Not with a Bang

by Temi Oh

Station Eleven meets Leave the World Behind in this family drama at the end of the world about a crumbling household’s attempts to find their way back to each other amidst a cataclysmic event.

"Our father had imagined the end of the world so often that, for a while, he believed that he summoned it."

The Minton family is in crisis. After losing his job, Marcus begins stockpiling cans, running evacuation drills and digging a doomsday bunker in the back garden. At the same time, his daughters are unravelling in their own ways – Chantale is being haunted by dreams of disaster, and Briar’s obsession with a missing classmate draws her deeper into the seductive world of a UFO cult. Meanwhile, no one is aware of the diagnosis their mother has been trying to keep hidden.

When, on the morning of the eldest daughter’s wedding, an extinction-level event tears the world apart, the Mintons must fight their way through a devastated city—back to safety, survival, and each other.

Genres: Science Fiction, Horror, Dystopia, Fiction, Adult, Literary Fiction, Post Apocalyptic

Audible Audio

First published May 21, 2026

About the author

Temi Oh was born in 1993 in London, to Nigerian parents. She studied at Bishop Thomas Grant and then Emanuel School, Battersea. In 2015 she graduated from King’s College London with a BSci in Neuroscience. Her degree provided great opportunities to write and learn about topics ranging from ‘Philosophy of the Mind’ to ‘Space Physiology’.

After her final year she decided to pack up and pursue her dreams. She married her high-school boyfriend, and moved to Edinburgh to study for an MA in Creative Writing and finish her book.

Reviews

[suspenseisthrillingme · Rating 4 out of 5]

A visceral and thought-provoking tale of literary fiction-slash-domestic drama with just enough sci-fi elements to keep me happy, Not With a Bang was a triumph of immersive storytelling with a dystopian edge. Marrying together a character-driven plot with the gut-wrenching horrors of an apocalypse, it had plenty of psychological insight and emotional depth to create a well-written family drama in a brand-new kind of setting. You see, at the heart of this novel was a dysfunctional family. Messy, realistic, and complex, their dynamic was what had me reading this book from start to finish in one single evening. After all, I could feel their thoughts and emotions in each and every scene. Evoking the essence of humanity with the stroke of a pen, I was blown away by Ms. Oh’s characterizations in this stunning work of genre-bending fiction. Don’t worry, though, the second half paired that with plenty of action and post-apocalyptic vibes.

If I had to point out one little flaw, though, it was that the author attempted to include too many things in one novel. With a doomsday prepping dad, a UFO cult, a first-contact angle, a missing girl mystery, as well as the aforementioned family drama amid an end-of-days event, it simply tried to juggled too much in just 350 pages. That being said, there was a very Station Eleven-meets-59 Minutes feel to the story as the well-developed characters took on Armageddon and the ensuing societal collapse. With plenty of themes that made me think long and hard, it didn’t pull any punches as it immersed me in a crumbling world. Diving into family, fear, hope, love, and survival, it also didn’t let me down on the lit fic vibes even a little. So if you love tension, poignancy, and a plot that makes the impossible feel real, grab this one now. An ambitious and memorable read, it was a solid story that was also oh so very hard to describe. Rating of 4 stars.

SYNOPSIS:

The Minton family is in crisis. After losing his job, Marcus begins stockpiling cans, running evacuation drills and digging a doomsday bunker in the back garden. At the same time, his daughters are unravelling in their own ways – Chantale is being haunted by dreams of disaster, and Briar’s obsession with a missing classmate draws her deeper into the seductive world of a UFO cult. Meanwhile, no one is aware of the diagnosis their mother has been trying to keep hidden.

When, on the morning of the eldest daughter’s wedding, an extinction-level event tears the world apart, the Mintons must fight their way through a devastated city—back to safety, survival, and each other.

Thank you Temi Oh and Saga Press for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: July 14, 2026

Content warning: death, drug use, infidelity, confinement, physical and emotional abuse, violence, adult/minor relationship, grief, murder, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, child death, fire/fire injury, gore, mention of: cancer

[Hannah Irving]

This is, for me, unfortunately a DNF at around 50%. I was promised sci fi and I felt that that side of the story was lacking, and the stuff we had lacked basic science. We had a planet passing too close to Earth and it effected the magnetic field, causing cars, phones, jewellery, cutlery and the likes to fly up into the sky and rocket back down to the ground. However building structures seemed to be fine, and the dad of the family finds that one of their push bikes is also fine, just needed the chain putting back on.

The book felt more based on family drama with a bit of oh this is going on as well in the background.

