in its prescience.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
May 1, 2026
MY THOUGHTS:
"There are no police now. There’s just people with guns."
This book was so crazy intense! I felt like I was watching episodes of - The Last of Us, or Revolution (one of my all-time favorite shows!) and parts of it even reminded me of Falling Skies, another one of my favorite shows! So if you are into sci-fi and have loved any shows or books like that you would definitely want to pick this book up!
Even though this is an post apocalyptic type book, which I love, it was also very relevant to a lot of what was happening right now in the United States. I could definitely relate. All the characters were so well done and very believable and relatable as well.
This seemed very real and unreal at the same time, scary good! I guess I would say it’s the kind of book that feels so real that you don’t want it to be real!
This is one that is definitely worth the read! I would not hesitate to read more books from this author.
I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this book from Berkley | Penguin Random House - Thank You!!
"There are no police now. There’s just people with guns."
This book was so crazy intense! I felt like I was watching episodes of - The Last of Us, or Revolution (one of my all-time favorite shows!) and parts of it even reminded me of Falling Skies, another one of my favorite shows! So if you are into sci-fi and have loved any shows or books like that you would definitely want to pick this book up!
Even though this is an post apocalyptic type book, which I love, it was also very relevant to a lot of what was happening right now in the United States. I could definitely relate. All the characters were so well done and very believable and relatable as well.
This seemed very real and unreal at the same time, scary good! I guess I would say it’s the kind of book that feels so real that you don’t want it to be real!
This is one that is definitely worth the read! I would not hesitate to read more books from this author.
I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this book from Berkley | Penguin Random House - Thank You!!
May 2, 2026
3.5 STARS
This one was… hard to read. Not because it was bad, but because it felt way too real.
Sanctuary is terrifying in a quiet, realistic way. The kind that sits in the back of your mind and makes you a little uneasy because it doesn’t feel that far off from where we could end up.
The whole concept of this being a “gray swan” event really stuck with me. Something obvious. Something we can see coming. And still… ignored.
“a future that is glaringly obvious… but downplayed or ignored… out of arrogance and stupidity.”
Yeah. That.
The environmental collapse, the food shortages, the civil unrest…
“Hunger changes everything.”
That line basically sums up the entire book.
What really got to me though was watching how quickly morality starts to shift. People doing things they probably never thought they were capable of, just to survive.
“The dad. The husband. The carpenter… The murderer? Yes… It hadn’t even been that hard.”
There are also some really devastating emotional moments throughout. Families breaking, people losing everything, and that underlying feeling that there’s no system left to rely on anymore.
This line especially hit:
“They needed a myth. And all the great ones were dead.”
Like… what do you even hold onto at that point?
And then you have the bunker. The “Sanctuary.” Supposed to be safe. Controlled. Protected. But even there, things start to crack. Power shifts, trust breaks down, and it becomes very clear that safety for some comes at a cost.
This landed at a 3.5 for me because while I really respected what this story was doing… it’s not an easy reading experience. It’s heavy, uncomfortable, and not something I would pick up if I was looking for any kind of escape.
But it is impactful. And honestly… kind of scary in a way that lingers.
What I Loved:
- The writing... genuinely beautiful in the most gutting way
- Schaefer. SCHAEFER. A woman doing the right thing when almost no one else will
- The slow unraveling of who can be trusted inside the bunker
- The child Jeremy… because he just wanted a friend. I cannot.
- The way morality doesn't collapse all at once... it crumbles, piece by piece
Tropes:
- Climate fiction / cli-fi
- Bunker / survival thriller
- Morally gray characters (basically everyone)
- Us vs. them dynamics
- Grief and loss
- Found family
- Survival at any cost
Thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher, and the Author for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
This one was… hard to read. Not because it was bad, but because it felt way too real.
Sanctuary is terrifying in a quiet, realistic way. The kind that sits in the back of your mind and makes you a little uneasy because it doesn’t feel that far off from where we could end up.
The whole concept of this being a “gray swan” event really stuck with me. Something obvious. Something we can see coming. And still… ignored.
“a future that is glaringly obvious… but downplayed or ignored… out of arrogance and stupidity.”
Yeah. That.
The environmental collapse, the food shortages, the civil unrest…
“Hunger changes everything.”
That line basically sums up the entire book.
What really got to me though was watching how quickly morality starts to shift. People doing things they probably never thought they were capable of, just to survive.
“The dad. The husband. The carpenter… The murderer? Yes… It hadn’t even been that hard.”
There are also some really devastating emotional moments throughout. Families breaking, people losing everything, and that underlying feeling that there’s no system left to rely on anymore.
This line especially hit:
“They needed a myth. And all the great ones were dead.”
Like… what do you even hold onto at that point?
And then you have the bunker. The “Sanctuary.” Supposed to be safe. Controlled. Protected. But even there, things start to crack. Power shifts, trust breaks down, and it becomes very clear that safety for some comes at a cost.
This landed at a 3.5 for me because while I really respected what this story was doing… it’s not an easy reading experience. It’s heavy, uncomfortable, and not something I would pick up if I was looking for any kind of escape.
But it is impactful. And honestly… kind of scary in a way that lingers.
What I Loved:
- The writing... genuinely beautiful in the most gutting way
- Schaefer. SCHAEFER. A woman doing the right thing when almost no one else will
- The slow unraveling of who can be trusted inside the bunker
- The child Jeremy… because he just wanted a friend. I cannot.
- The way morality doesn't collapse all at once... it crumbles, piece by piece
Tropes:
- Climate fiction / cli-fi
- Bunker / survival thriller
- Morally gray characters (basically everyone)
- Us vs. them dynamics
- Grief and loss
- Found family
- Survival at any cost
Thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher, and the Author for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
May 16, 2026
4⭐️
AD-PR PRODUCT
An engaging fast-paced post-apocalyptic thriller! ⚡️
I was looking forward to this read as it breaks up the typical thriller genre with its dystopian outlook and I loved the short chapter structure. I found the first half to be strong in its progression as the characters became more familiar, and then the middle dipped a little before it picked up again towards the end.
I loved the alternating POVs between those inside the bunker, Sanctuary, and those outside trying to get in. This book highlights the stark reality of human kind and how awful people can be even during the worst times. The most troublesome part of this read though, was the thought of how close in the future is something like this going to occur!
I enjoyed the diary entries written by one of the characters inside Sanctuary who described how they were ‘rotting from the inside’. Despite all the protection, food, water and medications, knowing people outside needed their help was crippling them and I found this so ironic. I loved how this mirrored the waves of panic and desperation of those outside the bunker too.
This plot would excel on the big screen as it’s action packed, tense at times and would make a fantastic watch. Aspects felt a little far fetched, but of course they would be at the end of the world, but it also felt terrifyingly realistic at times too. How the book would progress was inevitable, and despite the ending being abrupt, I liked how Clearly cleverly ended this book!
A huge thank you @hqstories for this copy of Sanctuary! I buddy read this book with Susan @mynextreads and I enjoyed our discussions as always!
Sanctuary is out now and I recommend it! 🔥
💬: ‘Humans kill to survive. They always have, always will.’
⚠️ Please check out the trigger warnings! ⚠️
AD-PR PRODUCT
An engaging fast-paced post-apocalyptic thriller! ⚡️
I was looking forward to this read as it breaks up the typical thriller genre with its dystopian outlook and I loved the short chapter structure. I found the first half to be strong in its progression as the characters became more familiar, and then the middle dipped a little before it picked up again towards the end.
