Sanctuary

by James Cleary, To Be Announced (Narrator)

Who will you save when the world ends? Featured in ‘Best crime and thriller reads in April 2026’ in THE i PAPER

‘Billionaires, bunkers and the fall of the United States… Fascinating, horrifying and all too believable’ Catherine Ryan Howard

____________________

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.

While Brandt and his family retreat to Sanctuary, their luxurious underground bunker, ordinary Americans don’t stand a chance.

But men like construction worker Tom Grady aren’t going down without a fight. He helped build the bunker and knows it’s the only way to keep his friends and family safe.

Grady will stop at nothing to get them in. Brandt will do whatever it takes to keep them out.

Locked in a deadly fight for survival unfolding across the nation, who will win – and at what cost?

____________________

SANCTUARY is a gripping, thought-provoking, utterly unputdownable thriller for fans of Michael Crichton, Terry Hayes and Hugh Howey.

'Intelligent, chillingly real, and utterly profound, this novel left me breathless' Mark Greaney

'A masterpiece. Gripping, fast-paced and frighteningly believable' CJ Parsons

‘Utterly human characters and exceptional storytelling’ Nick Petrie

'Cleary creates a desolate world and fills it with the best and worst of us' Sarah Clarke

‘A breakneck and thoughtful thriller of ultimate stakes’ Tosca Lee

‘Gripping thriller’ Woman's Own

READERS LOVE Sanctuary:

'Gripping near-future thriller' [Five star review]

'One of those rare thrillers that grips you from the opening pages and never lets go' [Five star review]

'A blazing page turner… I lived and breathed ever heart stopping moment' [Five star review]

'Made me gasp at times, and I wanted to cry at times. The writing was excellent, and I felt as I knew all the main characters' [Five star review]

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy

Audible Audio

First published April 28, 2026

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Tai · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Wall-to-wall books - wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!!

[Joy Kirkpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[CL Sloan · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Chloë · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

💰 • 💧 • 💨 • 🩸 • 🔒 • 📝 • ⏩ • 💔 • ✅

[Laura Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Andy – And The Plot Thickens · Rating 3 out of 5]

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?

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.

[PamG · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.
------------------------------
My 3.89 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.

[Stacy DeBroff · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Matt Mansfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Descent into Maelstrom

Remember “All-ee, All-ee in Come Free!” Or some variation from childhood games of hide-and-seek? When home base was safe?

A near future version for adults has been re-imagined with much more chilling consequences.

Set in the near future, James Cleary’s 2026 dystopian novel, “Sanctuary", pictures an American apocalypse brought on by depleted resources for food and water production created by accelerated climate change and erupting rapidly into a struggle between haves and have-not.

After declaring martial law, the government is nowhere to be found leaving pockets of citizens to fend for themselves. Crops have failed; an immense dust cloud, day and night, pervades the world not unlike the 1930s Dust Bowl. People are rioting and looting.

Within this environment Cleary’s plot zeros in on the battles around a remote subterranean Nebraska compound owned by wealthy John Brandt, his family, staff and mercenaries defending against local residents trying to survive in a dunelike landscape.

The tale unfolds through a variety of perspectives alternating between different people on both sides and counterpointed by diary entries of someone within the compound – sometimes present, sometimes the future – as the main story unfolds with its own traditional timeline.

Who survives, how they get there are the key drivers for engaging readers. At times it can be a little confusing since many people are involved creating disjointed emotional focus. The diary entries work sometimes; other times distract from either the plot or the mindset of the diary writer. This may be intentional to relay the confusion of the circumstances.

The overall perspective follows the late 1950s-early 1960s traditions set by Nevil Shute’s “On the Beach” and Walter M. Miller Jr.’s “A Canticle for Leibowitz” when the potential for worldwide atomic oblivion seemed imminent with little regard for consequences. However, the social divide is more akin to George Orwell and Aldous Huxley visions.

The parallels to the current state of global affairs, especially the US, with the divides between oligarchs and the majority of workers are clearly intentional in this novel. Especially with recent news mentions of executive bunkers for wealthy individuals and their families.

A novelistic meditation on an alternative future before the future becomes the present.