For me this book was a miss, mainly because I went in with the thought of a science fiction book which it didn’t feel like. If you like a book that’s based on a dysfunctional family with a lot of drama with some extras happening around, then I believe you will enjoy this book.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Temi Oh’s Not With a Bang is one of those novels that suffers from mis-marketing and thus ends up in the hands of the wrong readers. Those who love dysfunctional family dramas will eat this one up, but unfortunately this book is more likely to land in the hands of readers looking for survivalistic apocalyptic fiction, which I was sad to discover this novel is not. It is the classic bait and switch, but I can’t help but wonder, why not just be upfront with what this book is really about so that the right readers finds it?

When I learned that this novel was SUPPOSED to be about a family headed by a prepper who must face the potential end of the world head on, I was ready to sign up. I expected a novel where a cataclysmic event happens and the family at the center of the story must find a way to survive against all odds.

While a major life-changing event does take place, the book is more about the family’s drama with each other (and other people.) Furthermore, it is written from all members of the family’s point of view, which becomes incredibly jarring and disorienting.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher. This was my first book from this author, but after this I would definitely read more.

This is a book about the end of the world, and specifically, one family. We flit back and forth between the run up to the catastrophic events and then the aftermath. This is well done and the change in timelines always made sense. We follow multiple members of the family, learning what’s important to them. The novel is about family and part of what made this feel really tense was how the family are in different locations when catastrophe strikes and the horrible feeling of not knowing where each other are. The father of the family had been intensely prepping for the event but things didn’t go to plan and they have to make decisions in the face of uncertainty. The uncertainty really did ramp up the tension. In the wake of the event, the characters don’t know what the threat is and it makes it feel quite overwhelming.

This may seem like such a little detail, but I loved that this referenced a few towns outside of London. This just made the novel feel so grounded and almost scarier for its breadth of consideration.

This is really family focused and we see varying levels of behaviour. There’s kindness and co-operation, but there’s also some really horrible and inhumane behaviour. This is such a character focused novel and it’s fascinating to look at how people behave in the face of extreme events, change and uncertainty.

[Lisa Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A family story as told through the lens of an apocalyptic event, with an interesting narrative approach and unique storytelling voice.

[Matthew Yeldon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some fun, refreshing sci-fi with a black British family at the story’s centre. There are some big themes tackled and maybe even some bigger swings taken story-wise. I loved the description of the anomaly that upends the planet as well as the resulting chaos. Of course there’d be an organised gang of chavs causing extra havoc in the aftermath. My big qualm with the book, apart from some arguably unoriginal ideas, is the lack of awe from the characters. Only a couple characters are actually focused on the enormity of the event that takes place; everyone else is disproportionately preoccupied with personal drama. I wanted more fright, more panic, more respect for the force of nature. The book really is more of a whimper.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Infidelity
Adult-minor relationship
Sexual assaultt
Suicidal ideation
Drug use
Cancer mentioned
Death of a child
Murder
Fire

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 2 out of 5]

There’s some lovely prose sprinkled throughout but not enough to redeem the lackluster story. I never connected with the characters and felt indifferent about the story’s outcome. DNF at 60%.

[Remi]

i'm on board because there's a ufo cult.

*thank you to S&S/Saga Press for the ARC*

[Thushara]

narrated by: Nneka Okoye
11h 45m

DNF @50%

The more I read, the more I realise that I don’t like reading about dysfunctional families.

I really liked the writing, but I liked the narration more. Okoye was an excellent narrator! I look forward to reading more books narrated by her.

As for the book, it’s more focused on the family drama than the cataclysmic event. Most of the characters were awful. I couldn’t care any less for any of these characters. Briar was mad at Kim for a neglectful upbringing while they were literally under the care of Marcus and his father. She should be blaming them and not the mother who was in another country at the time.

Listened through Storytel

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up. Temi did it again this was a fascinating book about a family and the turmoil within as they face what seems to be the end of the world. With a dad who’s a doomsday pepper a daughter that’s constantly overlooked the world turns on its side as a small planet enters earths orbit. Is it aliens the apocalypse or really the end. Love her writing and will read anything she writes. Thank you saga press for the advanced e copy #sagasayscrew

[Elaina Bayard · Rating 3 out of 5]

one of those books that I enjoyed while reading but the more I sit with it the more it bothers me

[devynreads · Rating 2 out of 5]

SPOILERS GALORE. My reviews are NEVER spoiler free. They are spoiler full <3

Oof this was a bit of a letdown for me. This sci-fi family saga has a big emphasis on "family saga" and a clear lack of sci-fi "alien-first-contact." I think one of the reasons this book grew to be so annoying to me was because the majority of the characters are pieces of shit. LMFAO. I am not exaggerating, even though I really wish I was - the second half of this book was difficult to get through.

We have the patriarch and matriarch of the family, Marcus and Kim, with their four daughters (from oldest to youngest) Aaliyah, Briar, Tanice and Chantale. Each of them is a hot mess for varying reasons. Even Chantale, the youngest at about seven years old, was periodically breast fed by her mother well beyond the infant and toddler stages. Including at SEVEN YEARS OLD. That's so damaging to a child's growth and mental state, holy shit. Not to mention weird and creepy (at least by Western standards).