I loved the alternating POVs between those inside the bunker, Sanctuary, and those outside trying to get in. This book highlights the stark reality of human kind and how awful people can be even during the worst times. The most troublesome part of this read though, was the thought of how close in the future is something like this going to occur!
I enjoyed the diary entries written by one of the characters inside Sanctuary who described how they were ‘rotting from the inside’. Despite all the protection, food, water and medications, knowing people outside needed their help was crippling them and I found this so ironic. I loved how this mirrored the waves of panic and desperation of those outside the bunker too.
This plot would excel on the big screen as it’s action packed, tense at times and would make a fantastic watch. Aspects felt a little far fetched, but of course they would be at the end of the world, but it also felt terrifyingly realistic at times too. How the book would progress was inevitable, and despite the ending being abrupt, I liked how Clearly cleverly ended this book!
A huge thank you @hqstories for this copy of Sanctuary! I buddy read this book with Susan @mynextreads and I enjoyed our discussions as always!
Sanctuary is out now and I recommend it! 🔥
💬: ‘Humans kill to survive. They always have, always will.’
⚠️ Please check out the trigger warnings! ⚠️
May 6, 2026
This is the kind of book that gets under your skin — not just because the storytelling is vivid and immersive, but because it holds up a mirror and asks a genuinely uncomfortable question: What would YOU do? The characters feel achingly real, people navigating impossible choices around power — who holds it, who hoards it, who loses everything by clinging to it. None of us truly know what we’re capable of when we have too much or too little to lose, and Cleary never lets us forget it.
May 6, 2026
I started "Sanctuary" in the morning, and it upended my whole plan for the day (I couldn't go to sleep until I finished it). An amazing read—compelling characters, fast-paced storytelling, imaginative plot twists, and a future that is sadly all too easy to imagine. This book left me with the best sort of book hangover, the kind where you're still mulling over the story days later. Loved it!
May 4, 2026
This is a fantastic book! It is one of those that made me want to stay up until 2:00 am to finish it, but adulting got in the way. The characters are so well developed. I have deliberately not started another book because I need to sit with this one for a while. The topic of climate change and billionaires ruining the world is ON POINT!
May 19, 2026
I’ve seen different covers for this book, and to be honest I have really liked aspects of them all and in there own way they all fit the book really well too. Each of the different book covers would have me picking it up from a bookstore shelf to learn more about the book so they all do their job well!
America has been suffering and declining for many years, suffering from climate change and other disasters it has come to the very brink of societal collapse. Some have prepared for this eventuality, one of these men is millionaire John Brandt. John has a piece of land in a remote area with a mansion house within a compound in an isolated area in Nebraska that has plenty of supplies but he has also thought further ahead and had a state of the art, fully equipped bunker built underground too for if things get “really bad”. Some people thought him mad when he was having it built but he could see the signs around him and was determined to protect his family and a few hand selected people needed to run the bunker. He employed many workers who all did different small sections of the build so no one had access to the full plans. All the workers had to sign non-disclosure/secrecy type forms regarding the work they were doing and the location of the property.
When things are showing signs of the “final collapse” John Brandt sends different members of his security team to bring his family members and staff to the mansion house. His daughter Julia is hiking with her bodyguard Michael Flynn, whom she has a bit of a crush on, though it seems the romantic feelings maybe mutual, when he gets the call to head straight to Sanctuary.
Ex-Army and bodyguards Cooper and Schaeffer bring John Brandts wife Rebecca and their young son Jeremy to Sanctuary.
Others bring Mrs Krajic the Brandts cook/cleaner and her daughter Maia who is a student nurse. There’s a physician, Dr Robert Matheson to look after the Brandts and their staff, an agriculturist called Hanna Laval who designed and is in charge of the bunkers extensive food growing systems,
Unfortunately, some of those that were chosen for their needed skills do not make it to Nebraska when society breaks down and before the group have to lock down in the bunker so those that have made it end up taking on extra jobs to keep things running smoothly.
Despite the world being in chaos when John Brandt discovers there is no cream for his coffee he sends two of his best people from his security guards in search of some in a helicopter and is disappointed and disgruntled when they return empty handed explaining every store and gas station for miles has been ransacked and looted! That’s how selfish this man really is!
The bunker really is the height or should that be the depth of luxury! With eighteen floors, although really there are only seventeen as the thirteenth floor does not exist because of the same sort of superstitions as the grand hotels have. The first floor is the command centre where the cameras are that watch the land and mansion above the bunker. The second floor is the armoury, again well stocked. This floor also has an area to be used for detention purposes should it ever be need. The third floor is the barracks for the security men/women most of which are ex-army so used to living in barracks. The Brandt family have two floors, four and five to themselves which are connected by a private staircase within them. The sixth floor is for Mrs Krajic and her daughter Maia who are basically the housekeepers for the bunker who duties include cooking and cleaning for the Brandt family. There are other floors with living quarters, some which sit empty due to the people they were designated to not arriving. The eleventh floor is a fully equipped and well stocked infirmary. Theres also a library, a commons area, a laundry, community style realistic market, a recreation centre with a swimming pool and bowling alley, it seems like MR Brandt has even thought about how his family will be entertained until it is safe to rise out of the bunker. Of course, there are areas of cold food storage and a hydrophonics section where fresh fruit and vegetables are grown and are tended to by Hanna Laval. There is also a floor dedicated to mechanical items and generators.
Whilst the Brandt family and his hand chosen staff are safe in the luxurious bunker fairly oblivious to the plight of the normal American things are getting worse. So much so that one of the men who helped build the bunker, Tom Grady decides to head out to Nebraska with his wife and new born baby to see if the Brandts will allow them to join them in the bunker. When Tom decides to set off a initially a few neighbours join him with their families until the number grow into a small group, but Tom Grady knows how big the bunker is there will be plenty of room and supplies for them all for years. Its not like they want these things giving they are prepared to work for their housing and food as most of the group actually have skills that would be useful to Mr Brandt and his family. The children in the group would be company for young Jeremy Brandt. However, when the Tom Grady’s group arrive at the Brandt mansion and the Brandts refuse them access to the bunker emotions become heightened with both sides digging in their heels. John Brandt is determined to keep the plentiful resources he has built up for his own family and handpicked staff and flatly refuses Tom Grady and his group access under any circumstances even when Tom Grady and his wife beg for help for their ill new born baby and a few others in their group that are ill. John Brandt has the medical supplies to help and despite some of those inside the bunker trying to reason with him he still refuses to share.
When the Grady’s newborn baby dies it naturally hardens his group against the Brandts and they decide they will gain access to that bunker by whatever means necessary even if it means slowly cutting off the air supply and forcing the Brandts to come out.
The book is told from a few different points of view, from the diary entries of someone on the bunker, the point of view of the Brandts in the bunker and from the point of view of Tom Grady and his group.
I did enjoy the book as a whole, though it was sad to see a man who had everything denying basic medical help to a new born baby. John Brandt was stubborn to the very end in the view that everything in the bunker was his and his families and he had no intention of sharing, in fact he would rather attack those asking for help and kill them to solve the issue than offer help.
I felt the book was fairly slow paced but I guess that gave you time to really think about the actions of the characters as they were making them.
I did find Sanctuary a thought provoking read, How far would you go to protect your family?, Who and how do you choose who to save by taking them into the bunker? What lengths are you prepared to go to, to prevent others gaining access to your bunker? Who would you help? Where do you draw the line at helping others? Could you turn your back on the request for help for an ill newborn baby of a man you had employed to help build the very bunker you and your family are safely inside?
