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The Survivalists
A single Black lawyer puts her career and personal moral code at risk when she moves in with her coffee entrepreneur boyfriend and his doomsday-prepping roommates in a novel that’s packed with tension, curiosity, humor, and wit from a writer with serious comedy credentials.
In the wake of her parents’ death, Aretha, a habitually single Black lawyer, has had only one obsession in life—success—until she falls for Aaron, a coffee entrepreneur. Moving into his Brooklyn brownstone to live along with his Hurricane Sandy-traumatized, illegal-gun-stockpiling, optimized-soy-protein-eating, bunker-building roommates, Aretha finds that her dreams of making partner are slipping away, replaced by an underground world, one of selling guns and training for a doomsday that’s maybe just around the corner.
For readers of Victor LaValle’s The Changeling, Paul Beatty’s The Sellout, and Zakiya Harris’s The Other Black Girl, The Survivalists is a darkly humorous novel from a smart and relevant new literary voice that’s packed with tension, curiosity and wit, and unafraid to ask the questions most relevant to a new generation of Americans: Does it make sense to climb the corporate ladder? What exactly are the politics of gun ownership? And in a world where it’s nearly impossible for young people to earn enough money to afford stable housing, what does it take in order to survive?
In the wake of her parents’ death, Aretha, a habitually single Black lawyer, has had only one obsession in life—success—until she falls for Aaron, a coffee entrepreneur. Moving into his Brooklyn brownstone to live along with his Hurricane Sandy-traumatized, illegal-gun-stockpiling, optimized-soy-protein-eating, bunker-building roommates, Aretha finds that her dreams of making partner are slipping away, replaced by an underground world, one of selling guns and training for a doomsday that’s maybe just around the corner.
For readers of Victor LaValle’s The Changeling, Paul Beatty’s The Sellout, and Zakiya Harris’s The Other Black Girl, The Survivalists is a darkly humorous novel from a smart and relevant new literary voice that’s packed with tension, curiosity and wit, and unafraid to ask the questions most relevant to a new generation of Americans: Does it make sense to climb the corporate ladder? What exactly are the politics of gun ownership? And in a world where it’s nearly impossible for young people to earn enough money to afford stable housing, what does it take in order to survive?
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 10, 2023
623 people are currently reading
25385 people want to read
About the author
Kashana Cauley
5 books243 followersKashana Cauley is the author of THE PAYBACK, which will be released by Atria/Simon & Schuster in Summer 2025, and THE SURVIVALISTS, which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and named a best book of 2023 by many outlets, including Vogue, The Today Show, and the BBC. She is also a television writer (The Great North, Pod Save America on HBO, The Daily Show) and a former contributing opinion writer for The New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 663 reviews
June 9, 2023
I do not give star ratings, but this book's rating is currently 3.07 which is a travesty that has to be addressed. What the hell. This is *brilliant.*
It's the story of Aretha, a Black lawyer in New York scrabbling to make meaning of her life. She meets Aaron, a laid-back guy who's still carrying trauma from Hurricane Sandy, and who, it turns out, lives/works with Brittany, a very weird Black woman, and James, a white journalist sacked for plagiarism turned drunken weirdo. They are survivalists. They stockpile guns and soy protein bars, and have a DIY bunker.
The book is on the surface about how Aretha gets sucked into the survivalist mindset. Let it be noted, it's extremely sympathetic in some ways: these people are dangerous and completely hatstand, but they are operating on the basis of completely reasonable fears. At one point Brittany observes that when the apocalypse comes and people start eating each other, their mostly Black household will be surrounded by white people, so yes they *do* need all the guns. It's bonkers but it's not irrational, if you see what I mean.
It's really about survival in a much broader sense. Aretha seems at the start to be highly successful but she's clinging on by her fingernails to the American Dream she was sold at vast expense and which isn't happening, she's desperately lonely, she's deracinated in a lot of ways, including from her own humanity by corporate lawyering. A lot of people are struggling to survive, in fact: the survivalists are just more obvious.
It's a very, very funny book, with terrific dry writing and observation and some superbly sharp satire: it's also extremely tense at points. I absolutely loved it. Huge recommendation, do not miss.
It's the story of Aretha, a Black lawyer in New York scrabbling to make meaning of her life. She meets Aaron, a laid-back guy who's still carrying trauma from Hurricane Sandy, and who, it turns out, lives/works with Brittany, a very weird Black woman, and James, a white journalist sacked for plagiarism turned drunken weirdo. They are survivalists. They stockpile guns and soy protein bars, and have a DIY bunker.
