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nursenell's review
4.0
I don't generally like, or read, doomsday/apocalypse books. I think this one struck my fancy because I'm a nurse and interested in infectious medicine and the possibility of pandemics, especially of influenza. I don't know anyone in real life who is a prepper although I have one friend who is Mormon and keeps a year's supply of food and basic supplies. This book got me to thinking about what I would do if there was a worldwide pandemic that basically would shut down commerce, education, banking, communication, etc. Could it happen? Possibly, although I think other scenarios like power grid failures, cyber attacks, and terrorism are more likely than an influenza pandemic. But whatever the cause how ready would I be to sustain myself in my home for a prolonged amount of time? Not very ready!
The main character in the book is Alex Fletcher, a former Marine and Iraqi war vet who is now a pharmaceutical rep. One of the drugs his company sells is an anti-viral medication which, if taken in the first 48 hours of influenza, can reduce the severity and length of illness. He is a prepper who has a year's worth of food, medicines, and first aid supplies in his basement along with a small arsenal of weapons, which are locked up and safe. He also has a solar power system for his home. I found this part of the book informational in providing a framework that I could use to begin preparing my home for an extended period of seclusion, whatever the reason.
I found the book well written, the characters likable, and overall it was a good story. I haven't decided if I will read the author's other books.
The main character in the book is Alex Fletcher, a former Marine and Iraqi war vet who is now a pharmaceutical rep. One of the drugs his company sells is an anti-viral medication which, if taken in the first 48 hours of influenza, can reduce the severity and length of illness. He is a prepper who has a year's worth of food, medicines, and first aid supplies in his basement along with a small arsenal of weapons, which are locked up and safe. He also has a solar power system for his home. I found this part of the book informational in providing a framework that I could use to begin preparing my home for an extended period of seclusion, whatever the reason.
I found the book well written, the characters likable, and overall it was a good story. I haven't decided if I will read the author's other books.
readerxxx's review
4.0
really enjoyable look at the end of the world through the flu virus. I loved the characters. Like many in the genre, i think it wrapped up a little too cleanly. I have a much darker view of how this would have all ended than what happened here.
ghostroom217's review
3.0
I very much enjoyed the plot of Steven Konkoly's 'The Jakarta Pandemic'. It was a well-thought out, suspenseful, and plausible storyline, and likely I'll reread it a few years down the road. The reason for the three-star rating, however, are reservations I had about the characters and portions of the dialogue.
Alex was the only character who seemed to have any real depth to me (fortunately, the novel is pretty much all Alex from start to finish). But if you're quarantined in a house with the rest of your family (and much of the book concerns this) then those characters should play major parts over the 400 pages of the novel, not just be objects for Alex to protect, which is pretty much what they amounted to. Throughout most of the book, Kate (Alex's wife) spends her time sleeping, reading or showering (she did do some look-out duty when Alex was out checking neighboring houses, but then left her post to get herself another cup of coffee, which I felt was damn near inexcusable); his son plays video games; and his daughter reads. And that's about it.
Konkoly does exposition dialogue quite well, but stumbles when it comes to family interactions. Their exchanges tended toward the 'cute', which felt canned to me and didn't fit in at all with the tone of the novel and the dire situation outside.
I would recommend the book, but with reservations, and if you're more concerned with plot than characters, then bump my rating up a star.
Alex was the only character who seemed to have any real depth to me (fortunately, the novel is pretty much all Alex from start to finish). But if you're quarantined in a house with the rest of your family (and much of the book concerns this) then those characters should play major parts over the 400 pages of the novel, not just be objects for Alex to protect, which is pretty much what they amounted to. Throughout most of the book, Kate (Alex's wife) spends her time sleeping, reading or showering (she did do some look-out duty when Alex was out checking neighboring houses, but then left her post to get herself another cup of coffee, which I felt was damn near inexcusable); his son plays video games; and his daughter reads. And that's about it.
Konkoly does exposition dialogue quite well, but stumbles when it comes to family interactions. Their exchanges tended toward the 'cute', which felt canned to me and didn't fit in at all with the tone of the novel and the dire situation outside.