(Footnote: my rating is 3.5. The concept is stronger than the execution in certain places.)

[Malo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Effrayamment réaliste

En commençant ce roman, je ne m'attendais pas à grand-chose : une dystopie assez classique sur une fin du monde climatique, mais ce récit est plus que ça !

Nous suivons deux « camps » dans le désert qu'est devenue la moitié des États-Unis : l'un autour d'un milliardaire s'étant fait construire un bunker avec assez de provisions pour 50 personnes pendant 5 ans ; l'autre, des civils sans eau, ni chauffage, ni provisions, tentant de survivre dans cet environnement hostile.

La narration, assez spéciale, m'a un peu perdu au début : l'auteur nous permet de suivre différents personnages du roman, leurs sentiments et leur vision des choses. Après m'y être rapidement habitué, je l'ai trouvée très intéressante, car même au sein des deux « camps » créés, les avis et la perception des événements divergent.

La brièveté des chapitres (106 chapitres pour 484 pages) rend le récit très rythmé et ajoute du suspense dans les moments à forte tension ; il devient alors impossible de lâcher le roman ! Les descriptions de l'environnement sont bien réalisées, car elles nous permettent de bien visualiser la scène sans être trop longues ni trop lourdes. le récit est très réaliste, d'autant plus que la situation décrite pourrait arriver plus tôt que prévu. Les comportements des personnages sont authentiques et permettent de s'identifier à eux.

Cependant, je mettrais un petit bémol sur le nombre important de personnages qui arrivent rapidement au début du roman, ainsi que sur le manque de description de certains d'entre eux. de plus, j'ai trouvé le roman quelque peu long sur certains passages où il manquait de dynamisme, avec peut-être trop de descriptions.

Mais ces moments restent rares et on a ici un bon roman dystopique, rythmé, réaliste et plein de suspense.

Au final, je me suis dit qu'en plus de la tension et de la réflexion qu'elle allie, cette fiction était plus proche de notre présent que je ne le pensais, et c'est bien pour ça qu'elle mérite d'être lue. Un grand merci aux éditions Gallmeister et à Gleeph de m'avoir permis de découvrir ce roman en avant-première.

[Amy Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This post-apocalyptic novel centers on a bunker run by a rigid, morally inflexible leader who refuses to help people on the outside. The premise sets up a powerful moral pressure cooker: who do we become when survival depends on exclusion?

The character work is where the book shines. The leader’s wife has the most compelling arc, shifting from quiet complicity to a dawning, horrified clarity about what her husband’s choices really mean. Her evolution gives the story emotional depth and suggests a reckoning is coming. I also appreciated the people outside the bunker who were simply trying to survive and connect with those inside — those moments carried real humanity. The hinted-at romance between the two women had strong potential and could have provided a meaningful counterpoint to the bunker’s emotional isolation, but it never felt fully explored.

Where the book lost me was the ending. The escalation into near-total devastation felt abrupt and, ultimately, unearned. Major character deaths — including the leader’s daughter — didn’t seem to arise organically from the story’s moral tensions. Instead of feeling like the inevitable consequence of the characters’ choices, the conclusion came across as a blunt clearing of the board. The few survivors who flee and later return to see who’s left could have offered a powerful reflective coda, but their survival didn’t feel thematically grounded enough to carry that weight.

I don’t mind bleak. I mind arbitrary. This story built rich moral tension around isolation, control, and conscience — especially through the wife’s arc — but the ending sidestepped that tension rather than resolving it. There is strong character work here and moments of genuine emotional impact, but the final act left me more frustrated than moved.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sanctuary is a gripping, bleak, and emotionally charged novel about survival. The story takes place in the Great Plains of the United States in the not-too-distant future. The country has become a wasteland because of the government's failure to take the proper steps to save our environment from total decay. Billionaire John Brandt has been preparing for this disaster for years as he secretly created the world's most secure and self-sustaining bunker somewhere in Nebraska. Brandt's goal was to save his family of four and a few necessary individuals needed to secure their future. These individuals include a security team, Brandt's housekeeper and her daughter, a doctor, a hydroponic grower, and a scientist to protect and provide for Brandt's family.
What Brandt didn't anticipate was how far people faced with death would go to save themselves. A small group of gritty survivors comes upon Brandt's sanctuary and proves they will take every measure to keep living. This sets up a fascinating story about two divergent groups who attempt to survive in different ways.
Author James Cleary creates some memorable characters that the reader gets to meet during this ordeal. Even though the environment is the driving force behind the story, this is a novel that is character-driven. Some of the scenes are gut-wrenching and will stick with readers for quite a while. Recommended!