So for starters, before the events of the story we find out that Marcus (a white man), the father, killed a black man via negligence while on the job as a cop. He even states at one point that the job kind of wiped away his empathy and kindness towards people, so when he saw the man in the back of his car looking sick, he just assumed it was theatrics or drugs, instead of what it really was, which was a dangerous diabetic attack that ended up killing him. While unemployed for many months, Marcus then became a survivalist-type obsessive who built a bunker in their backyard and put the family into HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS WORTH OF DEBT????? That is fucking insane. I hated him and could not figure out why Kim hadn't divorced him yet, especially considering that while she was away in Guatemala for research, HE CHEATED ON HER WITH THEIR BABYSITTER??? Jesus Christ, I need to yell about it because WOW what an absolute dogshit excuse for a human.

The character I hated the most, though, was definitely Aaliyah. She was a truly horrific person. She's supposed to get married in this story, but because of the aliens, that kind of doesn't happen for a while. She was a sick, jealous, spoiled brat who destroyed her so-called best friend's tennis career by spreading vicious drug rumors, and then later in life she started fucking her best friend's fiance/husband because she felt she owned him (also cheated on her own boyfriend/fiance in the process, which is super cool), and THEN made a promise to take care of the newborn of this same best friend as she was dying from sepsis after giving birth. But of course she immediately starts complaining and reneges on that promise because she “never wanted kids” and doesn't think she owes her best friend anything. Then why the fuck did you make that promise in the first place, you insufferable fucking cunt? God, I despised this character. As more and more of her past was revealed she only seemed to get worse and worse.

The story, to me, seemed to focus not just on an alien invasion/apocalypse event or on a dysfunctional family but also on the sinister misogyny ingrained in our society. Notice that, after the alien event, everything that happens is because of men and their psychopathic urge to dominate.

—Dennis Crossley and his creepy alpha-bro-wannabe minions basically do a hostile takeover of all the grocery stores in the area so that the rest of the population has no choice but to trade/barter with them for basic food and water. They tote guns and brutally beat/kill people when they feel like it, and Aaliyah herself is exposed to sexual harassment and assault because of this group of men. These are the same males who bleat about how they're "protectors," but at the first sign of trouble, they immediately become the most dangerous, predatory people in society.

—Marcus himself becomes a liability and is wholly responsible for putting his family in danger because he…couldn't keep his fucking mouth shut. When Dennis Crossley was boasting about his strategies for survival, Marcus just had to join in and talk about how he built his own bunker with food and everything they'd need to ride out a nuclear event. And that's why their house is overtaken - because Marcus needed to feel like a big tough guy to the perceived "alpha" schmucks.

—The alien cult Brair joins was an interesting part of the story, and although Freya was obviously the leader of said cult, it was really Cato who kept everyone in line. He was the enforcer. He was the one who made threats and lashed out at people who dared question the cult's beliefs. He was the one who forced NDEs (near death experiences) and almost killed Briar. He was the one who DID kill multiple young teenagers. He was the one who hunted and shot arrows into Briar as she fled. Again, one of the very few men in this specific setting is the biggest threat to the whole group.

—Tanice and Chantale are trapped in a wine cellar for the first few days of the alien event. Why? You guessed it - because a male photographer refuses to let anyone leave despite not knowing for certain if there's actually been a nuclear detonation. He kills people to keep them from getting out. It basically becomes a hostage situation. Clearly, this is another example of how a man is suffering under the delusion that he's the "protector" while actively putting everyone around him in harm's way.

Moving on. I do wish there was more in terms of the alien invasion/first contact part of the plot. All the metal/other alloys were pulled up into the air and then dropped, which destroyed all infrastructure on earth, but then…that was it? I felt disappointed because it seemed a bit anticlimactic. I kept expecting something else. Towards the very end of the book we get lots of explanations for why Hero appeared and what it represented and who could’ve sent it and what it all means, but it just seemed like an info dump that should’ve been spread a bit more evenly throughout the story.

Oh, and in the end Kim and Marcus are still together? That might’ve been the most unbelievable part. Marcus had ZERO respect for his wife, and Kim honestly hated that man 😂

[Insert Name Here · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the end of the world arrives, everyone prepares differently. Some build shelters. Some search for answers. Some look to the stars. But can a family survive the apocalypse long enough to find each other again?

📚 Pre-Reading Thoughts
Apocalypse stories that focus on families are always fascinating to me. The disaster itself is only one part of the story - the more interesting question is how different people respond when everything familiar starts falling apart.

A family apocalypse story has the chance to explore fear, love, conflict and survival all at once, because sometimes the people beside you are the hardest thing to understand.