I would recommend the book, but with reservations, and if you're more concerned with plot than characters, then bump my rating up a star.
nyky's review
5.0
This is definitely a must read for anyone interested in survivalism. Here there is a global pandemic where people have to choose what is really important to to them. The main character chooses his family and his own life (potentially) over his career, they choose protecting themselves over helping others, and they have to decide how to deal with dangerous people when they invade the neighborhood.
Also some pretty cool ideas for being more self sufficient/ off the grid.
Also some pretty cool ideas for being more self sufficient/ off the grid.
dmwhipp's review
1.0
The story isn't horrible, but I just found the main family of characters so unlikable. The dialogue felt stiff and I had no emotional investment in any of the characters in this book.
Instead of using his knowledge to be a leader, Alex Fletcher is the jerk that stands at the back of the group, listens to others and their ideas of how to help, then tells everyone they're doing it wrong. As is mentioned several times by other characters, Alex also seems a little too happy with some of their dire circumstances and his chance to start shooting.
There were multiple instances where the plot was ridiculous, but two that stood out were Alex deciding to take the neighbors dog with him to surreptitiously check on the well-being of other neighbors (good thing the dog didn't bark it up or try running away or any other dog-like behavior) and Alex's friends sledding him over to a neighbor's house for medical attention after he'd been shot (how about asking the doc to make a house call instead?)
I had to force myself to finish this and wish I hadn't have bothered. By the time I was done, I could have cared less who lived or died. I've read some great pandemic-based thrillers, but this wasn't one of them.
Instead of using his knowledge to be a leader, Alex Fletcher is the jerk that stands at the back of the group, listens to others and their ideas of how to help, then tells everyone they're doing it wrong. As is mentioned several times by other characters, Alex also seems a little too happy with some of their dire circumstances and his chance to start shooting.
There were multiple instances where the plot was ridiculous, but two that stood out were Alex deciding to take the neighbors dog with him to surreptitiously check on the well-being of other neighbors (good thing the dog didn't bark it up or try running away or any other dog-like behavior) and Alex's friends sledding him over to a neighbor's house for medical attention after he'd been shot (how about asking the doc to make a house call instead?)
I had to force myself to finish this and wish I hadn't have bothered. By the time I was done, I could have cared less who lived or died. I've read some great pandemic-based thrillers, but this wasn't one of them.
apetruce's review
3.0
I’ve been reading a lot of garbage lately and this definitely qualifies. It’s about a global flu pandemic with victims hunkered down in one suburban neighborhood. How much food and medicine do you think surrounds your home? Who would share with you? It’s interesting to explore the scenario of how neighbors might turn against one another If they were sick or starving. Could you count on your neighbor to defend you against looters? This even got me thinking about owning a gun which is not consistent with my personality. My biggest complaint is the author didn’t provide very good physical descriptions of the characters and gave them all basic white suburban names so I never figured out who was who.
__karen__'s review
5.0
Wow, this book had me on the edge of my seat! Suspenseful and scary, too -- not because of any vampires or zombies or other undead, but because it was such a realistic view of society coming undone due to pandemic and subsequent supply chain breakdown. I look forward to its soon-to-be-released sequel "The Perseid Collapse." I highly recommend "The Jakarta Pandemic" to fans of dystopian fiction.
sgraves444's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
creaseinthespinebooks's review
4.0
The Jakarta Pandemic deals with the what ifs and how to survive a flu epidemic and the effects it has on how people react when faced with survival.
This was truly a thrilling story. alex was a very likable character and not someone you should go against. I had to keep reading til i finished this book as I had to know what happens.most of this book was great but towards the end it was almost like the author just wanted it done and over with as it seemed rushed too rushed for my liking.
This was truly a thrilling story. alex was a very likable character and not someone you should go against. I had to keep reading til i finished this book as I had to know what happens.most of this book was great but towards the end it was almost like the author just wanted it done and over with as it seemed rushed too rushed for my liking.