Sanctuary is certainly a thought provoking read. Then there’s the ending where the secret escape tunnel fails. Did John Brandt deserve what happened in the end?
I found the epilogue section that jumped years ahead interesting, poignant, yet at the same time really sad looking back at was left of the bunker and that only a few people were still around that really knew what had happened there.
My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that I felt a bit dazed, a little disappointed even, yet at the same time I had enjoyed what I had read.
Summing up, a little slow paced for my usual taste, a different take on the usual post- apocalyptic survival story. This book centres more on the characters and their behaviour when things go really bad. After digesting what I'd read for a few days and reflecting on the book I came to the conclusion that I did enjoy what I'd read. The book reminded me a little of The Pharmacist by Rachelle Atalla which I also enjoyed reading. It also made me think back to watching the Tales Of The Unexpected TV show when I was younger and how they were so cleverly thought provoking and had you thinking about them long after the ending.
America has been suffering and declining for many years, suffering from climate change and other disasters it has come to the very brink of societal collapse. Some have prepared for this eventuality, one of these men is millionaire John Brandt. John has a piece of land in a remote area with a mansion house within a compound in an isolated area in Nebraska that has plenty of supplies but he has also thought further ahead and had a state of the art, fully equipped bunker built underground too for if things get “really bad”. Some people thought him mad when he was having it built but he could see the signs around him and was determined to protect his family and a few hand selected people needed to run the bunker. He employed many workers who all did different small sections of the build so no one had access to the full plans. All the workers had to sign non-disclosure/secrecy type forms regarding the work they were doing and the location of the property.
When things are showing signs of the “final collapse” John Brandt sends different members of his security team to bring his family members and staff to the mansion house. His daughter Julia is hiking with her bodyguard Michael Flynn, whom she has a bit of a crush on, though it seems the romantic feelings maybe mutual, when he gets the call to head straight to Sanctuary.
Ex-Army and bodyguards Cooper and Schaeffer bring John Brandts wife Rebecca and their young son Jeremy to Sanctuary.
Others bring Mrs Krajic the Brandts cook/cleaner and her daughter Maia who is a student nurse. There’s a physician, Dr Robert Matheson to look after the Brandts and their staff, an agriculturist called Hanna Laval who designed and is in charge of the bunkers extensive food growing systems,
Unfortunately, some of those that were chosen for their needed skills do not make it to Nebraska when society breaks down and before the group have to lock down in the bunker so those that have made it end up taking on extra jobs to keep things running smoothly.
Despite the world being in chaos when John Brandt discovers there is no cream for his coffee he sends two of his best people from his security guards in search of some in a helicopter and is disappointed and disgruntled when they return empty handed explaining every store and gas station for miles has been ransacked and looted! That’s how selfish this man really is!
The bunker really is the height or should that be the depth of luxury! With eighteen floors, although really there are only seventeen as the thirteenth floor does not exist because of the same sort of superstitions as the grand hotels have. The first floor is the command centre where the cameras are that watch the land and mansion above the bunker. The second floor is the armoury, again well stocked. This floor also has an area to be used for detention purposes should it ever be need. The third floor is the barracks for the security men/women most of which are ex-army so used to living in barracks. The Brandt family have two floors, four and five to themselves which are connected by a private staircase within them. The sixth floor is for Mrs Krajic and her daughter Maia who are basically the housekeepers for the bunker who duties include cooking and cleaning for the Brandt family. There are other floors with living quarters, some which sit empty due to the people they were designated to not arriving. The eleventh floor is a fully equipped and well stocked infirmary. Theres also a library, a commons area, a laundry, community style realistic market, a recreation centre with a swimming pool and bowling alley, it seems like MR Brandt has even thought about how his family will be entertained until it is safe to rise out of the bunker. Of course, there are areas of cold food storage and a hydrophonics section where fresh fruit and vegetables are grown and are tended to by Hanna Laval. There is also a floor dedicated to mechanical items and generators.
Whilst the Brandt family and his hand chosen staff are safe in the luxurious bunker fairly oblivious to the plight of the normal American things are getting worse. So much so that one of the men who helped build the bunker, Tom Grady decides to head out to Nebraska with his wife and new born baby to see if the Brandts will allow them to join them in the bunker. When Tom decides to set off a initially a few neighbours join him with their families until the number grow into a small group, but Tom Grady knows how big the bunker is there will be plenty of room and supplies for them all for years. Its not like they want these things giving they are prepared to work for their housing and food as most of the group actually have skills that would be useful to Mr Brandt and his family. The children in the group would be company for young Jeremy Brandt. However, when the Tom Grady’s group arrive at the Brandt mansion and the Brandts refuse them access to the bunker emotions become heightened with both sides digging in their heels. John Brandt is determined to keep the plentiful resources he has built up for his own family and handpicked staff and flatly refuses Tom Grady and his group access under any circumstances even when Tom Grady and his wife beg for help for their ill new born baby and a few others in their group that are ill. John Brandt has the medical supplies to help and despite some of those inside the bunker trying to reason with him he still refuses to share.
When the Grady’s newborn baby dies it naturally hardens his group against the Brandts and they decide they will gain access to that bunker by whatever means necessary even if it means slowly cutting off the air supply and forcing the Brandts to come out.
The book is told from a few different points of view, from the diary entries of someone on the bunker, the point of view of the Brandts in the bunker and from the point of view of Tom Grady and his group.
I did enjoy the book as a whole, though it was sad to see a man who had everything denying basic medical help to a new born baby. John Brandt was stubborn to the very end in the view that everything in the bunker was his and his families and he had no intention of sharing, in fact he would rather attack those asking for help and kill them to solve the issue than offer help.
I felt the book was fairly slow paced but I guess that gave you time to really think about the actions of the characters as they were making them.
I did find Sanctuary a thought provoking read, How far would you go to protect your family?, Who and how do you choose who to save by taking them into the bunker? What lengths are you prepared to go to, to prevent others gaining access to your bunker? Who would you help? Where do you draw the line at helping others? Could you turn your back on the request for help for an ill newborn baby of a man you had employed to help build the very bunker you and your family are safely inside?
Sanctuary is certainly a thought provoking read. Then there’s the ending where the secret escape tunnel fails. Did John Brandt deserve what happened in the end?
I found the epilogue section that jumped years ahead interesting, poignant, yet at the same time really sad looking back at was left of the bunker and that only a few people were still around that really knew what had happened there.
My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that I felt a bit dazed, a little disappointed even, yet at the same time I had enjoyed what I had read.
Summing up, a little slow paced for my usual taste, a different take on the usual post- apocalyptic survival story. This book centres more on the characters and their behaviour when things go really bad. After digesting what I'd read for a few days and reflecting on the book I came to the conclusion that I did enjoy what I'd read. The book reminded me a little of The Pharmacist by Rachelle Atalla which I also enjoyed reading. It also made me think back to watching the Tales Of The Unexpected TV show when I was younger and how they were so cleverly thought provoking and had you thinking about them long after the ending.
May 3, 2026
3.5*
It would be easy to blame the billionaire ... It's easy to make him the villain. And yet I sit here sipping my tea and jotting down my musings while, outside, people die ... I, and the others here, may not possess Mr. Brandt's money, but we reap the benefits of it ... To most of the world I must seem as rich as he. And, in a way which I don't like to admit, I guess I am. How much money, I wonder, does one need to merit sanctuary?