The book is on the surface about how Aretha gets sucked into the survivalist mindset. Let it be noted, it's extremely sympathetic in some ways: these people are dangerous and completely hatstand, but they are operating on the basis of completely reasonable fears. At one point Brittany observes that when the apocalypse comes and people start eating each other, their mostly Black household will be surrounded by white people, so yes they *do* need all the guns. It's bonkers but it's not irrational, if you see what I mean.
It's really about survival in a much broader sense. Aretha seems at the start to be highly successful but she's clinging on by her fingernails to the American Dream she was sold at vast expense and which isn't happening, she's desperately lonely, she's deracinated in a lot of ways, including from her own humanity by corporate lawyering. A lot of people are struggling to survive, in fact: the survivalists are just more obvious.
It's a very, very funny book, with terrific dry writing and observation and some superbly sharp satire: it's also extremely tense at points. I absolutely loved it. Huge recommendation, do not miss.
August 15, 2022
Survivalists (colloquially referred to as preppers) as a concept fascinate me the same way cults to. And why not? They are at least cult adjacent: the mentality, the ethics, the ideologies.
This is a tale of an ordinary woman, a young lawyer who idea of preparedness mostly involves spending most of her life working to make partner, who falls in with a small group of survivalists.
Well, that’s an oversimplified description of the plot, anyway. When you get really into it, this is a novel about race and class and privilege and a society that puts its citizens through such an obstacle course on the way to what it seems success that it leaves people floundering and grasping at the most unlikely straws. And also, like so many stories, this is about love.
Love is how it begins, anyway. Our protagonist, Aretha, is searching for it, finding dud after dud, until Aaron comes along and checks every box. Aaron is handsome, kind, considerate, self-employed, self-sufficient AND owns a brownstone. Well, some of it, anyway.
For a New Yorker whose idea of being well housed is maybe not having a flatmate, this is a dream come true. But there’s a but. Aaron shares the brownstone with two other people who are less that friendly to others and more than friendly with guns.
All Aaron wants to do is brew coffee and love Aretha and so she is sold, against her bff’s cautionary advice. All in, Aretha moves in, and proximity breeds strange bedfellows out of them all.
Just as Aretha’s professional life is unraveling, her personal life turns into a very peculiar rollercoaster, a well-armed and dangerous one.
In a way, this novel is about the unmaking of the American dream. Aretha, who followed the premise to the tee, finds herself unmooring and spiraling with such a velocity because the world around her, the world she’d worked herself to the bone to fit into, doesn’t reward her for her sacrifices, but in fact, alternates between indifference and menace. If love isn’t lovely and friendship isn’t friendly and employment isn’t enjoyable, then what is there left? Guns.
Survivalists is, thus, ultimately a tale of disenfranchisement. With race thrown in just right, which is to say cleverly and observationally (like Jordan Peele did in his comedy), not overpoweringly (like Jordan Peele does in his scary movies).
There’s also a great metaphor with the brownstone itself, but you’ll just have tor ead to find out what that is.
Overall, a very good read, one of those things where the narrative and the writing are so strong that you don’t even need to particularly like or emotionally engage with the characters to enjoy. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
This is a tale of an ordinary woman, a young lawyer who idea of preparedness mostly involves spending most of her life working to make partner, who falls in with a small group of survivalists.
Well, that’s an oversimplified description of the plot, anyway. When you get really into it, this is a novel about race and class and privilege and a society that puts its citizens through such an obstacle course on the way to what it seems success that it leaves people floundering and grasping at the most unlikely straws. And also, like so many stories, this is about love.
Love is how it begins, anyway. Our protagonist, Aretha, is searching for it, finding dud after dud, until Aaron comes along and checks every box. Aaron is handsome, kind, considerate, self-employed, self-sufficient AND owns a brownstone. Well, some of it, anyway.
For a New Yorker whose idea of being well housed is maybe not having a flatmate, this is a dream come true. But there’s a but. Aaron shares the brownstone with two other people who are less that friendly to others and more than friendly with guns.
All Aaron wants to do is brew coffee and love Aretha and so she is sold, against her bff’s cautionary advice. All in, Aretha moves in, and proximity breeds strange bedfellows out of them all.
