Library Journal: In the midst of the Cold War, Communists threaten the American Dream, but one way that can be circumvented is through the Felicity Complex, an underground bunker designed by a billionaire and (secretly) marketed as a luxury fallout shelter for the elite. The staff of the Felicity Complex are unlike any people one has ever met—perhaps because they’re not really people. Created in a lab, these six attractive forms of ideal femininity will run the complex and be available to attend to every need. All of them are trained to not only maintain the quarters but provide service and entertainment—whatever the elite survivors desire. Hallelujah, one of the newest specimens, wants to do the right thing, but everything she is taught to embody will soon crash against the experience of surviving until their first residents arrive. Eventually readers will be compelled to consider who are really the monsters here, the lab specimens or the humans who create and use them? VERDICT: Clarke (Metal from Heaven) uses lush prose to create a standout, queer, horror-tinged tale that considers gender roles, traditional values, and personal identity.
Jun 162026