I'd like to thank Net Galley, the Berkley Publishing Group, and the author for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

This is about what I would expect to happen when the climate collapse starts - it becomes 'the rest of us' vs the billionaires that spent a bunch of money on building huge bunkers to survive in.
This does take a little while to get all the characters straight, as there are a lot of them with the alternating POVs from those in the bunker and those outside the bunker. At times it did feel a little like not a whole lot was happening then we would get a bunch of action all at once, so the pacing felt a little off at times.
I would have loved to get a little more in depth with a few of the characters and really get into their minds. Out of everyone, I'm glad Agent Schaefer survived, but there were a few others from the bunker that I would have liked to see not meet a fateful ending. Although it does lead us to the conclusion that everyone would have been better off had those in the bunker listened to Agent Schaefer and allowed those at the estate to join them in the bunker. It would have prevented so many needless deaths. And they clearly had enough supplies for them all - I did feel the anger that Grady felt upon seeing all the food and supplies in the bunker when those in the estate house had been suffering for over a year at that point. The moral of the story here is that when shit ultimately does hit the fan and climate catastrophe hits us, we all need to work together and not continue on with this hierarchy of 'us vs them'.

[Jennifer Rupp · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Sanctuary, author James Cleary paints an all-too-possible, one might even say inevitable, near future. Scientists warn of an ecological disaster creeping forward. What the world is unprepared for is the tipping point, the threshold at which sustainable life collapses rapidly and completely. Only the astronomically wealthy are prepared for the catastrophic event. They have built impenetrable bunkers designed to sustain life for years underground, and only the astronomically wealthy get to decide who will be sheltered within those bunkers, while those left outside must fight to survive.

The well-researched technology Cleary uses in Sanctuary creates a believable, foreseeable, and visceral future for readers. But what sets this apocalyptic tale apart is the author’s command of language, his understanding of universal conflict, and his use of lyrical prose, all of which make for riveting storytelling. Make no mistake, the story begins at the brink of disaster and maintains a heart-pounding pace, never delving into philosophical moments, but rather tackling them head-on with relentless action. Like in life, there is no black and white, no absolutes, no fail-safes, no good guys or bad guys, just bad choices piled on top of more bad choices. One can only hope that mercy, that “twice blessed” human quality, triumphs.

It's a pleasure to read a well-told story by a skilled writer. 5 Stars for Sanctuary by James Cleary.

[Jimmy Rogel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merci à @gleephapp et aux @editions_gallmeister de m'avoir permis de lire en avant-première ce roman.

Ce roman, captivant et profond, incite à la réflexion.
Dès les premières pages, le lecteur est entraîné par le rythme soutenu des chapitres courts qui structurent efficacement l’intrigue. L’alternance entre deux temporalités, notamment grâce au journal de bord d’un personnage, apporte une réelle dynamique à la narration.
Après le déclenchement de la catastrophe, le récit suit simultanément les survivants réfugiés dans un bunker luxueux, bénéficiant de nombreuses commodités (garde-manger, piscine, piste de bowling), et ceux confrontés à la dure réalité d’un monde dévasté où chaque besoin se transforme en lutte. Cette opposition entre deux univers crée une tension constante tout au long du livre, maintenant l’intérêt du lecteur quant au sort des protagonistes.
Tous les personnages sont amenés à faire des choix difficiles, souvent guidés par l’égoïsme ou la peur, remettant ainsi en question leur humanité. Ces décisions peuvent avoir des conséquences lourdes sur leur avenir.
Un aspect remarquable du roman réside dans son réalisme : l’intrigue ne repose pas sur des éléments exagérés ou de science-fiction, mais sur des situations plausibles, ce qui rend la lecture d’autant plus immersive. Ce degré de vraisemblance suscite l’engagement du lecteur, désireux de découvrir le destin des personnages, qui pourrait potentiellement refléter le sien.

