A review by baoluong
Immunity by Taylor Antrim
3.0
I picked up this book by pure chance because of the gorgeous cover. That florescent orange and the gold embedded title kidnapped me like the promise of rainbows and unicorns. Thinking back, I usually research books before reading and would not have given this book as second thought, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. I would go even further to say that the book should have been longer.
I didn't hate any of the characters, in fact, I was intrigued. You could say that I'm a hipster simply going against the grain but honestly I want more people to read this book. Let's get this clear. By no means is this book perfect. It's illogical at times and lagging the rest. Normally I would have considered the main protagonist to be completely selfish and the plot confusing, but looking back it's not as if Catherine wants my sympathy or the cure is actually a cure. It doesn't try to sell me the idea that people like Mercer are saints because they're not. They are the 1% and they are above the law or conventional societal norms. They are at the top of the social Darwinism hierarchy. Survival of the fittest and in turn they are immune.
I haven't the faintest inkling that this is the hidden message underneath. This is what I choose to take away from any book: my own interpretation. Ultimately, the ending was loose and there were so many plot holes that it would scare those with trypophobia. I don't necessary consider this book to be a medical thriller seeing that the thriller part is lacking despite a chase that should have ended in Catherine being shot down instead of neatly escaping. I just want people to know what they're getting into because if you have patience and willing to over analyze books as if this is some high school English class then you're in store for something good.
I didn't hate any of the characters, in fact, I was intrigued. You could say that I'm a hipster simply going against the grain but honestly I want more people to read this book. Let's get this clear. By no means is this book perfect. It's illogical at times and lagging the rest. Normally I would have considered the main protagonist to be completely selfish and the plot confusing, but looking back it's not as if Catherine wants my sympathy or the cure is actually a cure. It doesn't try to sell me the idea that people like Mercer are saints because they're not. They are the 1% and they are above the law or conventional societal norms. They are at the top of the social Darwinism hierarchy. Survival of the fittest and in turn they are immune.
I haven't the faintest inkling that this is the hidden message underneath. This is what I choose to take away from any book: my own interpretation. Ultimately, the ending was loose and there were so many plot holes that it would scare those with trypophobia. I don't necessary consider this book to be a medical thriller seeing that the thriller part is lacking despite a chase that should have ended in Catherine being shot down instead of neatly escaping. I just want people to know what they're getting into because if you have patience and willing to over analyze books as if this is some high school English class then you're in store for something good.