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norma_cenva's review
4.0
A really good story. Happy to have all 3 books already because I can sense I will devour them!
paperbacksandpinot's review
5.0
It’s been so long since I have read a truly great apocalypse story and the thriller aspect to this made it immensely page turning. Infection really goes to the grass roots of this type of novel, more recently the ones I have read often feel cliched or like a parody of the genre. From the get go this book is powerful and brings up so many “what if” scenarios. Whilst our focal point is Cole and his quest, there are also the stories of his son Hunter, and his friend Elly which help to bring home how the infection has impacted upon both urban and rural areas. Sympatico itself is an unusual disease and the manic euphoria experience makes it a chillingly creepy one too and I like how it doesn’t fall into the more obvious route.
Cole’s history of dealing with infectious diseases makes him the perfect candidate to fully understand the impact of what is happening. The balancing act he has to play between prepping like mad and convincing his family he isn’t actually, well, mad is a difficult one for him to manage. Asking your family to give up their jobs and homes, your child to give up school – all on a hunch? These are topics so often overlooked and I found it really refreshing to get this aspect in a story, the snapshot of time where things haven’t truly hit the fan, but something clearly isn’t right and having to make a life altering decision. It of course always helps when the one person who can identify things in advance has a handy island bequeathed to them. But that is the focus, and hey, handy islands have to belong to someone!
Elly’s story is the more harrowing of the 3, urban areas often are though and whilst being on the 18th floor of a hotel is great for views, it runs the risk of becoming Elly’s tomb. Whilst Hunter is on quite the adventure, being in more rural parts makes day by day survival more perilous as time goes on. I love the juxtaposition between the 3, the inventiveness and resourcefulness they must all come to in order to make their way forward.
There are little in the way of light hearted moments and it’s right that it should be that way, the world has become a very tough place to be, especially when we are at day 1 of the disease, the sparing use of these lighter moments gives it a much truer feel of what the characters are going through. There are some really harrowing scenes and my heart was pounding in places, really willing the story to play out the way I hoped it would – this is not a HEA though and not everything will go to plan. The pace and flow of the book is perfect with everything unravelling at a believable pace, great care has been taken to get these things right and it really pays off.
It looks like this is book one of a trilogy and it does round off in a satisfying way whilst also being open ended for book 2. If you like your apocalypse books to be from Day 1 with a real life feel, you will love Infection!
Cole’s history of dealing with infectious diseases makes him the perfect candidate to fully understand the impact of what is happening. The balancing act he has to play between prepping like mad and convincing his family he isn’t actually, well, mad is a difficult one for him to manage. Asking your family to give up their jobs and homes, your child to give up school – all on a hunch? These are topics so often overlooked and I found it really refreshing to get this aspect in a story, the snapshot of time where things haven’t truly hit the fan, but something clearly isn’t right and having to make a life altering decision. It of course always helps when the one person who can identify things in advance has a handy island bequeathed to them. But that is the focus, and hey, handy islands have to belong to someone!
Elly’s story is the more harrowing of the 3, urban areas often are though and whilst being on the 18th floor of a hotel is great for views, it runs the risk of becoming Elly’s tomb. Whilst Hunter is on quite the adventure, being in more rural parts makes day by day survival more perilous as time goes on. I love the juxtaposition between the 3, the inventiveness and resourcefulness they must all come to in order to make their way forward.
There are little in the way of light hearted moments and it’s right that it should be that way, the world has become a very tough place to be, especially when we are at day 1 of the disease, the sparing use of these lighter moments gives it a much truer feel of what the characters are going through. There are some really harrowing scenes and my heart was pounding in places, really willing the story to play out the way I hoped it would – this is not a HEA though and not everything will go to plan. The pace and flow of the book is perfect with everything unravelling at a believable pace, great care has been taken to get these things right and it really pays off.