Just as Aretha’s professional life is unraveling, her personal life turns into a very peculiar rollercoaster, a well-armed and dangerous one.
In a way, this novel is about the unmaking of the American dream. Aretha, who followed the premise to the tee, finds herself unmooring and spiraling with such a velocity because the world around her, the world she’d worked herself to the bone to fit into, doesn’t reward her for her sacrifices, but in fact, alternates between indifference and menace. If love isn’t lovely and friendship isn’t friendly and employment isn’t enjoyable, then what is there left? Guns.
Survivalists is, thus, ultimately a tale of disenfranchisement. With race thrown in just right, which is to say cleverly and observationally (like Jordan Peele did in his comedy), not overpoweringly (like Jordan Peele does in his scary movies).
There’s also a great metaphor with the brownstone itself, but you’ll just have tor ead to find out what that is.
Overall, a very good read, one of those things where the narrative and the writing are so strong that you don’t even need to particularly like or emotionally engage with the characters to enjoy. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
November 14, 2022
I picked up this book despite not being enticed by the plot because I've always found Cauley to be smart and observant and funny on Twitter. I don't believe she brought her strengths to this book, which was full of two-dimensional characters with unbelievable motivations.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Aaron, for the protagonist's boyfriend whose appearance drives the rest of the plot, is very thinly drawn. He seems like a flawless human until he isn't. I kept thinking Cauley was going to reveal a secret about all his "coffee runs" but it seems like after his introduction compels Aretha to move in with him, he's not really needed anymore plot-wise.
Aretha, who is initially appalled by all the guns and the bunker and the survivalist nonsense, goes from being blackmailed into a gun run to be almost aroused by them with hardly any development at all. At the end, she turns against her boyfriend and roommates just as fast.
I like Cauley, but I don't think her skills are cut out for long-form work just yet.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Aaron, for the protagonist's boyfriend whose appearance drives the rest of the plot, is very thinly drawn. He seems like a flawless human until he isn't. I kept thinking Cauley was going to reveal a secret about all his "coffee runs" but it seems like after his introduction compels Aretha to move in with him, he's not really needed anymore plot-wise.
Aretha, who is initially appalled by all the guns and the bunker and the survivalist nonsense, goes from being blackmailed into a gun run to be almost aroused by them with hardly any development at all. At the end, she turns against her boyfriend and roommates just as fast.
I like Cauley, but I don't think her skills are cut out for long-form work just yet.
January 9, 2023
The synopsis of this book drew me in, and to my surprise it was weirder than I had imagined. I liked the book a lot, but felt it went on a little long in places and I wanted a little more action. I liked the characters a lot and felt like Cauley did a great job brining real world ideas into this fictional landscape without feeling preachy or even too on the nose. If you like a little strange with your books, this on is for you.
February 2, 2023
I was all in until she moved in. It all went left from there and NOTHING made any sense…
July 7, 2023
Starts okay and unfortunately that's the highlight. 3 of 10 stars
January 17, 2023
THE SURVIVALISTS by Kashana Cauley is a masterclass in sarcastic writing that’s both poignant but doesn’t take itself too seriously. This is one of those books you have to sit with for a bit after you finish to truly digest what the heck you just read. It moves so quickly and it’s easy to get swept up in Aretha’s tumble through life, but in those moments of calm, you gain pristine clarity. In terms of characterization, it’s easy to look down on how easily Aretha falls into a wayward hobby and loses herself until you realize, with sadness, that obsession can happen to any of us when any number of circumstances align. THE SURVIVALISTS is a commentary on the caustic fatality of capitalism and a workaholic culture consumed with the idea of productivity. Thank you to the publisher for a finished copy!