📖 Post-Reading
As I thought...

The family dynamics are the heart of the novel. The Mintons don't all respond to the coming disaster in the same way, and that variety makes the story feel much more realistic.
Each family member brings a different perspective: preparation, practicality, fear, curiosity, belief and desperation all collide as the world changes around them.
The apocalypse itself is an excellent catalyst for exploring existing cracks within the family rather than simply being an external threat.
It surprised me by...

How much the story is about belief and interpretation. Everyone is trying to understand the same impossible situation, but they reach wildly different conclusions about what it means.
The range of reactions to disaster. From Marcus's increasingly intense preparation to Briar's investigation and the pull of the cult, the novel shows that people don't simply panic in one universal way.
How naturally the story moves into more traditional science fiction territory later on. The shift is dramatic, but it fits with the questions the novel has been asking all along.
The science behind the disaster may not withstand intense scrutiny, but the emotional and human questions are much more important here. This is a thoughtful exploration of family, fear, belief and what people cling to when the future becomes uncertain.

🎧 Music Pairing
🎵 Featured Song:
The End of the World

🎶 Vibe Album:
Every Open Eye

🎧 Artist Recommendation:
Daughter — atmospheric, emotional and a little otherworldly.

🌈 Vibe Check
Colour Palette: deep space black, cold silver, warning orange, storm grey
Soundtrack: radio static, distant broadcasts, quiet family arguments at midnight
Season: late summer turning into autumn
Mood: anxious, searching, intimate
Scent: rain on hot pavement, old paper, campfire smoke
🃏 Tarot Pull
The Moon

This is a story about uncertainty and the stories people tell themselves when they don't have all the answers. The Moon represents hidden truths, fear, intuition and the difficulty of separating reality from perception. As the Mintons face an unknown future, they each have to decide what they believe - and what they are willing to do because of those beliefs.




👀 For fans of
The Last Policeman
The Road
family-focused apocalypse fiction where survival is as much emotional as physical

[Andy – And The Plot Thickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sisters are the only ones who know what it's like to have your parents, your childhood. Only a sister can understand what you've been through. You don't heal from it, but you learn to cope together. And that's what makes you love each other. A sister is a witness, a fellow traveller, a neighbouring star.

Seventeen-year-old Briar Minton's family is a mess. Her father is a doomsday prepper who hordes canned food and water, and forces her and her three sisters to do evacuation drills every day. Then, a meteorite passes close to Earth, and the world ends. And Marcus is the only one who is prepared. With the world's end nigh, the family is breaking apart. The only way to survive is to draw together.

I dived into this book almost completely cold, and even so, it confounded my expectations. The plot is interesting, and I didn't have a problem finishing it. It's a strange blend of cli-fi meets sci-fi meets family drama. I believe it's aimed at adults, though the simpler, more direct writing style made me think this book is intended to be YA.

The author uses an interesting narrative voice. The reader is given the viewpoints of each member of the family, but as seen through Briar's eyes, even though she might not be present for a particular scene. She's a tour de force, the character around whom the plot revolves. Her inadvertent involvement with an alien doomsday cult, even as she's angry with her father over his desperate prepper ideology.

Each of the sisters, bar perhaps Chantale, harbours mixed feelings about their parents. They're embarrassed by their father's end-of-the-world bunker. They're angry at their mother for leaving them for several years as children, while she went to do a graduate programme in South America. The Briars are, like most families, messy, and that's their appeal. The sisters love and hate each other fiercely. When the end of the world arrives, they'll do everything they can to find one another and survive.

The book has been described as 'Station Eleven' and 'The Last of Us.' I can't speak to the latter as I've never played or watched it. However, if someone is going to compare a book to 'Station Eleven', then it needs to have the same level of poetic writing and heartbreaking characters. This book, unfortunately, does not deliver on that. 'Station Eleven' is haunting, while I can't say 'Not With a Bang' tugs at heartstrings.

It's still a fun and interesting read, and I would recommend it. I don't want to take away from how deftly the author explores themes around familial love, sisterhood, and dystopian societies. I just felt a lack of connection to the characters.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not with a Bang by Temi Oh is a recommended domestic drama set during a cataclysmic event that may signal the end of the world. This is very, very light on the science fiction, heavy on the dysfunctional family drama.

Marcus and Kimona (Kim) Minton have four daughters, Aaliyah (Lia), Briar, Tanice and Chantale. After losing his job, Marcus focused on becoming a survivalist, digging a doomsday bunker, stockpiling supplies, and having drills preparing for the end. When a planet, named Hero, is reported headed to pass by the Earth, the family plans to watch it pass, but are mainly planning for Aaliyah's wedding. When the planet comes close and the magnetic event happens, they are split up and try to make their way home or find each other and Briar joins a a UFO doomsday cult.