It would be easy to blame the billionaire ... It's easy to make him the villain. And yet I sit here sipping my tea and jotting down my musings while, outside, people die ... I, and the others here, may not possess Mr. Brandt's money, but we reap the benefits of it ... To most of the world I must seem as rich as he. And, in a way which I don't like to admit, I guess I am. How much money, I wonder, does one need to merit sanctuary?
The U.S. has descended into anarchy, riots over lack of food and water grip the country, and the president declares martial law. Part of the country is underwater, the rest is dust. Billionaire John Brandt is one of many ultra-wealthy people who've built an underground bunker, where he, his family, and protective security personnel will wait out the chaos. They have enough food and water to last them for years.
Tom Grady worked on the construction of the bunker. He knows it's the only place his wife, baby daughter and a group of other hungry survivors will be safe. There are enough supplies to last them all. Brandt will do anything to keep them out. Grady will do anything to get them in.
The book is pacy, the action kicking off in the first few pages as the U.S. goes up in flames and the Brandt family and their employees (because you still need a cook, a cleaner and mercenaries in a bunker, right?!) race to make it to the bunker. It's impossible not to hate him, with his disregard for human life, particularly those he considers to be riffraff, beneath him because he's rich and they're not. At the same time, I empathised with Grady and his desperation to save his family.
What makes the book interesting is the exploration of the divide between the haves and have-nots, something so extreme that even by current standards, it's sickening. It's well known that the CEOs of tech companies and the like have built safe havens for themselves for when (not if) it all goes pear-shaped. This story is about how it might unfold.
There's plenty of razor-sharp tension in the book, amid the violence and anarchy. The author really puts some of his characters, like Grady and his family, through the wringer. That said, I feel like many of them lacked the emotional depth that would have really connected me with them. Sometimes, it's hard to articulate exactly why you don't connect with certain characters. This just happened to be the case for me with this book.
It's an engaging enough and relevant story that kept me reading. The prose isn't difficult – the focus is very much on the action-packed plot rather than characters or beautiful language, which could have helped the book, and especially the ending, pack more of an emotional punch.
I'd recommend it as a popcorn cli-fi thriller that's entertaining but that I'm unlikely to remember in a year's time.
Thanks to HQ Stories/Harper Collins for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2026
After decades of unrelenting disasters, America is on the brink of environmental and social collapse. Billionaire John Brandt was one of the few who planned for it, and retreats to his luxurious underground bunker with his family. Ordinary people like Tom Grady don’t stand a chance, but Tom helped build the bunker, and he isn’t going down without a fight. Grady will stop at nothing to get in. Brandt will do whatever it takes to keep him out. But who will win – and at what cost?
Sanctuary is a thrilling, thought-provoking and action-packed dystopian thriller that gripped me from the very first pages. The story launches straight into action and rarely lets up, creating a visceral, relentless, and unsettling read.
The narrative unfolds as a tense showdown between brutality and human decency, and one of the book’s greatest strengths is that nothing is black and white. The characters are forced into impossible situations, and you can’t help but feel their torment as they fight to survive whilst desperately trying to hold onto their humanity.
The characters, particularly Tom, are incredibly well written though. Their fear and desperation seeps from the pages, making every moment of panic, dread, and uncertainty feel palpable. The shifting perspectives added depth and complexity to the story, but what I really appreciated was the emotional depth that they evoked. There were moments that left me disgusted, others elated, and some genuinely upset.
In short, Sanctuary is intense, intelligently written, exhilarating, and an impressively assured debut.
Thank you so much to HQ for sending me this copy to read and review. My opinions are my own.
Sanctuary is a thrilling, thought-provoking and action-packed dystopian thriller that gripped me from the very first pages. The story launches straight into action and rarely lets up, creating a visceral, relentless, and unsettling read.
The narrative unfolds as a tense showdown between brutality and human decency, and one of the book’s greatest strengths is that nothing is black and white. The characters are forced into impossible situations, and you can’t help but feel their torment as they fight to survive whilst desperately trying to hold onto their humanity.
The characters, particularly Tom, are incredibly well written though. Their fear and desperation seeps from the pages, making every moment of panic, dread, and uncertainty feel palpable. The shifting perspectives added depth and complexity to the story, but what I really appreciated was the emotional depth that they evoked. There were moments that left me disgusted, others elated, and some genuinely upset.
In short, Sanctuary is intense, intelligently written, exhilarating, and an impressively assured debut.
Thank you so much to HQ for sending me this copy to read and review. My opinions are my own.
June 21, 2026
Rounding 4.5 ⭐
Well, what can you say about a debut novel that is absolutely mirroring what could potentially happen in the United States right now? The constant and unyielding struggles between normal people and the uber wealthy 1%. The constant and unyielding struggles between normal people and corrupt billionaires that are and will continue to destroy what the US has been for their own greed and need for power. This book was extremely fast-paced, and it just shows you that desperate times will make normal everyday grounded people to resort to horrific desperate things in order to survive.
It was realistic and very bleak and follows two very different "families". One group who have everything, who want for nothing and then you have another group who have nothing and are desperate to try to survive by any means possible. It is a situation where there are no winners. I was quite emotional at the end because in my heart and with what is going on in the US right now, I truly believe this could happen.
Well, what can you say about a debut novel that is absolutely mirroring what could potentially happen in the United States right now? The constant and unyielding struggles between normal people and the uber wealthy 1%. The constant and unyielding struggles between normal people and corrupt billionaires that are and will continue to destroy what the US has been for their own greed and need for power. This book was extremely fast-paced, and it just shows you that desperate times will make normal everyday grounded people to resort to horrific desperate things in order to survive.
It was realistic and very bleak and follows two very different "families". One group who have everything, who want for nothing and then you have another group who have nothing and are desperate to try to survive by any means possible. It is a situation where there are no winners. I was quite emotional at the end because in my heart and with what is going on in the US right now, I truly believe this could happen.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Sanctuary by James Cleary is a dystopian science fiction novel told in the third person. The story begins with a rising tension that immediately pulled me in,I could feel the drama building through Cleary’s prose from the very start.
The narrative moves between different threads of the story across the chapters, giving me a sense of the wider picture and hinting at where the journey might be heading. This shifting perspective added depth and kept my curiosity alive as the plot unfolded.
What stood out most was the pacing. One moment the writing delivered intense tension and drama, and the next it slowed almost deliberately, allowing a pause before the next surge of action. It felt as though the story was giving my mind a brief moment of calm before the next emotional hit.
At times I could feel the fear in the characters’ situations, and at others their desperation seeped through the pages. The world Cleary created felt vividly real, which is a testament to his ability as a storyteller.
Overall, Sanctuary is a gripping dystopian read that balances tension with thoughtful pacing. James Cleary’s writing creates an atmosphere that feels both unsettling and immersive, drawing me deeper into the story with each chapter. It’s a novel that lingers, leaving me reflecting on the characters’ struggles and the world they inhabit long after the final page.
The narrative moves between different threads of the story across the chapters, giving me a sense of the wider picture and hinting at where the journey might be heading. This shifting perspective added depth and kept my curiosity alive as the plot unfolded.
What stood out most was the pacing. One moment the writing delivered intense tension and drama, and the next it slowed almost deliberately, allowing a pause before the next surge of action. It felt as though the story was giving my mind a brief moment of calm before the next emotional hit.
At times I could feel the fear in the characters’ situations, and at others their desperation seeped through the pages. The world Cleary created felt vividly real, which is a testament to his ability as a storyteller.
