A review by richard_morrow
The Sanctuary by Andrew Hunter Murray

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A dystopia world where the rich live in walled “Villages” while the working folk have to live in polluted cities. When the main character’s partner chooses to stay in one of these places due to her work, he decides to travel to this island to save her. The initial stages of the novel feel like a near future retelling of a Greek tragedy as the hero goes through hardships and crosses the ocean to reach his beloved. The Sanctuary is a utopia for the young but there is something wrong and every utterance from the residents has sinister undertones; as a reader you are on edge for prolonged periods of time and you simultaneously want to read on and put the book down as the unease builds. The Sanctuary showcases how the garden of Eden can work as long as humans aren’t present. At times this novel feels like James Bond should be present to save the day. This is the kind of novel which will have a lasting effect on any reader and make them question what they see to be true or right in the world. Fast-paced, compelling and completely unputdownable!