cassie1206's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
kristinasshelves's review
5.0
If you like scifi thrillers a la Blake Crouch or Michael Crichton, this one is for you!
Based on the synopsis for this book, I knew I'd like it but I LOVED it! Dr. Clara St. Pierre is a researcher stationed at a remote facility in Siberia to study an ancient pandoravirus, referred to as Molli instead of it's lengthier scientific classification. Things quickly spiral out of control when Molli proves itself to be unlike anything Clara expects, becoming sentient and wreaking havoc.
This story has so many elements I adore! The entirety of the story takes place in the research center, which is an element I adore in books, and features perspectives from other scientists and individuals in the building. There is a covert governmental organization (much in the vain of B6-13 from Scandal) named Pointy Hats, as well as a highly trained assassin thrown into the mix. Clara has Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disorder which plays a significant role in the story. I also have MS and found her attitude towards her limitations to be refreshingly realistic; it's not often I see this disease featured in books so I always appreciate when it's done well.
I received an ARC of the ebook of this title from the publisher via Netgalley; all opinions are my own.
Based on the synopsis for this book, I knew I'd like it but I LOVED it! Dr. Clara St. Pierre is a researcher stationed at a remote facility in Siberia to study an ancient pandoravirus, referred to as Molli instead of it's lengthier scientific classification. Things quickly spiral out of control when Molli proves itself to be unlike anything Clara expects, becoming sentient and wreaking havoc.
This story has so many elements I adore! The entirety of the story takes place in the research center, which is an element I adore in books, and features perspectives from other scientists and individuals in the building. There is a covert governmental organization (much in the vain of B6-13 from Scandal) named Pointy Hats, as well as a highly trained assassin thrown into the mix. Clara has Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disorder which plays a significant role in the story. I also have MS and found her attitude towards her limitations to be refreshingly realistic; it's not often I see this disease featured in books so I always appreciate when it's done well.
I received an ARC of the ebook of this title from the publisher via Netgalley; all opinions are my own.
johnlynchbooks's review
4.0
The Apocalypse Strain is the latest title from Jason Parent, coming by way of flame tree press. A story about a virus that could be the end of the world, launching in the midst of a viral pandemic. That’s one heck of a coincidence. With no knowledge of the author’s prior work, I jumped right in.
Right off the bat, I would like to say that this book was more up my alley than I originally thought. I was expecting some kind of a sci-fi thriller, but this one definitely leaned into a horror aspect that I wanted, but didn’t think would be present. Deep in Siberia, a team of scientists unearth a historic discovery. There is more to this virus than meets the microscope, and there are others with purposes of their own.
The writing here was fast paced and easy to follow. Parent does action and horror scenes quite well in this book and it made it a joy to read. Those parts I felt were the strongest parts of the book. There were some parts that felt a bit cliche, or predictable, but nothing too crazy that it pulled me out of the immersion. There’s always a new action/horror scene right around the corner that is spectacularly done that brings you right back in. I didn’t really connect with the characters here, they all served their purpose, and they did the job well, there was just nobody i really cared for. Sometimes that happens, and that’s ok. The virus does some horrific things to the human body, and Jason put plenty of that in here.
As a first exposure to the author, I had a good time with this book. I would recommend it to fans of scifi/techno/horror. I’ll be on the lookout for more.
Right off the bat, I would like to say that this book was more up my alley than I originally thought. I was expecting some kind of a sci-fi thriller, but this one definitely leaned into a horror aspect that I wanted, but didn’t think would be present. Deep in Siberia, a team of scientists unearth a historic discovery. There is more to this virus than meets the microscope, and there are others with purposes of their own.
The writing here was fast paced and easy to follow. Parent does action and horror scenes quite well in this book and it made it a joy to read. Those parts I felt were the strongest parts of the book. There were some parts that felt a bit cliche, or predictable, but nothing too crazy that it pulled me out of the immersion. There’s always a new action/horror scene right around the corner that is spectacularly done that brings you right back in. I didn’t really connect with the characters here, they all served their purpose, and they did the job well, there was just nobody i really cared for. Sometimes that happens, and that’s ok. The virus does some horrific things to the human body, and Jason put plenty of that in here.
