Coleen recently read Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay, a fast paced thriller set amid an apocalyptic rabies outbreak. Here is her review:

Paul Tremblay delves into current events with his version of the apocalyptic genre in Survivor Song. Massachusetts is “ground zero” for a mutation of the rabies virus – it seems to have jumped from the animal host to human, and is much more virulent than the traditional rabies virus. The similarities to our current pandemic crisis are conspicuous – animal to human virus, panic buying, and an ineffectual government response.

I enjoyed the fast pace of the novel, that starts with one of our protagonists, Natalie, under quarantine (ringing some bells for all of us) flipping through social media posts suggesting the underlying themes of government incompetence and conspiracy theorists. Fifteen pages in the action begins, and we soon meet our other protagonist, Dr. Ramola Sherman, the composed and calming balance to the virus itself.

I enjoyed the give and take between these two characters, friends since college days, and how they manage their own ‘pandemic predicament.’ You balance the chaos of the pandemic, with the relationship between Natalie and Ramola, often times giving comic relief to the heavy theme.  As a fan of the genre, I enjoyed the references to other familiar apocalyptic/post- apocalyptic fiction. Tremblay paints ghostly images throughout, and serves up some retaliatory justice, quickly and efficiently.

If you enjoyed, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, Stephen King’s The Stand, or Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven, give this quick paced apocalyptic thriller a try.

Reserve Survivor Song by clicking here.