Named a Most Anticipated Book by The Washington Post, Bustle, Vulture, Salon, The Millions, and more
One of Electric Literature's Books by Women of Color to Read This Year
Goodreads, A Buzziest Debut Novel of the Year
“Narrator Bahni Turpin explores the ways in which individuals can be swept up into something much larger than themselves. Turpin voices all the characters with sympathy and grace, giving depth and a certain amount of sympathy even to villainous characters. A perfect listen for fans of social horror.” —Library Journal
“Cauley's satirical comedy about survivalists, gun dealing, and finding happiness is masterfully narrated by Bahni Turpin.… When Aretha moves in with Aaron, Turpin captures her love-blind naïveté and acceptance of his survivalist friends, Brittany and James. Turpin then delivers Aretha's shock during her first gun run with the duo, her euphoria after going on later gun runs with James, her isolation when Aaron is out of town on business, and her anger when Aaron consoles Brittany after their house collapses.… Turpin embodies a new and improved Aretha, one who looks out only for herself.” —AudioFile Magazine
“Acclaimed narrator Bahni Turpin (Children of Blood and Bone (2018), The Hate U Give (2018)) is pitch-perfect, hitting the right notes of sadness, sarcasm, and desperation while also emphasizing the thrill that Aretha finds when she gets down into the grittier parts of life. A smart and humorous way to tell a story of precarity and its ramifications, The Survivalists is worth your time.” —Booklist
"This is a banger of a book!" —Samantha Irby
"[A] lethally witty debut . . . One might expect a novel about gun-toting, conspiracy-minded loners to lampoon its key players, but the book succeeds because Cauley appears as curious and empathetic toward the survivalists as she is toward her protagonist . . . Cauley, a former writer for The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, displays an enviably versatile sense of humor. The novel is most fun when her wit bolsters the narrative’s sociopolitical underpinnings, as when she describes a 'house full of mysterious, unexplainable rich-people' paraphernalia, 'like gazebos.' Funny because they’re true, such jabs give the book its verve but also its depth. " —Laura Warrell, The New York Times Book Review
"Learn her name, because Cauley is one of the funniest writers at work today, period." —Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times
"Cauley’s book is as comedic as is it caffeinated . . . The Survivalists has notes of darkness and a well-balanced acidity that shouldn’t come as a surprise to readers of Cauley’s opinion pieces for GQ, The Atlantic, and The New York Times, among others . . . Cauley’s prose is often laugh-out-loud funny . . . the author is wonderfully attuned to matters of Blackness and the ways a current generation lives, enjoys, and—yes—suffers." —Lisa Kennedy, The Boston Globe
"A swift and sharp debut . . . There’s no shortage of thrills and survivalist hijinks here, but it’s really Aretha’s magnetic charm and droll outlook that keep you hooked." —Patrick Rapa, The Philadelphia Inquirer
"One of the Best New Books to Read in 2023." —Today
"[A] witty, incisive look at work politics, Blackness, relationships, gun ownership, Hurricane Sandy, parent loss and more . . . After reading her novel, you'll want to inhale everything she writes . . .this smart, funny novel will stay with you." —Zibby Owens, Good Morning America
"A darkly funny look at how people form communities to care for one another amid institutional failures and scarcity." —Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, A Best Book of the Year
"[A] fiercely funny, engrossing novel." —Sophia June, Nylon
"This darkly funny doomsday satire is what many of us need right now. Offering a nuanced and only half-joking look into survivalism, capitalism, gun ownership and what it takes to survive in today’s world, Cauley provides a necessary tension-breaker." —Karla Strand, Ms.