Overall, Sanctuary is a gripping dystopian read that balances tension with thoughtful pacing. James Cleary’s writing creates an atmosphere that feels both unsettling and immersive, drawing me deeper into the story with each chapter. It’s a novel that lingers, leaving me reflecting on the characters’ struggles and the world they inhabit long after the final page.
May 9, 2026
Well, this was terrifying in a “huh, yes, this does seem like exactly where we are headed” sort of way.
The book is technically dystopian fiction, but some parts felt less like a distant imagined future and more like next Thursday if everyone keeps making the worst possible choices. Climate collapse, absurd wealth inequality, people with money building luxury escape plans while everyone else is left to figure it out with vibes and canned beans…it all felt disturbingly believable.
What I appreciated most is that the book doesn’t just ask, “Could people survive this?” It asks, “What happens to our humanity when survival becomes something only some people can afford?” The bunker is fascinating and horrifying because it is both sanctuary and symbol: safety for some, abandonment for others.
And because I know the author, I’ll add this: it brings me so much joy to see Jim put this story into the world. He is a wonderful human being, and this book is smart, bold, unsettling, and completely worth reading. Huge kudos to him.
This is an excellent book club read because there is so much to discuss (morality, privilege, fear, climate, power, survival) and what people owe each other when things begin to fall apart.
This is a smart, tense, and unsettling read that feels far too close to the world we are already living in.
The book is technically dystopian fiction, but some parts felt less like a distant imagined future and more like next Thursday if everyone keeps making the worst possible choices. Climate collapse, absurd wealth inequality, people with money building luxury escape plans while everyone else is left to figure it out with vibes and canned beans…it all felt disturbingly believable.
What I appreciated most is that the book doesn’t just ask, “Could people survive this?” It asks, “What happens to our humanity when survival becomes something only some people can afford?” The bunker is fascinating and horrifying because it is both sanctuary and symbol: safety for some, abandonment for others.
And because I know the author, I’ll add this: it brings me so much joy to see Jim put this story into the world. He is a wonderful human being, and this book is smart, bold, unsettling, and completely worth reading. Huge kudos to him.
This is an excellent book club read because there is so much to discuss (morality, privilege, fear, climate, power, survival) and what people owe each other when things begin to fall apart.
This is a smart, tense, and unsettling read that feels far too close to the world we are already living in.
April 29, 2026
good story very well written
This isn’t the story you think you’re going to read. It’s better. Not apocalyptic. Events are believable, and there’s plenty of action, suspense and conflict. But it’s mostly about us and how the consequences of the things we do are never as simple or black and white as they seem at first glance.
This isn’t the story you think you’re going to read. It’s better. Not apocalyptic. Events are believable, and there’s plenty of action, suspense and conflict. But it’s mostly about us and how the consequences of the things we do are never as simple or black and white as they seem at first glance.
May 2, 2026
Post-apocalyptic action reader is not my usual genre. So I was a little apprehensive about starting this book but I am so glad I got the help from the audiobook because it was just like watching a Netflix show. There are many characters in the story, but they are introduced carefully so I didn’t get confused and it was very easy for me to get attached to some characters. Some characters are pure good. Some characters are morally grey. Who can blame them when the world has come to an end and there will be no winner - even the rich ones who get to survive longer than others will not be able to survive forever. I liked that the book asks a profound important and very relevant question. What are we doing to this planet? Is it all worth it? Who will win? Will there be any winner at the end of the day?
4-4.5/ 5 🌟
4-4.5/ 5 🌟
May 8, 2026
This is the best book I've read in a very long time. I could not put it down. The characters, the plot, the world building are all fantastic. It will stay with you for a very long time.
May 9, 2026
Near future dystopian. Feels like this could happen. Scary. Reads like a short run TV series.
June 22, 2026
Engagement/Enjoyment: 2.5/5
Plot/Structure: 3.5/5
Character Dev: 3/5
Writing Style: 3.5/5
Originality: 2/5
Pace: 2.5/5
Recommend: 2.5/5
Plot/Structure: 3.5/5
Character Dev: 3/5
Writing Style: 3.5/5
Originality: 2/5
Pace: 2.5/5
Recommend: 2.5/5
May 7, 2026
Heartbreakingly on-the-nose for today’s social climate and actual climate. That combined with a fast-paced thriller energy that rarely takes its foot off the gas makes for an incredibly moving and jarring action story filled with deeply fleshed out characters. This book makes you feel like you’ve been living in the (hopefully) fictional world James Cleary masterfully designed. I absolutely loved this book even though it’s a little close to home right now. What I liked the most was how Cleary makes you empathize with every single character in the story, no matter which side they’re on. Good, bad, rich, poor, corrupt, truth-seekers, it doesn’t matter. You will find yourself agreeing with the heart of every person in this book, which was personally difficult to wrestle with morally because there are some pretty evil characters and actions that take place in the world of Sanctuary. 5/5 can’t wait to read more from Cleary!
June 8, 2026
3.5 stars - quick, terrifying read
April 23, 2026
Fast paced and captivating! Sanctuary explores the conflicts that happen once the US is thrust into civil unrest due to a lack of natural resources. The haves vs the have nots are examined in one singular conflict that represents the larger themes of inequality and the responsibility we all have to protect our planet. I loved the writing style and the engaging plot, although I agree with others that the character development lacked a bit as a result. This would make an excellent movie!
Thank you to Berkley for the free ARC in exchange for my review as a Berkley Partner.
Thank you to Berkley for the free ARC in exchange for my review as a Berkley Partner.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I was privileged enough to receive an ARC of this novel. Right from the start, I was captivated and drawn into the plot. Such a good read!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Rating - 4.5✨
Publication date - 28th April 2026
Genre - Thriller
3 word summary - Money. Isn’t. Everything.
A huge thank you to Caitlin at HQ for gifting me an early finished copy of Sanctuary. This is my honest opinion & I’m sharing it voluntarily.
~ plot ~
As climate change brings about civil unrest, America finds itself in a truly dire state. All genders, races & ages are affected. No matter your occupation, social standing or net worth. But while money can’t buy you immunity it can certainly dictate the level at which you’re affected & more importantly, your chance of survival.
~ review ~
Sanctuary is a fast paced, thrilling, unputdownable, emotional, thought provoking tale that explores what happens when life as you know it ceases to exist. When you find yourself facing the unfaceable, pushed to your limits, forced to pick a side. The result? A moving piece of writing that showcases how uncertainty breeds paranoia, how one persons priority can easily become THE priority & how any semblance of right & wrong ceases to exist when it comes to the survival of not only yourself but of the ones you love.
I devoured this book. It was an engaging, immersive, addictive read that I highly recommend.
James Cleary writes in a way that appeals to all of your senses. You don’t just see an image of the bunker or the estate, you find yourself standing within it. Sights, sounds, smells, everything is covered. It’s as if you’re watching events play out in front of you as opposed to them being words on a page.
You’re thrown head first into the action & that’s something I absolutely love. There’s no lulling about & no unwarranted overly drawn out introduction. It’s fast paced, full throttle, exhilarating writing that lets up in all the right places.
My only issue is how the book ends. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the ending but after the fantastic story/buildup & how connected I felt to certain characters, the conclusion felt rushed & clipped. The events deserved more time & exploration/explanation. I was left with so many questions & would’ve happily read another 100 pages of that exact ending, just more in depth!
