Thursday, July 3, 2014

Review: Sanctuary by G. Michael Hopf


Sanctuary by G. Michael Hopf
Series: The New World #3
Publication date: May 27th, 2014
Pages: 352

Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
Surviving the attack proved to be more than they could have imagined...

Months after a super-EMP attack devastated the United States, the country is now unrecognizable. Major cities are run by gangs, survivors are dying of starvation and the government is falling victim to lawlessness. Those who were prepared at all. 

While some seek vengeance for their losses, others are determined to restore the nation. Gordon, Samantha, Sebastian, Barone, Connor, and Pablo are all on different paths, but they are all in search of a home away from chaos. They are all in search of a sanctuary.


Available at:


Review:
I received a physical copy from the author in exchange for an honest review and participation in a blog tour.

I read and reviewed the first two books in this series a while ago. The books were amazingly detailed and sent shivers down my spine with the possible reality behind such a catastrophe. The last book, The Long Road, left on quite a cliffhanger. I was dying to see what happened with the families I had grown to love and root for during their times of trials and tribulations. I found myself biting my nails and waiting anxiously to see if there were to be another tour for the next book in the series. Low and behold, there was. So, I begged, pleaded, and groveled (not really) to read the next book for review. The girls at TLC Book Tours had mercy on my G. Michael Hopf addiction and allowed me to participate.

Sanctuary starts off relatively in the same place the second book left off. Haley is still telling her story to the newspaper reporter and trying to set the record straight as to how their new world came to be. For a girl who experienced all these horrific things at such an early age, it is astounding to watch how her family coped and changed with the times. Samantha, Haley's mother, and Haley are still on their way to Idaho with a small party to set up a homestead to live on until something changes for the better in their world, Gordon is still searching for the man who took something from him more precious than gold, Sebastian is trying to find his brother while also having to choose between his new family and his old, Barone still has ideas on taking over the United States, Connor just wants to find a way to run the country to the best of his abilities, and Pablo wants to watch the country burn around him.

The characters in these stories concocted by G. Michael Hopf are unlike any I have ever encountered. They are familiar and easy to see my own loved ones in their eyes. I can see Samantha as my mother, strong willed but without my father she would fall apart at the seams. I can see Gordon as my father as well. The strong, determined man who loves his children with all his heart and just wants to do right by everyone. It is why I found these books to be so heartwarming and realistic. I can place my family in these character's roles so when something tragic happens to them, I can't seem to stop my own heart from breaking.

Sanctuary can not be summarized because it must be read personally. To avoid spoilers I am keeping this review generalized. If you ever wanted to read a book that was about a post-apocalyptic world that has realism and tragedy coursing through it's pages, this is the series to read. This book rivaled the other two hands down and I hope against hope there will be a fourth installment so I can continue my journey with my beloved fictional family.

The Islands at the End of the World by Austin Aslan