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A review by lisaortiz1221
The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley
4.0
relevant and painful, The Things That Keep Us Here is one book that definitely plagued me for a while after reading it. i can’t say that i loved it, but i’m definitely glad i read it.
Ann and Peter are trying to raise their two girls through their failing marriage. when Peter, a research scientist and professor, discovers a particularly lethal strain of bird flu, their lives are dumped upside down.
what begins as the imaginable – the rationing, isolation, and trivial family bickering – quickly becomes much, much worse. when it becomes clear that the outbreak is the real thing and 50% who contract the disease die, the family is forced to do everything they can to survive.
the thing that makes this book so powerful is that it is so tangible, so believable. it is currently science fiction, but the possibility, the fact that it could nearly be reality makes it haunting in a way that so many books aren’t. for now, we are safe in our routines, but this book challenges that and makes us realize that we are vulnerable. i can honestly say that for a while after reading this book, i looked sideways at everyone that coughed.
since this is a book review and i have to mention it, i wasn’t blown away by the writing style. the dialogue was written with some quirks and i stumbled a few times, confused. and since the book really centers on the family and the shifts that take place in their dynamic, the up and down of the family didn’t flow as well as it could have for me. but, all of that aside, this was an excellent book and it brings to light a very important possibility. i definitely recommend it for anyone with even the slightest bit of interest.
Ann and Peter are trying to raise their two girls through their failing marriage. when Peter, a research scientist and professor, discovers a particularly lethal strain of bird flu, their lives are dumped upside down.
On the clear water, surrounded by golden reeds, bobbed a legion of blue-winged teal, hundreds of them, mottled brown and cream, every one of them silent and turned the wrong way up.
what begins as the imaginable – the rationing, isolation, and trivial family bickering – quickly becomes much, much worse. when it becomes clear that the outbreak is the real thing and 50% who contract the disease die, the family is forced to do everything they can to survive.
the thing that makes this book so powerful is that it is so tangible, so believable. it is currently science fiction, but the possibility, the fact that it could nearly be reality makes it haunting in a way that so many books aren’t. for now, we are safe in our routines, but this book challenges that and makes us realize that we are vulnerable. i can honestly say that for a while after reading this book, i looked sideways at everyone that coughed.
since this is a book review and i have to mention it, i wasn’t blown away by the writing style. the dialogue was written with some quirks and i stumbled a few times, confused. and since the book really centers on the family and the shifts that take place in their dynamic, the up and down of the family didn’t flow as well as it could have for me. but, all of that aside, this was an excellent book and it brings to light a very important possibility. i definitely recommend it for anyone with even the slightest bit of interest.