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tien's review
3.0
I do so want to support all Aussie authors and I think that was primarily my reason in picking this book up. The cover is attractive enough and it's a dystopian thriller so that was enough reasoning for me to read it. I enjoyed most of it but I just didn't realise that there was a lot of medical / biology factor in this book that just went over my head. I could never make sense of biology at school so this stuff was really beyond me, unfortunately, and took away what could be a truly exciting book.
The prologue was exciting and horrifying all at once. It was a very promising beginning but as this is a whole new post-apocalyptic world, it slowed right down with the required world building. It's a very scary world when the world as we know it ended due to an epidemic. Certain powers then rose and stayed in control over the whole world (albeit behind the scene) after discovering the cure.
In this new world, religion and/or faith is prohibited and was unknowingly suppressed by the world power. However, there have been some terminal illness which appears to be related to faith. Or is it?
I loved the characterisation; all the broken, flawed, and conflicted characters. I loved this post-apocalyptic world which for me as a Christian (I have faith!) is very scary. While the world is seen to be united in their secular views but there was actually a lot of conflict under the surface. Is it better to have a world without any faith?
The only disappointment I have is really my fault or rather my lack of scientific mind. I just can't get myself around the science stuff and got really bogged down so I just skimmed quite a bit of the book and found that I probably missed quite a bit of the plot. That ending though... wow, great plot & twist!
The prologue was exciting and horrifying all at once. It was a very promising beginning but as this is a whole new post-apocalyptic world, it slowed right down with the required world building. It's a very scary world when the world as we know it ended due to an epidemic. Certain powers then rose and stayed in control over the whole world (albeit behind the scene) after discovering the cure.
In this new world, religion and/or faith is prohibited and was unknowingly suppressed by the world power. However, there have been some terminal illness which appears to be related to faith. Or is it?
I loved the characterisation; all the broken, flawed, and conflicted characters. I loved this post-apocalyptic world which for me as a Christian (I have faith!) is very scary. While the world is seen to be united in their secular views but there was actually a lot of conflict under the surface. Is it better to have a world without any faith?
The only disappointment I have is really my fault or rather my lack of scientific mind. I just can't get myself around the science stuff and got really bogged down so I just skimmed quite a bit of the book and found that I probably missed quite a bit of the plot. That ending though... wow, great plot & twist!
sammii's review
5.0
So I have been attempting and failing to write this review for awhile now.... I really just want to do this book justice, because it really is a great book!
I will admit that this is not a book I would generally read, mostly due to bad experiences with other books based on the same topic. But I am so glad that I got the opportunity to delve into this world.
This near-future thriller is set in a world that has been ravaged by war and disease. This had led to a divided world, the West and the East.
The war between the countries in the East led to an Ebola out break which nearly wiped out mankind. However the West managed to create an effective immunisation, which if taken regulary will prevent another outbreak of Ebola. But at what cost?
What happens when Faith and Religion is removed from the East? The West have created the perfect cure for Ebola.... and Religion. Does removing a countries Faith and in turn Religion really make for a peaceful world? What are the consequences that come with tampering with a humans spirit and brain in such a significant manner? Well you should definitely read this book to find out.
The author has done an amazing job at creating a near-future world that is scarily believable, like these things could actually happen! Especially with the way the world is going at the moment...
Anyway back to the world, it is believable and not over the top. As it is set in the near-future it is nice to see that the author has kept the world realistic. Sorry guys no hover boards or flying cars in 2025. The Eastern world was lost the majority of their population, however they still outnumber the citizens of the Western world. The Western world has gained power, mostly due to the vaccine, this has led to restrictions being put in place and a 'wall' created to ensure information from one side cannot be accessed by the other.
I ended up emotionally invested with the characters in this book, some of them anyway. The majority of the characters are borderline psychopaths, with a tendency for torture and murder. This is expected to be able to survive and thrive in their jobs and also the world they now live in. Throughout the book there are flashbacks which creates a depth to the characters as we learn about what has lead them to this point in their lives.
The people in this book apparently have the best intentions for the human race, this of course is as long as they can maintain control of both sides. What happens though when this control is in jeopardy, who will suffer so the new world order can be maintained? This story highlights how power can be used and abused.
This book is kept me wanting more! The author has managed to create an in depth world, with some crazy science in it, yet still managed to keep the story thrilling and captivating. It was an easy read, no crazy science mumbo-jumbo here, that keeps you guessing, I highly recommend it to everyone!
I would like to thank the author and lovely people at Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy of this book.
I will admit that this is not a book I would generally read, mostly due to bad experiences with other books based on the same topic. But I am so glad that I got the opportunity to delve into this world.
This near-future thriller is set in a world that has been ravaged by war and disease. This had led to a divided world, the West and the East.
The war between the countries in the East led to an Ebola out break which nearly wiped out mankind. However the West managed to create an effective immunisation, which if taken regulary will prevent another outbreak of Ebola. But at what cost?
What happens when Faith and Religion is removed from the East? The West have created the perfect cure for Ebola.... and Religion. Does removing a countries Faith and in turn Religion really make for a peaceful world? What are the consequences that come with tampering with a humans spirit and brain in such a significant manner? Well you should definitely read this book to find out.
The author has done an amazing job at creating a near-future world that is scarily believable, like these things could actually happen! Especially with the way the world is going at the moment...
Anyway back to the world, it is believable and not over the top. As it is set in the near-future it is nice to see that the author has kept the world realistic. Sorry guys no hover boards or flying cars in 2025. The Eastern world was lost the majority of their population, however they still outnumber the citizens of the Western world. The Western world has gained power, mostly due to the vaccine, this has led to restrictions being put in place and a 'wall' created to ensure information from one side cannot be accessed by the other.
I ended up emotionally invested with the characters in this book, some of them anyway. The majority of the characters are borderline psychopaths, with a tendency for torture and murder. This is expected to be able to survive and thrive in their jobs and also the world they now live in. Throughout the book there are flashbacks which creates a depth to the characters as we learn about what has lead them to this point in their lives.
The people in this book apparently have the best intentions for the human race, this of course is as long as they can maintain control of both sides. What happens though when this control is in jeopardy, who will suffer so the new world order can be maintained? This story highlights how power can be used and abused.
This book is kept me wanting more! The author has managed to create an in depth world, with some crazy science in it, yet still managed to keep the story thrilling and captivating. It was an easy read, no crazy science mumbo-jumbo here, that keeps you guessing, I highly recommend it to everyone!
I would like to thank the author and lovely people at Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy of this book.
joelleps's review
2.0
Engaging premise, but the increasing emphasis on religion ended up turning me off.
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