For those who enjoy domestic dramas this will likely work on some level for you. For those who like the "science" in their science fiction, pass this one by. There's not much science in it. This novel leans heavily into the small actions of the characters while basically ignoring the Big Actions/Events. As a fan of hard science fiction, I was disappointed. The big magnetic event happens, but not in a totally credible manner depicting what would have realistically happened if that specific event occurred. (For example, there were still houses.) After mainly focusing on the Mintons running around, then, late in the novel, there's an information dump that could have been handled so much better, perhaps with chapters actually following specialists and scientists throughout the plot. It might have served the plot better if the big event was some natural disaster.

If you enjoy family dramas more than science fiction, then this might work for you. What we have here is the story of the Mintons unfold in multiple POVs. The chapters are following the countdown to the event and then the days after along with the character being followed. As the family makes their way through life before and after the event, the focus is on the minutiae of their thoughts and actions. At times the switching between characters felt chaotic and messy and there was never a real sense of cohesion in the plot. It likely didn't help that none of the characters were very likable or appealing. 2.5 rounded up when required.

Not with a Bang will best be enjoyed by those who like dysfunctional family dramas set during a world changing event. Thanks to Saga Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...

[Cynthia Brendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Net Galley, Saga Press, and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Not with a Bang is an alien invasion book that isn’t really even about an alien invasion. Sure, something is hurtling into space toward Earth. Yeah, something happens to the Earth’s magnetic field temporarily and there’s a pretty cataclysmic end of the world situation going on. And ok, the aliens planted some kind of alien fungus that was triggered by all of this to affect our dimensional perception. All of this stuff is happening, and it’s all very interesting—but this book is about the messy Minton family.

We see the story of the Mintons unfold in multiple POVs, although they’re all viewed through the eyes of the daughter, Briar. Dad is a disgraced cop doomsday prepper, one sister is about to get married to a man she’s maybe not all that in to, one sister is secretly dating the son of a man their father killed (and he, the son, doesn’t know who she is), mom has terminal cancer and also a fraught relationship with motherhood, and the youngest sister is just kind of stuck in all of this. Many of them have done some terrible things, and they’re reckoning with those things privately and in the context of their family. They’re scattered around London at the time of first contact, and we see them finding their way back together over the course of this novel. There a lot of real world apocalyptic things happening, and it feels like this family is on the brink of an apocalypse of its own. And on top of all that we’ve got a doomsday cult, a murder mystery, a home invasion, a birth, and a terrible musical quartet. There’s a lot going on in here!

This novel touches on so many themes – the bonds between parents and their children, coming of age, the bonds between siblings, the pull of family despite its messiness, the desire to push away from family that we all feel sometimes, and how people react to tragedy and grief. And then of course all of the alien invasion apocalyptic stuff happening as well. I found it to be a compelling and well-paced read, especially considering how long it was. Even though the alien invasion wasn’t the focus, I still felt like we got enough of that to make this a pretty solid science fiction read.

Overall, I’d recommend this one if you’re interested in a different take on a first-contact novel, if you like your apocalypse a little more reflective, or if you like a good family drama!

[Lauren Nicklaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4/5)

Not With A Bang by Temi Oh was a drama filled book that captured my attention and continuously had me intrigued as to what was going to happen next. I think people who enjoy books about conflict and emotional drama between characters with a hint of science fiction will have a good time with this book and I would recommend it to them!

Throughout the book, I really appreciated Oh's decision to not pull punches. There were sad, gruesome, and depressing moments in this book that corresponded to the difficult and realistic consequences of a world-altering event like the one that that occurred near the beginning of this story. This wasn't a story of heroics where someone saves the earth and prevents humanity from facing a terrible future. Instead, it focuses more on a specific family and how they deal with their interconnected personal problems in the face of this grim future.

One thing I'm not sure how to feel about is the way this story was written. To me, it seems to be written in third person, but with one of the characters narrating it and, every so often, inserting personal retrospective remarks based on her own experiences or knowledge of the future. In the beginning, this bothered me slightly because it felt odd that the narrating character would know such details of each family member's account of the event or what they were thinking or feeling internally. This didn't bother me as much near the end however. I also think that at times this story almost tackled too many plots or themes to fully do all of them justice. I really enjoyed many of these plotlines and I wish some of them could've been developed even more, however, it was still an enjoyable read.

I also want to highlight how much I enjoyed Oh's writing style and ability to create complex characters. The prose and diction were descriptive and allowed me to feel fully immersed in the story. Oh's characters also had depth with clearly defined personal motives and conflicting emotions. They were not necessarily likeable, but that is why I think Oh captured the essence of humanity so well. I believe most people would be unlikeable if you saw their unfiltered, raw feelings like we do with these characters.

In summary, this is an intriguing story and I think there are many people who will enjoy this book. Thank you to Saga Press, Temi Oh, and NetGalley for this ARC!