March 2, 2023
This is a prepper's survival guide meets Get Out. Aretha, a Black lawyer chasing the partnership dream, falls off track when she meets a coffee entrepreneur and his climate change prepper roommates and business partners. Due to her own lack of family, she quickly falls in love with the idea of a house and partner in life. And, she strives to try to understand the unfriendly roommates even when a multitude of guns get introduced in to the equation. And, it's easy to see how Aretha, so driven, begins to seek "highs" from other places, when work doesn't go as well. Watching Aretha make her choices about housing and love, balanced against her own moral code was like watching the actor, go into the woods alone, even with an ax murderer lurking amongst the trees.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
ETA: Staff Pick 2/23
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
ETA: Staff Pick 2/23
January 7, 2023
(A 4 and a half star read) The Survivalists is a novel that reads like a movie, seamlessly playing out the scenes of a year plus of Aretha’s life as she goes from sensible, by the book lawyer to a version of herself she doesn’t recognize, but kind of loves. A relationship with ultra hip coffee-roaster Aaron’s unfolds, leading Aretha down an unfamiliar path which she embraces without thinking too much of the subtle changes poking holes in her idyllic life. It’s unlike Aretha to not overthink everything. Aretha, what are you thinking? I found myself wanting to shake some sense into her, but I doubt she’d listen. Dark humor plays well against a cast of players who are alternately fighting against and dancing with the trauma that’s brought them all together. This book had me thinking I need a go-bag, then thinking “damn I need therapy”, as it exposes the survivalist lifestyle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2022
A timely exploration of social horror and an apt reminder of how easily one can fall into the wrong crowd. Reminiscent of an episode of Black Mirror. And, as always, I will listen to just about anything the incomparable Bahni Turin reads.
March 7, 2024
I wanted to like this, but it was just strange, and not in the way I like. I feel like I wasn't in on the joke, constantly feeling like I was missing something important. It was very repetitive and continuously jumping around with bare characterization, an unlikeable protagonist, and very little in terms of plot.
It seems others enjoyed it, so I guess it's just not my cup of tea. However, I would be curious to read later work from the author because this premise had promise!
Trigger/Content Warnings: guns, infidelity, loss of parents
You can watch me talk about all the books I read in February as I set up my reading journal here: https://youtu.be/NY7bgSmoggM
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It seems others enjoyed it, so I guess it's just not my cup of tea. However, I would be curious to read later work from the author because this premise had promise!
Trigger/Content Warnings: guns, infidelity, loss of parents
You can watch me talk about all the books I read in February as I set up my reading journal here: https://youtu.be/NY7bgSmoggM
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
January 15, 2023
One of my reading goals for 2023 was to explore more genres and this novel proved to be the perfect start. Categorized as satirical fiction x dystopian, this one was a page turner. It read like a Top 10 Netflix series, you know the ones you end up binging in a day? It gave diverse characters, creative plot, and a little romance with just the right amount of dark humor to keep the story moving along. I think the author knocked it out of the park!
ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜰᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴄᴏɴꜱᴘɪʀᴀᴄʏ ᴛʜᴇᴏʀʏ ᴏʀ ᴡɪʟᴅ ᴄʀᴀᴢᴇ?
Remember when that man took bath salts and allegedly turned into a zombie? Well it had me shook and I fed into the zombie craze. I even had a “survivor kit” which is the same concept as the Go-bag, a survivalist staple. This is a bag containing only the essentials that a survivalist keeps at the ready, so thru can grab and go if the alarm ever sounds on Dooms Day.
Put this on your reading list!
ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜰᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴄᴏɴꜱᴘɪʀᴀᴄʏ ᴛʜᴇᴏʀʏ ᴏʀ ᴡɪʟᴅ ᴄʀᴀᴢᴇ?
Remember when that man took bath salts and allegedly turned into a zombie? Well it had me shook and I fed into the zombie craze. I even had a “survivor kit” which is the same concept as the Go-bag, a survivalist staple. This is a bag containing only the essentials that a survivalist keeps at the ready, so thru can grab and go if the alarm ever sounds on Dooms Day.
Put this on your reading list!
December 19, 2022
This story sounded so interesting from the blurb, but didn’t live up to the hype when I started reading. I don’t know if I just don’t like this author’s writing style or if it was the story, but this book did not keep my interest. The characters didn’t seem real or fleshed out. I always try to push through when I receive an ARC, but I had to DNF this at about 40%.
February 14, 2023
My grandmother used to say that if you didn’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
That’s it … that’s the review.
That’s it … that’s the review.
January 10, 2023
I was curious about this book when I first heard about it and it didn't disappoint. Love has the ability to change one's life drastically, and that's precisely what happens to our protagonist, Aretha. Cauley's writing is solid and quick-witted. I enjoyed this immensely. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.)
December 31, 2022
How does one fall down the rabbit hole? That's what happens to Aretha in this tale of woman who has been striving all of her life and is suddenly unmoored when she falls in love. Aretha is an attorney who has worked hard to get close to partnership. Aaron own a coffee company in Brooklyn and lives with a group who are best described as a tad unhinged. Soon Aretha finds herself along for gun runs, eating soy protein bars, and living in a way she could not have imagined. This is social commentary but it's also a fairly sensitive portrait of a woman whose head is turned. Cauley doesn't try too hard but lets the reader see Aretha's journey, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.