Overall, Sanctuary is a brilliant book, one I could read time & time again. My fingers are crossed for more releases like this from James Cleary & I’ll most definitely be keeping an eye out🤞🏼
~ characters ~
I was a slightly concerned about the number of names, roles & relationships there were to keep track of but, it surprisingly turned out to be a non-issue. The characters that warranted it were well introduced & their role/place within the group was made clear.
Did some characters feel unnecessary? Yes. However, the larger cast makes total sense when you get into the exploration of the wealth divide & societal differences. The variation of ages, gender, background, occupation etc allows for multiple opinions/reactions to a single situation & it really hammers home how money/status can blur the lines of right & wrong in almost any situation.
Some of the notes I made on characters while reading -
⭑ Julia - fierce, independent, dances to the beat of her own drum.
⭑ Jeremy - heartbreakingly naive, the reason for his actions at the end of the book > balling.
⭑ Hallie Schafer - total badass, have all the time in the world for this woman.
⭑ Mr Brandt - MONEY CAN’T BUY MANNERS OR SENSE.
⭑ Grady - confusing. Do I like him, do I loathe him? I’m not entirely sure.
⭑ Alma - a prime example of turning misery & pain into strength & determination, disappointed with her ending.
~ final thoughts ~
There’s no link whatsoever between this book & the disaster movie 2012 but if you’ve seen the film you’ll hopefully understand what I mean.
2012’s version of survival was making it onto an ark before a tsunami hit, case closed. But for me, the real fight for survival took place after that. People from all walks of life learning to peacefully co-exist, in a confined space, with limited resources, for God knows how long. Not exploring that always felt like a missed opportunity.
So imagine my joy when 17 years later, I sit down to read Sanctuary & all of those questions are answered. Although there’s no link, it oddly feels as if this book picks up where the film left off. Talk about scratching an itch!
💰 • 💧 • 💨 • 🩸 • 🔒 • 📝 • ⏩ • 💔 • ✅
Publication date - 28th April 2026
Genre - Thriller
3 word summary - Money. Isn’t. Everything.
A huge thank you to Caitlin at HQ for gifting me an early finished copy of Sanctuary. This is my honest opinion & I’m sharing it voluntarily.
~ plot ~
As climate change brings about civil unrest, America finds itself in a truly dire state. All genders, races & ages are affected. No matter your occupation, social standing or net worth. But while money can’t buy you immunity it can certainly dictate the level at which you’re affected & more importantly, your chance of survival.
~ review ~
Sanctuary is a fast paced, thrilling, unputdownable, emotional, thought provoking tale that explores what happens when life as you know it ceases to exist. When you find yourself facing the unfaceable, pushed to your limits, forced to pick a side. The result? A moving piece of writing that showcases how uncertainty breeds paranoia, how one persons priority can easily become THE priority & how any semblance of right & wrong ceases to exist when it comes to the survival of not only yourself but of the ones you love.
I devoured this book. It was an engaging, immersive, addictive read that I highly recommend.
James Cleary writes in a way that appeals to all of your senses. You don’t just see an image of the bunker or the estate, you find yourself standing within it. Sights, sounds, smells, everything is covered. It’s as if you’re watching events play out in front of you as opposed to them being words on a page.
You’re thrown head first into the action & that’s something I absolutely love. There’s no lulling about & no unwarranted overly drawn out introduction. It’s fast paced, full throttle, exhilarating writing that lets up in all the right places.
My only issue is how the book ends. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the ending but after the fantastic story/buildup & how connected I felt to certain characters, the conclusion felt rushed & clipped. The events deserved more time & exploration/explanation. I was left with so many questions & would’ve happily read another 100 pages of that exact ending, just more in depth!
Overall, Sanctuary is a brilliant book, one I could read time & time again. My fingers are crossed for more releases like this from James Cleary & I’ll most definitely be keeping an eye out🤞🏼
~ characters ~
I was a slightly concerned about the number of names, roles & relationships there were to keep track of but, it surprisingly turned out to be a non-issue. The characters that warranted it were well introduced & their role/place within the group was made clear.
Did some characters feel unnecessary? Yes. However, the larger cast makes total sense when you get into the exploration of the wealth divide & societal differences. The variation of ages, gender, background, occupation etc allows for multiple opinions/reactions to a single situation & it really hammers home how money/status can blur the lines of right & wrong in almost any situation.
Some of the notes I made on characters while reading -
⭑ Julia - fierce, independent, dances to the beat of her own drum.
⭑ Jeremy - heartbreakingly naive, the reason for his actions at the end of the book > balling.
⭑ Hallie Schafer - total badass, have all the time in the world for this woman.
⭑ Mr Brandt - MONEY CAN’T BUY MANNERS OR SENSE.
⭑ Grady - confusing. Do I like him, do I loathe him? I’m not entirely sure.
⭑ Alma - a prime example of turning misery & pain into strength & determination, disappointed with her ending.
~ final thoughts ~
There’s no link whatsoever between this book & the disaster movie 2012 but if you’ve seen the film you’ll hopefully understand what I mean.
2012’s version of survival was making it onto an ark before a tsunami hit, case closed. But for me, the real fight for survival took place after that. People from all walks of life learning to peacefully co-exist, in a confined space, with limited resources, for God knows how long. Not exploring that always felt like a missed opportunity.
So imagine my joy when 17 years later, I sit down to read Sanctuary & all of those questions are answered. Although there’s no link, it oddly feels as if this book picks up where the film left off. Talk about scratching an itch!
💰 • 💧 • 💨 • 🩸 • 🔒 • 📝 • ⏩ • 💔 • ✅
May 15, 2026
Real Rating: 4.25* of five
The Publisher Says: “The meek shall inherit the Earth, unless the rich get there first.” That’s the reality of the post-apocalyptic world in this electrifying debut thriller.
The near future…
Climate disasters have crippled the United States. With half the country under water and the other half a dust bowl, civil unrest would soon escalate into something darker, something unstoppable. Billionaire John Brandt anticipated this and channeled his money, power, and influence into being prepared for the great unraveling.
Now Brandt, his family, and his security team must retreat to Sanctuary, their underground bunker—a vast luxury mansion beneath the parched earth of the Nebraskan Great Plains. But they are not alone. Above ground a group of raiders are desperate to survive and will use any means possible to accomplish that goal.
As tensions mount both inside and out, battle lines are drawn—between the haves and the have-nots, between decency and expediency, between life and death. In this game, everyone's a loser.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Eco-thriller beginnings as the planet's climate collapses into chaos, the US follows suit, and the civilization we take for granted vanishes. Dystopian survival story post-collapse nightmare comes for us all. The necessary, we-will-have-it conversation of how much is enough, how will you share your excess, if you won't do it voluntarily we will make you. These three storytelling modes co-exist, with highly permeable boundaries, in debut Author Cleary's book.
It's a melange of ideas that turns at times into a melee. The combatants are all possessed of powerful motivation, survival, and thus give it their all. We-the-reader are given a straightforward narrative that propels the story from inception to ending (if just a bit abrupt in our arrival there) interleaved with journal entries that add emotional textures and act as masses that alter the flow of the story's movement. I did not feel this was quite deft enough in its execution for me to offer that fifth star, but it's a hard tick to pull off. So a quarter-star for the right idea not exactly well executed.
None of the above touches on the emotional punch of this story. The coinage of "grey swan" on analogy with "black-swan event" is particularly deft and effective. A grey-swan event is visible, clearly understood to be coming, and yet somehow still ignorable thus ignored. Very like the characterization of bureaucratic pettifoggers being said to "rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic" as the Depression of 1929-1939 unfolded.
I hope I do not need to belabor this point's relevance to 2026's audiences.
