We Were Never Meant to Survive This
We Were Never Meant to Survive This is a preorder and will not be available for playback until 01/12/2027.
“We Were Never Meant to Survive This is every bit the slap across the face that its daring title suggests. An adrift programmer sets off for an unassuming week with what turns into a ragtag survivalist retreat (in the Catskills, perfect!)—what could go wrong? This is a cautionary and propulsive tale perfect for an era where—from the porch each morning—we can see the end of the world. Echoes of Cormac and Orwell. Jesse Sherwood is a storyteller of the first order—patient, wickedly observant, unflinching at moments, merciful at others, and always dangerous. This novel wrung me out and left me staring up into the night in wonder.”
Charles Bock, New York Times bestselling author of I Will Do Better and Beautiful Children
A stunning debut from Jesse Sherwood, We Were Never Meant to Survive This is a dystopian thriller that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.
The end of the world is just the beginning …
Jaime, a web developer, is disillusioned by humanity's immersion in the digital world and his own hand in its creation. When a colleague returns from a survival school hidden in the Catskill Mountains, Jaime decides what the hell, why not?
Making fire with sticks, butchering animals, crafting a bow-these are just a few things Jaime learns. All the while, the school's enigmatic founder, A, whispers of Day Zero, her prophecy that the world will end and be born anew.
As the other students become more fervent, the day arrives and civilization outside of the school collapses, just as A had foreseen. In the aftermath, as A's grip tightens and she forces her followers into obedience, Jaime begins to understand that she will do anything to sculpt her vision into reality, even as blood begins to spill.