“Cauley is one of the smartest and funniest writers working today, and this novel is a chance for fans to spend even more time with her cutting critiques of the flaws in American culture. This novel asks uncomfortable questions about the lengths we must go to survive as everything around us is falling apart." —Isle McEroy, Vulture, A Most Anticipated Book of the Year
"Hilarious, dark, and thrilling, all while touching on relevant topics including capitalism, housing, and more, Cauley’s debut novel is a worthwhile read." —Katie Tamola, A Shondaland Best Book of the Month
"Cauley knows how to craft a story that is tense, funny as hell, and wise." —Rufus Hickok, Bust
"In today’s America, what constitutes success? What are the obstacles to achieving it? How do race, class, age, and location affect the odds? These oh-so-serious questions are tackled with scathing, lol-inducing wit in The Survivalists, Kashana Cauley’s smart, sharp debut novel . . . Cauley’s comedic and literary chops had this reader guffawing at her characters’ self-serving, oh-so-trendy ridiculousness, then flunking the mirror test. Wait a minute. That’s me." —Meredith Maran, Oprah Daily
"If you need a laugh after the last few years, Cauley’s dark comedy about doomsday preppers is what you need this winter." —Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful
"The Survivalists has a lot going on, in the best way. Cauley’s experience as an attorney peppers Aretha’s professional life in the book with authenticity, and the writing balances humor, social commentary, and suspense well, making for such an entertaining reading experience." —Erica Ezeifedi, Book Riot
"An ambitious Black lawyer gets sucked into the extralegal schemes of Brooklyn preppers in this first novel by a former writer for The Daily Show With Trevor Noah . . . Cauley's experience as a Manhattan antitrust lawyer infuses the office scenes with authentically cutthroat competition, and her comedy-writing chops shine in hilariously succinct characterizations . . . But what really sets this debut novel apart is its finely tuned balance between extremes: humor and drama, conspiracy and reason, careful preparation and total chaos. Funny and fresh, Cauley's prose moves dynamic characters through a vivid, living New York City." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Well-crafted . . . Aretha is a successful Black corporate attorney assigned to squash a bunch of homeowners’ insurance claims following Superstorm Sandy. Meanwhile, after countless failed dates, she meets and falls in love with coffee entrepreneur Aaron, who lives with his business partner, Brittany, in the Brooklyn house they collectively own . . . Cauley’s understanding of plot is impeccable and she keeps the tension taut as Aretha gets more involved with the group . . . It’s a good story." —Publishers Weekly
"The Survivalists welcomes readers into a world that many may not have known existed but will want more of by the time the last page is readthe world of the young, Black, urban prepper . . . Cauley's witty and empathetic treatment of the prepper community humanizes a group that is often misunderstood and ostracized in society and tells their story in a relatable way. With great nuance and raw honesty, it questions what 'survival' means for today's generation, facing racial injustice, climate change, a global pandemic and the depressing realization that, no matter how hard they work, most of them will not be able to own their own homes . . . Laced with elements of crime, palpable suspense, witty banter and fascinating characters, The Survivalists will appeal to readers of many genres. Kashana Cauley, an insightfully sharp writer, has written a novel that will entertain, captivate and stimulate thoughtful discussion." —Grace Rajendran, Shelf Awareness
"This debut by former Daily Show writer Cauley is compulsively readable as it tracks Aretha's dizzying downward spiral with incisive observation, logic, and dark humor and delves into the perils of the thrill of the fringe and the limits of anyone's power to control their environment." —Booklist
"Kashana Cauley understands all the possible ways in which our lives—relationships, roommates, jobs—can go suddenly, absurdly, inexorably, almost thrillingly wrong. If there was such a thing as required reading for living through the twenty-first century in America, I’d put The Survivalists near the top of the list. I loved it." —Kelly Link, author of Get in Trouble
"Kashana Cauley's novel The Survivalists is beautifully written. With language that is smart, economical and clear she renders a story that is about relationships and our culture. I love this character Aretha, her observations, her arguments, her irony. This a nice piece of work." —Percival Everett, author of The Trees
"The brilliant and outrageously funny Kashana Cauley shines her laser on all the things that make our country suck, but her wit and calm intelligence make The Survivalists such a warm hot toddy of a novel." —Gary Shteyngart
“The Survivalists is a gun blast of a book. With enough power to keep a whole city running, Kashana Cauley questions what it means to live in fear, or through it, and how much of ourselves we sometimes have to lose in order to reveal our most brilliant parts. Even more impressive is her masterful precision in capturing something we’ve all felt: the need for escape from everyday monotony. This is a delightfully irreverent novel that will leave you feeling alive, prepared for anything, and, most important, understood.” —Mateo Askaripour, author of Black Buck
“The Survivalists is an edgy, darkly funny look at a group of gun-running doomsday preppers hiding in plain sight in the middle of hipster Brooklyn. Kashana Cauley follows her protagonist—a Black corporate lawyer—down a rabbit hole of paranoia and alienation. In the process, Cauley reveals some surprising truths about race, work, friendship, and love.” —Tom Perrotta, author of The Leftovers