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ljjohnson8's review against another edition
4.0
H5N1 is devastating the planet and the reader sees it all through the experiences of one little family in Ohio. Buckley does a great job with immediacy; her reader can really feel the claustrophobia and isolation of quarantine, the backbreaking labor of living without modern conveniences, and the emotional exhaustion of constant vigilance. The breakdown of civilized society is slow and realistic, unlike many novels of the apocalyptic genre. She wrote a particulary effective epilogue, which added more to the story than a this-is-what-happened-to-everyone exposition. One last comment: this is further proof that my bird phobia isn't as unfounded as it appears. Highly recommended.
llammabanana's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
sandeestarlite's review against another edition
2.0
Wide gaps in plot, drags in the middle, unsatisfactory ending. Sigh.
gertyp's review against another edition
5.0
This book was NOTHING like I expected and it was so good. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished. What if??
courtthebookgirl's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a must-read. It has a little bit of everything- non-smarmy romance, family drama, small town chaos, and, of course, a major pandemic flu providing a terrifying backdrop to the story.
I think the reason I liked this book best was because I found the premise completely plausible. A pandemic flu hits the United States (well, the world) similar to that of 1918, except with an avian-flu-like twist.
I thought the writing was decent and the overall story enjoyable. It was a fast read. It was a little terrifying, given that this sort of thing happening in our lifetime is not entirely implausible, and given the current flu season and all the drama it has brought with it this year. I had a hard time deciphering between reality and the book when I put it down, which made my days more interesting :)
All in all, I would definitely recommend it for anyone who likes a family drama (a la Jodi Picoult, but with better writing) or a good thriller (or both).
I think the reason I liked this book best was because I found the premise completely plausible. A pandemic flu hits the United States (well, the world) similar to that of 1918, except with an avian-flu-like twist.
I thought the writing was decent and the overall story enjoyable. It was a fast read. It was a little terrifying, given that this sort of thing happening in our lifetime is not entirely implausible, and given the current flu season and all the drama it has brought with it this year. I had a hard time deciphering between reality and the book when I put it down, which made my days more interesting :)
All in all, I would definitely recommend it for anyone who likes a family drama (a la Jodi Picoult, but with better writing) or a good thriller (or both).
heather01602to60660's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely one of the scariest books I've read. What happens when pandemic actually hits, and the world - and more specifically, your neighborhood and your nuclear family - are fighting to survive? How far do you go to protect people; when do you lose your humanity and start looking out only for number one? These are not made up boogey men to keep you up at night, but the stuff of real life nightmares. At times you root for the lead characters, and at times you want to shake them, but the problem is, you know all too well how close to your own reality this could be.
erin11's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books I have read in awhile. I had trouble putting it down and found myself thinking about the characters when I was not reading. Had to remind myself several times that they were not real people...although they very well could have been anyone of us.
rachelini's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting book. I found the first part alternately fascinating (the science) and boring (the family drama). And the second part was a true nightmare and very hard to read, but also kind of hard to put down.
rachelp's review against another edition
5.0
I was reading some of the other reviews about this book and it seemed like a lot of people who gave it a lower rating felt like the family couldn't catch a break. I guess they thought it seemed unrealistic. I disagree though. Everyone has family problems; that was completely separate from the pandemic. Also, the stuff about the empty grocery stores, gas stations and looting seemed realistic to me. We once had a power outage that lasted eight days and every grocery store's shelves were completely bare. Add in another week or two of lost power and a pandemic and I think looting is believable. Even looting other people's houses. So I didn't think the shooting thing at the end was off either. These people are desperate.
There were a couple things Ann and Peter did that seemed completely stupid to me. One was at the beginning when they first lost power. Ann had Peter cook up all the meat since the freezer didn't work. Hello.... They lost power because of a snow storm. They should have buried their frozen meat in the snow rather than eating it all at once. And later in the book when Peter took the truck out and almost hit the kid who ended up stealing his truck and coughing on him. Why in the world did he stop and roll down the window and then keep talking to an angry, aggressive kid? He should have just driven away. And both Peter and Ann should have given the incubation period a bit longer just in case. I saw that one coming from a mile away. And it took both of them way too long to figure out they should go to the crazy survivalist's house (who was obviously dead) and nab his large supply of water and canned food Peter had spotted.
There were a couple things Ann and Peter did that seemed completely stupid to me. One was at the beginning when they first lost power. Ann had Peter cook up all the meat since the freezer didn't work. Hello.... They lost power because of a snow storm. They should have buried their frozen meat in the snow rather than eating it all at once. And later in the book when Peter took the truck out and almost hit the kid who ended up stealing his truck and coughing on him. Why in the world did he stop and roll down the window and then keep talking to an angry, aggressive kid? He should have just driven away. And both Peter and Ann should have given the incubation period a bit longer just in case. I saw that one coming from a mile away. And it took both of them way too long to figure out they should go to the crazy survivalist's house (who was obviously dead) and nab his large supply of water and canned food Peter had spotted.