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Temi Oh gets better with every book. The proofreading and editing were the best they've ever been, with only the occasional unnecessary adjective and one use of "lead" instead of "led". She's exceptional at writing fleshed-out, interesting, flawed characters who stick to their principles. Aaliyah especially gladdened me with her refusal to be a mother or have children in any way; Oh very easily could have gone the clichéd and infuriating (and misogynistic) route of having her change her mind and become all maternal for her dead friend's baby, but she didn't, and I love that. I also nearly yelled with joy at seeing Astrid from Do You Dream of Terra-Two? show up; I loved getting confirmation that at least two of Oh's books exist in the same universe, because a world in which space travel has been a part of society for two hundred years or more is fascinating to me.

But while Oh absolutely shines when it comes to sci-fi and character building, a lot of the post apocalyptic stuff fell flat for me. Scenes that should have been terrifying (the panicking crowd at the Battersea Bridge, for instance) felt very wooden and awkward; the writing suddenly felt more like a YA novel. I felt like I was reading something I'd experienced a hundred times before (or seen before in every disaster movie ever), which is a shame, but might also just be a case of varying mileage.

Another case of varying mileage is the lack of gay/bi characters. I am very glad that we had one bisexual woman and one lesbian (although she might have been bi, it wasn't confirmed) in stark contrast to the conspicuous lack of gay/bi characters in Do You Dream of Terra-Two?, and the good old Bury Your Gays trope in More Perfect. Again, I get that this is a me problem, and it's not like I need to see myself in every book, but it would be nice, in Temi Oh’s next book, to have a gay/lesbian couple that is in a healthy and reasonably happy relationship. It feels like with each book, we’re getting closer to that.

All in all, this was well worth the wait. I can't wait to see what Temi Oh writes next. I've said before that she's one of the most promising sci-fi writers out there, and I stand by that statement.

[potofsoup · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning is a little slow. This book explores difficult family dynamics in the middle of an apocalypse. the characters are complex and well explored. The book asks what remains when everything is lost. The answer proffered is love. The love triumphs racial violence, infidelity, cult, loss of limb and property etc. the love specifically is the nuclear family type of love. No found family exists here.
The father is a former cop turned doomsday prepper who only wants to protect his family but is unwilling to take in their input and is not afraid to resort to violence against them “for their own good.” Everyone walks on eggshells around the death he caused against a black person for which he loses his job. He refused to confront his actions, but the book offers him some redemption when he saves the child of the man he kills. Nothing else is offered for him. He takes his role as a protector and provider seriously.
The mum is a cold woman who is resentful of her life. She resents being poorer than she imagined she would be, and she doesn’t like her children once they’re full human beings. She hates her husband for being a failure, but the book ends with her realizing that she only has one life and she just has to remain in the marriage and maintain the family. She realizes that she loves her family(daughters and husband) even though her husband was physically violent towards her and is pretty racist.
The children - all girls, include Briar who is the narrator. She learns that even though she doesn’t feel loved at home, home is still safer than outside where there is a cult of young people who lure you in with community but will try to kill you in a mass suicide.
The book ends with a post apocalypse wedding for the oldest Minton daughter. Who doesn’t love a wedding? All the people who tried to romantically come between the couple are dead and the nuclear family is saved and everyone can live happily ever after in their loving family. Yay Mintons!

[Mya Joan Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not With a Bang by Temi Oh is one of those books that sneaks up on you emotionally. It doesn’t rely on big twists or explosive moments — instead, it builds this slow, aching pressure that settles into your chest and stays there. The writing is gorgeous in that quiet, devastating way: atmospheric, intimate, and full of small human moments that feel painfully real. I found myself lingering on certain lines, rereading them just to sit with the feeling a little longer.

The emotional core is absolutely the heart of the book. It captures fear, tenderness, and the fragile ways people try to hold onto each other when the world feels like it’s dissolving around them. There’s a softness to the devastation, a kind of melancholy beauty that makes the story feel both grounded and dreamlike. By the time I reached the final chapters, I felt wrung out in the best way — like I’d been through something with these characters.

But I have to be honest: I was a little disappointed by the alien aspect. With a premise like this, I expected something bigger, stranger, more unsettling. The alien presence felt more like a shadow than a force — always hinted at, always hovering, but never fully explored. I kept waiting for that eerie, otherworldly depth to break through, to reshape the story in a way that matched the promise of the concept. Instead, it stayed mostly in the background, and I couldn’t help wanting more from that part of the narrative.

Even so, the emotional impact is undeniable. The book lingers — not with spectacle, but with feeling. It’s the kind of story that leaves you staring at the last page for a moment, letting the weight of it settle. And while the alien element didn’t reach the heights I hoped for, the human story more than earned its place in my mind.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Saga Press, and the author for access to this eARC.