January 14, 2023
"The Survivalist" Was
Hilarious! I literally laughed out loud a few times in public and got some suspicious looks. It was also shocking, and beautifully written! - What stuck with me the most after finishing the book, was a reminder to
"NEVER say NEVER." You don't know what you will do when you are actually in a situation. Bravo. I’m upset that Kashana Cauley doesn't have a plethora of books under her belt already. But I will patiently await the next title release.
Hilarious! I literally laughed out loud a few times in public and got some suspicious looks. It was also shocking, and beautifully written! - What stuck with me the most after finishing the book, was a reminder to
"NEVER say NEVER." You don't know what you will do when you are actually in a situation. Bravo. I’m upset that Kashana Cauley doesn't have a plethora of books under her belt already. But I will patiently await the next title release.
December 1, 2022
This book illustrates the principle that things are not always what they seem. It is full of surprises and surprising characters. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. This author is one to watch.
January 29, 2023
DNF at 150 pages in. I was expecting more out of this book. The third person stream of consciousness was meandering and at points quite repetitive. I kept continuing to see if anything noteworthy would happen and redeem itself. Over halfway through I am still bored. The characters were not particularly interesting to me. I went into this book not reading any reviews beforehand. At the midway point I wanted to see if other people thought the same thing. This is how I found out that this story was supposed to be satire. If it's not obvious just from reading it it's not effective satire. We already know preppers are a bit nutty and collect a lot of guns; that's just a character trait. I don't think it's revealing anything new about their vices or stupidity through humor or exaggeration, especially when the jokes don't land.
August 9, 2022
The Survivalists paints a picture of how the combination of a person’s race, financial situation, trauma, and relationships might just push them to become the kind of person they never dreamed they would be—and not in a good way.
While I found the premise of this debut novel to be intriguing, the way it was executed left me feeling underwhelmed. While I usually enjoy a good amount of internal dialogue, I felt rather dragged along through the main character’s wandering thoughts in this one.
The ending was pretty strong and I saw many of the systemic issues the author was addressing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Soft Skull Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
While I found the premise of this debut novel to be intriguing, the way it was executed left me feeling underwhelmed. While I usually enjoy a good amount of internal dialogue, I felt rather dragged along through the main character’s wandering thoughts in this one.
The ending was pretty strong and I saw many of the systemic issues the author was addressing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Soft Skull Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2023
One of the worst books that I have ever read in my life. I wanted this book to be so good. My local bookstore recommended it me. I had high hopes. I’m sorry but this book is awful. It’s about a lawyer who falls in love with a doomsday prepper. She moves into his three story brownstone and joins his weird cult. Are there plot holes? THIS BOOK HAS NO PLOT. It also doesn’t have actual chapters. It’s one long run on sentence of utter pig shit. Will never read this author’s books again.
January 6, 2024
In the wake of her parents’ death, Aretha, a habitually single Black lawyer, has had only one obsession in life—success—until she falls for Aaron, a coffee entrepreneur. Moving into his Brooklyn brownstone to live along with his Hurricane Sandy-traumatized, illegal-gun-stockpiling, optimized-soy-protein-eating, bunker-building roommates, Aretha finds that her dreams of making partner are slipping away, replaced by an underground world, one of selling guns and training for a doomsday that’s maybe just around the corner.
The beginning of Kashana Cauley's debut novel is promising. Aretha is initially a sympathetic character: trying to find love in Brooklyn while climbing the corporate law ladder. Although a few disappointing dates and one failed relationship are mentioned, she meets Aaron right at the beginning. Initially horrified by the fact that he doesn't drink alcohol, she warms to his Texas accent & cowboy boots, his hipster vintage t-shirts and skinny jeans, and...the fact that he owns a business and a brownstone. Caught up in this new relationship, she immediately drops her usual leisure activities of clubbing and partying with her long-time bestie Nia, relegating her friend of 15 years to weekend brunch dates. Really?!?!? And after two months is ready to move in with Aaron and his very questionable (and not very friendly) roommates?!?!?
