A fast-paced, scary (as we’re in the middle of a viral pandemic!) read which will have you squirming, The Apocalypse Strain by Jason Parent might be for you.

The plot:

A research team, led by a medical genomics expert suffering from MS, study an ancient pandoravirus at a remote Siberian research facility. The organic substance, called Molli, reveals some unique but troublesome characteristics.

It has qualities that, in the wrong hands, could lead to human extinction.

The researchers soon learn that even in the right hands, Molli is a force too dangerous to escape their compound. But the virus has a mind of its own, and it wants out.

A good 4-star read for sci-fi fans who love a bit of action

I’m not sure why I like books like this, even more so when we’re currently going through a pandemic, but maybe this is what I need to tell myself everything’s going to be okay? OK??

As you can imagine from the synopsis, it’s not a nice read but it’s great. It is literally about a virus that gets out of control, so possibly not for the faint-hearted.

There’s a lot of action and conversation which makes for a pacey read; it’s intense and the pages turn so quickly as the action unfolds. One minute, you’re living a dandy life with one of the main characters (a fair amount of scientific language is used, but often explained well for readers), and the next you’re thrown into the deep-end with little warning and I loved it! It made me on edge and couldn’t wait to see where it was going to go.

There are quite a few characters which you’ll follow, some for short periods of time, and others throughout the story as they face Molli. These interactions were probably my high-point – not only do you have what I can assume would be realistic reactions, but also a side with those infected, which you don’t usually get with your standard ‘virus infecting everyone’ read.

It does have a horror edge, especially with a lot of violence and gore, and there are definitely no happy moments, if that’s your thang.

I’ve not read anything else by Parent, but I’m pretty keen to look at what else he’s done – The Apocalypse Strain wasn’t written by an ‘amateur’ author, and could have easily been made a bit pathetic, so I’m highly impressed.

Side note: this would make a crazy good movie, especially with the ending which I definitely will not tell you about.

A good 4-star read for sci-fi fans who love a bit of action, but it is relatively worrying with the coronavirus currently going on, so proceed at your own risk!

The Apocalypse Strain, Jason Parent, RRP £9.95 (paperback); Book Depository 

Pages: 231

Publisher: Flame Tree Press

Genre: Sci-fi