{"product_id":"the-survivalistsisbn-9781593767595","title":"The Survivalists","description":"\u003cb\u003eA Phenomenal Book Club Pick\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A great and engrossing read, Kashana humanizes a way of life that is often made fun of and makes the reader understand why someone would go to such great lengths to prepare for the future, so much so she almost sold me on those Life Preserver soy bars!” —Trevor Noah\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 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. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor readers of Victor LaValle’s \u003ci\u003eThe Changeling\u003c\/i\u003e, Paul Beatty’s \u003ci\u003eThe Sellout\u003c\/i\u003e, and Zakiya Harris’s \u003ci\u003eThe Other Black Girl\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Survivalists\u003c\/i\u003e 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?\u003cb\u003eLonglisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize\u003cbr\u003eA Phenomenal Book Club Pick\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eNamed a Best Book by \u003ci\u003eToday\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePeople, InsideHook, Stylecaster\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNamed a Most Anticipated Book by \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBustle\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eVulture\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSalon\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOprah Daily\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Millions\u003c\/i\u003e, and more\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A great and engrossing read, Kashana humanizes a way of life that is often made fun of and makes the reader understand why someone would go to such great lengths to prepare for the future, so much so she almost sold me on those Life Preserver soy bars!” —Trevor Noah\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This is a banger of a book!\" —Samantha Irby\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] pretty withering comedy . . . and as [Cauley] turns her splendidly dry humor on the antics of the apocalypse-obsessed she reserves her indignation for the bloodsucking business practices that keep employees in a state of paranoid competition. Holding a job, finding an affordable place to live, starting a family—this is what 21st-century survivalism is really about.\" —Sam Sacks, \u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[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 \u003ci\u003eThe Daily Show With Trevor Noah\u003c\/i\u003e, 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, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Inventive . . . Cauley, a former staff writer for Trevor Noah’s \u003ci\u003eThe Daily Show\u003c\/i\u003e and columnist for \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, has shown herself to be a master of diagnosing our nation’s troubles through acerbic humor . . . Cauley’s quick wit flickers across these pages as her comedy carries us from scene to scene . . . There’s a nail-biting urgency to the juxtaposition of Aretha’s fledgling survivalism and her increasingly clumsy performance at work, contributing to the sense that \u003ci\u003eThe Survivalists\u003c\/i\u003e would make for a thrilling screen adaptation.\" —Lovia Gyarkye, \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Learn her name, because Cauley is one of the funniest writers at work today, period.\" —Bethanne Patrick,\u003ci\u003e Los Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Cauley’s book is as comedic as is it caffeinated . . . \u003ci\u003eThe Survivalists\u003c\/i\u003e has notes of darkness and a well-balanced acidity that shouldn’t come as a surprise to readers of Cauley’s opinion pieces for \u003ci\u003eGQ\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, 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, \u003ci\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"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, \u003ci\u003eThe Philadelphia Inquirer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[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, \u003ci\u003eGood Morning America\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A darkly funny look at how people form communities to care for one another amid institutional failures and scarcity.\" —Lisa Wong Macabasco, \u003ci\u003eVogue\u003c\/i\u003e, A Best Book of the Year\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Survivalists \u003c\/i\u003eis one of the year's most noteworthy new books on premise alone . . . \u003ci\u003eThe Survivalists \u003c\/i\u003edelivers with a portrait of an underground corner of Brooklyn that's so vividly captured, you may question what's going on behind your favorite coffee shop.\" —Halie Lesavage,\u003ci\u003e Harper's Bazaar\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Rich with the wit and insight that has made Kashana Cauley such a joy in comedy writers’ rooms and on Twitter, \u003ci\u003eThe Survivalists\u003c\/i\u003e is the author’s fiction debut, and an ambitious one . . . Capturing our modern terrors with both humor and tact, \u003ci\u003eThe Survivalists\u003c\/i\u003e is a surprisingly fun read for such a dire topic.\" —\u003ci\u003eElle\u003c\/i\u003e, A Most Anticipated Title of the Year\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] fiercely funny, engrossing novel.\" —Sophia June, \u003ci\u003eNylon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"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, \u003ci\u003eMs.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] tart, timely debut.\" —Leah Greenbaltt, \u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“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, \u003ci\u003eVulture, \u003c\/i\u003eA Most Anticipated Book of the Year\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Cauley is a former lawyer herself and an experienced TV writer, notably for \u003ci\u003eThe Daily Show With Trevor Noah\u003c\/i\u003e, and her humor chops come across perfectly in this fast-paced novel. Touching on grief, trauma, desperation, and the complicated nature of love and friendship, the book balances the realities of living in New York City with the absurdity of embracing a fringe lifestyle with pitch-perfect style.\" —Sarah Neilson, \u003ci\u003eShondaland\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Cauley knows how to craft a story that is tense, funny as hell, and wise.\" —Rufus Hickok, \u003ci\u003eBust\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The ambitious story being told will leave you thinking, but it’s the small details that’ll make you return to this book again and again.\" —Tobias Carroll, \u003ci\u003eInsideHook\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"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 \u003ci\u003eThe Survivalists\u003c\/i\u003e, 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, \u003ci\u003eOprah Daily\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"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, \u003ci\u003eDebutiful\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"An ambitious Black lawyer gets sucked into the extralegal schemes of Brooklyn preppers in this first novel by a former writer for \u003ci\u003eThe Daily Show With Trevor Noah \u003c\/i\u003e. . . 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.\" —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003cb\u003eKashana Cauley\u003c\/b\u003e is a former Midtown antitrust lawyer and Brooklyn resident. She is a writer for the Fox comedy \u003ci\u003eThe Great North\u003c\/i\u003e, a contributing opinion writer for the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and a \u003ci\u003eGQ\u003c\/i\u003e contributor. She’s written for \u003ci\u003eThe Daily Show with Trevor Noah\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003ePod Save America\u003c\/i\u003e on \u003ci\u003eHBO\u003c\/i\u003e as well as \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePitchfork\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/i\u003e, and has published fiction in \u003ci\u003eEsquire\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSlate\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTin House\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Chronicles of Now\u003c\/i\u003e. Kashana now lives in Los Angeles.","brand":"Soft Skull","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303009472741,"sku":"NP9781593767595","price":17.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781593767594_7d5eeedc-054a-41b4-9d4a-0454986339a5.jpg?v=1730752729","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-survivalistsisbn-9781593767595","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}