Aretha is all over the place (which we get too much of thanks to the third person omniscient p.o.v. which mostly focuses on her), and the other characters are a handful of stereotypical character traits that keep getting repeated. Aaron is cowboy boots and a vintage T, always droppin' his gs. His militant business partner and roommate, Brittany, wears tracksuits, eats optimized soy protein bars, and practices her own weird combination of martial arts in the backyard (where she's built a bunker under astroturf). The third roommate, James, is a white former journalist (publicly disgraced for plagiarizing) who drinks peach liqueur (because he's from Georgia) and displays very questionable hygiene. The bunker, the protein bars (which...shouldn't they be saving those for WTSHTF?), and the guns (which they stockpile and resell) are the symbols of their prepping, but that's it. No garden or seeds or other methods for creating their own food, just a supply of protein bars that they're not even saving. Really?!?!?
Needless to say, a lot of really ridiculous things happen and Aretha's life falls apart for reasons both related and unrelated to her new housemates. Then in Act V, a whole new set of characters are introduced and the plot really goes off the rails and REALLY?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Ms. Cauley's ideas have potential, but there's a lack of editing and shaping. Instead of chapters, the entire novel is just one long block, occasionally broken up with a dot between paragraphs. Ideas get repeated over and over, time passes inconsistently, characters are mostly phoned in, but then act completely out of character. (Examples: At one point we get James's inner dialogue about ruining Aretha's life by bringing her down to his level, but then it's never brought up again. Aretha expresses surprise when Brittany hugs someone, because it's out of character for her. This is accurate, but Brittany also hugged Aretha at one point.) So many things should have been flagged by an editor.
Overall, this book was just a hot mess. I wavered between 1 and 2 stars, because I read the whole thing in two days (partially hate-reading and partially skimming through the mundane, repetitive details), and because maybe I wasn't getting the humor. (This is still entirely possible.) But I just gave 2 stars to Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, which was much more consistent than this. So...yeah, I really don't recommend The Survivalists to anyone.
The beginning of Kashana Cauley's debut novel is promising. Aretha is initially a sympathetic character: trying to find love in Brooklyn while climbing the corporate law ladder. Although a few disappointing dates and one failed relationship are mentioned, she meets Aaron right at the beginning. Initially horrified by the fact that he doesn't drink alcohol, she warms to his Texas accent & cowboy boots, his hipster vintage t-shirts and skinny jeans, and...the fact that he owns a business and a brownstone. Caught up in this new relationship, she immediately drops her usual leisure activities of clubbing and partying with her long-time bestie Nia, relegating her friend of 15 years to weekend brunch dates. Really?!?!? And after two months is ready to move in with Aaron and his very questionable (and not very friendly) roommates?!?!?
Aretha is all over the place (which we get too much of thanks to the third person omniscient p.o.v. which mostly focuses on her), and the other characters are a handful of stereotypical character traits that keep getting repeated. Aaron is cowboy boots and a vintage T, always droppin' his gs. His militant business partner and roommate, Brittany, wears tracksuits, eats optimized soy protein bars, and practices her own weird combination of martial arts in the backyard (where she's built a bunker under astroturf). The third roommate, James, is a white former journalist (publicly disgraced for plagiarizing) who drinks peach liqueur (because he's from Georgia) and displays very questionable hygiene. The bunker, the protein bars (which...shouldn't they be saving those for WTSHTF?), and the guns (which they stockpile and resell) are the symbols of their prepping, but that's it. No garden or seeds or other methods for creating their own food, just a supply of protein bars that they're not even saving. Really?!?!?
Needless to say, a lot of really ridiculous things happen and Aretha's life falls apart for reasons both related and unrelated to her new housemates. Then in Act V, a whole new set of characters are introduced and the plot really goes off the rails and REALLY?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Ms. Cauley's ideas have potential, but there's a lack of editing and shaping. Instead of chapters, the entire novel is just one long block, occasionally broken up with a dot between paragraphs. Ideas get repeated over and over, time passes inconsistently, characters are mostly phoned in, but then act completely out of character. (Examples: At one point we get James's inner dialogue about ruining Aretha's life by bringing her down to his level, but then it's never brought up again. Aretha expresses surprise when Brittany hugs someone, because it's out of character for her. This is accurate, but Brittany also hugged Aretha at one point.) So many things should have been flagged by an editor.
