Not with a Bang
By Temi Oh
S&S/Saga Press, July 14, 2026, 352pp.
The Short of It:
Doomsdayers rejoice.
The Rest of It:
The Minton family has had a rough go of it. Marcus loses his job and becomes obsessed with stockpiling resources and digging a doomsday bunker for his family. As his family watches his antics, the family slowly falls apart.
Two daughters and their mother watch in horror as a cataclysmic event turns their world upside down. A magnetic force arrives on the wedding day of the eldest daughter, throwing everyone into panic mode. Anything metal is picked up and tossed, including body piercings, surgical devices, and the like. Bodies lie strewn everywhere, and one daughter has gone missing.
With the family torn apart and scattered in different locations, the bunker Marcus built is not useful at all. Instead, it becomes a target for those who want what is inside. Marcus prepared his family for survival but failed to think twice about boasting about his supplies, ultimately putting everyone at risk.
As each family member does what they can to survive, their internal thoughts keep them moving forward through a situation where a resolution is not immediately apparent.
What was great:
- Pacing
- Authenticity
- Briar’s point of view
Overall, this was quite readable without being dark or depressing. I wanted more of the family’s interactions before they were split apart. I think that would have lent a more personal note to the story. No matter how you imagine the world ending, the way civilization falls apart within minutes is, I fear, accurately depicted.
Recommend.
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
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