This is a story about a family dealing with the fallout of an apocalyptic first contact with aliens. Immediately hearing aliens you’d think that would be the main focus of the story, but the sci-fi really took a back seat as this was mainly about the messy Minton family.

I think this was a beautifully written book with great family growth. As a unit the characters overcame everything that had happened to them and it was well done in a way that shows how tragedy can really bring people together. But I will say I feel like each individual character’s story felt a little unfinished? The dad had something rather sordid from his past that was left untouched in the ending. One daughter went off to join a cult and tried to figure out the disappearance of a girl from her school and there was no real resolution to what she discovered. And while it was great to see them all come together at the end it was just with everything else going on I felt like a lot got left behind by the end.

The perspective of this story was confusing as well. It’s first person (the daughter Briar) but she also tells the story of her family during the events…even when she wasn’t there to witness them. A kind of strange first person omnipresent that took a while to get used to.

But overall it was a heartwarming story about a family and the disaster that brought them together. If you’re looking for something heavy on the alien and sci-fi vibes though this won’t scratch that itch.

[Taryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review: Not With a Bang by Temi Oh
Format: Kindle ARC
Rating: ⭐⭐ (2 / 5 Stars)
What You Can Expect:
* Multi-POV narrative focused heavily on family drama during an apocalyptic event
* Doomsday prepping and UFO cult subplots
* Grounded, light sci-fi elements rather than extraterrestrial action
Content Warnings: Terminal illness, cult manipulation, severe family dysfunction, end-of-world panic.
Things I Liked:
* An intriguing, high-stakes premise that sets up a tense disaster atmosphere.
Things That Could Have Been Better:
* Lack of Sci-Fi Payoff: I kept holding out for a stronger alien presence, but the plot stayed almost entirely focused on interpersonal family drama.
* Confusing Narrative Choices: Having chapters focused on different characters while keeping everything narrated from the main character’s (Briar’s) point of view was confusing and hard to follow.
* Logic & Naming Inconsistencies: I spent much of the book wondering why no one was asking where Briar was during key moments. Additionally, the main character repeatedly flipped between calling her mother "Mom" and using her first name, which was unnecessarily distracting.
Rating Justification:
A clear 2 stars without any debate. The confusing perspective choices, plot logic gaps, and shift away from sci-fi elements kept me from connecting with the story.
Who Will Like This:
Readers who prefer character-driven family sagas and chaotic dynamic shifts set against a disaster backdrop—rather than fans looking for an alien-heavy sci-fi thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for this ARC copy!

[Cori Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertainingly dramatic story of one family handling the end of the world.

I had such a good time reading this! Each character is vividly brought to life and has their own voice and drama, and then the family dynamics are fascinating too. Our main character is Briar, who is trying to solve the disappearance of her school friend ... but she also frames the other POV characters: her father who becomes a prepper after losing his job, her mother who is trying to make life-changing decisions, and three sisters all busy with their own lives too.

In terms of expectation-setting, this is character-centred and very fast-paced -- the twists and reveals start early and keep coming. I felt like the story was always solidly-grounded, even when we're in the 'weirder' elements of it. There are quite challenging elements; this is definitely adult fiction, even though some of the POVs are YA. However, it's not hard sci-fi, and it doesn't get too philosophical about the nature of humanity, good vs evil, or what a devastated London might be like ... because dear goodness, some people love to bang on about the Blitz Spirit in any disaster, and I think we all know that's not at all how things would work out. As T.S. Eliot puts it, quoted for the title:

This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

Rating: 16/20
This review is based upon a complimentary advance reading copy provided by the publisher.

[RavenReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should have been right up my alley: an apocalyptic fiction which is one of my favorite genres. So I went in really excited. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t land for me.

Temi Oh goes big with the concept, but it ends up feeling a little too ambitious for its own good. The story jumps across multiple timelines and POVs and it just felt messy. I had a hard time keeping track of where I was and whose story I was following, which made it difficult to stay engaged.

There were also quite a few moments where the logic just didn’t hold up. The one that really got me was the character whose father is a full on doomsday prepper warning about a planet passing by Earth, and you still schedule your wedding for that exact day? Be so for real. That kind of disbelief kept pulling me out of the story.

The structure branches out into different survivor stories after the event. Some finding peace, others trying to piece together what actually happened, and even government threads involving alien investigation. There are interesting ideas in there, but it all felt scattered rather than cohesive.

I can see what this was trying to do, and there are moments that almost work, but overall it just didn’t come together for me. Too messy, too ambitious, and ultimately not my favorite in a genre I usually love.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Temi Oh, and Saga Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Reading Xennial · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy an apocalyptic novel, it’s one of my favorite story lines. This was technically apocalyptic, but it was more of a literary family drama that happened to be during an extinction level event. I got what the author was going for, but it wasn’t what I was expecting or hoping for. The writing was still solid and I enjoyed my time, but I had to reframe my expectations so I could give this book a fair chance.