Overall, this book was just a hot mess. I wavered between 1 and 2 stars, because I read the whole thing in two days (partially hate-reading and partially skimming through the mundane, repetitive details), and because maybe I wasn't getting the humor. (This is still entirely possible.) But I just gave 2 stars to Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, which was much more consistent than this. So...yeah, I really don't recommend The Survivalists to anyone.
January 7, 2023
So good—I hope Cauley writes another book 🤞🏽
December 13, 2022
I was really hooked into reading THE SURVIVALISTS by Kashana Cauley and finished it in three days! It’s a stellar debut novel! It’s about Aretha, a single Black lawyer, who moves in with her new boyfriend and his survivalist roommates. The roommates go all out by building a backyard bunker and eating only soy protein bars. I loved the touches of humour and the suspense of finding out if Aretha can survive in her new house. This novel is entertaining right from the first page all the way to the end and I really enjoyed reading it! Aretha got herself into some wild situations. I’d love to see it as a movie one day.
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Thank you to Soft Skull Press for my gifted review copy!
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Thank you to Soft Skull Press for my gifted review copy!
January 19, 2023
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“What was survivalism if its deepest fears were the kind of thing people without money would just buck up and live with?”
“There should be a warning system for guys who seemed like guys but were really broken eggs put back together with Scotch tape.”
The Survivalists, by Kashana Cauley is her phenomenal debut in which Aretha , a lawyer, falls down a rabbit hole.
Aretha is strong and independent but is quite quickly wooed by love.
Aaron is the perfect guy.
He owns his own coffee company and a brownstone in Brooklyn, he (like her) has no parents/family, he is tactical, thoughtful, and attentive. What’s not to love ?
Aretha eventually moves in with Aaron and his roommates who are doomsday preppers and madness ensues.
The premise of this book sounded so intriguing, but the wit and humor contained inside was by far more than I expected and the ending is satisfying and executed oh so perfectly.
An excellent example of social horror that I’d recommend to fans of Lakewood, Cherish Farrah, and Lovecraft Country (without the supernatural).
Phenomenal Book Club has picked another winner and is starting the year off with a strong selection.
I also saw the author post yesterday that Roxane Gay chose it for her February Audacious Book Club pick !
Congratulations, Kashana ! This story deserves all the attention!
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#thesurvivalists #kashanacauley #softskullpress #debutnovel #phenomenalbookclub #phenomenalbooks #20booksbyblackwomen #literati #audaciousbookclub #roxanegay #bookreview #contemporaryfiction #socialhorror #diversespines #readmore #readmorebooks #bookrecs #booksilove #bookquotes #shereadsalot
“What was survivalism if its deepest fears were the kind of thing people without money would just buck up and live with?”
“There should be a warning system for guys who seemed like guys but were really broken eggs put back together with Scotch tape.”
The Survivalists, by Kashana Cauley is her phenomenal debut in which Aretha , a lawyer, falls down a rabbit hole.
Aretha is strong and independent but is quite quickly wooed by love.
Aaron is the perfect guy.
He owns his own coffee company and a brownstone in Brooklyn, he (like her) has no parents/family, he is tactical, thoughtful, and attentive. What’s not to love ?
Aretha eventually moves in with Aaron and his roommates who are doomsday preppers and madness ensues.
The premise of this book sounded so intriguing, but the wit and humor contained inside was by far more than I expected and the ending is satisfying and executed oh so perfectly.
An excellent example of social horror that I’d recommend to fans of Lakewood, Cherish Farrah, and Lovecraft Country (without the supernatural).
Phenomenal Book Club has picked another winner and is starting the year off with a strong selection.
I also saw the author post yesterday that Roxane Gay chose it for her February Audacious Book Club pick !
Congratulations, Kashana ! This story deserves all the attention!
.
.
.
.
.
#thesurvivalists #kashanacauley #softskullpress #debutnovel #phenomenalbookclub #phenomenalbooks #20booksbyblackwomen #literati #audaciousbookclub #roxanegay #bookreview #contemporaryfiction #socialhorror #diversespines #readmore #readmorebooks #bookrecs #booksilove #bookquotes #shereadsalot
January 21, 2023
So well written so engaging a book about doomsday pressers that kept me entertained from beginning to end. I laughed out loud a few times and kept turning the pages.#netgalley #catapultbooks.
June 20, 2023
FOR FANS OF LITERARY FICTION AS WELL AS HUMOR Readers of Zakiya Harris, Ling Ma, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, and Paul Beatty will come to this as well as fans of Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, Amy Poehler, and Amy Schumer.