As hunger, true hunger, bites these people in this world, morality shifts. We in the US have not faced hunger of famine proportions in so long it is not even in living memory. Our insulation will be stripped away. It will bring dark, ugly revelations to individual members of the out group. It's a stark truth, attested for many millennia, that starving people will do anything at all to survive. It is built into us as animals. It changes the people in this story: "The dad. The husband. The carpenter…The murderer? Yes…It hadn’t even been that hard."
It's a lot to take in, but it is a distillation that rises from much documentary evidence.
Start preparing now. The Grey Swan is looming.
The Publisher Says: “The meek shall inherit the Earth, unless the rich get there first.” That’s the reality of the post-apocalyptic world in this electrifying debut thriller.
The near future…
Climate disasters have crippled the United States. With half the country under water and the other half a dust bowl, civil unrest would soon escalate into something darker, something unstoppable. Billionaire John Brandt anticipated this and channeled his money, power, and influence into being prepared for the great unraveling.
Now Brandt, his family, and his security team must retreat to Sanctuary, their underground bunker—a vast luxury mansion beneath the parched earth of the Nebraskan Great Plains. But they are not alone. Above ground a group of raiders are desperate to survive and will use any means possible to accomplish that goal.
As tensions mount both inside and out, battle lines are drawn—between the haves and the have-nots, between decency and expediency, between life and death. In this game, everyone's a loser.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Eco-thriller beginnings as the planet's climate collapses into chaos, the US follows suit, and the civilization we take for granted vanishes. Dystopian survival story post-collapse nightmare comes for us all. The necessary, we-will-have-it conversation of how much is enough, how will you share your excess, if you won't do it voluntarily we will make you. These three storytelling modes co-exist, with highly permeable boundaries, in debut Author Cleary's book.
It's a melange of ideas that turns at times into a melee. The combatants are all possessed of powerful motivation, survival, and thus give it their all. We-the-reader are given a straightforward narrative that propels the story from inception to ending (if just a bit abrupt in our arrival there) interleaved with journal entries that add emotional textures and act as masses that alter the flow of the story's movement. I did not feel this was quite deft enough in its execution for me to offer that fifth star, but it's a hard tick to pull off. So a quarter-star for the right idea not exactly well executed.
None of the above touches on the emotional punch of this story. The coinage of "grey swan" on analogy with "black-swan event" is particularly deft and effective. A grey-swan event is visible, clearly understood to be coming, and yet somehow still ignorable thus ignored. Very like the characterization of bureaucratic pettifoggers being said to "rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic" as the Depression of 1929-1939 unfolded.
I hope I do not need to belabor this point's relevance to 2026's audiences.
As hunger, true hunger, bites these people in this world, morality shifts. We in the US have not faced hunger of famine proportions in so long it is not even in living memory. Our insulation will be stripped away. It will bring dark, ugly revelations to individual members of the out group. It's a stark truth, attested for many millennia, that starving people will do anything at all to survive. It is built into us as animals. It changes the people in this story: "The dad. The husband. The carpenter…The murderer? Yes…It hadn’t even been that hard."
It's a lot to take in, but it is a distillation that rises from much documentary evidence.
Start preparing now. The Grey Swan is looming.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If you are needing a good binge watching experience, Ive got a suggestion... James Cleary's debut thriller, Sanctuary! I can't remember when I last read a book that literally read like a video series on a streaming service.
Now it might sound crazy to compare a book to a show, but the effect for me when I read the first page was the same as when I have sat down to an addictive season of a show. I was hooked from the first page and sat glued to the book, turning pages in a binge worthy fashion, simply unable to walk away until the last page was finished. Cleary's writing was so vivid and action packed that the scenes played out right in front of me as I tore through the story.
In a post apocalyptic United States, climate disasters have completely changed the viability of the environment. The seasides are flooding and the great plains have become desserts with farmland in such extreme drought that the soil has become the enemy. Dust storms burying the lands and causing physical danger to all who are exposed to it. No water, no vegetation, no game to hunt. Survival now depends on foraging and ingenuity, unless...
Unless you are a mega-billionaire who can build a fortress. John Brandt, a man with money and power prepared. He used millions building a veritable fortress in an abandoned nuclear missile silo. Under the Nebraska soil, Brandt takes his family along with a command security force and workers necessary for survival. These include a cook, her daughter, a botanist specializing in aquaponics and a medical doctor, just enough personnel to stay alive. The fortress is a luxury bunker that includes every amenity arranged to simulate life before and enough food and water for 50 people to last three years. Brandt's family and workers could very probably have enough for 10 years. The only problem is, others have found them.
The world outside the bunker is a war zone. rioting and killing to survive. Some workers employed by Brandt's firm to build his underground fortress have returned in hope of aid. He has everything and they are dying. They have been surviving as raiders. Now they will do anything to stay alive. In this world, no one wins, not even those who think they hold all the cards.
I was completely immersed in Cleary's world. It made me uncomfortable to look around my home and town and see the waste and abundance we all take for granted. I felt convicted when I read about Brandt's family and their waste, knowing I am guilty of excess myself. The story made me think. The possible realism was frightening yet overwhelmingly compelling. His characters were so well developed that I felt what they felt, saw what they saw, and loved and abhorred them all at the same time. That is the finesse of an awe inspiring author.
I am hungry for more books from Cleary in the future. He definitely has infinite talent.
Sanctuary will be published April 28, 2026 from Penguin Random House. I hope you grab a copy and read it too. Sanctuary is well worth your time.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Sanctuary by James Cleary in exchange for an honest review.
#Sanctuary #NetGalley
Now it might sound crazy to compare a book to a show, but the effect for me when I read the first page was the same as when I have sat down to an addictive season of a show. I was hooked from the first page and sat glued to the book, turning pages in a binge worthy fashion, simply unable to walk away until the last page was finished. Cleary's writing was so vivid and action packed that the scenes played out right in front of me as I tore through the story.
In a post apocalyptic United States, climate disasters have completely changed the viability of the environment. The seasides are flooding and the great plains have become desserts with farmland in such extreme drought that the soil has become the enemy. Dust storms burying the lands and causing physical danger to all who are exposed to it. No water, no vegetation, no game to hunt. Survival now depends on foraging and ingenuity, unless...
Unless you are a mega-billionaire who can build a fortress. John Brandt, a man with money and power prepared. He used millions building a veritable fortress in an abandoned nuclear missile silo. Under the Nebraska soil, Brandt takes his family along with a command security force and workers necessary for survival. These include a cook, her daughter, a botanist specializing in aquaponics and a medical doctor, just enough personnel to stay alive. The fortress is a luxury bunker that includes every amenity arranged to simulate life before and enough food and water for 50 people to last three years. Brandt's family and workers could very probably have enough for 10 years. The only problem is, others have found them.
The world outside the bunker is a war zone. rioting and killing to survive. Some workers employed by Brandt's firm to build his underground fortress have returned in hope of aid. He has everything and they are dying. They have been surviving as raiders. Now they will do anything to stay alive. In this world, no one wins, not even those who think they hold all the cards.
I was completely immersed in Cleary's world. It made me uncomfortable to look around my home and town and see the waste and abundance we all take for granted. I felt convicted when I read about Brandt's family and their waste, knowing I am guilty of excess myself. The story made me think. The possible realism was frightening yet overwhelmingly compelling. His characters were so well developed that I felt what they felt, saw what they saw, and loved and abhorred them all at the same time. That is the finesse of an awe inspiring author.