Everyone in the Minton family have their own private turmoil going on that’s occupying their minds. None of them are actively communicating with the others in the family except for the Dad who’s focusing his energy on prepping for the end of the world and drilling this fixation into his family. On the morning of Lia’s wedding, the extinction level event happens and everyone has to come together and work to survive.

This turned into more of a character driven story and I liked the characters depth overall. They’re not all entirely likeable, but they felt real. This was an interesting read and I would like to read more by this author in the future. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I think I would’ve liked it better knowing the literary context before going in.

Thank you, NetGalley and Saga Press for asking me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

[Jess Reads Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC.

Meet the Minton family. On the surface they seem normal, nice enough. But a series of personal troubles drives Marcus, the patriarch, into doom prepping. His wife and four daughters mostly go along with it, despite each facing their own troubles. Then one day… the unexpected (or expected?) happens. He’s proven right, but at what cost?

I went into this blind and I had no idea where it was going, but I am pleasantly surprised. Starting with the Minton family; they were all flawed, very relatable in some ways, and the book really dives into each persons thoughts and troubles. The primary narrator is the second daughter, Briar, but the chapters are split between the family members. It’s a bit confusing because it feels like you should’ve reading from another character’s POV, but it’s actually still Briar, retelling. Makes you wonder what her role is.

As for the plot, it’s very action packed. A strange occurrence takes place and everyone is suddenly thrown off. Everyone panics, fight for resources, secure their homes and loved ones, and try to understand what happened. What would you expect from people when it suddenly feels like the world is ending, or something on a massive scale is happening?

Loved this for its originality and character dynamics.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - So much drama and chaos... and also maybe the apocalypse? I couldn't put this down. This is the story of a family before, during, and after a cataclysmic event. You follow Marcus and Kim and their 4 daughters (22, 18, 16, 7) as they deal with the world as they know it crumbling around them. Our main POV is Briar (~18) who is busy with her older sister's wedding (on the day of the cataclysmic event), investigating a schoolmate's disappearance (and the different beliefs of the group that was involved), processing that her Mother's getting ready to leave the country again (possibly for years... again), and coming to terms with her father's bizarre obsession with prepping for the end of the world.... Also, she's having episodes where she passes out and might hear voices. NBD, except for when it might actually be the end of the world.

The author is so good at making each character's life interesting, dramatic, and unique. Every single character goes through so many traumatizing events without feeling cliche or like it's too much. You might dislike a few of them, but they are never, ever boring. This was a thrilling romp of a SciFi. Read this to shake up your TBR and invigorate your love for both Science Fiction and Drama.

Thank you Saga Press for providing me with access to a digital review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I ended up DNFing this at around 60% because it just didn’t work for me. This is supposed to be sci-fi, but it felt much more like a family drama mixed with weird fiction. The core idea is genuinely interesting: a planet is heading toward Earth, expected to safely pass by, but suddenly changes trajectory. Its presence starts affecting Earth’s magnetic field like a gigantic magnet. That looming sense of uncertainty and impending disaster is the strongest part of the book. From the very beginning, there’s this constant feeling that something terrible is coming, and the atmosphere was done really well.
Unfortunately, the alien/first contact aspect was underdeveloped. There wasn’t enough focus on the aliens, and definitely not enough science for a story marketed as sci-fi. The book kept drifting into family drama instead of exploring the fascinating premise it set up.
Another thing that really annoyed me were the comments about skin color. I honestly didn’t see the point. I don’t care whether a character is black, white, pink, or covered in green spots — what matters is whether they’re interesting characters.
In the end, despite a strong premise and great atmosphere, the story just wasn’t what I was hoping for, and I couldn’t bring myself to finish it.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Station Eleven meets Leave the World Behind in this family drama at the end of the world[…]

So, if my math is correct, a three-star book minus a one-star book, divided by two, equals a two-star book. As a domestic drama, this book and its uninteresting (and often unlikeable) characters have very little to say. None of their motivations make much sense and their arcs feel unearned, especially for the shittiest amongst them. Somehow no one seems very affected by what’s happening around them “at the end of the world.” The only person bewildered by any of it was me! Some of the characters seemed to have unique backgrounds and it’s unfortunate that they were reduced to cliched archetypes. With some better choices, there’s maybe another version of this book with rich character stories. The speculative/sci-fi aspects are too dumb to mention. It serves mostly for staging, but felt unimaginative and unnecessary. It’s a bit of a shame because the author seems capable. This was just a complete misfire. While I’m too old for TikTok or “BookTok,” this seems like the kind of thing that would be big on social media. Everyone hyped about vibes when the book itself is totally hollow.