The Survivalists by Kashana Cauley
Pub Date: January 10, 2023
Thank you to @softskullpress for the gifted copy and @cocoreaders for making me part of this tour!
Synopsis:
In the wake of her parents’ death, Aretha, a habitually single Black lawyer, has had only one obsession in life—success—until she falls for Aaron, a coffee entrepreneur. Moving into his Brooklyn brownstone to live along with his Hurricane Sandy-traumatized, illegal-gun-stockpiling, optimized-soy-protein-eating, bunker-building roommates, Aretha finds that her dreams of making partner are slipping away, replaced by an underground world, one of selling guns and training for a doomsday that’s maybe just around the corner.
I liked the book, which was different from what I usually read. I found that the main character, Aretha, and her friendship with Nia to be very enjoyable. The book's writing style, which is in the form of stream of consciousness narrative and satire, was also appreciated. I was intrigued by the book's discussion of various social and economic topics, particularly those related to the Black community, such as climate change, gun ownership, entrepreneurship, affordable housing, and microaggressions in the workplace. I look forward to more work from the author, Kashana Cauley.
The Survivalists by Kashana Cauley
Pub Date: January 10, 2023
Thank you to @softskullpress for the gifted copy and @cocoreaders for making me part of this tour!
Synopsis:
In the wake of her parents’ death, Aretha, a habitually single Black lawyer, has had only one obsession in life—success—until she falls for Aaron, a coffee entrepreneur. Moving into his Brooklyn brownstone to live along with his Hurricane Sandy-traumatized, illegal-gun-stockpiling, optimized-soy-protein-eating, bunker-building roommates, Aretha finds that her dreams of making partner are slipping away, replaced by an underground world, one of selling guns and training for a doomsday that’s maybe just around the corner.
I liked the book, which was different from what I usually read. I found that the main character, Aretha, and her friendship with Nia to be very enjoyable. The book's writing style, which is in the form of stream of consciousness narrative and satire, was also appreciated. I was intrigued by the book's discussion of various social and economic topics, particularly those related to the Black community, such as climate change, gun ownership, entrepreneurship, affordable housing, and microaggressions in the workplace. I look forward to more work from the author, Kashana Cauley.
Read
February 27, 2023This book was an EXPERIENCE. I read it because Roxane Gay chose it as her February 2023 book club pick and I'm trying to read outside of my typical genres. And this was definitely outside of my comfort zone! This is why I have chosen not to rate it - sometimes I want to be an observer / listener rather than a critic, especially when I don't think I know enough to rate it fairly.
For such an usual and at times disturbing book, I raced through it and was deeply invested in Aretha's plight - I adored the work storyline and all of the rumination on corporate culture and being "good", and as a Wisconsinite, all of the WI content really resonated. I'm thinking hard about the prepping storyline as it intersects with race and class and while I can't remotely relate, it gave me a lot to ponder. The guns made me want to curl up and cry, but again, I worked hard to open my mind and think about why people might make these choices. I appreciated the opportunity to muse about why all of these abandoned children (as adults) might turn to these drastic measures and why Aretha would let herself get sucked into the household. All in all, a lot to think about.
Source: public library print copy
For such an usual and at times disturbing book, I raced through it and was deeply invested in Aretha's plight - I adored the work storyline and all of the rumination on corporate culture and being "good", and as a Wisconsinite, all of the WI content really resonated. I'm thinking hard about the prepping storyline as it intersects with race and class and while I can't remotely relate, it gave me a lot to ponder. The guns made me want to curl up and cry, but again, I worked hard to open my mind and think about why people might make these choices. I appreciated the opportunity to muse about why all of these abandoned children (as adults) might turn to these drastic measures and why Aretha would let herself get sucked into the household. All in all, a lot to think about.
Source: public library print copy
January 6, 2023
very interesting premise, but i feel like the synopsis is a bit misleading as this is really more of a coming-of-age/self-discovery type of story rather than a plotty story about extremists. i think i also would’ve enjoyed this more if it was written in first person - i felt it kept Aretha a bit distant from the reader
March 8, 2023
Tonally this was a tough one for me... not weird and cerebral enough to work as a psychological mind bender, and somehow not dark enough to commit to a horror/thriller lens - despite depicting people doing horrifying things. Overall I'm left feeling underwhelmed by the experience - disappointing for a novel with such an interesting premise told in such a unique voice!
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