As a first exposure to the author, I had a good time with this book. I would recommend it to fans of scifi/techno/horror. I’ll be on the lookout for more.
melaniesreads's review against another edition
4.0
Right from the start I knew I was going to love this book and be taken on a wild ride. Paying homage to classic eighties horror films, which as a young girl I devoured. As I’ve got older horror isn’t quite as scary yet I loved the nostalgia that crept in as I read.
With a diverse cast of characters. The real standout for me was Dr Clara St.Pierre a microbiologist, wheelchair bound by MS of which she is hoping to cure. Now let me tell you that as a person with a progressive, systemic auto immune disease of which there is no cure I have never come across a book that hits the nail on the head about conditions like this did. I almost felt like I was reading about myself at times. “Clara could never rid herself of her sarcasm. That was ingrained, a security blanket that had cloaked her since her disease had set in.” Also a big thank you to the author for bringing awareness, having a disabled lead character and also making her sharply intelligent. Our bodies may not work properly but our minds still do.
The other standout character was the virus itself “Molli”. Deviously clever and dangerous. I’m purposely avoiding the plot so as not to spoil but if you like classic sci-fi horror then this is an action packed blast that really hits home that some things are buried in ice for very good reason. It’s like the classic horror moment when you are shouting don’t go down there but instead of the dumb teenager going in the dark basement these are intelligent scientists in the frozen tundra of Siberia.
With a diverse cast of characters. The real standout for me was Dr Clara St.Pierre a microbiologist, wheelchair bound by MS of which she is hoping to cure. Now let me tell you that as a person with a progressive, systemic auto immune disease of which there is no cure I have never come across a book that hits the nail on the head about conditions like this did. I almost felt like I was reading about myself at times. “Clara could never rid herself of her sarcasm. That was ingrained, a security blanket that had cloaked her since her disease had set in.” Also a big thank you to the author for bringing awareness, having a disabled lead character and also making her sharply intelligent. Our bodies may not work properly but our minds still do.
The other standout character was the virus itself “Molli”. Deviously clever and dangerous. I’m purposely avoiding the plot so as not to spoil but if you like classic sci-fi horror then this is an action packed blast that really hits home that some things are buried in ice for very good reason. It’s like the classic horror moment when you are shouting don’t go down there but instead of the dumb teenager going in the dark basement these are intelligent scientists in the frozen tundra of Siberia.
bookishrabbit's review against another edition
3.0
I read this within a few hours on a lazy Sunday. It was a blast, with a sentient bacteria that takes over people and causes some pretty gruesome body horror moments. The dialogue was laughable a lot of times, and even though I think the book was meant to be somewhat humorous, there were just some cringe things the characters would say that would take me out of the fun.
This is NOT anything like a plague/COVID situation. It's more like The Thing/body horror/transformation. It was a fun way to pass a few hours but not mind-blowing.
This is NOT anything like a plague/COVID situation. It's more like The Thing/body horror/transformation. It was a fun way to pass a few hours but not mind-blowing.
thomaswjoyce's review
3.0
The frozen, desolate landscape of Siberia plays home to a laboratory housing a multi-national crew of scientists and astronauts working on various experiments for which the cold environment is perfect. The story begins with a group of astronauts drilling into the ice in a training exercise for a manned mission to Mars. One of the crew, Sergei Kobozev, is troubled by the voice of his deceased daughter, something he initially writes off as his imagination. Until it becomes quite persistent. Back at the lab, microbiologist Doctor Clara St. Pierre is examining a new pandoravirus discovered below the ice, Mollivirus sibericum, affectionately referred to by Clara as “Molli”. She describes it as a “treasure trove of cryogenically frozen life…waiting to be rediscovered”. She has no idea how right she is. While examining Molli, wheelchair-bound Clara is disturbed by an attack on the lab, carried out by a seemingly unhinged man named Dante.