[Alis Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Inga Hein Andree · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 ⭐️
First, thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, James Cleary, and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this title before its publication date of April 28, 2026.

When I started this book, my first thought was that this is strangely like the craziness happening today. Climate catastrophe, billionaires buying the government and judicial systems, angry citizens, and societal collapse (not quite to that one yet). A billionaire who knows that the US is on the verge of collapse, repurposes a decommissioned missile silo into a luxury bunker, complete with hand picked elite who will serve the owner. It then becomes a case of the haves on the inside, and the have nots on the outside.

The story was fast paced but I did feel like it dragged a bit at times. The thing that frustrated me what that the journal entries at the beginning were not in chronological order, making the overall storyline confusing, and it seemed that the journal entries are numbered longer than the person writing them was in the bunker. I don't know. There was a long list of characters and while there were a few that were highlighted, looking back, I felt like I knew them only surface level. I was not overly invested in their lives.

This book was perfectly okay. I do not feel that I wasted my time reading it, but I cannot say that I would recommend it either.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this dystopian novel, climate changed has wreaked havoc on the US, causing droughts, floods and stirring civil unrest. Billionaires like John Brandt have built underground bunkers to house their families with supplies to last decades, if necessary. When the country finally explodes into lawlessness, Brandt moves his family and security team into his bunker, called Sanctuary, to survive. But when a band of ordinary citizens descend upon his compound demanding entry, his long rage plans are put to the test. Sanctuary raises the basic question of what would you do to protect and provide for your loved ones, and poses the ethical and moral dilemmas that attaches to that question. The book explores those dilemmas, and how each group responds is the core of the story without preaching or judgement. Well written and fairly fast paced with interesting characters and a storyline that hooks you in quickly and keeps you there throughout. Not a unique setting, but a highly entertaining and thoughtful book. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Li · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about what people will do in order to survive. It highlights the differences between the wealthy and privileged and those who are disadvantaged. Because of what the human race has doen to this planet, the effects of climate change are catastrophic James Cleary's Sanctuary. The majority of this story takes places in the Nebraskan underground bunker. A group of wealthy and privileged people have come together with everything you can possibly want and need while the outside world is in turmoil. Outside people are lacking even the most basic of necessities such as clean air and water. A group of raiders come upon the bunker and they will do everything they can to be able to get inside in order to survive.

I gave this book 3.5 stars because even though I found some characters relatable, others I found hard to connect to. I also found the story a little disjointed when it transitioned from the POV of one group to the other. All in all, I found the book to be an easy read and a pretty good story.

Thank you to Netgallery for providing me an advanced copy of this book.

[Lisa (Two Bookish Brits) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well damn…that was intense.

In the world of Sanctuary, climate change has wreaked havoc on the US bringing them to the brink of social collapse. Their world is full of droughts, floods and unrest.

John Brandt knew it was coming and built underground bunkers to house his family and those people closest to him as well as his security team. Stating clearly there was absolutely no exceptions for anyone else, especially the strangers that stormed the Sanctuary and took over it.

Both sides are committed to getting what they want and will not back down.

The tension that builds with each chapter was exciting and I couldn’t wait to see what each side would do next. I was on the edge of my seat just waiting for all the chaos to break loose and boy did it.

Once I started I couldn’t stop, I devoured it and loved every second. This author brought a whole world and characters to life so easily. I’m a fan.

James Cleary did an amazing job of keeping me hooked and addicted to the storyline. It’s gripping, emotional, complex and heartbreaking at times.