I am hungry for more books from Cleary in the future. He definitely has infinite talent.
Sanctuary will be published April 28, 2026 from Penguin Random House. I hope you grab a copy and read it too. Sanctuary is well worth your time.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Sanctuary by James Cleary in exchange for an honest review.
#Sanctuary #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
James Cleary delivers a chilling start to his novel
Sanctuary.
The novel starts as an eco-thriller with climate change resulting in rising sea levels and resource scarcity. It progresses into a post-apocalyptic scenario centering on survival in a ruined world and a dystopian situation featuring an oppressive and controlled society. Will it ever end?
The story is mainly set in rural northwestern Nebraska, 46 miles northwest of Crawford Butte. Climate disasters have resulted in a large part of the United States being either under water or a dust bowl. Civil unrest erupts quickly. Billionaire John Brandt anticipated this and used his power, money, and influence to prepare for it. However, the suddenness of riots and looting catches even him and his family and team by surprise.
They must retreat to Sanctuary; an underground bunker he has prepared for the inevitable time this occurs. However, they’re not alone. A group of raiders arrive above ground and take over the mansion that is also on the site. They’re desperate to survive and tensions mount both inside and outside of the bunker. Who will survive? How long will the unrest last? It’s a battle between those who prepared and those who didn’t, the wealthy and the middle class, and between decency and selfishness.
The story is a combination of a linear story with non-linear journal entries written by one of individuals in the bunker. I didn’t think the journal entries were necessary as they took away from the flow of the story. The ideas and concepts could have been presented in the main storyline. Additionally, a few parts of the story felt rushed. The author does a great job of world-building making it easy to visualize the bunker, the mansion, and the surrounding desolation. The ending brought everything to a conclusion that fit with the genre and storyline, but felt abrupt.
Additionally, the epilogue didn’t give sufficient information on what has happened in the interval. Despite this, I was captivated by this page-turner that has threads of group dynamics, ethics, selfishness, family, and much more.
Overall, this is an intriguing and gripping near-future thriller with action and suspense as well as memorable characters.
Berkley Publishing Group – Berkley and James Cleary provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for April 28, 2026.
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My 3.89 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
The story is mainly set in rural northwestern Nebraska, 46 miles northwest of Crawford Butte. Climate disasters have resulted in a large part of the United States being either under water or a dust bowl. Civil unrest erupts quickly. Billionaire John Brandt anticipated this and used his power, money, and influence to prepare for it. However, the suddenness of riots and looting catches even him and his family and team by surprise.
They must retreat to Sanctuary; an underground bunker he has prepared for the inevitable time this occurs. However, they’re not alone. A group of raiders arrive above ground and take over the mansion that is also on the site. They’re desperate to survive and tensions mount both inside and outside of the bunker. Who will survive? How long will the unrest last? It’s a battle between those who prepared and those who didn’t, the wealthy and the middle class, and between decency and selfishness.
The story is a combination of a linear story with non-linear journal entries written by one of individuals in the bunker. I didn’t think the journal entries were necessary as they took away from the flow of the story. The ideas and concepts could have been presented in the main storyline. Additionally, a few parts of the story felt rushed. The author does a great job of world-building making it easy to visualize the bunker, the mansion, and the surrounding desolation. The ending brought everything to a conclusion that fit with the genre and storyline, but felt abrupt.
Additionally, the epilogue didn’t give sufficient information on what has happened in the interval. Despite this, I was captivated by this page-turner that has threads of group dynamics, ethics, selfishness, family, and much more.
Overall, this is an intriguing and gripping near-future thriller with action and suspense as well as memorable characters.
Berkley Publishing Group – Berkley and James Cleary provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for April 28, 2026.
------------------------------
My 3.89 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In this near future dystopia, civil unrest has turned into all-out rioting in the streets of America, both urban and rural. Dramatic climate change has created desperate conditions.
Land even many miles from the coasts has been flooded. The central plains have turned into a giant dust bowl as all the plants and animals have died off, the all the pesticide laden soil permeates the air.
People are looting and building buildings in rage, and President (very MAGA) like declares an emergency to deploy solders.
In the streets of Miami, billionaire Brandt, his wife and son get whisked off by their high-paid ex-military security to head to their luxury bomb shelter. Their daughter is picked up off a mountain in South America to join them. Their security team rush to the family, and other key essential personnel, to a giant mansion in the middle of the Nebraska Great Plains, and the massive underground former nuclear silo that John Brandt has spent untold resources to convert to a luxury bunker he's named Sanctuary.
Brandt is your typical narcissistic billionaire, self-absorbed, powerful, ruthless, and with ambitions to emerge from the crisis heading up a newly reconstructed American government. His superficial wife, a beauty who’s mostly absorbed in her workout routine sublimates any emotions in the face of Brandt’s dominance. Their young son, fragile and anxious, experiences the most trauma moving underground into the bunker. Their twenty-something daughter resents being cut off from her hedonistic, adventure seeking lifestyle.
But Brandt has not planned for everything. He’s got his exceptional trained ex-military security, and the long-time family cook and her young adult daughter, but many people he counted on arriving at the Silo failed to get extricated in time. The biggest thing that Brandt failed to anticipate nearby survivors desperate for food and shelter and facing death, willing to go over the top to breach the bunker. And a couple of these survivors worked on the construction of the bunker near their Nebraska hometowns.
It's a tense, thrilling show down between the haves and the have-nots, between ruthlessness and human decency. It’s also far too credible a future dystopian scenario as real-life billionaires currently build out survival bunkers for themselves. You may come into this book with resentment for the callous selfishness of today’s billionaires, but you’ll definitely leave it hating them.
And the ending deeply satisfies.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy.
Land even many miles from the coasts has been flooded. The central plains have turned into a giant dust bowl as all the plants and animals have died off, the all the pesticide laden soil permeates the air.
People are looting and building buildings in rage, and President (very MAGA) like declares an emergency to deploy solders.
In the streets of Miami, billionaire Brandt, his wife and son get whisked off by their high-paid ex-military security to head to their luxury bomb shelter. Their daughter is picked up off a mountain in South America to join them. Their security team rush to the family, and other key essential personnel, to a giant mansion in the middle of the Nebraska Great Plains, and the massive underground former nuclear silo that John Brandt has spent untold resources to convert to a luxury bunker he's named Sanctuary.
Brandt is your typical narcissistic billionaire, self-absorbed, powerful, ruthless, and with ambitions to emerge from the crisis heading up a newly reconstructed American government. His superficial wife, a beauty who’s mostly absorbed in her workout routine sublimates any emotions in the face of Brandt’s dominance. Their young son, fragile and anxious, experiences the most trauma moving underground into the bunker. Their twenty-something daughter resents being cut off from her hedonistic, adventure seeking lifestyle.
But Brandt has not planned for everything. He’s got his exceptional trained ex-military security, and the long-time family cook and her young adult daughter, but many people he counted on arriving at the Silo failed to get extricated in time. The biggest thing that Brandt failed to anticipate nearby survivors desperate for food and shelter and facing death, willing to go over the top to breach the bunker. And a couple of these survivors worked on the construction of the bunker near their Nebraska hometowns.
It's a tense, thrilling show down between the haves and the have-nots, between ruthlessness and human decency. It’s also far too credible a future dystopian scenario as real-life billionaires currently build out survival bunkers for themselves. You may come into this book with resentment for the callous selfishness of today’s billionaires, but you’ll definitely leave it hating them.
And the ending deeply satisfies.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy.
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