While not a wholly original idea—comparisons have already been made to Carpenter’s The Thing—it does make for an exciting premise; an isolated location, a large cast of characters, each seemingly with their own agenda, an outside force that threatens not only the safety of everyone at the base, but could wreak havoc on a wider population if allowed to escape. Ultimately, the story may suffer from too many characters, too many different threads to follow and fates to be discovered. Some characters are forced together in different groups to fight for their survival, only to become separated and meet up with others. This is most likely to increase the feeling of paranoia between the characters, trying to determine who is infected by this strange, outside force and is therefore a murderous threat. But, in doing so, it leads to confusion, and each member of the large cast is never fully developed to encourage the reader to fully invest in them. Clara is the one character best developed and most like a protagonist, but the others are not much more than fodder for the infected to attack. Dante’s back story was very intriguing, and his could make for a bigger story.
That said, the book doesn’t lack in terms of high-tempo action scenes. There are some fantastic descriptions of body horror when two or more separate people become infected and then seem to join the collective consciousness of the virus. While the survivors race through the labyrinthine layout of the Siberian base, trying to evade the infected and find an exit from a complex under extreme lockdown measures, they must also contend with the fact that time is running out, as their respective governments scramble to contain the virus and prevent an outbreak using all options available. Including destroying the base. This does make for a tense atmosphere within the book, and the moments when the different groups of survivors encounter the infected, described in all their gruesome glory by Parent’s dark imagination, are genuinely thrilling.
It is the kind of story that wouldn’t be out of place on the big screen, with some tremendous CGI effects and plenty of explosions and tense music. It would probably appeal more to the action movie fans than horror lovers. Not that there isn’t plenty of blood and body horror to put a grin on a hardcore horror fan’s face. But it is likely a studio would play that stuff down and play up the conspiracies and double-crossing, and make a ton of money at the box office as a summer blockbuster. The strength lies in the action and pacing more than relatable characters or a complex, hard-hitting story, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. And no mean feat, either.
While not a wholly original idea—comparisons have already been made to Carpenter’s The Thing—it does make for an exciting premise; an isolated location, a large cast of characters, each seemingly with their own agenda, an outside force that threatens not only the safety of everyone at the base, but could wreak havoc on a wider population if allowed to escape. Ultimately, the story may suffer from too many characters, too many different threads to follow and fates to be discovered. Some characters are forced together in different groups to fight for their survival, only to become separated and meet up with others. This is most likely to increase the feeling of paranoia between the characters, trying to determine who is infected by this strange, outside force and is therefore a murderous threat. But, in doing so, it leads to confusion, and each member of the large cast is never fully developed to encourage the reader to fully invest in them. Clara is the one character best developed and most like a protagonist, but the others are not much more than fodder for the infected to attack. Dante’s back story was very intriguing, and his could make for a bigger story.
That said, the book doesn’t lack in terms of high-tempo action scenes. There are some fantastic descriptions of body horror when two or more separate people become infected and then seem to join the collective consciousness of the virus. While the survivors race through the labyrinthine layout of the Siberian base, trying to evade the infected and find an exit from a complex under extreme lockdown measures, they must also contend with the fact that time is running out, as their respective governments scramble to contain the virus and prevent an outbreak using all options available. Including destroying the base. This does make for a tense atmosphere within the book, and the moments when the different groups of survivors encounter the infected, described in all their gruesome glory by Parent’s dark imagination, are genuinely thrilling.
It is the kind of story that wouldn’t be out of place on the big screen, with some tremendous CGI effects and plenty of explosions and tense music. It would probably appeal more to the action movie fans than horror lovers. Not that there isn’t plenty of blood and body horror to put a grin on a hardcore horror fan’s face. But it is likely a studio would play that stuff down and play up the conspiracies and double-crossing, and make a ton of money at the box office as a summer blockbuster. The strength lies in the action and pacing more than relatable characters or a complex, hard-hitting story, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. And no mean feat, either.
thebookclectic's review
2.0
I was expecting this book to be a battle of wills and intelligence, but the action is centered around a very physical struggle involving a lot of running, fighting, guns, a few explosions, and extensive gore. There's a lot of body horror here, so if you enjoy that sort of thing, this could very well be the book for you. I can see how it might be fun for the right reader.