It looks like this is book one of a trilogy and it does round off in a satisfying way whilst also being open ended for book 2. If you like your apocalypse books to be from Day 1 with a real life feel, you will love Infection!
jennyninnymuggins's review
4.0
Good apocalyptic fun. There's a cool dog!
I really enjoyed this. The characters are likeable, smart and relatable. There are lots of interesting details while not getting bogged down in boring play-by-play. Very much want to read more of this series.
I really enjoyed this. The characters are likeable, smart and relatable. There are lots of interesting details while not getting bogged down in boring play-by-play. Very much want to read more of this series.
luckaye's review
4.0
Popsugar 2020 - a medical thriller.
I picked this up to read for the medical thriller prompt, but not sure if it actually fits, now that I am about a 3rd of the way through it.
3/1/20 - Decided that it doesn't really fit as a medical thriller so will see what other prompt I can use it for :)
I picked this up to read for the medical thriller prompt, but not sure if it actually fits, now that I am about a 3rd of the way through it.
3/1/20 - Decided that it doesn't really fit as a medical thriller so will see what other prompt I can use it for :)
jenblei's review
4.0
A re-read of the whole series for me, in the midst of self-isolating. For some reason it's almost a comfort series for me now- intelligent, (mostly) likeable characters doing understandable things in the midst of crisis. While it definitely looks at the horrible things that happen during a pandemic, it feels like an ultimately hopeful series, which is pretty welcome right now.
robosquid's review
4.0
A very good post-apocalyptic book following three sets of characters who are in different locations in the USA as the outbreak begins. We follow them as they try to get to a 'safe haven' on an island near Green Bay, Wisconsin (on the Great Lakes). The characters are normal people, mostly likeable, not superheroes, and the plot hangs together extremely well.
The disease itself is interesting - a virus which causes euphoria and extreme 'socialisation' (dancing, drinking and partying!) basically causing behaviour which spreads the disease very rapidly before victims succumb to a quick death. There is not much gore or violence in the book, but it is certainly not a 'cosy catastrophe' because there are harrowing moments and some central characters die. This being set in America, almost everyone has a gun, or soon obtains one. I loved the fact that some animals were featured in this book, and had their own personalities and felt very real.
There are some hints that Cole, the central character, may be resistant to the virus (he was an epidemiologist who worked in a military biohazard lab, where the virus may have been developed, and it was mentioned several times that he became sick but recovered during this time). Guess I'll have to read book 2 to find out if my theory is correct!
Only 4 stars because it could have done with a proof-read. The author has a bit of a tendency to over-explain things, and unnecessary wordiness on occasion:
"It was nice to not have to have to stake them out". "She fished a new pair from her pocket, having stuck them there before leaving her room". "He inspected his arrows, making sure they were all in good condition before returning them to the quiver he'd bought as well". Minor offences but annoying when repeated often - it just needs a tidy up by an editor and it will be a 5-star read.
The disease itself is interesting - a virus which causes euphoria and extreme 'socialisation' (dancing, drinking and partying!) basically causing behaviour which spreads the disease very rapidly before victims succumb to a quick death. There is not much gore or violence in the book, but it is certainly not a 'cosy catastrophe' because there are harrowing moments and some central characters die. This being set in America, almost everyone has a gun, or soon obtains one. I loved the fact that some animals were featured in this book, and had their own personalities and felt very real.
There are some hints that Cole, the central character, may be resistant to the virus (he was an epidemiologist who worked in a military biohazard lab, where the virus may have been developed, and it was mentioned several times that he became sick but recovered during this time). Guess I'll have to read book 2 to find out if my theory is correct!
Only 4 stars because it could have done with a proof-read. The author has a bit of a tendency to over-explain things, and unnecessary wordiness on occasion:
"It was nice to not have to have to stake them out". "She fished a new pair from her pocket, having stuck them there before leaving her room". "He inspected his arrows, making sure they were all in good condition before returning them to the quiver he'd bought as well". Minor offences but annoying when repeated often - it just needs a tidy up by an editor and it will be a 5-star read.
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