The Sanctuary is a fast paced thriller, perfect for fans of apocalyptic fiction and survival books/shows.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read the description about America on the brink of environmental and social collapse, and the world ending, I wasn’t going to request this book. It didn’t sound like my cup of tea at all, but then I read ‘SANCTUARY is a gripping, thought-provoking, utterly unputdownable thriller’ and I changed my mind. I’m so glad I did. It was complex but fabulous. I never repeat the story in a review (what’s the point, it’s in the description). All I need to know about a book is how did you feel while you were reading it? Well, I felt intrigued and gripped, and couldn’t wait to turn the page to find out what happened next. It was, as it said in the description, thought-provoking and utterly unputdownable and I was immersed in the story. It made me gasp at times, and I wanted to cry at times. The writing was excellent, and I felt as if I knew all the main characters. An absolutely brilliant read, and deserving of 5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this amazing arc.

[Megan Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gripping dystopian thriller that I devoured in less than 24 hours. It’s incredibly thought-provoking and constantly had me questioning where I would draw the line between helping others and protecting my own family. A couple times, I caught myself agreeing with the billionaire “villain”, which was unsettling, yet I also deeply understood the desperation of the other families and knew I’d risk everything for my child. My moral compass was all over the place in the best way.

The only thing keeping this from five stars is the limited character development. I wanted more depth so the emotional impact could hit harder. In such a high-stakes, eerily realistic future, I expected to feel more personally invested in at least one character. While the tension and ethical dilemmas were strong, I never fully connected on a deeper emotional level.

Overall, this is a fast-paced, morally complex read that will leave you thinking long after you turn the final page.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for this ARC edition in exchange for an honest review.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Sanctuary for so many reasons. The series of events leading up to the devastation felt so plausible it made me uncomfortable at times. I loved the introduction of the estate house and the juxtaposition of the groups within each faction. I did have a bit of trouble keeping track of the characters in the estate house and would have liked a bit more development for them so that I felt a greater emotional attachment to them and their journeys.

I loved the multi-point-of-view storytelling being intercut with journal entries that matched the emotional elements of those in Sanctuary.

While I loved the story, I was not sold on the epilogue and I think it ties back to my lack of emotional connection to several of the characters. I personally didn’t feel that the payout at the end landed or for me for all the characters. I think I would’ve liked it more had it focused on a singular person.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an advanced copy for me to read and review.

[Heather Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 ⭐️
Desperate people trying to invade an underground mansion.

Half of the US is underwater, and the other half is a dust bowl. Billionaire John Brandt knew this day was coming and used his power and money to be prepared. Deep in the earth of the Nebraska Great Plains is the Sanctuary, a luxurious underground mansion. But others are desperate to survive and will do anything to get a piece of what Brandt has created.

What would you do in this situation? That was the question that was constantly on my mind as each side of the conflict tried to justify its actions. They both do good and bad things. They both do these things from the truest place in their heart. Surviving and protecting their loved ones. This book is fast-paced and will constantly have you flipping sides. Agreeing and then disagreeing with each character, and in a lot of cases, being unable to decide what you would do yourself if put in a similar conflict. While the downfall of society can feel far-fetched, the actions of those involved are not.

[Judy Tiemeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow - you expect dystopian, apocalyptic novels to be sad, but this one is heartbreakingly sad. But it also makes you think about what you would do to survive. Would you help others if it means that there may be less for you? What would you do to protect or save your children?

This is a story about a billionaire who predicted a climate disaster and built a bunker for his crew and his family to hole up in while the country descends into chaos. Then there is a group of locals who know the bunker is there and show up wanting to be let in or given supplies and medicine. As the tension escalates between these two groups, sides are chosen and betrayals happen.

The story was compelling and the action rarely let up. This situation felt almost too real which made the story even scarier. A very captivating read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for providing this free ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sanctuary is a gripping and unsettling near-future thriller that blends eco-disaster, dystopia, and survival drama into a fast-moving, high-stakes narrative. James Cleary imagines a United States ravaged by climate collapse and social unrest, where a billionaire’s meticulously planned bunker becomes both refuge and battleground, pitting the insulated “haves” against desperate outsiders. The tension is palpable throughout, driven by moral dilemmas that force characters (and readers) to question how far they would go to protect their own. While the world-building is vivid and the premise compelling, the story occasionally feels uneven, with some pacing issues and structural choices (like the journal entries) disrupting the flow, and character development that doesn’t always match the emotional weight of the situation. Still, it’s an intense, thought-provoking read that lingers for its ethical complexity as much as its action.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!