I, however, did not enjoy much about this book. There were bouts of awkward/forced dialogue, and I found the constant descriptions of sexual attraction between characters distracting and off-putting. This book wasn't for me, but I love the concept of an intelligent and ancient virus/parasite coming into contact with the modern world. I also thought the book was extremely well paced. I read through it in around three hours. There's never a dull moment. This author has several other titles available, so I plan to give him another try.
I, however, did not enjoy much about this book. There were bouts of awkward/forced dialogue, and I found the constant descriptions of sexual attraction between characters distracting and off-putting. This book wasn't for me, but I love the concept of an intelligent and ancient virus/parasite coming into contact with the modern world. I also thought the book was extremely well paced. I read through it in around three hours. There's never a dull moment. This author has several other titles available, so I plan to give him another try.
emmywritess's review
3.0
I wasn’t sure this was a great idea considering the current pandemic. However, it was different to what I expected. This book is not about a pandemic, but instead it’s about a clever virus nicknamed Molli that wrecks havoc on the small research centre it’s been housed in.
The science lover in me enjoyed all the scientific information and language going on in this book. The author had done their research which was great to see. So anyone who knows nothing about science can still enjoy this book and understand what’s going on.
Clara, a Multiple Sclerosis sufferer, is one of our protagonist’s and she was fantastic. However, I felt disconnected to the other characters, and I didn’t care what happened to them. Because of the fast nature of the book, I think it was difficult to get to know most of the characters let alone feel connected to them.
I enjoyed the beginning of the book but found myself bored and not really caring what happened as the book went on. It felt like the same things kept happening, just with slightly different twists. I did however enjoy the ending which was a brilliant twist. It would be interesting if the book had a sequel as the ending left so many unanswered question and I’d love to see what happened next.
The science lover in me enjoyed all the scientific information and language going on in this book. The author had done their research which was great to see. So anyone who knows nothing about science can still enjoy this book and understand what’s going on.
Clara, a Multiple Sclerosis sufferer, is one of our protagonist’s and she was fantastic. However, I felt disconnected to the other characters, and I didn’t care what happened to them. Because of the fast nature of the book, I think it was difficult to get to know most of the characters let alone feel connected to them.
I enjoyed the beginning of the book but found myself bored and not really caring what happened as the book went on. It felt like the same things kept happening, just with slightly different twists. I did however enjoy the ending which was a brilliant twist. It would be interesting if the book had a sequel as the ending left so many unanswered question and I’d love to see what happened next.
jennyfer's review against another edition
3.0
Sergei, a scientist in Siberia preparing for a mission to Mars leads his team to the discovery of a lifetime: preserved seeds containing a frozen virus.
Clara, a microbiologist, and confined to a wheelchair thanks to MS, is invited to the Siberian research station to study the virus, named "Mollivirus Sibericum" - or Molli for short.
While Clara hopes Molli will be able to cure her condition, Molli has an agenda of its own. With the ability to get inside people's heads, Molli is able to "release" itself into the research facility, consuming, controlling and mutating it's hosts as it does so. Molli is a clever, sentient entity.
Fast paced and graphic, this is strongly reminiscent of the classic action-horror The Thing. I give it 3 stars because Horror isn't my thing and I had to put the book down a few times.
~~I received an advance copy of this from NetGalley and Flame Tree Press in exchange for an honest review~~
Clara, a microbiologist, and confined to a wheelchair thanks to MS, is invited to the Siberian research station to study the virus, named "Mollivirus Sibericum" - or Molli for short.
While Clara hopes Molli will be able to cure her condition, Molli has an agenda of its own. With the ability to get inside people's heads, Molli is able to "release" itself into the research facility, consuming, controlling and mutating it's hosts as it does so. Molli is a clever, sentient entity.
Fast paced and graphic, this is strongly reminiscent of the classic action-horror The Thing. I give it 3 stars because Horror isn't my thing and I had to put the book down a few times.
~~I received an advance copy of this from NetGalley and Flame Tree Press in exchange for an honest review~~